A Pair Of Brand-New Original Animated Series, Norm And Powerbirds Have Been Greenlit For The New Sprout Preschool Block On Upcoming US Net Universal Kids

NBCUniversal’s forthcoming Universal Kids network has greenlit two new 52 x 11 minute original animated series, Norm and Powerbirds, for its Sprout preschool block.

Created by two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist Steve Breen, Powerbirds follows the adventures of two pet parakeets that happen to live secret superhero lives. The series is expected to debut in early 2019.

Norm, meanwhile, is a stop-motion series scheduled for late 2019 starring the son of Mother Nature. As a handyman of the forest, he uses his wits and a sprinkle of magic to solve problems for his eccentric animal friends.

Both new series were announced as development projects in February.

Universal Kids has also revealed July 15 as the Sprout premiere date for its Zodiak Kids-produced animated original Kody Kapow, and added Jason Alexander (Seinfeld) to its voice cast as Goji the Tiger. Set in China, the series follows a Chinese-American boy who learns he is destined to become a martial arts superhero.

Kody Kapow is created by Alexander Bar (Mike the Knight) and developed for television by Robin J. Stein and Daniel Bryan Franklin. It is executive produced by Eryk Casemiro, with animation produced by Boat Rocker-owned Jam Filled under the direction of Sam Chou.

The rebranding of Sprout into Universal Kids will officially kick off from September 9, 2017. Sprout’s name will live on as a daily preschool programming block airing 15 hours of content with Universal Kids programmed older kids and families then on.

What To Look Forward To On eToonz+ This July

We have the best in international kids series to show your little ones this month!
Find eToonz+ on OpenView HD channel 130 and DStv channel 311.

eToonz+ offers quality kids entertainment and is now available on DStv channel 311.

Here’s what you can expect this month:

Pet Squad
Starts Wednesday, 5 July at 4:00PM
Pet Squad – the animated series – is part oddball comedy set in Professor's Bonkers home with three pet inmates who get the munchies, like a snooze, watch daytime TV and are waited upon by Pepe the Robot Butler. It is also part action adventure as our heroes find themselves transformed into the hapless super-sized defenders of P Town… playing out everyone's favorite heroic cartoon fantasies as they do their duty as superheroes to restore order and rebuild the reputation of pets everywhere.

Silly Seasons
Starts Thursday, 13 July at 3:30PM
Silly Seasons is an animated comedy featuring the escapades of four girls, Daisy, Summer, Ginger and Snowflake, in the town of Sillyville with a supporting cast of offbeat animals and flowers.

Mia and Me
Starts Thursday, 13 July at 5:30PM
After her parents died in a plane accident, 12-year-old Mia ends up in the “International Boarding School of Florence.” Her legal guardian hands her a package, which was found in her parents’ luggage. It’s a gift for her twelfth birthday. It contains a tattered old book about Unicorns in a land called Centopia, as well as a necklace looking like an iPod, which turns out to be a holographic game console based on the book. And so a series of wondrous adventures start to unfold for the brave little orphan.

MOVIES:
Not only do we have the best in international kids’ series, we also have fantastic movie to show your little ones this month! Find eToonz+ on OpenView HD channel 130 and DSTV channel 311.

Movies you can expect this month:

The Retrievers
Sunday 9 July at 2PM
The Lowry Family takes in a clever and lovable stray golden retriever and discover she is pregnant. The children are forced to find homes for the puppies which leads them to a delightful adventure teaching them the true meaning of family.

Care Bears, Big Wish Movie
Saturday 15 July at 2PM
Feeling sad that her fellow Care Bears don't seem to appreciate her wishes, Wish Bear uses her wish star, Twinkers, to find some bears who love wishing as much as she does. That's when three new bears move to Care-a-lot...with some very unexpected results.

Barbie in a Mermaid Tale
Sunday 16 July at 2PM
In this animated adventure, Barbie stars as Merliah, a teenage surfing champion from Malibu who learns a shocking family secret: she’s a mermaid! Merliah and her dolphin friend Zuma set off on an
undersea adventure to rescue her mother, the queen of Oceana. With help from her new mermaid friends, Merliah must do everything in her power to save the ocean kingdom and grow to realize that what makes you different can also be your greatest strength.

