Archive for August, 2009

The Disney/ABC Television Group (DATG) Scores 19 Daytime Emmy Awards

The Disney/ABC Television Group received 19 Daytime Emmy Awards at the 36th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy Awards presented this weekend, August 29th and 30th.

ABC’s “The View” received four Daytime Emmy Awards and made history when the honor of Outstanding Talk Show Host was bestowed on Barbara Walters, Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Sherri Shepherd. It was the first time in the 36 year history of NATAS that multiple talk show hosts were bestowed this honor. The women of “The View” have been nominated for 12 consecutive years in this category; this was their first win.

Other wins for ABC’s “The View” include Outstanding Directing in a Talk Show/Morning Program for Director, Mark Gentile; Outstanding Achievement in Hairstyling and “Outstanding Achievement in Makeup.

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Wizards of Waverly Place Kicks off Season 3 on October 9; Wiz-tober Returns!

Wiztober returns for the second year with a new Halloween and wizard-themed programming lineup hosted by the stars of the Emmy-nominated hit series “Wizards of Waverly Place” — Selena Gomez, David Henrie, Jake T. Austin and Jennifer Stone. The month is highlighted by the Season Three premiere of “Wizards of Waverly Place” on FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9 (8:00 p.m., ET/PT).

Last year’s Wiztober delivered TV’s No. 1 rank in Total Day among Tweens 9-14.

“Wiz-tober” kicks off with a special encore presentation of “Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie” on THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1 (8:00 p.m., ET/PT), leading into an entire month of magic-filled movies, including the popular Disney Channel Original Movies “Halloweentown” and “Twitches” (and their sequels), and two installments from the popular “Harry Potter” feature film series, among others. The month also delivers the premiere of a brand new Halloween-themed episode of Disney Channel’s “JONAS” and spooky episodes of “The Suite Life On Deck” and “Wizards of Waverly Place.”

Beginning Wednesday, September 16, kids can log on to DisneyChannel.com and get printable instructions for “Call in Your Haunt,” where fans can record their own spooky haunted house sound effects. Select entries can be heard online in the Wizards of Waverly Place Haunted House, and will air on Disney Channel during the programming event.

Following the premiere episode of the new season of “Wizards of Waverly Place,” new episodes will air Friday nights throughout October. In the new season, Alex’s best friend, Harper, moves in with the Russos.

Meanwhile, Alex pursues her dream of becoming an artist and designs her own art studio inside a miniature dollhouse. Justin, in his last year of high school, plans to savor every senior year moment and to try his hand at monster hunting, and Max hones his wizard skills and becomes a serious contender in the Russo kids’ quest to become the sole heir of the family’s wizard powers.

The schedule is as follows:

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Thinkway Toys’ Toy Story Definitive Collection Vol 2: John Talks About Sheriff Woody Pride

The second installment of the very popular video series from Disney Consumer Products has been released in which John Lasseter talks about some of the background on everybody’s favorite sheriff and the Woody doll from the Toy Story Definitive collectibles line from Thinkway Toys.

Check it out!

Here’s some of the features you’ll find with the Toy Story Definitive Collection Sheriff Woody:
* The most movie accurate Woody produced to date
* Stands 16″ tall, in movie scale to 12″ Buzz Lightyear
* Pull his string to hear one of over 50 classic ‘Woody Toy’ phrases
* Talk to him and he responds as ‘Andy’s Room Woody’
* Includes bonus sheriff star display stand
* Comes with Toy Story Collection Certificate of Authenticity

Disney-Marvel Phone Call Updates and Reactions from the Fans

The investors call was short and sweet regarding the announced acquisition of Marvel Entertainment by Disney earlier this morning. With both Disney and Marvel execs on the line, Marvel remained mostly quiet as President and CEO of the Walt Disney Company Robert Iger and Disney CFO Tom Staggs held the conference call down.

For the most part, Iger and Staggs iterated time and time again that there is no intent to meddle in the affairs of Marvel Enterprises as a member of the Disney family. Iger said they respect what Marvel has and has accomplished and the intent is to shine a ‘brighter spotlight’ on Marvel and not to re-brand it as a Disney product. Both Staggs and Iger acknowledged existing licensing and distribution agreements for Marvel and their intent to not attempt to change anything. With Paramount already lined up to distribute the next five Marvel-produced films which include Iron Man 2 and 3, Iger acknowledges that the acquisition will be an immediate loss for the company but feels that over time, both companies will be able to benefit with Disney’s ability to market the properties that Marvel brings to the table in a way that Marvel has been unable to do on its own.

