Nelvana expands its live-action slate

Renowned for the scores of animated show pumped out of its Toronto headquarters, Nelvana is now looking to make its mark with live-action programming as well.

The company has teamed up with MTV and Vancouver production outfit Peace Arch Entertainment on Sausage Factory (wt), a 13×30′ teen live-action comedy about four adolescent guys on the age-old quest to unravel the feminine mystique. The project is set to premiere on MTV in the US and the Comedy Network in Canada this autumn.

Nelvana also recently acquired international distribution rights to thirteen half-hour episodes of Nickelodeon’s Taina’s World. The live-action comedy chronicles the exploits of limelight-loving Taina Morales, a New York City Latino teenager who attends high school at the Manhattan School for the Arts.

Nickelodeon is currently in production on an additional 13 episodes of the series, which Nelvana will also distribute. {We are not looking at live-action being the biggest part of our business, but we definitely want it to be a much bigger part of our business,{ says Michael Hirsh, Nelvana's co-ceo.

He notes that the new live-action projects are part of a larger strategy to boost Nelvana’s presence in the teen and young adult programming market, saying that the company has various live-action teen-driven projects on its development roster for next year.

Along with the Taina acquisition, Nelvana also picked up a second Nickelodeon series for international distribution – a 20×30′ animated programme called The Fairly Odd Parents. Created by Oh Yeah Cartoons!'s Butch Hartman, it follows the adventures of 10-year-old Timmy Turner and his out-of-this-world fairy godparents.

Among independent producers, Nelvana is one of the biggest programming suppliers to the US kids network. Animated Nelvana series on Nick include Maggie and the Ferocious Beast, Franklin, Little Bear and Pelswick. On the flip side, Nelvana’s parent Corus Communications buys a great deal of Nickelodeon shows for its youth channel YTV.

Hirsh says that as part of the growing relationship between Nelvana and Nickelodeon, the two have also committed to co-producing at least one new animated series.