Catch these and many other fantastic toddler, kids, tween and teen shows on eToonz+ in July.

Like the eToonz+ Facebook page and follow us on Twitter.

Viewers Will Be Treated To A Feast Of The Blockbuster Disney•Pixar Films That Revolutionised The Animated Film Industry Every Saturday At 7:30PM During July Right Here On e.tv

e.tv’s Saturday night slot is one of the most-watched movie slots in the country and offers perfect family viewing for all ages.

The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, Cars and Monsters Inc. as well as the studio’s fun-filled animated shorts will be seen on free-to-air television thanks to an exclusive deal signed by e.tv and Disney Africa in 2016, which ensures that some of the world's best movies and television series are broadcast for free to millions of viewers around South Africa.

The Disney•Pixar movies coming to e.tv in July are:
The Incredibles
Saturday, 1 July at 7:30PM
Cars
Saturday, 8 July at 7:30PM
Finding Nemo
Saturday, 15 July at 7:30PM
Monsters Inc.
Saturday, 22 July at 7:30PM

Catch Disney•Pixar Month on e.tv an eHD on OpenView HD (Channel 104) & DStv (Channel 194), from 1 July.

New On eMovies Extra In July 2017

We know it’s cold outside, but we’re turning up the heat on eMovies Extra with Jason Statham, Ben Foster, Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway.

Here’s what you can watch on eMovies Extra:

OpenView HD channel 107 and DSTV channel 140.

Parental Guidance
Sunday, 2 July at 8PM
When Artie and Diane’s old-school parenting methods collide with their daughter’s new-school ways, the once-orderly household spins out of control.
Starring Billy Crystal, Bette Midler, Marisa Tomei

The Mechanic
Tuesday, 4 July at 8PM
A hitman, famed for his efficient and unfeeling contract executions, befriends a young man and trains him as a professional assassin.
Starring Jason Statham, Ben Foster, Donald Sutherland

Love and Other Drugs
Friday, 7 July at 8PM
A womanising Viagra salesman with no sense of direction or responsibility falls in love with a free-spirited woman.
Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, Judy Greer

Watch these on eMovies Extra OpenView HD channel 107 and DSTV channel 140.

New Movies On eMovies+ In July 2017

Cameron Diaz, Emily Watson, Ben Stiller, Kirsten Wiig and Djimon Hounsou will be the reason you want to snuggle up in front of the TV this month!

Here’s what you can watch on eMovies+ this July:

OpenView HD channel 106 and DStv channel 138.

Animal
Monday, 3 July at 7:30PM
When James "Animal" Allen is locked up in a maximum security prison, he meets a revolutionary who changes his life.

Starring Ving Rhames, Vicellous Shannon, Richard Waugh

In Her Shoes
Tuesday, 4 July at 7:30PM
After Rose breaks off relations with her party girl sister, Maggie, over an indiscretion involving Rose’s boyfriend – the chilly atmosphere is broken with the arrival of their grandmother neither sister knew existed.

Starring Toni Collette, Cameron Diaz, Shirley MacLaine

The Book Thief
Wednesday, 5 July at 7:45PM
Based on the bestselling novel, The Book Thief tells the inspiring story of a young girl who finds solace by stealing books and sharing them with others while living with her adoptive parents during World War II in Germany.
Starring Sophie Nélisse, Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson

The Secret Life of Walter's Mitty
Wednesday, 12 July at 7:35PM
When his job along with that of his co-worker are threatened, Walter takes action in the real world embarking on a global journey that turns into an adventure.
Starring Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Jon Daly

Elephant White
Thursday, 20 July at 9:10PM
An assassin faces a midlife crisis as his contractor puts a hit out at him, leading every wannabe assassin in town to come after him.
Starring Djimon Hounsou, Markus Waldow, Kevin Bacon

Nature Calls
Friday, 28 July at 7:35PM
Depressed by his inability to be an effective Scoutmaster, Randy kidnaps the boys attending a birthday blowout hosted by his brother, Kirk, and takes them on an extreme weekend camping trip - with their irate parents not far behind.
Starring Patton Oswalt, Johnny Knoxville, Rob Riggle

Watch these on eMovies OpenView HD
channel 106 and DSTV channel 138.

