Saturday, June 28, 2014

It's Morphin Time! Saban's Iconic Red Mighty Morphin Power Ranger Joins The 88th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade With A New Giant Balloon

Saban Brands has announced in the following press release, from PR Newswire, the exciting "Power Rangers" News that, to celebrate Thanksgiving 2014, the legendary Red Mighty Morphin Power Ranger will make his epic debut as he morphs into a giant helium balloon for the 88th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday 27th November 2014! Marking the first-ever Power Ranger balloon, the Red Ranger will captivate millions of spectators and television viewers nationwide as he flies across the skies of New York during the holiday event.

Saban has also announced that Nickelodeon USA will continue to premiere and show brand-new episodes of "Power Rangers Super Megaforce" from Fall/Autumn 2014, and confirmed that Nick USA will debut the upcoming 22nd season, Saban's "Power Rangers Dino Charge", in early 2015.

Additionally, Saban Brands and JAKKS Pacific, Inc. (Nasdaq: JAKK) recently announced their strategic collaboration on the development of a new multi-platform property, "Emojiville". Saban Brands will launch Emojiville as an original web series this fall, and is also developing a television series for the brand to debut in the near future. This new kids' series follows five emoji friends and their hilarious antics in "Emojiville" - a colorful town filled with spirited personalities and awesome adventures.

Original Saban Brands Press Release:

It's Morphin Time! Saban's Iconic Red Mighty Morphin Power Ranger Joins The 88th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade® With A New Giant Balloon



First-Ever Red Mighty Morphin Power Ranger Balloon Sketch for the 2014 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade(R) (attributed to Saban Brands) (PRNewsFoto/Saban Brands)

LOS ANGELES and NEW YORK, June 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- This Thanksgiving, the legendary Red Mighty Morphin Power Ranger will make his epic debut as he morphs into a giant helium balloon for the 88th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade® on Thursday, Nov. 27. Marking the first-ever Power Ranger balloon, the Red Ranger will captivate millions of spectators and television viewers nationwide as he flies across the skies of New York during the holiday event.

"We look forward to creating a larger than life Mighty Morphin Power Ranger balloon that will entertain generations of fans while sharing the Power Rangers core values of teamwork, responsibility and helping others," said Elie Dekel, President of Saban Brands. "Seeing the Red Mighty Morphin Power Ranger soar in the Macy's Parade will truly be legendary."

"The super-sized Red Mighty Morphin Power Ranger will be an incredible addition to the stellar line-up of balloons taking to the sky this Thanksgiving," said Amy Kule, Executive Producer of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. "As one of the most recognizable characters in television history and a powerfully relevant star for today's generation of kids, the Red Ranger will take his rightful place in the skies over New York City and sail into the homes of more than 50 million fans who tune in on Parade morning. We are honored to welcome the Red Mighty Morphin Power Ranger into the Macy's Thanksgiving Day balloon family."

Originally debuting in 1993, Power Rangers is one of the longest running boys live-action series in television history and continues to be a top-rated series entertaining fans of all ages. New episodes of Saban's Power Rangers Super Megaforce, return this fall on Nickelodeon, followed by the premiere of the 22nd season, Saban's Power Rangers Dino Charge, in early 2015.

For more information, please visit www.powerrangers.com and follow the brand on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram. The 88th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade airs nationwide on NBC-TV, on Thursday, November 27, 2014 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.; in all time zones.

About Saban's Power Rangers

Saban's Power Rangers franchise is the brainchild of Haim Saban, creator and producer of the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers hit series that launched in 1993. Following its introduction, Power Rangers quickly became the most-watched children's television program in the United States and remains one of the top-rated and longest running boys live-action series in television history. The series follows the adventures of a group of ordinary teens who "morph" into superheroes and save the world from evil. It is seen in more than 150 markets around the world, translated into numerous languages and is a mainstay in the most prominent international children's programming blocks. For more information, visit www.powerrangers.com.

About Saban Brands

Formed in 2010 as an affiliate of Saban Capital Group, Saban Brands (SB) was established to acquire and develop a world-class portfolio of properties and capitalize on the company's experience, track record and capabilities in growing and monetizing consumer brands through content, media and marketing. SB applies a global omni-channel management approach to enhancing and extending its brands in markets worldwide and to consumers of all ages. The company provides full-service management, marketing, promotion and strategic business development for its intellectual properties including comprehensive strategies unique to each brand, trademark and copyright management and enforcement, creative design, retail development, direct-to-consumer initiatives and specialized property extensions. SB's portfolio of properties currently includes Power Rangers, Paul Frank, Julius Jr., Digimon Fusion and Popples, among many others. For more information, visit www.sabanbrands.com.

About the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
With more than 50 million viewers across the country and more than 3.5 million spectators that line up along the streets of New York City each year, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is a national icon that has grown into a world-famous holiday event. For more than 85 years, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has marked the official start of the holiday season. Growing in size and scale, the Parade proudly marches down a more than 2-mile route in New York City with more than 8,000 participants in tow including Macy's employees, their families, celebrities, athletes, clowns and dance groups spreading holiday cheer. The Parade also features America's best marching bands, fabulous floats and Macy's signature giant helium character balloons. For more information on the Macy's Parade please visit www.macys.com/parade or call the Parade hotline at (212) 494-4495.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140616/118490

SOURCE Saban Brands

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Steve Viksten, "Hey Arnold!" Writer And Voice Actor, Passes Away

The Huffington Post is reporting the news that Steve Viksten, a writer and voice actor on Nickelodeon's iconic original animated series (Nicktoon) "Hey Arnold!", sadly died on Monday 23rd June 2014 at the age of 54. As well as writing many episodes of "Hey Arnold!", Steve also voiced the character Oskar Kokoshka in the series and wrote the show's theatrical movie. The Huffington Post's article, below, features a statement from Nickelodeon confirming the news, as well as a memorial post about Steve Viksten by Craig Bartlett, who created "Hey Arnold!", which Craig posted to his official Facebook profile page on Tuesday 24th June 2014, along with the following photo:



Steve Viksten is pictured bottom row center; Source: NICKandMore; Photo copyright Craig Bartlett
Steve Viksten Dead: 'Hey Arnold!' Voice Actor Dies At 54

"Hey Arnold!" writer and voice actor Steve Viksten died Monday at the age of 54.

Viksten voiced the character Oskar Kokoshka, a mooch with an ambiguous Eastern European accent, on the iconic Nickelodeon TV show. There’s no word yet as to the cause of his death.

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In addition to his memorable performance as Oskar, Viksten shined as a writer. According to The A.V. Club, Viksten wrote the "Hey Arnold!" movie, as well as some fan-favorite episodes including "Arnold's Hat" and "Stoop Kid." His writing credits also include episodes of "Rugrats," "Recess," "Duckman" and "The Simpsons."

"We are deeply saddened to learn that Steve Viksten has passed away. Steve was a gifted artist and we were honored to have the opportunity to work with him on our beloved shows 'Hey Arnold!' and 'Rugrats.' Our heartfelt condolences go out to his loved ones," Nickelodeon, which confirmed news of his death, said in a statement to The Huffington Post.

Craig Bartlett, who created "Hey Arnold!", posted a memorial about Viksten to his Facebook page on June 24.

"Steve Viksten, who wrote many of my favorite Hey Arnold! Stories, died yesterday. I was lucky to be near to so much talent for so long. RIP," the post reads.

Commenters have since been showering the thread with their condolences.

"RIP Steve Viksten... Thank you've for using your talent and allowing it to bring joy to thousands of kids, teens and adults," wrote one.

"RIP, thanks for contributing greatness to my childhood," wrote another.