There have been inevitable comparisons to the acquisition of Pixar by Disney (which Staggs tried to avoid doing during the call) and some question as to whether Marvel’s integrity will be compromised being under the Disney banner. Some also wonder what bringing a comic book publisher to a company that already has its own strong publishing arms (including comic books) will mean to either company.

With respect to comic books, while it’s true Disney does have the ability to publish comic books (and most recently started its own Kingdom Comics publishing house), many of Disney’s properties are licensed out to publishers. In the case of comics, the real winner would be BOOM! Studios who after having an incredibly succesful start with Pixar and Muppets branded comics have also been awarded Mickey Mouse and friends with other potential properties lined up. So in that respect, the acquisition of Marvel doesn’t appear to have any impact unless Disney decides along the line that it’s in their best interest to license/outsource Marvel comics as well, but with a successful machine already in place, this doesn’t seem too likely in the near future.

Disney really also hasn’t appeared to interfere with Pixar too much either since its acquisition, so it lends credibility to the notion that the only effect Disney will have on Marvel’s operations are perceived and emotional effects, for better or for worse.

The theories get most interesting when it comes to the theme parks. Universal Studios Orlando for example has Islands of Adventure which contains a whole land themed around Marvel properties. Would Disney allow arch-nemesis Universal to continue to operate and profit using Disney properties? In a word, yes. Barring the existing licensing agreements which Disney execs promise to honor, it’s simply money in Disney’s pocket no matter who’s licensing the product, so although Disney may spitefully decide it wants a larger residual from Universal, the decision is most likely to be Universal’s as to whether their relationship with Marvel would continue. It’s hard to forget that Hollywood is a very incestuous town and that it’s really about the bottom line. If you look at a property like the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise for example, remember that while they are produced and distributed by Disney, they are filmed and produced in part at other studios’ facilities such as Universal and Sony.

It’s not about integrity, it’s about money. It’s about making the most while spending the least.

Disney Cruise Line Creating More Magic at Castaway Cay

CELEBRATION, Fla., Aug. 31 — Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island paradise in the tropical waters of the Bahamas, is getting an extra dose of pixie dust. Enhancements will provide guests with more water-based family-fun, additional conveniences and a slice of beachside luxury all designed to complement the idyllic island setting. The additional island amenities are scheduled to be complete by summer 2010, in time for special five-night cruises aboard the Disney Wonder with two stops at Castaway Cay, and the Disney Dream cruise ship which starts sailing in early 2011.

Castaway Cay is consistently rated by Disney Cruise Line guests as their favorite port of call – the ultimate private island escape for adventure, relaxation and quality time with the family.

“The numerous enhancements and additions planned for Castaway Cay will take the already extraordinary guest experiences on our private island to the next level,” said Disney Cruise Line President Karl Holz. “Whether our guests are seeking recreation or leisure – or a combination of both – they will find it at Castaway Cay, all complemented by unparalleled Disney service.”

Walt Disney Imagineers designed Castaway Cay with one-of-a-kind areas and activities for every member of the family, while celebrating the natural beauty of the 1,000-acre island. Among the crystal-clear turquoise waters, powdery white sand beaches, swaying palm trees and lush landscapes, guests soon will find the following transformations.

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Disney to Acquire Marvel Entertainment (Updated With Video Announcement)

Burbank, CA and New York, NY, August 31, 2009 — Building on its strategy of delivering  quality branded content to people  around the world, The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS)  has agreed to acquire Marvel Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:MVL) in a stock and cash transaction, the companies announced today.

Under the terms of the agreement and based on the closing price of Disney on August 28, 2009, Marvel shareholders would receive a total of $30 per share in cash plus approximately 0.745 Disney shares for each Marvel share they own. At closing, the amount of cash and stock will be adjusted if necessary so that the total value of the Disney stock issued as merger consideration based on its trading value at that time is not less than 40% of the total merger consideration.

Based on the closing price of Disney stock on Friday, August 28, the transaction value is $50 per Marvel share or approximately $4 billion.

