TV-Loonland AG

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TV-Loonland AG
FormerlyTMO Film GmbH (1989–1997)
TMO-Loonland Film GmbH (1997–2000)
TypePrivate
IndustryAnimation
Film
Television
GenreChildren's animation
Founded1989 (1989)
FounderPeter Volkle
DefunctApril 5, 2011 (2011-04-05)
FateBankruptcy; assets were acquired by Made 4 Entertainment
SuccessorStudio 100 International
Headquarters
Unterföhring
,
Germany
DivisionsLoonland Merchandising
Loonland UK
Loonland Home Entertainment
Loonland Films
Loonland Online GmbH[1]
SubsidiariesLoonland Animation Ltd.
RG Prince Films
Salsa Entertainment
SRE Corporation
Sunbow Entertainment
Telemagination
Metrodome Distribution

TV-Loonland AG was a German branding and management company that specialized in the production of children's programmes. The company's offices were located in Europe (Paris, Munich and London). The company's mascot is a sheep on a blue dome.

History

TMO Film GmbH was founded by Peter Volkle in 1989.[2] The company first began working on animated content within this time, and by 1993 began to produce popular animated content. The company then released its first film - Die Schelme von Schelm, in 1995. In the same year, the company opened up an animation studio in Hungary called Loonland Animation in Hungary which TMO later purchased a stake in. The company then rebranded as TMO-Loonland Film GmbH in 1997. The company later purchased a stake in RG Prince Films in Korea, and increased the number of programmes being produced.[3]

At the start of 2000, the company was rebranded to TV-Loonland AG.[3] In March, the company announced their plans to go public at the end of the month and signed a first-look distribution deal with Sony Wonder to represent their television catalogue for German-speaking and certain CEE regions.[4] The company also began to search for a UK sales agent for a planned expansion to the United Kingdom.[5]

In April 2000 to expand TV-Loonland's distribution operations and the planned opening of its office based in London, the company signed a pan-european co-production deal with AAC Kids, the children's production arm of Toronto-based film & television production/distribution company Alliance Atlantis to handle co-financing, production, distribution and merchandising of upcoming six animated television series and three live-action programming while TV-Loonland AG would handle European distribution rights to AAC Kids' programming such as The Famous Jett Jackson with Alliance Atlantis would handle distribution rights for the rest of the world whilst UK distribution rights to AAC Kids' programming would be handled by the two companies.[6][7]

In September 2000, TV-Loonland expanded its operations into the United Kingdom and entered the British animation industry with the company announcing that they had purchased London-based British animation studio Telemagination, giving TV Loonland their own British animation production company outside of Germany and taking over Telemagination's production library while John M. Mills, co-founder & chairman and executive producer at Teleimagination had stepped down from his role of chairman while staying as a consultant.[8] Two and a half weeks later in that same month following TV-Loonland's acquisition of London-based British animation studio Teleimagination, the company acquired Latin American distribution company Salsa Distribution, who represented products from The Jim Henson Company in these territories, thus expanding TV Loonland's operations into the Latin America countries outside of Europe with Salsa Distribution being placed as the former's own Latin American distribution subsidiary.[9]

On October 3, 2000 following their initial distribution deal months prior, TV-Loonland announced they had purchased Sony Wonder's television business assets. The deal included full ownership in American animation production studio Sunbow Entertainment, alongside a programming library that included shows based on Hasbro properties giving TV Loonland their own American animation production studio outside of Europe.[10][11] In exchange for the purchase, Sony Wonder retained North American home video rights to their catalogue and worldwide music rights. Two months later in December 2000 following TV Loonland's acquisition of Sony Wonder's television operations and the latter's animation production studio Sunbow Entertainment, the company purchased a 65% stake in Seoul-based South Korean home video distribution firm Saerom Entertainment expanded their operations outside of Europe, giving TV Loonland their own South Korean home video distribution subsidiary and their entry into the South Korean distribution business.[12]

In April 2001, the company signed a licensing deal with Nox Music where they would represent Loonland's catalogue in all CSS/Russian territories.[13] On May 15, the company shuttered own their Hamburg-based internet subsidiary Family Harbour with TV Loonland considerated their future online activities under their division Loonland Online.[1] In November, Loonland purchased a 29.9% stake in UK distributor Metrodome Distribution.[14]

In January 2002, TV-Loonland increased its American production services with TV-Loonland had signed a first-look production deal with AMG Animation & Family Entertainment, the kids & family production arm of American investment alum Artists Management Group, to develop & produce television series marking Loonland's first deal with a management firm.[15] One day later on the 22nd of that year, TV-Loonland renewed its co-production pact with ZDF's production/distribution division ZDF Enterprises with the two would produce upcoming television series beginning with Rudi (later became Rudi & Trudi), adapted from ZDF's long-running live-action television series Siebenstein whilst TV-Loonland's British animation studio Teleimagination would produce & handle animation, TV-Loonland and ZDF Enterprises handling distribution worldwide.[16]

