Sunday, April 05, 2020

Nickelodeon to Air NFL Playoff Game in 2021

The US National Football League (NFL) has announced the exciting news that Nickelodeon will broadcast a NFL football game in 2020, as part of CBS’ coverage of the match!


As part of the NFL's agreement with CBS, CBS will broadcast a Wild Card game on January 10. The game will also be available via a livestream on CBS All Access. As part of CBS’ coverage, a separately produced telecast of the game will air on Nickelodeon, tailored for a younger audience - a first for the NFL.

There have been some concerns within the NFL in recent years that young kids aren’t as into football as kids were a generation or two ago. It’s clear that putting a game on Nickelodeon, and gearing the broadcast toward younger viewers, is an effort to change that.

What’s unknown is how a Nickelodeon-produced game will differ from a typical NFL game. Viewers probably won't be seeing green slime dumped on the referee if he misses a call, but viewers might see a younger team of broadcasters, and a brighter presentation package.

The news follows former Uconn coach Bob Diaco suggesting Nickelodeon airing NFL games to bring the sport to younger audiences.

“I got all kinds of ideas on networks. Let’s target 6-year-olds to 16-year-olds, how about that? Eventually they’re going to be 18-35,” Diaco said in the midst of a 10-minute monologue. “Let’s broadcast our games on Nickelodeon. Who owns that, Viacom? Let’s create some real intrigue.”

Below is NFL's official press release announcing the news:

NFL CLUBS APPROVE EXPANSION OF POSTSEASON
14 TEAMS TO QUALIFY FOR PLAYOFFS BEGINNING WITH 2020 SEASON –
ONE ADDITIONAL WILD CARD TEAM ADDED IN EACH CONFERENCE
CBS, NBC TO BROADCAST ADDITIONAL WILD CARD GAME​

NFL clubs voted today to expand the postseason by two teams beginning with the 2020 season.

Expanding the NFL postseason was addressed in the new NFL-NFLPA Collective BargainingAgreement. Players and clubs both recognized that nothing energizes fans like the chance to see their team qualify for the playoffs and compete for the Super Bowl.

Today’s vote during a league meeting held remotely follows the recommendation of the Competition Committee, Management Council Executive Committee and Media Committee on increasing the number of playoff teams from 12 to 14.

Two additional Wild Card teams – one each in the American and National Football Conferences – will qualify for the playoffs. The No. 1 seed in each conference will receive a bye in the Wild Card round. The remaining division champions in each conference with the best records will be seeded 2, 3, and 4, followed by the next three teams per conference with the best records seeded 5, 6, and 7.

AFC and NFC Wild Card games will feature the 2 seed hosting the 7 seed, the 3 seed hosting the 6 seed and the 4 seed hosting the 5 seed.

Wild Card Weekend for the 2020 season will consist of three games on Saturday, January 9, and three games on Sunday, January 10, 2021. ​

CBS will broadcast one additional Wild Card game on January 10 with kickoff at approximately 4:40 p.m. ET. The game will also be available via a livestream on CBS All Access. Additionally, as part of CBS’ coverage, a separately produced telecast of the game will air on Nickelodeon, tailored for a younger audience.

NBC, its new streaming service Peacock, as well as Telemundo will all broadcast an additional Wild Card game on January 10 with kickoff at approximately 8:15 p.m. ET. ​

​The NFL last expanded the playoffs for the 1990 season, increasing from 10 to 12 the number of teams to qualify for the postseason. Since 1990, at least four new teams have qualified for the playoffs that missed the postseason the year before – a streak of 30 consecutive seasons.​

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From Yahoo! Sports:

Nickelodeon will air NFL wild-card game in specially produced broadcast

Get your SpongeBob SquarePants memes ready next January, because playoff football is coming to Nickelodeon.

NFL team owners voted to expand the playoff format from 12 to 14 teams on Tuesday. This will create two additional wild-card playoff games per year, which the team owners voted to broadcast on two of its regular broadcast partners, NBC and CBS.

Both games, however, also will be aired on different platforms. NBC will air its extra game — which will be broadcast at 8:15 p.m. ET on Jan. 10 — on Peacock, its new streaming service, and Spanish-language network Telemundo. CBS will show its game on Nickelodeon, the popular children’s cable station, via a separately produced telecast.

The Nickelodeon game, which will be broadcast at 4:40 p.m. ET on Jan. 10, will be tailored for a younger audience.

“The youth demographic is very important — there are plenty of young fans, and we want to continue to bring the game to the young fans,” NFL executive vice president Brian Rolapp told reporters on a conference call Tuesday. “This was an idea that CBS had in order to do that was to create a special production for them, but I think it’s very similar to NBC thinking, ‘How do we actually create a separate telecast to reach the Hispanic fan base?’ And that was on Telemundo.”

Rolapp said the NFL is always asking itself how to reach as many viewers as possible.

Nickelodeon has been a staple in American homes since 1977, and continues to resonate with multiple generations of Americans.

Those hoping to hear that the network will find a way to weave its assortment of classic television shows — ranging from the aforementioned SpongeBob to “Double Dare” to “Legends of the Hidden Temple” — into the playoff broadcast will have to wait a little longer for details.

“What we expect it to be like, we’re not sure yet,” Rolapp said. “There’s a lot of planning and work that will go into that, and CBS Viacom will be hard at work at that.”

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From Broadcasting & Cable:

CBS, NBC Get Extra Wildcard Game as NFL Playoffs Expand

Nickelodeon to air telecast produced for younger viewers

CBS and NBC have each gotten an additional playoff game as the NFL approved plans to expand the playoffs beginning at the end of the 2020 season, assuming the Coronavirus crisis is under control.

Peacock will stream NBC's new NFL Wild Card playoff game.
Peacock will stream NBC's new NFL Wild Card playoff game.

Dylan Buell/Getty Images

The Wildcard game that airs on CBS will also be seen on Nickelodeon with a separate telecast aimed at younger viewers. CBS and Nickelodeon are both owned by ViacomCBS.

NBCU’s new streaming service Peacock and Telemundo will also carry the NBC Wildcard game.

Financial terms were not disclosed. Sports Business Daily reported that CBS will pay about $70 million for its afternoon game and NBC will pay a bit more for its prime time contest.

Under the new NFL plan 14 teams will qualify for the playoffs, with one wild card team added in each conference.

As a result, Wild Card Weekend for the 2020 season will consist of three games on Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021, and three games on Sunday, January 10.

CBS will air its additional game on Jan 10, with kick off at about 4:40 p.m. ET. The game will also stream on CBS All Access. Nickelodeon’s coverage will also appear.

NBC, Peacock and Telemundo will air the second added Wild Card Game on Jan 10 at 8:15 p.m. E.T.

The NFL last expanded its playoffs during the 1990 season.

The expansion came after the NFL and the NFL Players Association approved a new collective bargaining agreement. “Players and clubs both recognized that nothing energizes fans like the chance to see their team qualify for the playoffs and compete for the Super Bowl,” the league said in a statement.

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More Nick: Nickelodeon Upfront 2020 Roundup!

Originally published: Tuesday, March 31, 2020 at 19:29 BST.

H/T: Twitter /@BenVolin, @MichaelDavSmith; Additional sources: ProFootball Talk / NBC Sports (II), The Hollywood Reporter.
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon News and Highlights!

The Women of Nickelodeon Animation (2020) 👑

The Women of Nick Animation (2020) 👑



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Tag someone who inspires you 💪

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"We’re so proud of the women who work here at the Nickelodeon Animation Studio! In honor of Women’s History month, we sat down with some of them here in Los Angeles to hear about their career journeys, the challenges they’ve faced, and the bright future they hope for."

"Shoutout to the women of Nick Animation working in Los Angeles, New York, London, those working remotely, and all of the amazing alumni who have worked with us in the past. We wish we could spotlight each and every one of you! 🧡"

From Facility Executive:

In Los Angeles, “Built By Women” Exhibit Showcases 56 Projects

The Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation is recognizing women-led architecture, landscape, engineering, and construction projects from around the region.

March 31, 2020

In February, the Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation (BWAF) announced a selection of 56 women-led architecture, landscape, engineering, and construction projects from the Los Angeles area to be showcased at the annual Built by Women exhibit, currently scheduled to open May 15 at the A+D Museum in Los Angeles.

Since 2016, this yearly juried competition and exhibit has demonstrated the breadth of achievement by women at the building industry’s highest levels in cities across the nation.

This year, over 100 projects were submitted for consideration, ranging from tiny homes to major civic construction complexes. At this year’s exhibit, an air-traffic control tower, aerospace labs, and a coliseum will hang alongside a cathedral, a floating bungalow, low-income housing, and a design for the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy. Locations of the works will also be published on a map of Greater Los Angeles — available at the exhibit and online. (A full list of selected projects follows.)

This year’s all-female jury, curated by the Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation, includes: Carrie Byles, FAIA, LEED AP, a partner at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill; Andrea Cochran, FASLA, president of Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture; ErLeen Hatfield, P.E., AIA, managing partner of the Hatfield Group; Judith Sheine, professor of architecture at the University of Oregon; Deborah Weintraub, AIA, LEED AP, chief deputy engineer for the City of Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering; Claire Weisz, FAIA, founder of WXY architecture + urban design; Kim Yao, AIA, 2020 AIA New York president and principal, Architecture Research Office (ARO); and Joan Blumenfeld, FAIA, FIIDA, LEED AP, and a principal at Perkins&Will.

