Thursday, July 10, 2014

THR Unveils First-Look At New "The Legend of Korra" Character Suyin Beifong

The entertainment industry news magazine The Hollywood Reporter has unveiled a exclusive special first-look photo of the brand-new "The Legend of Korra" recurring character Suyin Beifong, who, voiced by American actress Anne Heche (USA Network's "Dig"), will be making her debut appearance in the brand-new "The Legend of Korra" - "Book Three: Change" episode "The Metal Clan", the second of two back-to-back episodes premiering at 8:00pm and 8:30pm ET/PT on Nick USA! In the episode airing at 8:30pm ET/PT, Korra's (Janet Varney) quest leads her and her friends to the metal city of Zaofu.

45-year-old Suyin, or Su for short, is half-sister to Chief Lin Beifong and daughter of Toph Beifong. A well-traveled woman of many talents and skills, she's a powerful metalbender, a dancer and the leader of Zaofu, the city she built from the ground up. Family is of utmost importance to her — she is happily married to her architect husband and they have five children. Su has a checkered past and got into a lot of trouble when she was younger, resulting in a strained relationship with her sister Lin.

The exciting Nickelodeon news comes a day after Nickelodeon unveiled their Comic-Con International: San Diego 2014 plans, which will include a special "The Legend of Korra" panel. You can also watch Nick USA's latest "The Legend of Korra" - "Book Three: Change" trailer/promo in the online streaming video clip following the article:
'Legend of Korra': First Look at Anne Heche's Character (Exclusive Photo)

The actress makes her debut on the Nickelodeon animated program this Friday.



Anne Heche and her "Legend of Korra" character Suyin Beyfong / AP Images; Courtesy of Nickelodeon

Anne Heche is lending her voice to Nickelodeon's The Legend of Korra: Book Three.

Heche, who next stars in USA Network's Dig, will make her debut Friday in the recurring role of Suyin Beifong on the animated kids program. The Hollywood Reporter exclusively debuts the first look at Heche's Legend of Korra character, who appears in the second of two back-to-back episodes airing at 8 and 8:30 p.m. ET/PT.

In "The Metal Clan," the episode airing at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT, Korra's (Janet Varney) quest leads her and her friends to the metal city of Zaofu.

The 45-year-old Suyin, or Su for short, is half-sister to Chief Lin Beifong and daughter of Toph Beifong. A well-traveled woman of many talents and skills, she's a powerful metalbender, a dancer and the leader of Zaofu, the city she built from the ground up. Family is of utmost importance to her — she is happily married to her architect husband and they have five children. Su has a checkered past and got into a lot of trouble when she was younger, resulting in a strained relationship with her sister Lin.

The voice cast includes David Faustino, P.J. Byrne, J.K. Simmons, Mindy Sterling, Seychelle Gabriel, Kiernan Shipka and Eva Marie Saint.

The news comes one day after THR broke that Nickelodeon would be bringing Legend of Korra to San Diego's Comic-Con.
In other news, the Blu-ray and DVD sets for Legend of Korra: Book Two — Spirits will be available July 1.

Legend of Korra - Friday Night Trailer - Nickelodeon:



Legend of Korra is back this Friday at 8pm/7c with TWO new episodes that take you deep into Earth Kingdom territory. Here's a sneak peek from the new episodes: http://at.nick.com/1oxELjs

Like Legend of Korra on Facebook: http://at.nick.com/1vWD6qi
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Nickelodeon USA To Celebrate 25th Anniversary Of "Hey Dude" With Special Marathon And Cast Reunion On 7/14 As Part Of The '90s Are All That

Nickelodeon has announced the very exciting news that TeenNick's The '90s Are All That programming block will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of the popular Classic Nickelodeon comedy series "Hey Dude" with a special reunion and marathon!

To celebrate the show's 25th anniversary, TeenNick rounded up the rowdy gang of ranchers for a full-day marathon of the series. Starting Monday 14th July 2014, TeenNick's '90s Are All That will air an eight-hour block which will feature some of the most iconic episodes, complete with commentary from the original cast (Christine Taylor, Kelly Brown, Jonathan Galkin and Deb Gelman), who will share some of their favorite memories from filming and talk about what made the '90s so awesome (obviously). You can catch a sneak peek of what the stars are up to now in the special online streaming video clips on The Huffington Post!

