Let the Hub Network Festivities Begin!

Hopefully, you readers have been tuning in to my TV Mom Facebook page to see what I've been up to these last 36 hours! There are two vlogs (video blogs... yes, because we need to combine even more words together! Haha!) and some fun pictures!

Hub Network executive Ted Biaselli.

So, I just got back from an incredible brunch with ^ that guy, Ted Biaselli, THE number 3 on the food chain at Hub Network, where he introduced himself, talked about the network, where it's been, where it's going, and so on. This is a man that you can tell loves what he does and loves the shows he works on. I love it when I get to talk to people like this! (Also, he does the voice of Cuddlesworth the chihuahua who looks like Squirt on Pound Puppies! Ahh!)

I'm so glad I had the foresight to bring a notebook to brunch! I ended up taking several pages of notes! First and foremost, when talking about the network and what they wanted to do with such an endeavor, Mr. Biaselli said that Hub wanted to not pander to adults, and give them something they can watch with their children and not feel like it's "just for kids". In fact, Hub Network is listed as the number one co-viewed network (which parents watch with their children). They want to engage adults as much as they do the kids, so that's why they've created shows that are entertaining for all ages. One thing he mentioned frequently was the fact that they are expanding to include sitcoms that are family friendly, but entertaining enough that if your kid wanders out of the room, you're not going to ask yourself why you're still watching a kiddie show. It's why for their Hub Primetime segments, they've included shows like ALF, Step-by-Step (which just started airing!), Mork and Mindy, and so on. These are shows, he says, that you don't mind your kids watching with you, not having to jump at the remote when something slightly unsavory is mentioned.

So, what about this Hub Halloween Bash? Well, in their research and development stage, they noticed that there isn't really anything like it out there, for kids or adults. The goal with the project is to get people to think about Hub Network come Halloween time every year, much in the same way they think of Dick Clark's New Years Rockin' Eve on December 31st. That's why the contest was open to all ages, kid and adult alike. Something he said that stuck out to me was that when the network started (just a smidge over three years ago now), their tagline was "where kids and families come together", and that's what they really try to adhere to in the terms of what kind of programming they offer. They felt like this would be something that could grow to become synonymous with both the holiday of Halloween and Hub Network. It is being produced by Bob Bain Productions, which is the same company that pioneered the Kids' Choice Awards.

Now, what you've all probably been waiting for: my "scoop"!

My Little Pony: He was very careful about saying much in the way of season four, but he gave us this much... There will be a special guest voice this season, on a musical episode. No, he did not reveal who! There will be a new villain (I'm guessing not Sunset Shimmer, because we already know about her). There will be more adventures specifically with the Cutie Mark Crusaders. And we'll get to see how Twilight Sparkle handles the responsibility of becoming a princess (in which she will likely mess up, but a lesson will be learned!), how her friends treat her now that she's a princess, and how all involved deal with the change overall. He said that there are plenty of girls out there in the world who have to deal with changes in their lives that affect all those around them, and this is the way they hoped to relate to those girls. They also want to focus less on the "she's a princess" aspect, and more about "what does it MEAN to be a princess?". In the world of princess culture for little girls, there isn't much focus on what a princess actually has to do to take care of her title, and this is why-- even though it was massively controversial--they wanted to take Twilight in this direction. Oh, and Mr. Biaselli up there... pulled out his DJ-PON3 phone case and claims to be "Brony Zero". (Seriously, this guy is THAT cool!)

New Transformers: I haven't gotten to cover the end of Transformers Prime like I hoped to. However, now that the series is over, they are taking all that "into cannon" as Mr. Biaselli put it, and this new Transformers series will be meeting up with the group several years into the future. Megatron is gone. Cyberton is once again a hub for life. Bumblebee talks. And this new series is going to follow the new Transformer team (including some old favorites we're told!) as Bumblebee leads them into new adventures. The series is going to be a little more lighthearted, and focus more on the relationships between the Transformers themselves, but we'll still be treated to lots of action packed fun. There is also going to be an amazing new voice cast (and I'll be SURE to share when they tell me... because they totally teased us and didn't say WHO!).

Sabrina: The way he described it, I LOVED, so I'm going to share it here: It's Buffy goes to Hogwarts. (Ohmygosh! Right?) They wanted a kick-butt female character who has some sass. They are super excited to be working with Ashley Tisdale as the voice of Sabrina. I asked, having only seen one episode so far (two have aired) if they're going to be sticking to the pre-set cannon of Sabrina lore, including the Archie Comics version and the Melissa Joan Hart version, and the answer is yes; all of the above. Plus the early 2000's manga series. Watch for my article on the About.com page for more on the new series!

Tori The TV Mom and Hub executive Ted Biaselli.

I think that's enough of my yammering for now! Enjoy the news and don't forget to tune in next weekend to see the winners of the First Annual Hub Halloween Bash!