“Los Angeles has always been a hotbed of American design and this jury demonstrated how women there are leading the way,” says architect and urbanist Claire Weisz. “The Built by Women program helps elevate and honor these important works, and we all hope this initiative helps make the record difficult if not impossible to erase.”

A project of the Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation, Built by Women has been created to recognize the significant but often overlooked work of historical and contemporary women architects, landscape architects, urban designers, engineers, contractors and developers. It also matches strong role female models and mentors with current professionals and students to promote paths of advancement, adds Cynthia Phifer Kracauer, AIA, executive director of the foundation.

Following similar successful initiatives in New York City and Washington, DC, this year’s Built by Women exhibit in Los Angeles was scheduled to coincide with the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Conference on Architecture, or A’20. (Originally scheduled for May 14-16, the 2020 AIA Conference on Architecture has been postponed.)

Founded in 2002 and based in New York City, the Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation is committed to changing the culture of the building industry, for women, through education and research. The national 501(c)3 nonprofit organization commissions and curates research that pertains to women working at all levels within all fields of practice in the building industry, with the mission of advancing the knowledge and recognition of women’s contributions to architecture.

Built by Women L.A.
2020 Selected Projects and Submitting Firms

UCLA Margo Leavin Graduate Art Studios
Submitted by Johnston Marklee Architects
Category: Architecture (including renovations)

The Six: Housing for Homeless Veterans
Submitted by Brooks + Scarpa
Category: Architecture (including renovations)

The Broad
Submitted by Arup
Category: Infrastructure and Engineering

St Thomas School, K-8
Submitted by Griffin Enright Architects
Category: Architecture (including renovations)

Auburn Restaurant
Submitted by ORA
Category: Architecture (including renovations)

The Hyperion Project
Submitted by Oyler Wu Collaborative
Category: Architecture (including renovations)

MODAA
Submitted by SPF: Architects
Category: Architecture (including renovations)

La Kretz Innovation Campus
By John Friedman Alice Kimm Architects
Category: Architecture (including renovations)

CSUN Valley Performing Arts Center
Submitted by Pamela Burton & Company
Category: Landscape Design

9 Dots
Submitted by Design, Bitches
Category: Architecture (including renovations)

Cathedral Of Our Lady Of The Angels
Submitted by Morley Builders
Category: Construction Projects

The Culver Steps
Submitted by Ehrlich Yanei Rhee Chaney
Category: Architecture (including renovations)

John Anson Ford Ampitheatre Renovation
Submitted by Levin Associates Architects
Category: Architecture (including renovations)

Silverlake Conservatory of Music
Submitted by Bestor Architecture
Category: Architecture (including renovations)

Rossmore and Weldon Renovation
Submitted by Brooks + Scarpa
Category: Architecture (including renovations)

Colorado Center
Submitted by Pamela Burton & Company
Category: Landscape Design

The Gilb Museum of Arcadia Heritage
Submitted by Sparano + Mooney Architecture
Category: Architecture (including renovations)

Stone View Nature Center
Submitted by Ehrlich Yanei Rhee Chaney
Category: Architecture (including renovations)

Otis College of Art and Design Campus Ext.
Submitted by Ehrlich | Fisher joint venture
Category: Architecture (including renovations)

Beats By Dre
Submitted by Bestor Architecture
Category: Architecture (including renovations)

Griffith Observatory
Submitted by Levin Associates Architects
Category: Architecture (including renovations)

Wilshire Blvd Temple, Sanctuary Renovation
Submitted by Levin Associates Architects
Category: Architecture (including renovations)

Thaxton and Associates Office & Retail Building
Submitted by Griffin Enright Architects
Category: Architecture (including renovations)

Blackbirds
Submitted by Bestor Architecture
Category: Architecture (including renovations)

Verve Coffee Roasters: Roastery Del Sur
Submitted by Design, Bitches
Category: Architecture (including renovations)

Graduate Aerospace Labs, Caltech GALCIT
By John Friedman Alice Kimm Architects
Category: Architecture (including renovations)

Long Beach Civic Center
Submitted by Clark Construction Group
Category: Construction Projects

Intelligentsia
Submitted by Bestor Architecture
Category: Architecture (including renovations)

Children’s Museum of Los Angeles
Submitted by agps architecture
Category: Architecture (including renovations)

Dodger Stadium Improvements
Submitted by Levin Associates Architects
Category: Architecture (including renovations)

The Music Center Plaza Renovation
Submitted by Rios Clementi Hale Studios
Category: Architecture (including renovations)

Air Traffic Control Tower, LAX
Submitted by Kate Diamond, HDR Inc.
Category: Architecture (including renovations)

Superba Food + Bread
Submitted by Design, Bitches
Category: Architecture (including renovations)

North Shore Park Pavilion
Mutuo
Category: Architecture (including renovations)

OUE Skyspace LA
Gensler
Category: Architecture (including renovations)

Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Ctr.
SmithGroup
Category: Architecture (including renovations)

Santa Monica Public Library
Submitted by Moore Ruble Yudell Architects
Category: Construction Projects

National Center for the Preservation of Democracy
By Levin Associates Architects
Category: Architecture (including renovations)

Universal City Metro Redline Subway
Submitted by Kate Diamond, HDR Inc.
Category: Architecture (including renovations)

InVert Self Shading Windows
Submitted by TBM Designs LLC
Category: Research

Community Coalition
Submitted by Office 42
Category: Community

Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Submitted by Arup
Category: Infrastructure and Engineering

South Park Wayfinding
Submitted by Rios Clementi Hale Studios
Category: Urban Design

Nickelodeon West Coast HQ Expansion
Submitted by Studios Architecture
Category: Interior Design

Grand Central Market (Sticky Rice + DTLA Cheese)
Submitted by RADAR
Category: Community

Libros Schmibros
Submitted by RADAR
Category: Community

UCLA Health Training Center, Home of LA Lakers
Submitted by Morley Builders
Category: Construction Projects

Floating Bungalow
Submitted by Bestor Architecture
Category: Architecture (including renovations)

Vertical Venice Prefab
Submitted by Office of Mobile Design
Category: Architecture (including renovations)

Los Angeles Eco Village
By CRSP Institute for Urban Eco Villages
Category: Community

Open House
Submitted by Standard
Category: Architecture (including renovations)

Plús Hús
Submitted by ERLA Construction
Category: Construction Projects

Rustic Canyon View House
Submitted by Moore Ruble Yudell
Category: Architecture (including renovations)

The Arroyo
Submitted by Morley Builders
Category: Construction Projects

Mirrorhouse
Submitted by XTEN Architecture
Category: Architecture (including renovations)

Nakahouse
Submitted by XTEN Architecture
Category: Architecture (including renovations)

For more information and updates, visit the Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation and the A+D Museum.

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Check out the Nickelodeon Animation Studio online: Website | Facebook | Tumblr | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube

More Nick: Women's History Month on Nickelodeon!

Originally published: Wednesday, April 01, 2020.
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Women's History Month on Nickelodeon News and Highlights!

'Blue's Clues & You : Blue et ses amis' to Bow on Nickelodeon Junior France on Monday 6th April 2020

Nickelodeon’s Brand-new Preschool Series Blue’s Clues & You! Bows Monday 6th April 2020 on Nickelodeon Junior France

FORMER BLUE’S CLUES HOSTS STEVE BURNS AND DONOVAN PATTON TO REPRISE ORIGINAL ROLES IN SERIES PREMIERE

Share it: @NickJr #BluesCluesAndYou


It’s time to pull up the Thinking Chair and follow the paw prints as Blue and her crew return in Nickelodeon’s brand-new preschool series Blue’s Clues & You!, debuting on Nickelodeon Junior France on Monday 6th April 2020 at 16:15! Locally titled Blue's Clues & You : Blue et ses amis, following launch, new episodes will continue to air weekdays at 16:15 on the Nickelodeon Junior channel in France.

Steve Burns (Steve) and Donovan Patton (Joe) will reprise their roles in the series premiere, “Meet Josh!,” and help new live-action host Josh (Joshua Dela Cruz) and the audience solve their first game of Blue’s Clues.

Blue’s Clues & You! will feature brand-new elements alongside refreshed iconic items from the original series, including:

  • New CG-animation for Blue and Magenta;
  • An updated Handy Dandy Notebook equipped with a new blue crayon and smartphone technology, allowing Josh and Blue to receive emails and video calls;
  • An all-new Handy Dandy Guitar;
  • The return of fan-favorite characters: Tickety Tock, Slippery Soap, Shovel, Pail, Mr. Salt, Mrs. Pepper, Cinnamon, Paprika, Felt Friends, Sidetable Drawer and Mailbox, plus the original Thinking Chair;
  • And the introduction of Mr. Salt and Mrs. Pepper’s newest additions—twins Sage and Ginger.

A remake of the groundbreaking, curriculum-driven interactive series Blue’s Clues, Blue’s Clues & You! follows Blue as she invites viewers to join her and Josh on a clue-led adventure and solve a puzzle in each episode. With each signature paw print, Blue identifies clues in her animated world that propel the story and inspire the audience to interact with the characters.

