Creator of teen hit 'Romeo!' loves potential of Chinese TV.

IN children's television, a new audience is born every five years, according to Hollywood wisdom.

Producers who can't wait that long should move their show to China, according to Tom Lynch, and this summer he's doing just that.

The producer behind Nickelodeon's "Romeo!" and the upcoming Cartoon Network show "Class of 3000," Lynch will shoot 13 half-hour episodes of a series in Hong Kong. He describes the show as a kung fu adventure spoof; the title remains under wraps.

No one can argue the power of the Chinese youth market. According to a 2005 population estimate, China had 274 million people under the age of 14. That was roughly equal to the entire U.S. population (296 million in 2005).

But Lynch's global aspirations hinge on syndicating the show to TV carriers in the U.S, Europe and Latin America, to finance and provide sales momentum for his Asian foray.

"It will be the first kid's series in China that would export out," he said.

Lynch, who produced Nickelodeon's Kids Choice Honors award show in Beijing last year, spent a year traveling in China to learn the culture and production industry. He found that language--a major barrier in moving manufacturing operations overseas--wasn't such a problem. Most of the people in TV production and the larger entertainment industry speak English. For his show, he plans to shoot every scene twice--English for export, and Mandarin for the local market.

Instead, the major obstacle was a lack of market data on Chinese youth. When trying to determine what entertainers Chinese children would like as guests or hosts on the awards show, Lynch discovered that "getting quantifiable research is a new process, a whole new territory."

In working on shows in Africa, China, and the U.S., Lynch has come to believe that children everywhere respond to certain types of stories, which explains why fables and folktales bear similarities across cultures.

"I have found a commonality with young people from the crib to age 16. There's a sense of irreverence, a sense of wonderment and a sense of fun" he said. "If you can put fun and adventure together, you have a global point of view for kids."

For other chief executives looking to capitalize on China, Lynch advises that patience is the first virtue. "Second, see how you can fit in, rather than what you can change. And third, keep a sense of humor."

If all goes well, the next market in Lynch's crosshairs could be India. The country currently supports seven children's TV networks. With an under-14 population of 337 million children--all English-speaking--its market potential dwarfs even China.