“This transaction combines Marvel’s strong global brand and world-renowned library of characters including Iron Man, Spider-Man, X-Men, Captain America, Fantastic Four and Thor with Disney’s creative skills, unparalleled global portfolio of entertainment properties, and a business structure that maximizes the value of creative properties across multiple platforms and territories,” said Robert A. Iger, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company. “Ike Perlmutter and his team have done an impressive job of nurturing these properties and have created significant value. We are pleased to bring this talent and these great assets to Disney.”

“We believe that adding Marvel to Disney’s unique portfolio of brands provides significant opportunities for long-term growth and value creation,” Iger said.

“Disney is the perfect home for Marvel’s fantastic library of characters given its proven ability to expand content creation and licensing businesses,” said Ike Perlmutter, Marvel’s Chief Executive Officer.  “This is an unparalleled opportunity for Marvel to build upon its vibrant brand and character properties by accessing Disney’s tremendous global organization and infrastructure around the world.”

Under the deal, Disney will acquire ownership of Marvel including its more than 5,000 Marvel characters.  Mr. Perlmutter will oversee the Marvel properties, and will work directly with Disney’s global lines of business to build and further integrate Marvel’s properties.

The Boards of Directors of Disney and Marvel have each approved the transaction, which is subject to clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, certain non-United States merger control regulations, effectiveness of a registration statement with respect to Disney shares issued in the transaction and other customary closing conditions. The agreement will require the approval of Marvel shareholders.  Marvel was advised on the transaction by BofA Merrill Lynch.

Investor Conference Call:
An investor conference call will take place at approximately 10:15 a.m. EDT / 7:15 a.m. PDT today, August 31, 2009. To listen to the Webcast, turn your browser to http://corporate.disney.go.com/investors/presentations.html. The discussion will be available via replay on the Disney investors website through September 14, 2009 at 7:00 PM EDT/4:00 PM PDT.

New Season of ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’ to Offer New ‘Tournament of Ten’ Feature

NEW YORK, Aug. 31  — “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” with Emmy Award-winning host Meredith Vieira, is pumping up the excitement for its eighth season by revealing ten consecutive $1-million moments this fall in the all-new Tournament of Ten. Every Millionaire show counts, as the drama unfolds for contestants vying for their spot in the tournament and an opportunity to win $1-million. An all-new season of Millionaire will premiere Monday, September 7. Check local listings or go to www.millionairetv.com.

Tournament of Ten
A new addition for this season, the Tournament of Ten will feature the ten best contestants playing to win the show’s top prize of $1-million. Players earning a spot for the tournament will be seeded, based on how much money they won and how quickly they answered their questions. Starting September 7, viewers at home will be able to keep track of players qualifying for the tournament through a Leader Board that will be updated throughout each episode and daily on www.millionairetv.com.

All ten tournament players will be established by Friday, November 6 and the tournament will begin the following Monday, November 9. Each day November 9 – 20, one of the tournament finalists will look at a $1-million question, beginning with the 10th seeded player. After looking at the question, each contestant has the option of walking away with the money they won on their first appearance or risking it all for a possible $1-million prize.

If they answer correctly, they will be in the running to win the tournament’s $1-million payout. Each person seeded above them however, has the opportunity to knock them out of the tournament if they correctly answer their own $1-million question. The Tournament of Ten will culminate on November 20, after the top-seeded final contestant plays his or her own $1-million question in the hot seat.

10th Anniversary of Millionaire Franchise
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the 1999 launch of “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” in the U.S. Throughout the last decade, $133-million has been won by hot seat contestants from both the original primetime show and the syndicated show (over $79-million in primetime and $53-million in syndication).

In honor of this milestone anniversary, ABC brought back Regis Philbin to host an 11-episode primetime series this August. Meredith Vieira appeared as a surprise celebrity guest on the final episode of Millionaire, which aired Sunday, August 23. As part of the show, Vieira invited all nine contestants who failed to make it out of the “Fastest Finger” round, to appear as contestants on the weekday version of the show, where they will start off directly in the hot seat! These nine ‘crossover contestants’ will appear in syndicated episodes airing September 7-14.

Notable Millionaire “Experts” Booked for September & October:
During the week of September 7 – 11, contestants will be able to ask famed former Millionaire contestant John Carpenter for assistance on any question past the $1,000 level. Carpenter will sit in as the featured “Expert” for the “Ask The Expert” lifeline and will be available via a face-to-face video call to help contestants in need. Carpenter was the very first Millionaire contestant to win the top prize on the game show (‘99). In one of the most memorable Millionaire moments to-date, Carpenter used his “Phone A Friend” lifeline on the $1-million question to call his father, only to inform him that he “didn’t really need his help,” but wanted to let him know that he was going to win $1-million.