Blue’s Clues & You! made its world premiere on Nickelodeon in the U.S. on Monday, Nov. 11, at 1:00 p.m. (ET/PT).

Live-action host Josh and beloved puppy Blue, in Nickelodeon's brand-new Blue's Clues & You!

The original Blue’s Clues series launched in September 1996 to critical praise from educators, parents, and preschoolers and ran for six groundbreaking seasons. Created by Traci Paige Johnson, Todd Kessler, and Angela C. Santomero, Blue’s Clues drew acclaim and high ratings for its unique interactivity that helped change the way kids watch television and has remained one of the most popular preschool shows of all time. The landmark series also raised the bar in preschool television by exploring advanced subject matter such as sign language, geography, physics, emotions, and anatomy. The original series debuted on Treehouse in Canada in 1998.


To celebrate the launch of Blue's Clues & You: Blue et ses amis, Nickelodeon Junior has launched a PAWsome competition (concours) in which viewers are invited to send in photos of their dogs, with the winners having their photos appear on TV! For more information and to enter, visit https://concours.nickelodeonjunior.fr/blues_clues/0/PO1rL/.


Parents and children can visit nickelodeonjunior.fr to find videos, games and activities featuring their favourite Nick Jr. characters. Parents can like the official Nickelodeon Junior France Twitter and Facebook pages and subscribe to the official Nickelodeon Junior YouTube and Dailymotion channels for the latest Nick Jr. news, highlights, video clips and more.

Additionally, Nickelodeon Junior will premiere Bubble Guppies (Bubulle Guppies) season 5 on Wednesday 22nd April 2020 at 8h25, with new episodes continuing to air Wednesdays at 8h25!

NICKELODEON

FORTE DE SON CATALOGUE JEUNESSE PREMIUM, BOB L’EPONGE, LES TORTUES NINJA, DORA L’EXPLORATRICE, PAW PATROL, BLAZE ET LES MONSTER MACHINES, iCARLY, BIG TIME RUSH… LE GROUPE DE CHAINES NICKELODEON EST N° 1 DANS LE MONDE.EN FRANCE, LES CHAINES NICKELODEON JUNIOR, NICKELODEON et NICKELODEON TEEN SONT DISTRIBUEES AUPRES DE PLUS DE 9M DE FOYERS EN EXCLUSIVITE CABLE/SAT/ADSL ET SUR MOBILE/TABLETTE.

Official ViacomCBS Networks France press release:

Paris, le 17 mars

LA NOUVELLE SÉRIE : BLUE’S CLUES & YOU ! BLUE ET SES AMIS
ET LE GRAND RETOUR DE LA SÉRIE BUBULLE GUPPIES
POUR UNE 5EME SAISON...

...EN AVRIL, APPRENDRE DEVIENT UN JEU D'ENFANTS
AVEC NICKELODEON JUNIOR

En avril, les enfants font le plein de connaissances sur NICKELODEON JUNIOR avec la nouvelle série BLUE'S CLUES & YOU ! BLUE ET SES AMIS et le retour, après 4 ans d'absence, de la série BUBULLE GUPPIES dans une nouvelle saison inédite. Qui a dit que l'apprentissage n'était pas rigolo ?

A partir du 6 avril, les enfants ont rendez-vous avec la nouvelle série BLUE'S CLUES & YOU ! BLUE ET SES AMIS co-produite par les Studios NICKELODEON. L'occasion de retrouver Josh et sa petite chienne Blue, les personnages phares de la première série préscolaire interactive de NICKELODEON JUNIOR qui est de retour avec cette toute nouvelle version. À l'instar de Dora l'exploratrice, dans cette série, les deux amis sollicitent les petits téléspectateurs à interagir avec eux pour résoudre les petites énigmes du quotidien. Entre comprendre le système solaire, la langue des signes ou encore les différents instruments de musique, en compagnie de Josh et Blue, chaque nouvelle leçon est prétexte à s'amuser !

Les enfants l'attendent depuis longtemps, dès le 22 avril, BUBULLE GUPPIES la série musicale et ludo-éducative co-produite par les Studios NICKELODEON est de retour pour une 5ème saison inédite ! Accompagnés du Professeur Cooper, les BUBULLE GUPPIES entrainent les petits téléspectateurs dans leurs aventures où l'on danse et chante tout en apprenant. Quels animaux peuplent les océans ? Comment est faite la planète Terre ? Quelles sont les différentes émotions que nous pouvons ressentir ? À chaque épisode, les enfants découvrent un peu plus le monde qui les entoure.

Avec NICKELODEON JUNIOR, les enfants apprennent de nouvelles choses tout en s'amusant !
* BLUE'S CLUES & YOU ! BLUE ET SES AMIS- NOUVELLE SÉRIE
Dès le 6 avril, tous les lundis, mardis, jeudis et vendredis à 16h15

* BUBULLE GUPPIES - NOUVELLE SAISON
Dès le 22 avril, tous les mercredis à 8h25

FORTE DE SON CATALOGUE JEUNESSE PREMIUM, BOB L’EPONGE, LES TORTUES NINJA, DORA L’EXPLORATRICE, PAW PATROL, BLAZE ET LES MONSTER MACHINES, iCARLY, BIG TIME RUSH… LE GROUPE DE CHAINES NICKELODEON EST N° 1 DANS LE MONDE.EN FRANCE, LES CHAINES NICKELODEON JUNIOR, NICKELODEON et NICKELODEON TEEN SONT DISTRIBUEES AUPRES DE PLUS DE 9M DE FOYERS EN EXCLUSIVITE CABLE/SAT/ADSL ET SUR MOBILE/TABLETTE.

COMPREND LES CHAINES SUIVANTES DIFFUSEES EN FRANCE, BELGIQUE ET SUISSE : MTV, MTV HITS, MY MTV, BET, PARAMOUNT CHANNEL, COMEDY CENTRAL, GAME ONE, J-ONE, NICKELODEON JUNIOR, NICKELODEON, NICKELODEON TEEN ET MON NICKELODEON JUNIOR.

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Plus Nickelodeon: Nickelodeon France Launches Bookids, a New Subscription-Based Digital Reading Service for Kids !

Originally published: Thursday, March 12, 2020.

H/T: Anime Superhero Forum /@Muppetman2003; Additional source: Google Translate.

Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon Junior France and Blue's Clues & You News and Highlights!

Nickelodeon Latin America, Cartoon Network & Discovery Kids Partner for Semana Del Juguete 2020

Nickelodeon Latin America (Latinoamérica), along with Cartoon Network and Discovery Kids are once again joining together to present the second annual Semana Del Juguete (Toy Week), a initiative that invites children and adults to rediscover the important value of play and the bonds that people develop during childhood through toys. Semana Del Juguete 2020 will take place between Monday 13th and Sunday 19th April 2020 in Argentina. The news follows the success of the inaugural Semana Del Juguete in 2019.


During this week, all the children's brands participating will generate content to promote the importance of children playing. There will also be significant discounts and promotions in toy stores across the country.

“Last year we had an excellent reception, both from the advertising brands and from consumers who joined the initiative with great enthusiasm. And that was demonstrated in the sales of toys, which increased considerably during that week,” said Enrique Sabatini, Executive Director of AdSales at Turner Argentina, the parent company of Cartoon Network. In addition, the executive noted that registration is still open for more advertising brands to be part of this years campaign.

“After the excellent impact it had last year, at Discovery Kids we continue to support this initiative given the importance of the toy as a fundamental instrument of play. We understand that their role is key throughout the growth and development of childhood in all its stages. The toy allows boys and girls to have fun, discover different emotions, work the intellect, while generating bonds with other people,” said Nicolás Mc Cormack, Vice President of Advertising Sales of Discovery Cono Sur.

“It is a pleasure to actively participate in Semana Del Juguete again. At Nickelodeon we are committed to promoting activities for children that help with their development,” said Santiago Perincioli, Vice President (VP) of AdSales at ViacomCBS. "The satisfaction is even greater knowing that some of the most important children's channels in the region are united in this initiative," he added.

It should be noted that, during its first edition, #SemanaDelJuguete registered important commercial results. According to data provided by the Chamber of Toy Importers, sales in toy stores grew by 20% in 2019 compared to the same period of the previous year.

Are You Afraid of the Dark? 103 - The Tale of Laughing in the Dark | HD - Full Episode | NickRetro

Are You Afraid of the Dark? 103 - The Tale of Laughing in the Dark | HD - Full Episode


Two 12-year old boys, Josh and Weegee, and Kathy, 10, come upon a spook house, "Laughing in the Dark", at an amusement park. Even though it is rumored to be haunted by Zeebo the clown, Josh declares he will go through the spook house and bring out Zeebo's nose as proof that he completed the mission. Josh soon discovers for himself the truth about the mysterious Zeebo. .

Watch more FULL EPISODES of NickRetro Hits!: http://nickalive.blogspot.com/search/label/NickRetro

Watch all your ‘80s, ‘90s, and ‘00s Nickelodeon favorites on NickRewind, your late-night destination for your favorite childhood Nickelodeon cartoons and live-action shows! NickSplat doesn't question football-shaped heads, but embrace them - along with Reptar bars, a Big Ear of Corn, orange soda, and even slime for Pete (and Pete's) sake. Make your slime-covered Nickelodeon childhood dreams come true every night on TeenNick USA, and anytime you want on NickSplat on VRV, Nick Pluto TV, NickHits on Amazon Prime Video Channels and Nick on CBS All Access!

