Monday, May 17, 2021

General Mills to Release 'JoJo Siwa Strawberry Bop!' Cereal During Pride

Teen sensation and Nickelodeon star JoJo Siwa and General Mills have teamed up to bring the star’s iconic bows and bops to a cereal aisle near you!

Photo: General Mills.

JoJo Siwa’s Strawberry Bops are coming out in June and will continue to be available “permanently” after Pride Month.

The news follows JoJo revealing that she was a member of the LGBTQ+ community in January.

Family Size boxes will be available at the manufacturer-suggested retail price of $4.99, with mid-size boxes coming in at $3.99.

JoJo Siwa “Strawberry Bop!” cereal will feature sweetened pink corn puffs with multi-colored marshmallows shaped as bows and hearts, and will be naturally flavored with other natural flavors.

The cereal was first reported to be in the works in March, just two months after the 17 year-old came out.

JoJo Siwa's JoJo Siwa’s “Strawberry Bop!” cereal will be available starting in June. General Mills (Provided)

At just 17, JoJo is already one of the most celebrated entertainers in the world. “JoJo Siwa is a ray of sunshine in a world that seems scary right now,” Kim Kardashian West wrote in her profile of the artist for Time in September 2020.

JoJo first came to prominence as one of the students featured in two seasons of the reality show Dance Moms. From there, she has grown into a YouTube personality, teen entertainer, and arguably one of the most influential people in the world. She has hit songs, fills stadiums for her concerts, and has overall talent and consumer product agreements with Nickelodeon, which has seen her name and face put on all sorts of products thanks to merchandizing deals with Target, Walmart, and JC Penney.

Photo: General Mills.

She has released three international-charting extended plays (EPs), and her debut single, “BOOMERANG,” came out when she was 13. It has been officially certified Platinum twice — while the video has earned over 930 million views — since 2016.

Fresh from starring on various Nickelodeon shows, the bow-wearing star left hints that sparked online speculation about the teen for weeks. She confirmed the news by showing off a gift from her cousin — a shirt that read “Best. Gay. Cousin. Ever.” JoJo wore the shirt in a post to social media on January 22, writing “my cousin got me a new shirt” and thanking her for it. She also shared comments congratulating her and fans expressing how proud they are of her.

“She changed history today for the future of LGBTQ youth,” out online personality Tana Mongeau said on Instagram. The 17-year-old got congratulations from Ellen DeGeneres, Lil Nas X, and other stars.

Photo: General Mills.

She said that she’s still exploring labels for her sexuality but that she usually uses the word “gay” at the moment, the same word that she used to come out to the world. She also uses “pansexual” because “have always been my whole life is just like, my human is my human.”

General Mills collaborating with the out sensation is nothing new for the company, which has stood with the LGBTQ community for years against backlash. Anti-LGBTQ groups like the Family Research Council (FRC) and National Organization for Marriage (NOM) attempted boycotts when gay couples were featured in commercials for Cheerios, one of their cereals, or when the company gave same-sex couples custom Betty Crocker-brand cakes for their weddings.

The Golden Valley, Minnesota-based conglomerate stood in support of marriage equality as early as 2012. Since then, they have repeatedly work with LGBTQ groups and consistently rank atop the Human Rights Campaign (HRC)’s Corporate Equity Index, which is the “national benchmarking tool on corporate policies and practices pertinent to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer employees.”

General Mills has earned a perfect score for fifteen years from the advocacy group and is a signatory on the HRC’s Business Coalition for the Equality Act.

JoJo has a very busy plate (or should that be bowl) at the moment. The star has a new musical in the works for Nickelodeon. Titled The J Team, the movie “follows a young girl named JoJo whose life is turned upside down when her beloved dance coach Val decides to retire and is replaced by a sparkle-hating instructor named Poppy. Wanting to stay in the running for an upcoming dance competition, JoJo and her best friends, The Rubies, must try their hardest to abide by Poppy’s new, harsh rules. Realizing she cannot hide her sparkle or bow anymore, JoJo is kicked out of her dance troupe and must rediscover what dancing means to her.”

JoJo also has a brand new talent competition series titled The Siwa Dance Pop Revolution for streamer Peacock, and will be launching Studio Siwa in June.


Original source: LGBTQ Nation.

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'Top Chef Junior' Contestant Files Lawsuit Alleging Nickelodeon Used Her Likeness on 'Middle School Moguls' Without Permission

The St. Louis, MO-based law firm of Carey, Danis and Lowe recently filed suit in St. Louis Circuit Court on behalf of Rahanna Bisseret Martinez, a young chef who was featured on Top Chef Junior in 2017.


