Scholastic Entertainment and 9 Story Media Group Unveil Ambitious Animation Slate for MIPCOM 2024

In a powerful demonstration of their newly solidified partnership, Scholastic Entertainment and 9 Story Media Group have pulled back the curtain on an expansive content slate destined for the global stage at MIPCOM. This year’s presentation marks a significant milestone in the collaborative history of these two media titans, following Scholastic’s $182 million acquisition of 9 Story Media Group earlier in 2024. As the industry gathers in Cannes, the spotlight is firmly fixed on a portfolio that balances established intellectual property with fresh, innovative narratives.

The joint slate features four original series currently in development, one high-profile series in active production, and the highly anticipated return of two powerhouse franchises. Demonstrating the technical prowess behind the partnership, Brown Bag Films—the acclaimed animation studio under the Scholastic umbrella with global production hubs in Dublin, Toronto, and Bali—is set to showcase exclusive animation tests for the majority of the upcoming projects, providing a rare glimpse into the aesthetic direction of these future hits.

The Strategic Evolution of a Media Powerhouse

The trajectory of this collaboration can be traced back to the formal announcement of their first joint slate in October 2023, which effectively signaled a new era of synergy between the publishing giant and the production powerhouse. By integrating Scholastic’s legendary literary catalog with 9 Story’s sophisticated animation pipelines, the partnership has effectively created an end-to-end content factory.

The 2024 acquisition was more than a mere financial transaction; it was a strategic consolidation of assets. By folding 9 Story Media Group—and by extension, Brown Bag Films—into the Scholastic family, the company has secured a dominant position in the children’s media landscape. This year’s MIPCOM presence acts as the first major international test of this unified corporate strategy. By leveraging the cross-platform potential of properties like Dragon Girls, Paris & Pups, and the breakout sensation Do Not Watch This Show, the companies are proving that they have the infrastructure to scale original content from page to screen with unprecedented speed and creative cohesion.

Deep Dive: The New Slate in Development

The four projects currently in development represent a concerted effort to capture the 2D-animation market, with each series formatted as a 52-episode run, each episode spanning 11 minutes. This standardized approach reflects a commitment to broadcast-friendly formats designed for global distribution.

Millie Fleur: A Spooky-Sweet Preschool Comedy

Based on the whimsical book series by Christy Mandin, Millie Fleur is poised to become a staple of preschool programming. The series leans into the "spooky-sweet" aesthetic, following the adventures of a young protagonist who finds profound beauty in the peculiar. The world-building is particularly distinct, featuring a garden environment where sentient, glow-in-the-dark mushrooms scuttle on tiny feet and flora possess teeth. It is a bold visual experiment that challenges traditional preschool art styles, aiming to foster curiosity and appreciation for the "strange" in young viewers.

Worst Week Ever: The Tween Cringe Factor

Targeting the difficult-to-capture 8–12 demographic, Worst Week Ever is an adaptation of the popular illustrated series by Eva Amores and Matt Cosgrove. The series chronicles the life of 12-year-old Justin as he navigates the excruciatingly awkward, cringe-inducing realities of middle school. The development is a complex international effort, involving Studio Moshi as a partner, with additional support from the Australian Children’s Television Foundation and ABC Australia. By grounding the comedy in the universal pain of the tween years, the show aims to mirror the success of other "cringe-comedy" hits while maintaining age-appropriate themes.

Beanstalk & Bear: Fairy Tale Detectives

Drawing inspiration from the "True Crime Fairy Tales" novelty books by Make Believe Ideas, this series offers a noir-inspired twist on classic folklore. The premise is ingenious in its simplicity: when the stability of the Fairy Tale Forest is threatened, two kid detectives are tasked with untangling the mess. The show promises a sophisticated narrative structure involving clues, misdirections, and satisfying reveals, all while maintaining a playful, hard-boiled detective aesthetic that should appeal to both children and the parents who watch with them.

Earth Rangers: Underground

Conservation and environmental stewardship are at the heart of Earth Rangers: Underground, a series aimed at the 5–8 demographic. The brand already commands a massive digital footprint, with its online content garnering upwards of 20 million views monthly on YouTube. The narrative centers on two middle schoolers who discover a secret cadre of animal agents dedicated to cleaning up human-made environmental messes. The dynamic is bolstered by a colorful cast, including a perpetually grumpy veteran squirrel and an overly enthusiastic rookie gecko, blending slapstick humor with a genuine educational mission.

Production Spotlight: Super Why’s Comic Book Adventures

While the development slate focuses on the future, Super Why’s Comic Book Adventures represents the immediate expansion of a legacy brand. Now in production, the series builds upon the foundation of the 2007 original Super Why! preschool literacy series. The new project consists of 117 seven-minute musical shorts, set within a vibrant 2D comic book world. The introduction of a new superhero, "Power Paige," alongside the classic Super Why, allows the show to tackle literacy skills through new, catchy musical numbers, effectively re-introducing the property to a new generation of digital-native children.

The Resilience of Legacy Franchises

The inclusion of returning shows demonstrates the long-term value Scholastic places on its IP.

• Do Not Watch This Show: Following a successful premiere in Australia in 2025 and a subsequent debut on Amazon Kids+ in the U.S. and Canada, this series is receiving a 20-episode second season order. Based on the "Do Not Open This Book" series by Andy Lee—which boasts translations in 35 languages—the show features Lee as the voice of Wizz, a pompous blue monster who spends his time trying to convince the audience to stop watching. The meta-humor has proven to be a global hit, cementing its place as a cornerstone of the company’s modern portfolio.

  

• Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: Perhaps the most significant announcement is the renewal of the Emmy-winning Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood for an eighth season. Produced in partnership with Fred Rogers Productions and animated by Brown Bag, the series has been a beacon of preschool education for 15 years. With 16 new episodes added to the order, the series will reach a staggering 322 episodes, a testament to its enduring relevance and the high standard of production maintained by the team at Brown Bag Films.

Industry Implications and Future Outlook

The strategic alignment of Scholastic and 9 Story Media Group is indicative of a broader industry trend: the consolidation of content creators who can control the entire value chain from book publication to streaming platform distribution. By utilizing Brown Bag Films for animation tests at MIPCOM, the companies are not just selling ideas; they are selling proof of concept.

For the international market, this means a steady stream of high-quality, pre-vetted content that carries the Scholastic brand of educational integrity. For investors and stakeholders, the 2024 slate serves as a clear indicator that the acquisition was not a passive investment but a catalyst for aggressive creative output. As these series move from the development phase to the screen, the industry will be watching closely to see if this synergy can continue to produce the kind of "sticky" content that defines the modern children’s media landscape.

The focus on 2D animation, particularly for the developmental slate, suggests a move toward cost-effective, stylistically distinct storytelling that can stand out in a crowded marketplace dominated by 3D CGI. By doubling down on the 52 x 11-minute format, the companies are ensuring that their content is perfectly tailored for the modern algorithmic requirements of global streaming services, which prioritize bingeability and standardized episodic lengths.

As the MIPCOM market unfolds, the message from Scholastic Entertainment and 9 Story Media Group is clear: they are no longer just publishers or producers—they are an integrated storytelling ecosystem, built for the next generation of global audiences. Whether through the revival of literacy-focused classics or the birth of original, "spooky-sweet" worlds, the partnership is positioning itself to define the children’s entertainment landscape for years to come.