Like NickRewind on Facebook, subscribe to the NickRewind YouTube channel and follow NickRewind on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive digital content from all of your throwback favorites like Rugrats, Hey Arnold!, iCarly, Victorious, Kenan & Kel, CatDog, Doug, Rocko’s Modern Life, The Amanda Show, Clarissa Explains It All, The Ren & Stimpy Show, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, and so much more!

Join Nickelodeon's official I Was A Nick Kid Facebook Group!: https://www.facebook.com/groups/IWasANickKid/

More Nick: Nickelodeon Renews 'Are You Afraid of the Dark?' for Season Two!
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Doug - Episode 3 - Doug's Dog's Date / Doug's Big Nose | NickRetro

Doug - Episode 3 - Doug's Dog's Date / Doug's Big Nose


When Porkchop begins acting very strangely, Doug tries to find out what's causing his friend's odd behavior. It turns out that Porkchop has come down with a case of "puppy love" for a local poodle. / Doug refuses to get his picture taken for School Photo Swap Day at school, because he has suddenly become self-conscious of his nose after Skeeter's brother Dale calls Doug "big nose".

Watch more FULL EPISODES of NickRetro Hits!: http://nickalive.blogspot.com/search/label/NickRetro

Watch all your ‘80s, ‘90s, and ‘00s Nickelodeon favorites on NickRewind, your late-night destination for your favorite childhood Nickelodeon cartoons and live-action shows! NickSplat doesn't question football-shaped heads, but embrace them - along with Reptar bars, a Big Ear of Corn, orange soda, and even slime for Pete (and Pete's) sake. Make your slime-covered Nickelodeon childhood dreams come true every night on TeenNick USA, and anytime you want on NickSplat on VRV, Nick Pluto TV, NickHits on Amazon Prime Video Channels and Nick on CBS All Access!

Like NickRewind on Facebook, subscribe to the NickRewind YouTube channel and follow NickRewind on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive digital content from all of your throwback favorites like Rugrats, Hey Arnold!, iCarly, Victorious, Kenan & Kel, CatDog, Doug, Rocko’s Modern Life, The Amanda Show, Clarissa Explains It All, The Ren & Stimpy Show, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, and so much more!

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H2O - Just Add Water S1 E3 - Catch of the Day (Full Episode)

H2O - just add water S1 E3 - Catch of the Day (full episode)


Watch the full episode 3 of H2O - just add water :) Emma and Rikki use their new-found abilities to free hatchling sea turtles caught in fishing nets. But when they shred one of the nets with a knife, they spark stories of sharks patrolling the waters. Meanwhile, Emma and Rikki have bad news for Cleo; the fishing boat that caught the turtle in its net was her father's.

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The Cabbage Patch Fib | Round the Twist - Season 1 Episode 4 (HD)

'The Cabbage Patch Fib' | Round the Twist - Season 1 Episode 4 (HD)


Believing that babies grow in the cabbage patch, Bronson actually finds one there. But he soon discovers that the responsibilities of parenthood have their drawbacks.

Have you ever, ever felt like this? Have strange things happened, are you going round the twist?

When the Twist kids – Pete, Linda and Bronson – and their Dad leave the city for a quiet life in the coastal town of Port Niranda, they get more than they bargained for. The lighthouse the Twists have moved into is haunted, and Port Niranda is a town where the weird and unexpected regularly occurs.

Ghosts, vikings, magical underpants, runaway shadows…Round The Twist is an offbeat comedy series that will enchant the entire family.

Starring:
Dad - Richard Moir
Pete - Sam Vandenberg
Linda - Tamsin West
Bronson - Rodney McLennan
Mr Gribble - Frankie J Holden
Matron Gribble - Judith McGrath
Gribble Jnr - Lachlan Jeffrey
Rabbit - Stuart Atkin
Tiger Gleeson - Cameron Nugent
Nell - Bunney Brooke
Fiona - Daisy Cameron
Miss James - Robyn Gibbes
Mr Snapper - Esben Storm
Hugh - Justin Connor
Jill - Lauren Taylor

Watch more FULL EPISODES of NickRetro Hits!: http://nickalive.blogspot.com/search/label/NickRetro

Twisted Lunchbox is brought to you by Australian Children’s Television Foundation (ACTF). The ACTF is a national non-profit children’s media production and policy hub. The ACTF is a leading body for Australian children’s media; enabling the production, development and distribution of high quality, culturally relevant and distinctive entertainment for Australian children, and children around the world. The ACTF is well known for the production of some of Australia’s most iconic kids’ tv shows, including ‘Round the Twist’, ‘Mortified’, 'Lockie Leonard', ‘You’re Skitting Me’ and much more!

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Transylvanian Homesick Blues | Count Duckula Full Episode

'Transylvanian Homesick Blues' | Count Duckula Full Episode


Transylvanian Homesick Blues - The Count, Igor and Nanny join a Mr. Fexzactely on his carnival roller coaster, which takes them on a trip through time.

Count Duckula is a British children's animated series that originally aired in 1988 as a spin off of Danger Mouse. The series sees Count Duckula and recurring characters Nanny and Igor as they set out on their adventures! With the voice of David Jason (Only Fools and Horses) and the iconic Thames TV ident!

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Every Performance From the Semi-Finals | America's Most Musical Family Season 1

Every Performance From the Semi-Finals | America's Most Musical Family Season 1


These amazing families made it through the first round, now let's go back to their performances from the semi-finals! Check out this compilation of every performance from the semi-finals of America's Most Musical Family season 1!

America’s Most Musical Family is a one-of-a-kind music competition series that will see 30 talented and diverse family bands performing in all genres take center stage in front of celebrity judges Grammy Award-winning global superstar Ciara, digital media sensation David Dobrik, pop icon and Broadway star Debbie Gibson and show host, singer and television personality Nick Lachey to compete for a recording contract with Republic Records and the chance to win a $250,000 cash prize in partnership with Capri Sun 100% Juice. Bands taking part range from a father/daughter duo, sibling groups and a 12-member multigenerational brass ensemble. The bands will battle it out over the course of 12 hour-long episodes and one half-hour special.

Follow America’s Most Musical Family: nickammf.com | Instagram | YouTube | Audition for Season 2 | #AMMF

More Nick: Nickelodeon Crowns America’s Most Musical Family!
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Luna Loud Enters Competition 🎤 Play It Loud | The Loud House

Luna Loud Enters Competition 🎤 Play It Loud | The Loud House


Luna Loud is trying to meet Mick Swagger and has entered America’s Next Hitmaker! Will her songs get her to meet her idol? Let’s Play It Loud with Really Loud Music!

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Timeline of EVERY Krusty Krab Employee EVER! 🍔 SpongeBob

Timeline of EVERY Krusty Krab Employee EVER! 🍔 SpongeBob


The Krusty Krew has seen some employees come and go, but SpongeBob is always there to help! From Patrick's stint answering the phone to Pearl taking over for a week, here's a timeline of every Krusty Krab employee ever!

Watch SpongeBob SquarePants on Nickelodeon!

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SpongeBob SquarePants: The Complete Eleventh Season is out now!

CALLING ALL GOOFY GOOBERS! (ROCK!) Are ya ready for a deep dive into the world of SpongeBob SquarePants? The SpongeBob YouTube channel is THE PLACE for all fan-favorite SpongeBob moments! We’re serving up everything from legendary scenes to remixes of classic songs to deep dives into Bikini Bottom lore. Be sure to check back every week for Music Mondays, Wumbo Wednesdays, and Flashback Fridays! Subscribe now at https://www.youtube.com/SpongeBobOfficial!

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What Did You Think of New 'All That' Episode 1122? | Nickelodeon Fan Poll

What did you think of the brand new All That episode 1122? Vote in the poll and sound off in the comments below!

What Did You Think of the New 'Danger Force' Episode 'Say My Name'? | Nickelodeon Fan Poll

What did you think of new Danger Force episode "Say My Name"? Vote in the poll and sound off in the comments below!

Jennette McCurdy Through the Years! 😎 2002-2014 | NickRewind

Jennette McCurdy Through the Years! 😎 2002-2014 | NickRewind


Jennette McCurdy basically grew up on Nick! From a guest appearance in 2005 on Zoey 101, to starring in iCarly in 2007 and Sam & Cat in 2014, here's Jennette McCurdy through the years!

Watch all your ‘80s, ‘90s, and ‘00s Nickelodeon favorites on NickRewind, your late-night destination for your favorite childhood Nickelodeon cartoons and live-action shows! NickSplat doesn't question football-shaped heads, but embrace them - along with Reptar bars, a Big Ear of Corn, orange soda, and even slime for Pete (and Pete's) sake. Make your slime-covered Nickelodeon childhood dreams come true every night on TeenNick USA, and anytime you want on NickSplat on VRV, Nick Pluto TV, NickHits on Amazon Prime Video Channels and Nick on CBS All Access!