The show featured 12 young chefs who competed in a fashion similar to that of the popular culinary show Top Chef, which features adult competitors.

STL barrister Jack Garvey, one of the attorneys listed as representing Martinez, said his firm picked up the case through a relationship it has with a Los Angeles firm.

The suit claims that Nickelodeon, a ViacomCBS International Inc. company, used Martinez's likeness without her permission.

Martinez, now 17, is an Oakland, California, native but Garvey said that since the show was aired in the STL market, the courts there are an acceptable venue for filing the suit.

The other local lawyers listed on Martinez's side are Jeffrey Lowe and Paul Maddock.

Martinez made it to the finals of the show, which aired in early 2018. She then was the subject of several features, including articles in the Los Angeles Times, Food & Wine magazine and several YouTube videos.

The suit claims that Nickelodeon created an animated series in 2019 about the adventures of young chefs.

The show, Middle School Moguls, included a character that bore a resemblance to Martinez — including making references to the character's Haitian heritage and being clothed in an outfit similar to the one worn by Martinez on Top Chef Junior.

Airing during fall 2019, Middle School Moguls was a series of animated specials that chronicled the ambitions of four new friends striving to create their own companies while attending Mogul Academy, an entrepreneurial school where kid-business dreams come true.

Rahanna Martinez, left, and animated character from "Middle School Moguls." (Photos from lawsuit filed in St. Louis Circuit Court)

The suit alleges that Nickelodeon "made no offer to Ms. Martinez and never licensed any rights to her likeness for use in the series."

The claim asks for a minimum of $25,000 on each of the three counts: two instances of invasion of privacy and one claim of unfair competition.

ViacomCBS officials could not be reached for comment, reports STLtoday.com.


Originally published: Monday, May 17, 2021.

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What's On Nick | Nickelodeon Premiere Highlights | Week 20

Your guide to What's New on Nickelodeon for the week of Monday, May 17 - Sunday, May 23, 2021!



For Nickelodeon's full highlights for May 2021 highlights, click here.

All times ET/PT.


Friday, May 21, 2021

11:00 a.m. - Blue's Clues & You! - Blue's Big Neighborhood Adventure: Josh and Blue are Neighborhood Heroes, helping everyone they meet as they explore our neighborhood. We play Blue’s Clues to figure out where Blue wants to go in the neighborhood and make very important stop to make pizza with Mr. Oregano! (#215)

12:30 p.m. - Baby Shark's Big Show! Shorts - Chore Song: For the Shark family, chores are a musical waiting to happen. (#107)

7:00 p.m. - The Loud House - Director's Rut/Friday Night Fights: Luan turns to her ventriloquist dummy Mr. Coconuts for help after she struggles to direct the school's play. / Lisa joins Lynn's football team as an analytics coach to prove that math will always beat out heart. (#515) [promos]

7:30 p.m. - The Barbarian and the Troll - Mapmaker, Mapmaker, Make Me a Map: In need of a unique custom map for their next quest, Brendar and the group attempt to wine and dine the only mapmaker in Gothmoria capable of creating the map they need. (#108) [promos]

8:00 p.m. on NICK JR. CHANNEL - Peppa Pig - Strawberries/Pizza! Pizza!/Grandpa Pig's Birthday/Pancakes /Teddy's Day Out: Grandpa and Granny Pig have been growing strawberries / Peppa and family make pizzas. / Peppa and her family celebrate Grandpa Pig's birthday. / Daddy Pig thinks he's an expert pancake maker. / Peppa loses Teddy at a picnic. (#166)

8:30 p.m. on NICK JR. CHANNEL - The Adventures of Paddington - Paddington Gets Fit: It's time for the annual fun run in Windsor Gardens Park, but Paddington is not very fit; Mrs. Bird decides to train him. (#205A)

8:00 p.m. - See Us Unite for Change: In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, a coalition of partners including the Ford and MacArthur Foundations have partnered with MTV Entertainment Studios to produce See Us Unite for Change, a first-of-its-kind special hosted by Ken Jeong and featuring notable AAPI celebrities and allies. Hosted by Ken Jeong.

The event will air on Friday, May 21st at 8PM EDT and will be simulcast nationally and worldwide across the platforms of the MTV Entertainment portfolio (MTV, Comedy Central, Paramount Network, Smithsonian Channel, Pop TV, VH1, CMT, TV Land and Logo) as well as BET and Nickelodeon and stream exclusively on Facebook Watch.

