Toon Disney takes 'Monster Buster'

Series is Marathon's first CGI animation

By JOHN HOPEWELL

Kids’ channel Toon Disney has taken Stateside rights to the first season of France’s comedy-action animated series “Monster Buster Club.”

The latest series from France’s Marathon Group, the country’s biggest animation player in a TV toon production sector that ranks as the biggest in Europe, “Monster Buster Club” is bound to merit serious attention from heavyweight buyers worldwide.

The fourth Marathon series to sell Stateside, after its biggest franchise hit, “Totally Spies!,” as well as “Team Galaxy,” and “Martin Mystery,” “Monster Buster Club” also marks Marathon’s first venture into CGI animation.

Lede produced by Marathon Media, “Monster Buster Club” weighs in with a hefty budget — $21 million.

Following the classic model for French TV animation, “Monster Buster Club” mixes local broadcaster coin — here private net TF1 — and international co-production, twinning a Euro company, Jetix Europe, and Canada’s YTV.

Again typical of French animation, series broadly riffs off U.S. genre, but brings other elements to the table, turning on a secret club of 4-10 year-olds who rumble an alien invasion in their hometown.

“Monster Buster Club” is the third best-rating show in the 4-10 demo in France. Other key sales to date include Spain (RTVE), Germany (Super RTL), Ireland (RTE), Radio Canada and Arabic net MBC.