Like NickRewind on Facebook, subscribe to the NickRewind YouTube channel and follow NickRewind on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive digital content from all of your throwback favorites like Rugrats, Hey Arnold!, iCarly, Victorious, Kenan & Kel, CatDog, Doug, Rocko’s Modern Life, The Amanda Show, Clarissa Explains It All, The Ren & Stimpy Show, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, and so much more!

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Backstunde mit Luana 🧁 | #ZusammenZuhause mit Spotlight | Nickelodeon Deutschland

Backstunde mit Luana 🧁 | #ZusammenZuhause mit Spotlight | Nickelodeon Deutschland


Mehr #ZusammenZuhause: https://bit.ly/kidstogether

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Milkshake! Stay at Home | The Alphabet Move and Shake | Olivia

Milkshake! Stay at Home | The Alphabet Move and Shake | Olivia


More #KidsTogether Content!: https://bit.ly/kidstogether

Subscribe here: https://bit.ly/2HltzcA

More Nick: Milkshake!, Nickelodeon UK Ramp Up Content Due to Coronavirus Pandemic!
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Kids Exercise Body Parts song Dance Challenge with Ryan's World

Kids Exercise Body Parts song Dance Challenge with Ryan's World


Kids Exercise Body Parts song Dance Challenge with Ryan's World! Sing and Dance and get kids moving with nursery rhymes action songs! Thanks for watching family and kids exercise song and dance with Kaji Family! #StayHomeDanceChallenge

Join Ryan in Ryan's Mystery Playdate on Nickelodeon and Nick Jr.!

WIN Ryan's Mystery Playdate goodies in the Ryan’s Mystery Playdate Season 3 Sweepstakes! https://www.ryansmysterysweepstakes.com/

More #KidsTogether Content!: https://bit.ly/kidstogether

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'Jimmy Neutron' Star Rob Paulsen Says a Reboot 'Wouldn't Be Surprising'

It's nearly been twenty years since Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius hit theaters and the better part of 15 since The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, the animated series based on the movie on Nickelodeon aired its final episode. As you know by now, it's never too long for Hollywood to revive a property for a reboot and in the ever-expanding world of streaming video, revivals are now more possible than ever. Earlier this week, ComicBook spoke with Jimmy Neutron alumnus Rob Paulsen about his expansive career and according to the seasoned voice-acting pro, the property has as good of a chance as any to receive the reboot treatment.


Shortly after Paulsen pulled the voice of his character Carl Wheezer - one of Jimmy's best friends - out and had ComicBook's Adam Barnhardt in stitches over the phone, the actor revealed the show has as far of a reach as any of the other properties he's had a pleasure of being part of. "Well, I've got to tell you, man. I go all over the world when we don't have the coronavirus, and people love Carl," Paulsen says. "They love Carl. I don't think it would be a bad thing at all to reboot Jimmy Neutron. I think that's one of those shows that a lot of people would love to see again. It was very good. Really smart. That wouldn't surprise me."

That's when Paulsen told revealed he didn't have any inside information, nor has he been contacted to reprise his role as the youngest Wheezer in any sort of continuation.

"I've not heard anybody mentioning anything about it," he adds. "But that certainly is one that I think could stand a reboot, and I think would do okay. I think that it's not too dated. I think that it would be fine. The characters I think would work fine in an updated version."

The news follows director Keith Alcorn revealing that they actually have pitched a couple of ideas for a Jimmy Neutron reboot to the executives (who happen to have had a long history with the Jimmy Neutron franchise) at Nickelodeon.

Jimmy Neutron follows James "Jimmy" Isaac Neutron, Retroville's resident Boy Genius. Jimmy (Debi Derryberry, AAAHH!!! Real Monsters, Oh Yeah! Cartoons, CatDog, Rocket Power, ChalkZone, and Random! Cartoons) creates amazing inventions designed to make his life easier and more interesting--and when they work the way they're supposed to, they do just that! Which is rare. But for Jimmy, his robot dog Goddard and his pals Carl Wheezer (Paulsen, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and Sheen Estevez (Jeffrey Garcia, Back at the Barnyard, Happy Feet Two), every short circuit is a new adventure!

Created by John A. Davis and based on several Jimmy Neutron and Johnny Quasar shorts, Nickelodeon Movies, O Entertainment, DNA Productions and Paramount Pictures' Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius made its debut in theaters on December 21, 2001. Following its success, a spin-off series The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius premiered on July 20, 2002 and ran for 63 episodes over three seasons. The success of the film and TV series spawned another spin-off, Planet Sheen, as well as three crossovers with The Fairly OddParents under the name The Jimmy-Timmy Power Hour and a ride as Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida.

Outside of Jimmy Neutron, Paulsen also says he particularly enjoyed his role in Biker Mice From Mars and would enjoy seeing that reimagined for the modern age. The series about crime-fighting mice ended up running in syndication for three seasons for a total of 65 episodes in the early 1990s. The series also aired on Nickelodeon in the U.K. "That was a pretty cool action-adventure show with some cool music. A lot of humor," Paulsen concludes. "There have been rumors about maybe that being rebooted, with a whole bunch of different characters."

Paulsen currently serves as the voice director of Nickelodeon's Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius is now streaming on Hulu.

From ComicBook:

Rob Paulsen on Working Through a Hollywood Shutdown, Upcoming Animaniacs Reboot, and More

When it comes to the world of voice-acting, Rob Paulsen is most certainly considered a household name. A quick look at his resume yields at least 500 credits, from the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Animaniacs to The Boondocks, Jimmy Neutron, Samurai Jack, and beyond. He's Yakko Warner and he's Carl Wheezer. He's been both Raphael and Donatello. He's been around the industry so much, it's essentially guaranteed you've heard several of his roles throughout your entertainment-consuming time here on Earth.

Though Hollywood has shut down amidst the expanding coronavirus pandemic, Paulsen and his colleagues are still hard at work remotely on their various projects. In the world of animation, many things can be continued remotely, including the reading and recording of lines.

We recently had the chance to catch up with Paulsen about his current workload and some upcoming projects. Naturally, when you get someone who talks for a living on the phone, a few tangents are to be had and tangents were certainly explored. You can read our full chat with Paulsen below, from tidbits on the upcoming Animaniacs reboot to various corners of his ever-expansive career.

Continuing Work in a Shutdown
ComicBook.com: So you've said you're working from home and you've got the home studio. For the most part, with your voice roles and such, I'd assume most of these series and projects still in production.

Rob Paulsen: My, "Studio", is very, very rudimentary. I generally just do auditions from home. I never thought it was broadcast quality. However, under the circumstances, the folks at different studios in town have tried to keep things rolling. Which is great, because it means other people can stay employed.

It kind of remains to be seen whether or not the stuff I'm recording for them is broadcast quality. At the very least, it'll at least be a placeholder, so that the animation can be done, and then I can go in and ADR it and fix it later. But it probably is more just to keep the pipeline going because the cool thing is about my gig, is that if there's a way to keep the projects in production, it's just, people are at home watching this stuff. This is, you have literally a captive audience.

They're trying to keep stuff going as much as they can, because everybody's in front of Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Apple, whatever. It'll be interesting to see. I haven't heard yet from the audio folks at the major studios, whether or not what I recorded for them works. But I really appreciate their efforts.

I don't really like recording from home, because I want to be with the other actors. I like being in the studio. I like being surrounded by all these crazy gifted people. They're my friends, you know? I go to work with my buddies every day. I never went out of my way to have a good home studio, because I didn't really care about working from home. It's an acting gig, and I'm better when I'm around the other actors. But for the time being, it's the way it is, and I'm grateful that they're giving it a shot.

What's that work-from-home workflow like? Do you get, say a screener file, and you're recording based off of that screener file? Or do you just have lines and go from there?

We just have lines. In traditional proprietary animation, all the recording, all the acting is done first. Often there's a storyboard to give you, like you said, kind of a workflow, and then you know what's going on. But pretty much always over the years, it's been a script, and you record it. Preferably with other actors. Obviously not a problem to record by yourself. Then all the animation is created to fit the timing and the tempo of what the actors have done, so we're not limited by what's on the screen.

If you're doing a dubbing session for another, in a different language, then you're limited by not only what's on the screen, but by the interpretation of whatever language it is you're converting to English. I think I've maybe done, I don't even know, very few dubbing things. Pretty much all the stuff that I do is original work, and stuff that's created here in the US. I don't do any anime. I know how incredibly popular it is, but I've never worked on any of that stuff. All my stuff is all original things, that I've been fortunate enough to create with other folks.

Have there ever been any aspirations to get into the dubbing world at all?

No. I'm not interested at all. It's not because I don't like the stuff. I mean, I'm not really a big anime fan, for no other reason than it's just...it's kind of like, I'm a car nut. I'm not really an old car nut. I like modern sports cars. That's my thing. But it's the same thing with animation. I appreciate anime, and certainly appreciate the ardent fan base. Man, they're crazy about anime. It's huge. It's just not my thing.

I like Warner Brothers. Particularly, I've always admired ... You know, I like Disney, and all the other stuff. But for me, I'm primarily a humor guy. I've always thought, if Disney was the happiest place on Earth, then Warner Brothers is the funniest place on Earth. There's a lot of humor involved with Turtles. But Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, Freakazoid, Taz-Mania, Tiny Toons, all those things, brilliant music, and really terrific humor. That's my thing.