The company expanded to Japan two months later in March by pre-selling home video rights to Little Ghosts to TDK Core while PT-Naina took all non-Japanese Asian rights.[17] In August, Loonland's stake in Metrodome increased to a 54.4% operational controlling stake, with Loonland fully taking control of the distributor.[18]

In January 2003, the Metrodome stake was increased to 75%.[19] In March 2003, they sold their 72.2% interest stake in SRE Corp. (Saerom Entertainment) to Moohandae Media.[20]

In 2004, Loonland filed for a British ATM listing.[21]

In August 2005, Loonland was sued by shareholder group Aktieninvestor.com, after the company deliberately excused them from its AGM in August 2005, following violation of Section 21 of the Securities Trading Act when the latter tried to apply a hostile takeover within Loonland. The lawsuit ended in favour of TV-Loonland.[22] On September 27, 2005, the company launched a feature-film division called Loonland Pictures, and signed deals with the local branch of 20th Century Fox and NFP Marketing as marketing and distribution partners for the companies' movies, the first of which being Heidi, which would be released theatrically in the country at the end of the year.[23]

In October 2007, TV-Loonland announced they would sell off their then-61.2% stake in Metrodome Distribution.[24]

In May 2008, Romanian company MediaPro purchased 50.1% of Loonland's shares in Metrodome for £3.2 Million, leaving them with 11.6% which MediaPro could purchase out in the future.[25] On May 14, Hasbro acquired the Sunbow programs based on its properties, which are now part of the Hasbro Entertainment library.[26][27][28][29] On May 23, fellow German management company Your Family Entertainment invested a 3% stake in the company.[30]

In March 2009, Loonland signed a new home video deal with Hasbro for Transformers and G.I. Joe, bringing those shows back under the Loonland umbrella. They also acquired distribution rights to My Little Pony: Twinkle Wish Adventure.[31] In December, TV-Loonland announced they would file for bankruptcy protection.[32]

In April 2011, fellow German entertainment company Made 4 Entertainment (M4E) AG through its television division m4e Television had brought TV-Loonland's programming catalogue, with Telescreen beginning to distribute the catalogue internationally. [33][34][35] In late-January 2017, Belgian production group Studio 100 via its global distribution division Studio 100 Media (now Studio 100 International) acquired a 68% stake in M4E.[36][37][38]

Programmes

Original series

Title Year(s) Network Notes
Babar[39]1989–2001co-production with Nelvana and Kodansha
Animation services for 2001 series
Small Stories1995–1998ARD
France 3 & TiJi (France)		as TMO Film
co-production with Les Films de l’Arlequin and EVA Entertainment
The Little Lulu Show1995–1999
Tigerenten Club1996Das Ersteas TMO Film
"Janosch, Tigerente und Frosch" sequences only
RobinSVT1
Teletoon (Canada)		as TMO Film
co-production with Nelvana and Happy Life
Big Sister, Little Brother1997SVT1
  • Final production under the TMO Film name
  • co-production with Wegelius TV
Ned's Newt1997–2000Teletoon
  • Known as TMO Film for series 1
  • First production under the TMO-Loonland Film
  • co-production with Nelvana and Studio B Productions (series 2)
Lisa1998
as TMO-Loonland Film
co-production with Happy Life
The Three Friends and Jerry1998–1999
  • Credited under TMO-Loonland Film and Loonland Animation
  • co-production with HIT Entertainment and Happy Life
The Famous Jett Jackson1998–2001Disney Channel
Pettson and Findus 2000
Fat Dog Mendoza2000–2001Cartoon Network UK[41]
Redwall 2000–2002 Series 2–3 only, co-production with Nelvana. Also held some European distribution rights)
The Fantastic Flying Journey[43]2001CITV
  • co-production with 2 Sides TV
  • Currently owned by Studio 100 International[44]
Letters From Felix 2001 Series 1 only, co-production with NDF, Caligari Film GmbH and ZDF. Series 2 produced by Mondo TV
The Cramp Twins[45][46]2001–2004
co-production with Sunbow Entertainment (series 1) and Teleimagination[49] (series 2)
Little Ghosts 2002 co-production with Telemagination
Pongwiffy[50] 2002 co-production with Telemagination
Something Else[51] 2002 co-production with Studio B Productions, excluding Canadian distribution rights
Henry's World 2002-2005 Series 1 only, produced by Alliance Atlantis. Also held European distribution rights. 2003, co-production with Telemagination
Metalheads[52]2003–2004ZDF
CBBC (United Kingdom)		co-production with Teleimagination
Dragon's Rock[53]2004Super RTL
Rudi & Trudi[16]2006–2007ZDF
Channel 4 (United Kingdom)		co-production with Telemagination and ZDF Enterprises
The Owl [54] 2006-2007 co-production with Studio Hari and France Télévisions
Pat and Stan[55] 2007
My Life Me[56] 2010-2011 uncredited; produced by CarpeDiem Film & TV

    Acquired from Sony Wonder/Sunbow Entertainment

    Distribution only

    Specials

    Original

    Acquired from Sony Wonder/Sunbow Entertainment

    Movies/Direct-to-Video

    Original

    Acquired from Sony Wonder/Sunbow Entertainment

    References

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