As part of Nick's "Hey Dude" 25th Anniversary celebrations, TeenNick is asking fans and viewers to make a Vine or Instavid using the special custom hashtag #HeyDude25 for a chance to see them on-air during the "Hey Dude" 25th Anniversary Marathon on July 14th!


"Hey Dude" was a comedy Western that followed a group of teens working on an Arizona ranch called the Bar None Dude Ranch. From the catchy theme song to the denim-on-denim outfits, the series tackled some important issues while still managing to be funny.

"Hey Dude" ran on Nickelodeon for five seasons between 1989-1991, totaling 65 30-minute episodes over three years. "Hey Dude" starred David Brisbin as Mr. Benjamin Ernst, Sr., ranch owner, Kelly Brown as Bradley "Brad" Taylor, a riding instructor from a rich Grosse Pointe, Michigan family, Debra Kalman as Lucy, a ranch hand, David Lascher as Ted McGriff, a senior staff member, Christine Taylor as Melody Hanson, a lifeguard and dance instructor from Allentown, Pennsylvania, Joe Torres as Danny Lightfoot, a Hopi Native American who was cast after auditioning in Tucson for the role, Geoffrey Coy as Kyle Chandler, Lucy's ex-boyfriend's son, Jonathan Galkin as Jake Decker, Mr. Ernst's nephew from Los Angeles, and Josh Tygiel as Benjamin "Buddy" Ernst, Jr., Mr. Ernst's son. Tygiel was one of 120 Tucson-area boys who auditioned for the series. "Hey Dude" was videotaped on location at the Tanque Verde Guest Ranch near Tucson, Arizona. The show was produced by CineTel Films. Casting began in 1988 with local auditions held in Tucson. While most of the show was technically shot on the property of the Tanque Verde Guest Ranch, the familiar "ranch" that was known to television viewers was actually built from scratch, roughly a mile away from the main public areas. This was done so ranch guests would not be bothered by the production and to create buildings with a more "western" look, which was not offered by the relatively modern and luxurious Tanque Verde. The main lodge, boys/girls bunks, guest lodge (which doubled as cast dressing rooms) and the stable were all built specifically for the production. After the show wrapped physical production, the buildings were abandoned, with several still standing to this day.


Additionally, CNN is reporting in the following article, via KCTV5.com, that the cast and crew of Nick's beloved comedy also recently reunited in honor of the show's 25th anniversary in Austin, Texas, for the third annual ATX Television Festival. It marked the first time the group had sat down together since the show wrapped filming in 1991. The "Hey Dude" gang sat down with both fans and reporters for an afternoon of questions, anecdotes and memories:
'Hey Dude' cast reunites for 25th anniversary

(CNN) - In the summer of 1989, Nickelodeon debuted its first scripted sitcom, which followed an Arizona dude ranch owner and the teens he employed for the summer. A lovably goofy concept even then, "Hey Dude" ran for 65 episodes and ultimately helped define Nick's programming for the next 25 years. It's since become a cult classic that would find new life on the Internet and on DVD, with reruns still getting airtime.


The cast and crew of the beloved comedy reunited in honor of the show's 25th anniversary in Austin, Texas, for the third annual ATX Television Festival. It marked the first time the group had sat down together since the show wrapped filming in 1991. The "Hey Dude" gang sat down with both fans and reporters for an afternoon of questions, anecdotes and memories.


David Lascher, who portrayed lovable troublemaker Ted McGriff, said he was taken aback when he saw his cast mates.


"It's so nice to see everybody. It's just a flood of amazing memories," he says. "Everyone looks great, seems happy. I can't believe it's been so long."

Christine Taylor, who played bubbly girl-next-door Melody Hanson, said her kids played in the same gym class as Lascher's at one point, but it has been difficult to keep in contact with everyone.

"Some of us did stay in touch, but it was back in the day when we all left, and we didn't have e-mail addresses," she says. "If you moved and you weren't responsible with your address book, you lost touch."