I'm not interested in trying to fit my words into another character's mouth, that was created for a Japanese actor. It's not a slight on the art form. It's just not interesting to me. I don't know, it bores me, from my perspective, just as far as doing work. I'd much rather be on the clean sheet of paper, creating it from the ground up.

It turns out, it's been better for me anyway. I don't have the skill that a guy like Jim Cummings has, where he can take beloved classic characters with an incredibly deep background, and continue to bring them to life, and even add more colors to them. That's a very specific skill. Bill Farmer does that. The people who have voiced Mickey.

When you're able to do that, that's a very unique skill set that I just don't possess. I'm better off at having a clean sheet of paper, with a bunch of folks around me, trying to come up with whatever works. Sometimes it works really well. At least that way, when it does work, you're kind of part of the whole equation of something that's become, arguably iconic. You get to be one of the creators. I like that better.

It's also not something I take for granted, because it's very scattershot. You never know when you have a Pinky and the Brain, or a Ninja Turtles. Nobody knows. Or a Simpsons. You know? You just don't know. To have more than my share is, I'm an incredibly lucky guy.

So you've got the lines and of course, it's the digital age so the technology's there. Do you have a director Skyping in or Zooming in at all?

Usually what happens is, the voice director is either behind the glass with the producers and the writers, helping to translate what producers want into actor speak, so that folks can get the job done. In this case, the director was just, we were all on a Zoom session. We had writers, and producers, and a voice director. Then yours truly doing my thing. They would say, "Slower, faster, more talent, don't be terrible. Stop being so crappy". That's how it works.

But it's just, in any way you do it, it's the best gig in the world, man.

Finding Motivation to Stay Fresh
Looking at your credits, it's incredible. Every time I pull up your IMDB or your resume, it's just like, "Holy cow. This dude's done so much." I mean, thousands of roles, right? How do you keep yourself fresh? How do you keep innovating yourself so that no two characters are alike?

You know, that is an excellent question. Of course, now I'm an officially old person — I don't feel like that, I think because of what I do for a living. But I have to tell you, Adam, I remember telling this to my mom years ago, because she was just, "Gosh, honey. I hope you ..." You're in Iowa, right?

I am!

My mom is from Waterloo. She used to tell me, "Well honey, you know. Some day you're going to be a big star and all that." I said, "Well ..." Honestly, even as a kid, I'd be lying if I said I didn't like it when people made a fuss over me. That's why you become an actor, you know? It's like they say, the first one's free. But man, once you're hooked, that's it. I don't care what it is. Whether it's being an actor, a journalist, podcaster. You do it because you love it. You're not making a whole bunch of money at this. I didn't, for the longest time, at being an actor either.

I've certainly done well over the years, but it's because I've put myself in a position to get lucky. Not because I'm incredibly smart or brave or anything. It was just, "Well, you've got to go to LA so that people can see whether or not you're good enough."

But for me, my idea of making it was being respected by the people whom I respect. I learned a lot by being around world class actors, many of whom are people you'd recognize, and a lot of them are gone now. But all of them, whether they were famous or not, always had a high bar for themselves. They were always creating. They were always looking for the next gig.

People ask me, "What's your favorite job?" I say, "The next one, because it means I'm working." I have also learned that voice acting is acting, period. It's not just about the voice. I have my own anecdotal experience, which speaks I think exactly to what you're asking. To keep characters fresh, and not sounding like one another.

It isn't so much the sound, as the soul of the character. My experience with that is with Ninja Turtles. I was Raphael probably before you were born. Then, 25 years later, I got to be Donatello on a really great incarnation of the show on Nickelodeon. Anybody with ears could tell it was the same actor.

But the ultimate compliment for me is when I get fans who grew up with the first one, and the new one, and say, "Wow. You know, I knew it was you. But I totally bought the character. I mean, I heard you. But I didn't hear you. I knew it was a human named Rob, but Donatello was completely different than Rafael".

That makes sense if I'm doing my job. If you look at a guy, and I'm using this only for somebody who's got a big personality, like Jack Nicholson. Jack Nicholson, we love Jack, because Jack does Jack. He's Jack in everything. But he's nuanced, and he tweaks it. He's got whatever it is that makes us want to watch him. Whether it's the Joker, or The Postman Always Rings Twice, or Easy Rider, or The Shining. That's what makes him a star. It's not about the fact that he sounds, often the same. But he imbues the characters with different qualities and traits that makes us want to pay attention.

It's no different with voice acting. For me, it's about the acting, and keeping my chops sharp. Finding nuances in characters that make it more fun, natural. Carl Wheezer from Jimmy Neutron is a great example of that. That's just a goofy little character, that I made some specific choices for. Then the animators and the writers picked up on it, because they're way better at their jobs than I am. They would start to write things specifically for Carl, and it works.

We haven't done a new episode of that show in, I don't know, 15 years? 18 years? There are Carl memes all over the internet. People love that character, and it's not just because it's me.

Anyway, that's a long, rambling explanation. But I don't take it for granted either. I think that's another reason. I am very cognizant, Adam, of how lucky I am. When I have this incredible opportunity to do this, for 40 years, and as far as I know I'm not done yet, that's really unusual. That anyone gets to do something that they would do for free, for American dollars. Then people like you, nice folks like you, take the time to talk to us about it. I get how lucky I am. So all I want to do is try to make it bigger and bigger, and better and better. Hopefully, that inspires other people to do the same thing. Because I had folks do that for me.

Carl Wheezer = G.O.A.T.
You bring up Carl Wheezer. If I had to come up with a Mount Rushmore of characters from my childhood, the four characters from my childhood that were my favorite, Carl Wheezer is most certainly on that list.

What? No kidding?

No kidding. Carl Wheezer. Probably Keith David's Goliath, from Gargoyles.

Yeah. What a set of pipes on that guy, huh? I remember, the first time I worked with Keith. Oh god, it was years ago. I think it was probably on Gargoyles. I was sitting between he and Jeff Bennett. I knew who Keith was, but goddammit, when he opened his mouth it was just like, "Holy crap. This guy is, this is remarkable." But thank-you.

[In Carl Wheezer voice] That's very high praise for somebody like me. I really appreciate it. I hope I'm not making you pee your pants.

Making a Living
You mentioned your mother giving you advice. Obviously, parents are always going to look out for their children. But then you get to LA. When did you know that you had "mad it?" I mean, let's be honest. You're one of the voice acting greats, right? When did you realize, you know, "Not only am I making a living at this, but I'm pretty damn good at it as well"?

Well, I think, there was a wonderful actor. I shouldn't say was. Is. He's a dear friend. I mention him in my book. His name is Alan Oppenheimer. You guys would recognize him if you saw him on TV. He did a lot of television. But in terms of animation, he was Skeletor on, what was it? He-Man?

I started doing cartoons a lot at Hanna-Barbera. The first shows I did were GI Joe and Transformers. But I was doing a lot of stuff at Hanna0Barbera. I remember, Alan Oppenheimer said to me one day, because he saw that I was constantly calling my theatrical agent, to go out on auditions for things like Hill Street Blues and MacGyver. I'd be having conflicts with time that, as an actor, you're always looking ... It's a great problem to have when you're busy.

But he said, "Young man, you're going to have to make a choice. Because you're pretty good at this." What he was inferring, and I understood, was that "Do I have the ego that would allow me to put that aside, in lieu of maybe more work, but a different kind of fame?" The fame was never...like I said, I'd be lying if I said I don't like it when people make a fuss over me. But it is not what drives me. I didn't move to LA saying, "I'm going to be rich and famous." I came to LA saying, "I want to work. I want to be creating things."

The fame and all of that comes as a result of doing good work, and that's not unusual. People tell you that all the time. But this was probably in the late '80s. I kind of found out pretty quickly, that once I made the decision, probably in the early '90s, to jump with both feet into animation, that I'd made the right choice. I felt very comfortable in that realm because I wasn't limited by being an average-looking Caucasian kid.

I was essentially doing what I used to do when I was a little boy. I'd play and create stuff. I liked burying myself in these characters, with all these other actors who were doing the same thing. That's when I found that I was doing the right gig.

In terms of making it, I definitely have gotten to the place where I'm comfortable that I'll always be able to make a living. Some years it's better than others, but that's the way it is for every freelancer. I don't really let myself get to the point where I have a laissez-faire attitude about it. Because I think that feeling of hunger, and a little bit of fear, is always a good thing for me. It's a great motivator.

I definitely felt like I'd made it, in terms of being part of the landscape, when I won an Emmy. That was a big deal for me. I won an Emmy in 1999 for Pinky. It was a very big deal for me because I'd been nominated twice before. Often in that circumstance, there are other much more famous people who do voice work, who will get a nomination as well. That was not unusual for me. I had lost the first two years that I'd been nominated, I think to Louie Anderson, and I've forgotten who the other one was. But they were both famous folks.

Then the third year I was nominated, I won for Pinky. I was nominated against Louie, and Ernest Borgnine, and Jeffrey Tambor, and Dennis Franz. Really famous people, a couple of whom, Jeffrey Tambor, who you guys know from Transparent, we worked together a lot. It was a very big deal for me to win as a rank and file voice guy, against all these really famous TV and movie people.

