LOS ANGELES (CNS) – A judge has ruled that the producers of the animated preschool show  “Goldie & Bear” can move forward to trial of their breach-of-contract lawsuit against ABC Cable Networks Group over the defendant’s handling of the second season of the television series.
On Monday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Randolph M. Hammock denied a motion by ABC to dismiss part or all of the case brought in May 2018 by Milk Barn, Microseries and “Goldie & Bear” former executive producer Jan Korbelin. Korbelin’s wife, Marina Grasic, owned Milk Barn and Microseries before they were allegedly forced out of business.
Hammock heard arguments in the case on May 10 and later took the case under submission.
According to the suit, “Goldie & Bear,” was released on the Disney Junior network and was a ratings success, yet Korbelin was told before the end of the first season that the plaintiffs’ services were no longer needed.
ABC failed to let the plaintiffs know in writing of any alleged breaches of contract or give them a chance to fix any problems, the suit states.
“In fact, plaintiffs have never been given notice of what they allegedly did wrong,” the plaintiffs’ lawyers state in their court papers. “Had plaintiffs been put on written notice and given consultation, they would have had the right to correct the alleged default and an opportunity to have a subsequent season.”
Milk Barn and Microseries were subsequently forced to go out of business, Korbelin said in a sworn statement in opposition to ABC’s dismissal motion.
But according to the ABC attorneys’ court papers, the network decided to allow Milk Barn and Microseries to complete the first season, but did not want to exercise its exclusive option to work with the plaintiffs on a second season and subsequently hired two different production companies.
Although the plaintiffs disagree with the way they were informed of ABC’s decision, the company abided by the terms of the contracts between the parties, the network lawyers argued in their court papers.
“Thus, not only does plaintiffs’ convoluted story belie the very realities of television production — with which plaintiffs claim they are intimately aware — but it also belies the undisputed contract terms and the facts surrounding ABC’s exercise of its rights under those contracts,” the ABC attorneys argued in their court papers.
