Thursday, March 14, 2019

‘Alvin and the Chipmunks’ Honors Creator's Original Vision, Sees Global Success

Decades after the Chipmunks made their small-screen debut on CBS in 1961, Alvin, Simon and Theodore are still leaving an indelible mark on the television landscape and adhering to creator Ross Bagdasarian Sr.'s original vision.


“It was important to my dad that there be a show that was, hopefully, entertaining, but he wanted it to be non-violent,” Bagdasarian’s son Ross Jr., co-owner of Bagdasarian Productions, tells Variety.

Designed to be a gentler alternative to the Looney Tunes, The Alvin Show set the basic look and personas of the Chipmunks, as well as a tone that would prove to be timeless. But over the years, the design of the characters and types of stories told have been modernized to better speak to the current audience.

Today’s Alvin and the Chipmunks, titled ALVINNN!!! and the Chipmunks, launched on over 70 Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. channels worldwide in 2015 and tells tales of bullying, technology and not getting along with siblings. It also relies heavily on the Chipettes, a girl group that was first introduced in the 1980s NBC series of the same name.


Janice Karman, co-owner of Bagdasarian Prods., says creating the Chipettes was “really a pragmatic decision to allow for more story and covering a lot of the girl songs.”

It also undoubtedly broadened the audience. Alvin and the Chipmunks now airs in countries as diverse as the U.K., Ireland, the Philippines, Indonesia and the U.S. and has been renewed for two more seasons, which like previous seasons, will also air on Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. channels globally.

Alvin and the Chipmunks is such a globally recognized franchise that has entertained audiences for decades, and our collaboration with Bagdasarian Prods. has continued to bring a fresh new take on the characters and their world to our audience,” says Layla Lewis, Senior Vice President (SVP) of Global Acquisitions and Content Partnerships at Nickelodeon.

Originally created in 1958, Alvin and the Chipmunks is celebrating its 60th anniversary alvinversary this year. As part of the celebrations, Alvin and the Chipmunks today (Thursday, March 14, 2019) received their star on Hollywood Walk of Fame!



More Nick: Nickelodeon International Acquires 'ALVINNN!!! and the Chipmunks' Season 5!
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