It's not like winning a statue changes your life. It changed my perception of myself, which was important. I didn't start making more money. I didn't get unlimited work. It's not like winning an Oscar. But for me, it gave me a lot of confidence that I was able to play with people who were recognizable. That it really didn't matter that I was not. It was about the character, and I was pretty good at it.

That's when I felt like I was, that I felt really like I deserved to be in Hollywood, playing at a high level. Because it was also a Steven Spielberg show. Mr. Spielberg has hired me for a number of things. All of that makes me feel like I should be here.

But in terms of easing up on it, I don't think I'll ever do that until I decide I don't want to work anymore. I really can't see that happening.

Underappreciated Roles
You have mentioned the Turtles. You mentioned Pinky. There's the Animaniacs. You have these A list characters. Is there one role that you can remember, that you're particularly proud of that, I guess, didn't get either the acclaim or the recognition of some of your bigger roles?

Yeah, a couple. I did a show with, the three main characters were Pam Adlon, Mark Hamill, and myself. We did a show called Time Squad years ago for Cartoon Network. It was only one season. It was a great show. It was created and produced by a guy named Dave Wasson, who is now, I think, producing Cuphead over at Netflix. But it was a great show. Mark and Pam and I. I'd known Pam very well. She used to be, her maiden name was Pam Segall. But I've known Pammy for 30-odd years.

Then I've known Mark because we were in the same Warner Brothers realm. He was doing Batman, while I was doing Pinky and the Brain and Animaniacs. We got to be good buddies. Then we really, really bonded over this Time Squad show. We've become very good friends ever since. But that was an excellent show. Great characters, terrific scripts. Just kind of got lost in the shuffle and never got the juice it deserved.

Also, at Warner Brothers, I did Taz-Mania. That was a great show. It was kind of lost in the shuffle, because that was when Steven was producing Tiny Toons, and then slid into Animaniacs and all of that. Taz-Mania was not a Spielberg show and kind of got lost in the shuffle. But it was excellent. It was Jim Cummings, Maurice [LaMarche], and myself. Dan Castellaneta, who's Homer Simpson, was a regular on the show. Just a really, really excellent, very good show.

Then I did a stop motion show for ABC, before Disney bought them, called Bump In the Night. It was Jim Cummings and myself, played the two characters. Mr. Bumpy and a character called Squishington. My character lived under the toilet, which is often where I found my career, oddly enough. Jim played a character called Mr. Bumpy, who lived in the closet and ate socks for a living and all that. Or ate socks to survive. It was really clever.

A lot of the people who worked on that Nightmare Before Christmas, Tim Burton, Henry Selick, andpeople up in the Bay Area, did all the stop motion stuff. It was very clever. Excellent music. Those are three shows that I think were just a blast and really good that never got the juice they deserved, in my opinion. But through the magic of YouTube, I think they're all available. I mean, I know Taz-Mania is. I know you can find Taz-Mania, and I think Bump In the Night is on YouTube. I'm not sure about Time Squad. But they were really good.

The actors are all terrific. I was really kind of outclassed on all the shows. But I was better because I got to work with those folks.

Other Reboots
So it's 2020. Wow.

Tell me about it, jeez.

We're all getting old, right?

Yeah. Cry me a river, son.

You know the ins and outs of the biz at this point. Animaniacs is coming back. There will be Turtles reboots until you and I are no longer here, right?

That's right.

It's not your first rodeo, let's put it that way. What project of yours do you feel has the most possibility of coming back say outside of Animaniacs, of course.

Yeah. You know, I think, well I've got to tell you, man. I go all over the world, when we don't have the coronavirus, and people love Carl. They love Carl. I don't think it would be a bad thing at all to reboot Jimmy Neutron. I think that's one of those shows that a lot of people would love to see again. It was very good. Really smart. That wouldn't surprise me.

But I don't have any inside information. It's owned by a couple of different people, and I have not heard ... I work at Nickelodeon a lot, which is Viacom, and I've not heard anybody mentioning anything about it. But that certainly is one that I think could stand a reboot, and I think would do okay. I think that it's not too dated. I think that it would be fine. The characters I think would work fine in an updated version.

Also, I did another show that was an unabashed, well, not a ripoff. But it's deeply inspired by Turtles. I did a show called Biker Mice From Mars years ago, that I thought was really fun. The three main characters were myself, Ian Ziering, who you guys know from 90210, and Dorian Harewood. That was a pretty cool action-adventure show with some cool music. A lot of humor. There have been rumors about maybe that being rebooted, with a whole bunch of different characters.

Those are just my feelings. But man, who knows? Jeez. If I were the one that had the formula, you and I would be having this chat from my private island.

I know, it's not a reboot, but I think Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon have a new show, and gosh, I think I've only done about three or four episodes of Rick and Morty. But one of them has a character that has become almost sort of mini-iconic on its own, in the short time that it's been around.

I think it was the second episode of the series, in which I played a character called Snowball, who is a little dog. The first lines I had were, "Where are my testicles, Summer?" I thought, "Man, now you're talking. That's a blast." You just never know when things are going to hit. I've gone to, I don't know, 35 conventions since that particular episode, for the last number of years. I get people coming up to me all the time with their little Snowball Pop figures, from one episode. It's crazy.

I don't know how these things happen, or who makes the decisions. Or what is it about certain characters, that end up saying, "We love Snowball," from one episode. Then I'll do 100 episodes of something else, and nobody gives a shit. It's just crazy.

I love it. I love the character, and I love the episode. It was a really smart, deep episode. It was much more than just the humor of this dog. It was a real kind of allegory, about how we treat each other. The way animals, if they could speak, would talk about feeling as indentured slaves and all that. That was an interesting thought, and a metaphor. I loved it, in the context of a comedy show. But it was one episode.

I mean, you can go to Hot Topic, or online, and punch in, "Snowball dog," and there are a zillion little plushies, tee shirts, Pop figures. From one episode. I don't know, it's incredible, and I'm really grateful.

Rick & Morty
Rick and Morty just got an unprecedented order, I guess. It was seven seasons, or something like that?

Something like that. Just a really great show, yeah.

Yeah, have you been in contact with Dan and Justin at all again?

Oh, sure.

Surely you're coming back some time.

I haven't talked to them for a while, because they've become Dan and Justin. They're so busy. But I had them both on my podcast a couple years ago. We used to do it live at The Improv here in Hollywood. They were very generous and came down. Yeah, the audience flipped out. But it was very sweet, because Justin was real straight up with all of us when we started working on the show.

He pretty much came to us, that is me, Maurice, Tress, Frank Welker. People whom he'd grown up watching, and was very kind, and right away at the sessions said, "You know what, you guys? I grew up watching Animaniacs, Ninja Turtles, Jimmy Neutron, Pinky and the Brain, etc. I said, 'If I ever get my own show, I'm going to hire these guys.'" He did, and it was a huge compliment to us.

Then to be able to do something that people enjoy, with sort of the two generations meeting, was a very satisfying thing for me. To be able to work on something, where some young fellow whom I'd never met, was a creative young person out there, like your audience, with a dream and great ideas. Watching the shows we all worked on. Gets to Hollywood, gets his shot, seeks us out, hires us. He fulfilled his dream. He gave me a new one. It was this incredibly beautiful kind of symbiotic relationship, that I love taking time to think about.

It's exactly what happened to me when I would walk into a room, and see Jonathan Winters, and June Foray. Famous folks that I'd go, "Oh my god. Oh my god, I get to work with Mel Blanc today. Oh my god." It blew my mind. To be in a position where a young creator had the same experience. Only it was I whom he was thrilled to work with, or Tress, or Frank, or Peter Cullen, or Maurice. That's huge ... Or Billy West. You know? These guys are all my buddies, and it's cool to see people make a fuss over them. It's pretty neat because I've known these guys for 25 years.

Animaniacs Reboot
Absolutely, that's great. Animaniacs, let's talk about that.

Yeah, let's.

First and foremost, I saw that Yakko's World hand washing video that's --

How about that?

It's gone viral. This many years later, that character is still very relevant. Congrats.

Isn't that something? Well, that is a testament to Randy Rogel. Look, I'm good at my job. But the term genius gets bandied about, I think far too much. Especially in Hollywood. Where if you're the latest YouTube sensation, people call you a genius. I think genius is something that's earned, in my opinion, and it's not an accident. Steven Spielberg is a genius. Jonas Salk, who devised the polio vaccine, was a genius. We can go through history and entertainment and science. The people who are creating ways to build ventilators with 3D printers right now are geniuses.

Randy Rogel, who wrote 'Yakko's World,' and pretty much all the songs you guys know from Animaniacs, is a bonafide genius. He still does it, every day. He's writing a musical now. I don't even know how many he's written. You know, they get produced. He gets paid. He does this all the time, every day. So yeah, I got to sing the song, and I'm incredibly lucky I did. But that is one remarkable song.

When people find out that Randy had already won an Emmy for writing on Batman: The Animated Series. Because his background is musical comedy, he heard across the hall about this new show that Steven Spielberg was doing with Tom Ruegger, called Animaniacs. He banged on the door. The folks at Warner were like, "Dude, what are you talking about? You just won an Emmy for Batman. Shut up and go to work." He said, "No no, I can do both. I can do both. My whole background is musical comedy, etc."

