Adina Pitt has been named vice president, content acquisitions and co-productions for Cartoon Network and Boomerang, it was announced today. In her new role, Pitt will be responsible for identifying, negotiating and acquiring pre-produced series, specials, movies and short-form product that fit the Cartoon Network and Boomerang brands for exposure on all platforms. She'll continue to oversee those programs once they have been acquired and positioned at each of the networks.
Veteran brand marketing and promotion executive Brenda Freeman has been named to the newly created position of chief marketing officer for Turner Animation, Young Adults & Kids Media. In her new role, Freeman will provide overall vision and leadership to all areas of marketing, on-air and trade creative services that support the cable television networks Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and Boomerang, along with their online businesses, and the digital enterprises GameTap and Super Deluxe.
Nick Jr. is airing a new hour-long GO, DIEGO, GO! TV movie, SAFARI RESCUE, on Columbus Day, Monday, Oct. 8th at 9:30 am. Diego will leave the rainforest and travel to Africa to team up with fellow animal adventurer Juma on a rescue mission to save the Serengeti's beloved elephants from an evil spell. In addition, Nick Jr. will present a GO, DIEGO, GO! premiere week of four new episodes, which will debut each weekday from Monday, Oct. 15 - Thursday, Oct. 18, at 9:30 am.
The U.K.'s Nick Jr will unveil a new CGI version of the classic animated series THE MAGIC ROUNDABOUT on Monday, October 22, 2007 at 8:00 am, with simultaneous on-air and online presentations. The world premiere of the first episode will air on cable and satellite preschool TV channels Nick Jr and Nick Jr 2, as well as on the Nick Jr on TMF programming block, available in all digital TV homes on music channel TMF. The episode can also be watched online via Nick Jr Video, the free broadband video player on Nick Jr's website, www.nickjr.co.uk.
The Wonder Pets -- Linny, Tuck and Ming-Ming -- find themselves on the wrong side of a humpback whale as the sea creatures unite in an unprecedented underwater rescue mission entitled, Save The Wonder Pets!, a new musical special from Nick Jr.s hit preschool series, premiering April 23, 20907 at 11:00 am. Preschoolers may sing along with a chorus of fish, squid, seahorses and turtles on the new half-hour episode of THE WONDER PETS!
Nickelodeon Latin America celebrates its 10th anniversary by preparing a big celebration with special programming from Dec. 26, 2006, through Jan. 28, 2007. An entire month of celebration begins with "The First Episodes" of Nick's favorite shows; "Birthday Specials," including the most incredible festivities with Nick characters; "The Week of 10 Non-Stop Episodes;" "Nick Birthday Gifts: 10 New Episodes;" Nick Movies; "Invasion of 30 hours of Nicktoons," and many more gifts for children through www.MundoNick.com.
Nick Jr. and NOGGIN will blend their creative and management teams into a unified group -- Nickelodeon Preschool, the largest preschool and parent's destination in the world -- with 109 hours of preschool television a week, representing 56% of all preschool programming on television. The new preschool team will be led by Brown Johnson who has been named evp/exec creative director, Nickelodeon Preschool and gm of NOGGIN.
Nickelodeon will deliver abundant programming gifts, including seven holiday premieres, throughout the month of December. This year's nighttime slate of "Ha-Ha Holidays" -- Mondays-Thursdays (7:00 pm ET/PT) -- includes holiday-themed episodes of THE FAIRLY ODDPARENTS, JIMMY NEUTRON and SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS, as well as premieres of THUGABOO: "A Miracle on D-Roc's Street" and KAPPA MIKEY: "A Christmas Mikey." Nick Jr.'s "Frosty Fridays" (12:00-2:00 pm) lineup features five all-new holiday episodes from the hit series GO, DIEGO, GO! THE WONDER PETS!, THE BACKYARDIGANS, LAZYTOWN and WOW! WOW!
Nickelodeon Preschool Television has announced that they have picked up a 14-episode season of the 2D-animated preschool series MAX & RUBY. In addition, a new MAX & RUBY Easter special will premiere on Nick Jr. and NOGGIN in Spring 2007 to kick off the new season.
Based on the classic childrens book series by author and illustrator Rosemary Wells, MAX & RUBY follows the adventures of two bunny siblings. The show, a co-production from Nelvana/Corus Ent. in association with Chorion Silver Lining, airs weekdays on NOGGIN at 10:30 am (ET).
Nick Records/Sony BMG's Strategic Marketing Group has released the CD, DORA'S WORLD ADVENTURE. With fourteen tracks from around the globe, the CD is danceable songs inspired by Dora's travels on the upcoming special DVD release and Nick Jr. special television episode, DORA THE EXPLORER: WORLD ADVENTURE.
Special guests on the album include reggae sensation Ziggy Marley who joins Dora in "Three Little Birds," and Grammy award-winning artist Aaron Neville, who joins Dora in "Iko Iko."
