Inside Out

Good news for fans of American Girl dolls from the company by the same name. A deal struck by Mattel, the WB network and Julia Roberts' production company will bring characters and their stories to the small screen. First in a series of made-for-TV movies will be based on Samantha—a character from the early 20th Century—and is scheduled to premiere in November. A release in video format will soon follow...Fisher-Price is raising the age limit on its toys. The company teamed up with ESPN to produce an arcade-style electronic sports game. The ESPN GameStation is a six-in-one indoor game center where 'kids' can play 21 games using supplied basketballs, footballs, baseballs and other sports equipment... More industry musical chairs: Beau James, formerly president of the now-defunct Gotz Dolls, Inc. is back at alma mater Corolle, and Vince Santori has left Playmobil for greener pastures—make that a greener 'patch' as in Briarpatch, where he is now national sales manager.