They gave him a shot, and his audition piece for Animaniacs was 'Yakko's World.' That's what he had in his back pocket. That's what he pulled out to say, "Let me play this for you, to show you what I can do". That's the bar he set, and it went on from there. That's crazy, you know?

Yes it is.

I love to tell that story, because it'll either be inspirational, or it'll make people go, "Oh, okay. I've got no business going out there." It's not because we don't want people to come and follow their dreams. But you need to know that there are folks just like all of us who want to pursue our dream in Hollywood, who you've never met. They show up in Hollywood from wherever, with a song like that in their back pocket. That's nuts. Here we are 25, 28 years later. You can go everywhere in the world, and people know that song. It's remarkable.

It's very remarkable. How far along are you guys on the new series?

We've gotten pretty deep into recording. I know that they're starting to animate, and I don't really know ... I know they're well into animation as well. I'm not really sure when the show is going to come out. As you know, it's a totally brave new world in the way we all consume entertainment now. Traditionally, years ago, when it was Saturday morning, or even just before Netflix and Hulu and all, there would be a season. Where the Fall season, shows are coming out or whatever. You'd be beholden to advertisers to get out there, to get commercials on shows.

Well now, we don't have to worry about that. Hulu or Netflix or Amazon or Apple can say, "Yeah, we're going to do 50 episodes of whatever show." "When is it coming out?" "I don't know." "This Fall?" "Yeah, maybe." "Next Spring?" "Maybe." "You going to let them all out at the same time so people can binge it?" "Maybe." "10 at a time?" "Yeah, maybe."

It's like, "Who knows?" But on the other hand, it's incredibly freeing. Because as much as I'm a capitalist, and look, I've been rich and I've been poor, and rich is better. But when you're a creator, and you're not limited to being beholden to an advertiser, or your content is only dictated by the creative input, and people say, "Here's a bunch of money. Do your show. We'd like to see what you're doing, but otherwise, off you go." Oh my god. That's fantastic. It's just, it's better for everybody. It's better for the creators, and it's better ultimately for the consumer.

We now have shows, on Netflix or Hulu, we get shows like Ozark, and The Outsider, and The Crown, and The Handmaid's Tale, and Castlevania. Great stuff that is not, it's just about giving the creators money, and they get out of the way. It's incredibly freeing for all these wonderfully talented people.

Have you seen any of the new animation yet?

I have. I saw a little bit of an opening sequence, and it looks great. It's been tweaked, as I can tell, a little bit. I don't mean that to scare anybody. By the way, this is, when I say scare, I put that in quotes. Folks, this is a cartoon. You know where I'm going. Clearly, it's no wonder that I speak for a living, because I haven't shut up since you called me.

What inevitably happens, and I realize this is kind of a left-handed compliment, is when something that's as precious to millions of people as Animaniacs and Pinky and the Brain is picked for a reboot, the first thing that happens is, people, and it happened to me when Animaniacs was coming along after we did a bunch of Tiny Toons. It was, "Oh no. They're doing, what is this? Ani-what? Why don't they just do more Tiny Toons? Oh my god, they're going to ruin it. Why are they doing ... They're going to screw it up. What the hell's wrong with them? You'd think Steven Spielberg would know better."

Jesus, you guys. Firstly, it's a cartoon. There are those of you out there, as much as I appreciate that it's a big deal, and it is to me. It's how I feed my family. But it's a cartoon. You're not going to lose the other ones. If you see the new ones and you don't like them, don't watch them. Watch the hundred of the other ones over and over. They are timeless, and I'm quite proud of them.

But I've got to tell you, if I were you, I wouldn't bet against Steven Spielberg. The guy knows what he's doing. He's not only incredibly, you know, he's the king of Hollywood. But he's the nicest, most down to earth, kind human. He is a fan. He's a huge fan. He is not at all about screwing it up. He's about making it interesting for a new generation and understands that Animaniacs, and Pinky and the Brain in particular, have an exponentially larger audience than they did when the shows premiered.

We also know it's a very high bar. On top of that, we also know that we have an unprecedented circumstance, in which people who are a little bit, they've kind of got their arms folded. They go, "Okay, let's see what you've got." Well, we're accepting the challenge. Whenever the new episodes come out, we get that people who are a little bit bent out of shape about whether or not this is going to be any good, are going to be able to watch their favorite episode of Pinky and the Brain from 1998, and then play a brand new episode right after it.

They're going to be able to A-B it, as if 25 years just went, "Boom," just like that. They're going to be able to say, "Oh, see. I was right. The new one sucks." Or, "Wow, that's not too bad." That's something that has never happened before to me, ever. I have never been in a circumstance where I've done a reboot, that people get to watch literally an original version of the show, and then 30 seconds later, pop on a brand new one. That has never happened.

Steven gets that, and he's still willing to do it. Moreover, Hulu is willing to spend the money one it. As I said, I appreciate you letting me, giving the opportunity to say my piece. But trust me, nobody's going to be ... There will always be people who are going to be disappointed. But there was a man who was president, and a much greater human than I, who said, "You can't please all the people all the time." He said it in a much bigger context than I, but the same is true in showbiz, you know?

But man, I'm telling you. It's going to be really good.

It premiered in '92 or '93, I think. Then all of a sudden, you get the call to come back. That's got to feel pretty good, doesn't it?

Oh man, yeah. Well you said it. It's impossible to quantify what a compliment that is. Moreover, to be able to do that again, with Maurice, with Tress, with Jess, Yakko, Wakko, and Dot are back, and so are Pinky and the Brain. Moreover is that in this era of celebrities doing a lot of animated characters, and I get why the producers do it. I totally get it. I also know that just having a movie star do the talking chicken doesn't mean that the show's going to be a hit. You've got to have a good script, great characters, and terrific actors, whether they're celebrities or not.

But as I said, Mr. Spielberg is a fan. He sees the fact that Randy and I have been traveling around the country, doing Animaniacs In Concert. He sees Maurice and I when we're at a comedy festival, doing Who's On First as Pinky and the Brain. Or doing a Q&A with 3000 people, and he's asking me, "Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?" and I say, "I think so, Brain. But me and Pippi Longstocking? What would the children look like? Narf."

Steven sees that, and he sees people do what you're doing. They're screaming laughing. When the reboot happened, there was never any question with Mr. Spielberg, but that Tress MacNeille, Maurice LaMarche, and Rob Paulsen were going to be doing those characters. That's a huge deal to a non-celebrity talent like myself. I get it's the characters who are famous, not me. Nice people like you make a fuss over me, and so I become a little more well known. But it's still about the characters, and I totally accept that.

However, the fact that Mr. Spielberg knows it's about the fans, and it's about the authenticity of the characters, it never occurred to him that he was going to have Russell Brand and Peter Dinklage do Pinky and the Brain. It was about the authenticity of the characters. For him to call us up and say, "You guys want to do this again?" Are you kidding me? That rarely happens. Especially to a non-celebrity talent.

Again, that speaks to how much of a fan Mr. Spielberg is. Because he wants it to be authentic for the fans. It's not about taking famous people and plugging them into iconic characters. You have to respect that. He can do whatever he wants, and it's about, ultimately, satisfying the fans. That's why I say, don't bet against him.

The reason I mention that [Dinklage and Brand] is that Maurice said it one day. It was very funny. Because people ask us often, years ago when there were rumors. There have been rumors about a reboot for years. We were doing a Q&A at one convention one year. Maurice said, "God, you know, I have this recurring nightmare that we're going to get a call and say, 'We're so sorry, but you're going to see that Pinky and the Brain is getting rebooted. We just want to let you know that it's not going to be you guys. It's going to be Peter Dinklage as the Brain, and Russell Brand as Pinky.'"

I started laughing. I said, "Oh my god, that's just fantasti.". But no. Listen, it would be a gas to work with those guys. But the cool things about those characters in particular is that I would wager that both Peter and Russell know Pinky and the Brain, and probably even like it. I can't even tell you how many times I've met really famous people, and when they find out who I am, they go, "You're kidding me. Are you ... Oh my god."

It happened with Jeff Goldblum. Huge fan of Jeff's. We were at a convention together. I was there with the original Ninja Turtles. Jeff Goldblum came up. He was like, "Are you guys really the original Turtles?".We said, "Yeah. You're Jeff Goldblum." "Oh my god, can I get a picture?" It was so cool. Certain iconic animated characters affect everybody in a very personal way. I've had, I don't even know.

A fellow throat cancer survivor, Val Kilmer, whom I have a great deal of respect for. Just a really decent guy, who really had the hell beat out of him. But he's a heroic fellow, confronting it. We were together at a convention. His assistant said, "I just need to ask you, are you Rob Paulsen? The guy that was Pinky? Oh my god, Val is ..." This is freaking Batman, and he likes Pinky and the Brain. I said to him, "Egad, Val. Point". He just started laughing. It's just wonderful. It's not about celebrity, how these characters affect you. They just make everybody happy. It's great.

*****

What's your favorite voice role of Paulsen's? Think it over and let us know your thoughts either in the comments below [...]!

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More Nick: Netflix and Nickelodeon Form Multi-Year Output Deal to Produce Original Animated Films and Series!

Originally published: Saturday, April 4, 2020 at 20:25 BST.

Additional source: IMDb.
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