WOW! WOW! WUBBZY! launched across several media platforms, migrated to TV on Nick Jr. on Aug. 28, 2006. The 26-episode whimsical, animated preschool comedy starring three offbeat friends who use cooperation, creativity and humor to solve everyday kid problems, debuted with a roadblock on Nick Jr. and sister network NOGGIN on Monday with two back-to-back episodes from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm. The series will air regularly on Nick Jr. weekdays at 11:30 am.
Nick Jr. has greenlit a second season of the hit animated series, THE WONDER PETS! The groundbreaking series, which premiered March 3, 2006, has consistently ranked among the top three preschool programs on all of commercial television.
Created and exec produced by Josh Selig of Little Airplane Prods. Inc., THE WONDER PETS! stars three courageous classroom pets who sing opera and travel the world as they take preschoolers on musical world adventures. THE WONDER PETS! airs regularly on Nick Jr. weekdays at 11:00 am.
Nick Jr.'s will "sneak peek" its newest preschool show, WOW! WOW! WUBBZY!, across several media platforms, beginning Tuesday, June 20, 2006. The 26-episode series premieres on Nick Jr. on Aug. 28.
Nick Jr. has announced that it will debut new, original mini pilots across multiple platforms with the first window kicking off on wireless carriers beginning Tuesday, June 6. The three mini pilots, originated from Nick Jr.s Institute of Applied Play, will premiere on wireless carriers marking the networks first-ever launch of original short-form content on a wireless platform. Nick Jr. will continue the multi-platform roll-out of the mini pilots PASS THE PINHA, JINNY STARFLY and ALL ABOARD on Nick Jr.
Nickelodeon today (April 17, 2006) announced the launch of Nick Mobile on select Sprint multimedia phones. Nick Mobile on Sprint offers a combination of short video clips, vignettes and music videos. From the Nick Jr. library, music videos are approximately two minutes in length with clips from favorite programs, such as DORA THE EXPLORER, BLUE'S CLUES, THE BACKYARDIGANS, LAZYTOWN and the recently launched Nick Jr. series, THE WONDER PETS!, TV's first operetta for kids.
Dora and Diego joins forces on their new CD DIEGO, DORA & FRIENDS' ANIMAL JAMBOREE, featuring kids' favorite animal songs. The 10 song-album, hitting stores April 11, 2006, is the latest release from Nick Records in partnership with the SONY BMG Strategic Marketing Group.
Nick Jr. has commenced production on the second season of THE BACKYARDIGANS, the hit series that takes preschoolers on epic adventures filled with original music. The network has ordered 20 new episodes of the half-hour CGI-animated preschool series. Season two of THE BACKYARDIGANS is slated to kick off in October 2006.
In its inaugural season on Nick Jr., the series ranked among the top 5 preschool shows on all of commercial TV. THE BACKYARDIGANS airs regularly weekdays on Nick Jr. at 10:30 am (ET/PT).
Nick Jr. and Noggin will simulcast two back-to-back episodes of the new THE WONDER PETS! TVs first mini-operetta for preschoolers. The 20-episode, photoreal animated series from creator/exec producer Josh Selig, of Little Airplane Prods. Inc., debuts March 3on Noggin from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm. The premiere episode will repeat on Nick Jr. on March 5 at 8:00 am. THE WONDER PETS! will air regularly on Nick Jr. weekdays at 11:30 am.
ABOVE THE LINE magazine is hosting a screening of WALLACE & GROMIT: CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT, featuring a Q&A with its makers Nick Park and Steve Box. The event will take place at 7:30 pm at the Harmony Gold Theater, 7655 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles. RSVP at www.btlnews.com/screenings.
Nick Jr. announced that it has commenced production on the new original animated series, WOW! WOW! WUBBZY! The 26-episode preschool series, produced by Bolder Media for Boys and Girls and created by Bob Boyle (producer on Nickelodeon's THE FAIRLY ODDPARENTS and DANNY PHANTOM), celebrates the spirit of teamwork and cooperation. WOW! WOW! WUBBZY! (formerly called WUBBY, WIDGET AND WALDEN) is slated to premiere in Fall 2006 on Nick Jr.
Herb Scannell has stepped down as vice chairman, MTV Networks, and president, Nickelodeon Networks to pursue other business opportunities, triggering a restructuring of the Nickelodeon Networks management structure.
Sal Maniaci has been promoted to the newly-created position of svp of development and original production for TV Land and Nick at Nite. He will continue to be based in New York City and will oversee the creation, development and execution of original programming and production for TV Land and Nick at Nite.
Maniaci has been instrumental in launching the originals agenda on both networks. TV Land and Nick at Nite have substantially increased original content since Maniaci joined the networks two years ago.
Nick Jr. takes preschoolers undercover as it put on their detective hats for Nick Jr.'s "Spy Day Friday" marathon on Friday, Oct. 21, from 11:30 am - 2:00 pm (ET/PT).
Jules Borkent has been promoted to vp, programming, Nickelodeon International, responsible for coordinating Nickelodeon's global programming and acquisitions strategy, with a particular emphasis on working with our local programming heads to coordinate and develop pan-regional deals for Nickelodeon's 13 localized channels across Europe.
This week Nickelodeon Online is launching a new version of Nick Jr. Video as well as NickMail Maker.
