March 17, 2014 - LOS ANGELES, CA - MEDIA
WONDER TRANSMEDIA PAIRS WITH GENESIS GROUP UNLIMITED TO DEVELOP WONDER'S FEATURE GALACTIC ACADEMY AS AN ANIMATED TELEVISION SERIES
"We are incredibly excited to be working with Genesis on bringing one of our two feature titles, Galactic Academy, to the small screen as a weekly series. Genesis has a wonderful track record in kid's and family television. A few of the shows currently on the Genesis slate include the worldwide hit Hi-5 and the upcoming series Apollo Rex," says Wonder CEO Al Ovadia.
Genesis will manage all aspects of the series from development through production. Genesis will also handle sales of the series worldwide via Genesis's extensive global broadcast and streaming relationships. Genesis' cooperation was inspired by Wonder's previously developed feature screenplay Galactic Academy: an out-of-this-world comedy adventure whose robotic characters attend a fictional high school on a distant planet.
Rick Romano, CEO of Genesis says "We are extremely excited to adapt Wonder's previously developed feature screenplay Galactic Academy into a television series. It is a show that while being funny and fun to watch will also have educational values, teach kids right from wrong, and most importantly provide kids worldwide the knowledge that working hard and believing in your self does pay off."
Wonder Transmedia: A team that is led by the former 20th Century Fox Division President who launched "The Simpson's" and Sony Pictures Division Head who launched "Spider Man". Wonder produces evergreen Intellectual Property with a disruptive brand-building pathway across multiple digital-media platforms to build audiences, drive revenue, and provide sustainable shareholder value.
Global Genesis Group: A team that has a combined 75 years of production, writing , marketing and distribution experience in both international motion pictures and television. Genesis has also helped build and manage film and television infrastructure (studios, equipment, and training). Global Genesis Group utilizes its wholly owned subsidiary, Genesis Transmedia Group to produce and distribute Motion Pictures and Television programming globally.
CONTACT: info@WonderTransmedia.com or info@GenesisTransmediaGroup.com
KCET Presents the U.S. Premiere of Acclaimed Australian Preschool Series, Hi-5
by Angelica Alumia
on February 4, 2014 9:39 AM
Actress/Dancer Jaylene Mendoza to Host New, U.S. Version of the Series
KCET’s Children’s Programming Block Shifts to Earlier Time
from 5 – 8 a.m. Beginning Feb. 17
Burbank, Calif. – Feb. 4, 2014 – KCET, the nation’s largest independent public television station serving Southern and Central California, has announced it will launch Hi-5, one of the world’s leading educational series for preschoolers ages 2-8. Hi-5 is the No. 1 rated children’s program in Latin America and Asia and is currently available in more than 80 countries. Hi-5 will debut for the first time in the U.S. exclusively on KCET, beginning Feb. 17 at 7:30 a.m.
Hi-5 episodes, hosted in the U.S. by young actress and dancer Jaylene Mendoza, joins KCET’s current children’s block, which shifts to a new time period from 5-8 a.m. each weekday. The full kids’ block will include: Zula Patrol, Signing Time!, Wunderkind Little Amadeus, Anne of Green Gables, Peep and the Big Wide World and Hi-5.
The Hi-5 series delivers core-learning values for preschoolers, including: education, imaginative play, positivity, social interaction, healthy living and developmental growth. The segments use music, humor and imagination to help children learn about the world around them. The learning theories of Piaget, Gardner, Vygotsky, Dalcroze and others heavily influence the show’s content.
“We are thrilled to be able to debut Hi-5 exclusively to Southern and Central California audiences,” said Mary Mazur, Chief Operating Officer for KCETLink. “As a public media organization, education is one of our fundamental programming principles and the addition of this international hit to our children’s block, further exemplifies our commitment to provide quality programming through a global lens to our diverse viewership.”
Added Datuk Jared Lim, Chairman of Hi-5 Operations, which owns the rights to the Hi-5 brand: “We’re thrilled that KCET had the foresight and vision to bring Hi-5, our internationally revered series to the U.S. and help foster the love of learning for young audiences.”
Rick Romano, CEO of Genesis Group Unlimited, the North American distributor of Hi-5, said, “The Hi-5 series is extremely relevant to today’s media savvy preschooler. We are excited to work with KCET to bring an award winning, educationally driven show like Hi-5 to an American audience.”
Hi-5 debuted on the Nine Network in Australia in 1999.
The Hi-5 brand includes both a worldwide live tour, as well as its broadcast component, which explores weekly themes with each cast member, such as:
- Shapes in Space with Nathan
- Body Move with Charli
- Word Play with Kellie and puppet ‘Chats’
- Making Music with Tim and Kellie
- Puzzles and Patterns with Sun and puppet ‘Jup Jup’
- Song of the Week and Sharing Stories with the entire cast
Each segment focuses on a particular area of learning, including: verbal, musical, visual, mathematical, physical and social. The episode concludes with a shared story.
Hi-5 has won countless awards for excellence in children’s programming, including three Logie awards for “Most Outstanding Children’s Program” and five ARIA Awards for “Best Children’s Album.” It is a top-rated series in almost every region it is available, including Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, New Zealand, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia and more.
For more information about the series, please visit: www.kcet.org/Hi-5.
ABOUT KCET
On-air, online and in the community, KCET plays a vital role in the cultural and educational enrichment of Southern and Central California. KCET offers a wide range of award-winning local programming as well as the finest public television programs from around the world. Throughout its 50-year history, KCET has won hundreds of major awards for its local and regional news and public affairs programming, its national drama and documentary productions, its quality educational family and children’s programs, its outreach and community services and its website, kcet.org. KCET is a donor-supported community institution. For additional information about KCET productions, web-exclusive content, programming schedules and community events, please visit kcet.org. KCET is a service of KCETLink