Other notable Millionaire “Experts” booked for September and October include Alexandra Wentworth (September 14-18), Ashleigh Banfield (September 21-25), Mo Rocca (September 28 — October 2), Robin Meade (October 5-7), Rene Syler (October 8 & 9), Cokie Roberts (October 12-16) and Ken Jennings (October 19-23).

Improvements that were made to the Millionaire format last season will continue this year, including a “Clock on the Questions” (:15 seconds for first five questions, :30 for next five and :45 for the last five questions) and the “Category Menu” (contestants and home viewers get a sneak peak at the question categories coming up on the show). Contestants start off in the hot seat with three lifelines (“Phone A Friend,” “Double Dip” and “Ask The Audience”) and once they correctly answer the $1,000 question, they are given a fourth lifeline, “Ask The Expert.” What has never changed is that Millionaire remains the only game show in the history of television where regular Americans from all over the country can win $1-million by simply answering fifteen questions.

Toys’R'Us, Inc. and Disney Consumer Products Dress Up Their Support of Children Affected by Aids Foundation This Halloween

WAYNE, N.J., Aug. 31 — Toys”R”Us, Inc. and Disney Consumer Products (DCP) today announced that Toys”R”Us will carry an expanded assortment of exclusive Disney-themed Halloween costumes for boys, girls and babies to highlight the good works of Children Affected by AIDS Foundation (CAAF). To showcase their continued support of CAAF in its mission to provide assistance to children affected by HIV/AIDS in the United States and around the world, Toys”R”Us, Inc. and DCP made a joint contribution of $50,000 to kick off the 2009 costume program.

Beginning in September, an expanded line of 25 costumes based on popular Disney characters can be found at Toys”R”Us and Babies”R”Us stores and online at Toysrus.com, including beautifully crafted costumes resembling Disney Princess characters, Disney Pixar Toy Story’s “Buzz Lightyear” and “Woody”, Power Rangers, Winnie-the-Pooh and Tigger, and Disney Fairies’ “Tinker Bell.” The number of costumes included in this unique program doubles the offering from last year, and each bears a recognizable hangtag featuring the CAAF logo and a united mission statement from both companies.

The hangtags, along with unique signage, will help customers identify these costumes in stores nationwide, while online shoppers can find the assortment at Toysrus.com/ExclusiveCostumes. This year, CAAF will also highlight these costumes in a series of print and broadcast public service announcements that feature CAAF’s national spokesperson Jamie Lee Curtis, and promote the organization’s signature Dream Halloween events, of which the Toys”R”Us Children’s Fund and Disney Consumer Products are longtime benefactors.

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D23 Expo Uncovered Viral Video Part Three Now Available

With part two (ABC Studios) still MIA, D23 now gives us a peek at what the Walt Disney Studios has to offer at D23 Expo.. almost. Enjoy!:

Schedule and Mousecellaneous Updates for D23 Expo

It’s been a while since we offered an additional list of D23 Expo updates as the news that’s been coming out has been large enough to require its own entries, but we’ve also been accumulating a number of small news items so here they are:

- The photography policy has been updated to prohibit photography/videography during select screenings in addition to the Archives exhibit.

- The autograph policy has been introduced: No personal items from home are allowed. All items to be signed must be acquired/purchased at the event.

- There was a second entry into the D23 viral video series, but for reasons unknown, it was removed from YouTube

- There have been some schedule changes since the schedule was initially announced: Trail of the Panda has been removed from the schedule altogether; the Magic of Disney panel has been rescheduled to 2 pm; the Muppets panel has been moved to 1 pm; and the Disneyana Detective panel has been moved to 2 pm. There have also been additional signing sessions added: Randy Thornton at 9 am and Margaret Kerry at 4 pm, both on Friday in Hall C; and an additional signing with Dave Pacheco on Sunday at 12 pm in Hall C.

- @figgy999 reports that star of the National Treasure series, G-Force and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Nicolas Cage may be appearing with Dick Cook on Friday

- Vinylmation.net has posted an image of the D23 Expo exclusive vinylmation here. The thread also discusses an exclusive 9″ figure as well as exclusive tees, one each day, based on the Art of Disney.