Series writer Alan Goodman went on to write and produce 1990s Nick hits "Clarissa Explains It All" and "The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo," and opens up about why "Hey Dude" remains close to the hearts of everyone involved.

"None of us had any experience at all before this," Goodman said, "so it's something we all do remember fondly."

Taylor said some memories of the show's aesthetics continue to make her cringe -- especially when it comes to the wardrobe.

"I don't even think that was cool then! I don't remember pleated khaki shorts belted with a shirt and a bolero being cool -- even for people who lived on a dude ranch," she says.

But Debrah Kalman, who co-starred as ranch mother figure Lucy, said she took some of the costumes home after the show wrapped and wears them to this day.

The youngest star, Josh Tygiel, got the role of the skateboarding Buddy after responding to an open call notice in a local Tucson newspaper. Tygiel lived at home during the show's filming, but as Taylor recalls, the rest of the cast were in much closer quarters.

"Being away from home, we bonded very quickly. We were at the Ramada Inn, and then we upgraded to the Radisson Suites."

There were two major absences from the reunion: Kelly Brown, who portrayed strong-minded rich girl Brad Taylor, and Joe Torres, who played the easy-going Danny. Brown had to pull out at the last minute due to a family emergency -- and no one in the group is still in contact with Torres or clued in to his whereabouts.

"We don't really know," Goodman said. "We just know the same rumors that everybody else knows that reads the Internet. There was a rumor he died, there was a rumor he was selling cars in New Jersey, but I don't know if anybody has confirmed any of these things. He's been hard to find."

Taylor and Torres visited the former Bar None Dude Ranch set in Tucson together a year or two after the show wrapped. Although not as run-down as it appears in a recently uploaded fan visit, Taylor said it was depressing nonetheless.

"It was really sad. It was all still standing, but it just all looked decrepit. Pieces were taken, everything was stripped down."

The cast members now have children of their own, and have had a variety of experiences introducing "Hey Dude" to a new generation.

"A few years ago, somebody contacted me and said they're rerunning all the episodes, so I DVR'd them for my children," says Lascher. "My oldest, who was probably like 8 at the time, really loved it. She totally was into it!"

It wasn't quite the same positive reaction for Jonathan Galkin, who joined the show as series regular Jake Decker in Season 3.

"I bought the DVDs and showed them to my children, but their eyes glazed over," recalls Galkin. "They did not think it was funny."

The cast and crew are mostly in agreement a reboot of the series doesn't sound like a good idea, with or without the original characters. For Taylor, "Hey Dude" worked so well in part because of the time it aired.

"Nowadays, a reboot would be so different. There's something very simple about the show," she says. "It was just these kids on a dude ranch navigating their way through these simple issues. I don't think it would be cool to see Brad and Melody texting each other or Instagram-ing each other!"

Show writer Lisa Melamed says "Hey Dude" is still the most asked-about credit on her résumé, despite later work on critical favorites like "Party of Five" and "Sisters."

"I've actually had people come up to me over the last few years ... and say things like, 'You shaped my childhood.' It's an amazing thing to hear!"

Of all the times people have recognized her from the show, Taylor said, one instance stands out.

"The year I was marrying my husband [actor/director Ben Stiller], we're at a party, and this sort of L.A., blonde type comes up to me and says, 'Oh my god! Melody from "Hey Dude".' And I said, 'Oh my god, you know "Hey Dude"?' And she said, 'Yeah. I'm Paris Hilton.' And that was the first time I met Paris Hilton."

What are you favorite moments from Nickelodeon's "Hey Dude"? Who were your favorite characters? Let NickALive! know on Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, on Instagram, and/or Facebook!

Additional sources: The '90s Are All That's official Twitter and Facebook profile pages, The Huffington Post, Wikipedia.
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Nickelodeon Nominated For Four 2014 Primetime Emmy Awards

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has today, Thursday 10th July 2014, announced the fantastic Nickelodeon News that Nickelodeon, the number-one entertainment brand for kids and families, has been nominated for four 66th annual Primetime Emmy Awards!


The hit Nickelodeon original live-action comedy series "Sam & Cat" has been nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in the "Outstanding Stunt Coordination For A Comedy Series Or A Variety Program" category. Meanwhile, TeenNick's popular Canadian teen drama television series "Degrassi" and the "Nick News With Linda Ellerbee" special episode "Family Secrets: When Violence Hits Home" have both been nominated for a 2014 Primetime Emmy Award in "Outstanding Children's Program" category.