New On eExtra In July 2017

We have some great new international content coming your way this July. Watch eExtra on OpenView HD channel 105 and DStv channel 195 in South Africa.

eExtra is the home of premium quality entertainment and this July we’ll be adding even more premium international content to the menu.

Here’s what you have to look forward to:

The Carmichael Show
Sitcom
Starts Saturday, 1 July at 7PM.
Follows the life of stand up comedian Jerrod Carmichael as he navigates through life with his therapist in-training girlfriend and his heavily opinionated family.

Starring Jerrod Carmichael, Amber Stevens West, LilRel Howery.

In The Cut
Sitcom
Starts Saturday, 1 July at 7:30PM
A well-renowned barber meets the son he never knew he had, thirty years after his birth. Work, love and life collide as they adjust to life as a new family.

Starring Dorien Wilson, Ken Lawson, Dorion Renaud.

Real Husbands Of Hollywood
Comedy
Starts Tuesday, 18 July at 6PM
Kevin Hart and other celebrities play a comic fictionalized version of themselves in this parody of similarly named reality shows. Episodes often feature Kevin Hart's attempts to gain celebrity and his jealousy of his friends.

Starring Kevin Hart, Duane Martin, Nick Cannon.

Love And Hip Hop: New York
Reality
Starts Tuesday, 18 July at 7:30PM.
These glam goddesses have one thing in common: they have all supported their men on the road to Hip Hop stardom. That mission accomplished it is now their turn to step into the spotlight – to share and lay bare all the drama that comes with fame and fortune.

Preachers Of Atlanta
Reality
Starts Sunday, 30 July at 4PM
Through the lens of five pastors with drastically different approaches to their ministry, the show explores many of the most hot-button and polarizing issues in America today.

Starring Pastor Corey Hambrick, Pastor Le’Andria Johnson, Pastor Canton Jones, Pastor Kimberly Jones-Pothier, and Pastor Judah Swilley.

We can’t decide which show we’re most excited for, can you?

Watch eExtra on OpenView HD channel 105 and DStv channel 195 only available in South Africa.

Follow eExtraTV on Twitter and like the etvExtra page on Facebook.

NBCUniversal Starting Universal Kids With DreamWorks Animation As A New Kids Channel In September - Will DStv Perhaps Consider Getting The Channel?

NBCUniversal and DreamWorks Animation is launching a brand-new kids TV channel, Universal Kids. The channel will replace Sprout Network on 9 September with new and fresh programming line-up to spice it up, old programming will still resume on the new channel.

Universal Kids will be aimed at 2 to 11 year olds with content from DreamWorks Animation Television, including series, unscripted entertainment, live action shows and international programming.

Universal Kids will launch on 9 September in America with shows like DreamWorks Dragons: Riders of Berk based on the How to Train Your Dragon franchise, All Hail King Julien based on the Madagascar franchise, and Nowhere Boys, a fantasy-adventure series that follows four teenagers who get lost in the woods only to discover upon their return that they're stuck in a world in which they never existed.

Other shows on Universal Kids will include comedy series Little Lunch about what happens during lunch where kids discuss big issues, the tween drama The Next Step that follows a group of dancers, and Hank Zipzer about the misadventures of a 12-year old dyslexic schoolboy based on Henry Winkler's novels based on his own childhood experiences.

"We see enormous potential to grow our audience in this space and create the Universal Kids platform for families to experience together,” said Frances Berwick, NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment Lifestyle Networks president, in a statement.

"NBCUniversal is invested in the kids and family business, and the company believes in working together – we will benefit from promotion across our portfolio of networks and across the company through support that is unparalleled in the industry."

"We will reflect all that is universal about being a kid through connection, storytelling and entertainment - a place that reflects their life and passions," says Deirdre Brennan, Universal Kids general manager, who was appointed back in January.