YTV and Nelvana ready Toon Idol contest
By Adnews Staff
Specialty television channel YTV and animation studio Nelvana, both owned by Corus Entertainment of Toronto, are preparing a joint promotion which will lead to the production of a new TV series. Beginning on Feb. 3, YTV will air 13 weekly 30-minute programs consisting of animated shorts from Nelvana. Viewers will vote for their preferred shorts at the YTV website, leading to a final program on May 5 during which the winner will be named "Toon Idol." This short will then be considered as the basis of a full series. According to Corus, this is the first time television viewers will have a hand in the selection of a potential series. "YTV has always encouraged audience feedback, and this new series goes one step further by giving viewers the opportunity to get directly involved in creating a hit, empowering them in a way that has never been done before in Canadian animation," said Phil Piazza, vice-president of programming for children's television at Corus. "This unique mix of animation styles and humour provides something for every demographic, and we look forward to our viewers' response to this series."