Additionally, the hour-long episode of Nickelodeon's hit "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" series titled "The Manhattan Project" has been nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in the "Outstanding Animated Program" category.

The 66th annual Primetime Emmy Awards, which honors the best television shows broadcast between Saturday 1st June 2013 and Saturday 31st May 2014, will be handed out during a special telecast that will air live coast-to-coast on Monday 25th August 2014 (8:00PM ET /5:00PM PT) on NBC from the Nokia Theater L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles.

Congratulation's and good luck to Nickelodeon and all the stars and staff of these excellent Nickelodeon shows!

Below is a list of the nominations for the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards Nominations (also known as the 2014 Emmy Awards), featuring only the awards Nickelodeon have been nominated for, from the official Primetime Emmy Awards website, Emmys.com:

Outstanding Children's Program

Degrassi - Nickelodeon - Nickelodeon
Linda Schuyler, Executive Producer
Stephen Stohn, Executive Producer
Sarah Glinski, Executive Producer
Matt Huether, Co-Executive Producer
Stephanie Williams, Supervising Producer
Stefan Brogren, Producer
David Lowe, Producer

Dog With A Blog - Disney Channel - Dipthong
Productions / It's a Laugh Productions / Disney Channel
Michael B. Kaplan, Executive Producer
Jim Hope, Co-Executive Producer
Leo Clarke, Produced by

Good Luck Charlie - Disney Channel - It's a Laugh Productions / Disney Channel
Dan Staley, Executive Producer
Drew Vaupen, Executive Producer
Phil Baker, Executive Producer
Christopher Vane, Co-Executive Producer
Erika Kaestle, Co-Executive Producer
Patrick McCarthy, Co-Executive Producer
Jim Gerkin, Co-Executive Producer
Pixie Wespiser, Produced by

Nick News With Linda Ellerbee: Family Secrets: When Violence Hits Home - Nickelodeon - Nickelodeon in association with Lucky Duck Productions
Linda Ellerbee, Executive Producer
Rolfe Tessem, Executive Producer
Wally Berger, Supervising Producer
Mark Lyons, Producer
Martin Toub, Produced by

One Last Hug: Three Days At Grief Camp - HBO - HBO Documentary Films in association with GDH Productions and Vermilion Films
Sheila Nevins, Executive Producer
Sara Bernstein, Supervising Producer
Greg DeHart, Produced by
Paul Freedman, Produced by

Wynton Marsalis – A YoungArts Masterclass - HBO - HBO Family in association with Simon & Goodman Picture Company and YoungArts
Sheila Nevins, Executive Producer
Lin Arison, Executive Producer
Jackie Glover, Supervising Producer
Karen Goodman, Produced by
Kirk Simon, Produced by

Outstanding Animated Program

Archer - Archer Vice: The Rules Of Extraction - FX Networks - FX Productions

Bob's Burgers - Mazel Tina - FOX - 20th Century Fox Television

Futurama - Meanwhile - Comedy Central - The Curiosity Company in association with [30th] 20th Century Fox Television

South Park - Black Friday - Comedy Central - Central Productions

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Manhattan Project - Nickelodeon - Nickelodeon

Outstanding Stunt Coordination For A Comedy Series Or A Variety Program

Brooklyn Nine-Nine - FOX - Universal Television, Fremulon, Dr. Goor Productions and 3 Arts Entertainment
Norman Howell, Stunt Coordinator

Community - NBC - Krasnoff/Foster Entertainment, Harmonious Claptrap production in association with Universal Television and Sony Pictures Television
Casey Charles O'Neill, Stunt Coordinator

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia - FX Networks - FX Productions
Marc Scizak, Stunt Coordinator

Sam & Cat - Nickelodeon - Nickelodeon in association with Schneider's Bakery, Inc.
Vince Deadrick, Jr., Stunt Coordinator

Shameless - Showtime - Showtime Presents, John Wells Productions, Warner Bros. Television
Julie Michaels, Stunt Coordinator
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