Saturday, May 22, 2021

8:00 p.m. - Side Hustle - Extra Crunchy: Munchy becomes the new school mascot, Luna the Tuna; his debut will take place at the halftime show of a major school basketball game and will end with an epic dunk. (#122) [promo]

8:30 p.m. - Drama Club - Stress Rehearsal / The Show Might Go On: The club has trouble getting through the final dress rehearsal before Bench drops some big news. / The drama club’s performance of Minnesota: The Musical is finally ready to hit the stage, but just about everything that can go wrong, does. (#109/10; #999; series finale)


Originally published: Monday, May 17, 2021.

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Nickelodeon UK Ratings for Week of Monday 3rd - Sunday 9th May 2021

Nickelodeon UK Network Ratings for week of Monday 3rd - Sunday 9th May 2021.


Ratings were up across the Nickelodeon UK Network this week compared to the previous week (April 16-May 2), according to BARB data, with only Nickelodeon reporting a decrease in viewership.

The big winner of the week was Baby Shark’s Big Show!, with a next-day repeat of the series premiere episode of Nickelodeon's brand new preschool series giving Nick Jr. its highest ratings lift in around a year, and giving the channel a 291% viewership increase over the previous week!

Meanwhile, over on Nickelodeon, an all new episodes of Hunter Street season four, "Relatively Speaking", topped the week, and giving the new season its first appearance in the channel's Top 15 charts since it began in April.

Nickelodeon Total:

1. HUNTER STREET (MON 18:28) - 44,700
2. HORRID HENRY (MON 15:30) - 37,600
3. HORRID HENRY (WED 06:43) - 32,700
4. HORRID HENRY (THU 15:43) - 31,900
5. THE THUNDERMANS (MON 14:30) - 31,500
6. HORRID HENRY (MON 15:43) - 30,200
7. THE THUNDERMANS (MON 11:31) - 28,900
8. THE THUNDERMANS (MON 11:59) - 28,000
9. HORRID HENRY (FRI 16:00) - 27,500
10. THE THUNDERMANS (SAT 15:00) - 26,500
11. FILM: MATILDA (1996) (FRI 18:00) - 26,500
12. HORRID HENRY (MON 15:15) - 26,200
13. THE THUNDERMANS (MON 11:00) - 25,500
14. THE THUNDERMANS (MON 12:30) - 25,200
15. HORRID HENRY (SUN 07:30) - 25,100

NickToons Total:

1. THE LOUD HOUSE (THU 10:15) - 80,500
2. HORRID HENRY (MON 13:30) - 50,800
3. SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS (FRI 16:20) - 50,100
4. SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS (FRI 16:00) - 49,000
5. ALVINNN!!! AND THE CHIPMUNKS (FRI 15:45) - 47,300
6. HORRID HENRY (MON 13:45) - 46,500
7. THE LOUD HOUSE (FRI 09:59) - 44,200
8. LEGO CITY ADVENTURES (TUE 09:45) - 40,800
9. ALVINNN!!! AND THE CHIPMUNKS (FRI 15:30) - 38,000
10. HORRID HENRY (MON 14:45) - 37,400
11. HORRID HENRY (MON 13:15) - 36,600
12. THE LOUD HOUSE (FRI 10:14) - 35,900
13. HORRID HENRY (THU 09:00) - 35,200
14. HORRID HENRY (WED 18:45) - 33,200
15. SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS (THU 12:30) - 31,100

Nick Jr. Total:

1. BABY SHARK'S BIG SHOW (SUN 09:29) - 544,200
2. BABY SHARK'S BIG SHOW (SAT 11:29) - 341,700
3. BABY SHARK'S BIG SHOW (SAT 27:30) - 317,700
4. BABY SHARK'S BIG SHOW (SAT 09:30) - 168,900
5. BEN AND HOLLY'S LITTLE KINGDOM (WED 12:15) - 137,200
6. BEN AND HOLLY'S LITTLE KINGDOM (THU 12:14) - 133,500
7. BLAZE AND THE MONSTER MACHINES (SAT 09:01) - 128,699
8. PAW PATROL (THU 15:15) - 118,400
9. DEER SQUAD (THU 15:29) - 108,100
10. PAW PATROL (SAT 10:00) - 106,000
11. SANTIAGO OF THE SEAS (MON 17:59) - 101,300
12. BABY SHARK'S BIG SHOW (MON 17:14) - 99,300
13. PAW PATROL (MON 17:29) - 92,800
14. PAW PATROL (THU 14:29) - 89,600
15. PAW PATROL (THU 14:45) - 82,800

Nick Jr. Too:

1. PEPPA PIG (TUE 13:35) - 139,600
2. PEPPA PIG (TUE 13:50) - 138,600
3. PEPPA PIG (TUE 14:15) - 137,000
4. PEPPA PIG (TUE 12:45) - 132,200
5. PEPPA PIG (MON 15:14) - 129,000
6. PEPPA PIG (MON 15:04) - 125,400
7. PEPPA PIG (SAT 11:05) - 123,500
8. PEPPA PIG (TUE 13:15) - 112,500
9. PEPPA PIG (TUE 13:20) - 112,100
10. PEPPA PIG (TUE 14:05) - 109,200
11. PEPPA PIG (TUE 14:00) - 107,100
12. PEPPA PIG (SAT 11:15) - 106,900
13. PEPPA PIG (SAT 11:20) - 106,600
14. PEPPA PIG (MON 16:49) - 106,400
15. PEPPA PIG (FRI 20:05) - 103,600

Notes: Nick Jr. Too is listed as Nick Jr 2 on BARB; Nick Jr. Too is Nick Jr. Peppa throughout May 2021.

Nickelodeon Network:

1. BABY SHARK'S BIG SHOW (SUN 09:29) - Nick Jr Total - 544,200
2. BABY SHARK'S BIG SHOW (SAT 11:29) - Nick Jr Total - 341,700
3. BABY SHARK'S BIG SHOW (SAT 27:30) - Nick Jr Total - 317,700
4. BABY SHARK'S BIG SHOW (SAT 09:30) - Nick Jr Total - 168,900
5. PEPPA PIG (TUE 13:35) - Nick Jr 2 - 139,600
6. PEPPA PIG (TUE 13:50) - Nick Jr 2 - 138,600
7. BEN AND HOLLY'S LITTLE KINGDOM (WED 12:15) - Nick Jr Total - 137,200
8. PEPPA PIG (TUE 14:15) - Nick Jr 2 - 137,000
9. BEN AND HOLLY'S LITTLE KINGDOM (THU 12:14) - Nick Jr Total - 133,500
10. PEPPA PIG (TUE 12:45) - Nick Jr 2 - 132,200
11. PEPPA PIG (MON 15:14) - Nick Jr 2 - 129,000
12. BLAZE AND THE MONSTER MACHINES (SAT 09:01) - Nick Jr Total - 128,699
13. PEPPA PIG (MON 15:04) - Nick Jr 2 - 125,400
14. PEPPA PIG (SAT 11:05) - Nick Jr 2 - 123,500
15. PAW PATROL (THU 15:15) - Nick Jr Total - 118,400

Ratings data provided by BARB.

Programmes of less than 5 minutes duration are excluded from these reports.

Linear TV viewing only; Data for viewing programming on PC/laptops, Tablets and Smartphones is currently unavailable.

Originally published: Monday, May 17, 2021
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Baby Shark Live is NOW ON TOUR! | Get your tickets for Baby Shark Live! 🌊🎟 | Baby Shark Official

Baby Shark Live is NOW ON TOUR! | Get your tickets for Baby Shark Live! 🌊🎟 | Baby Shark Official


🔴 Baby Shark Live is NOW ON TOUR! Get your tickets for Baby Shark Live! 🌊🎟

Watch Baby Shark's Big Show! on Nickelodeon and Nick Jr.!

Visit https://www.babysharksbigshow.com for Baby Shark's Big Show! videos, arts and crafts, coloring pages, and to make your very own shark!


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The Persistent Chewing Gum | Sounds Familiar | Nick Jr. in Spanish

El chicle persistente | Suena Familiar | Nick Jr. en Español


Como bola de nieve, un pequeño chicle en el pelo se puede volver tan persistente que crece tanto que va a requerir de tus mejores técnicas de estilista.


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Together with Nick #2 | Nickelodeon Israel

ביחד עם ניק 🧡 פרק 2 | עם טל מוסרי ושירלי לוי | ניקלודיאון
ערוץ ניקלודיאון


כולנו בבית אז בואו נעבור את זה ביחד עם ניק! טל מוסרי ושירלי לוי יפגשו ילדים, סלבס וגם מומחים שיעזרו לנו לעבור את התקופה הזו 🧡

והיום בתכנית: נאיה פדרמן, מיכל ינאי ואור שפיץ

#ניקלודיאון #ביחדעםניק #טל_מוסרי

ביחד עם ניק 🧡 פרק 2 | עם טל מוסרי ושירלי לוי | טין ניק
ערוץ טין ניק


כולנו בבית אז בואו נעבור את זה ביחד עם ניק! טל מוסרי ושירלי לוי יפגשו ילדים, סלבס וגם מומחים שיעזרו לנו לעבור את התקופה הזו 🧡

והיום בתכנית: נאיה פדרמן, מיכל ינאי ואור שפיץ

#טיןניק #ביחדעםניק #טל_מוסרי


Originally published: Monday, May 17, 2021.

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This Is My Art | Little Lens #5 | Nickelodeon

How do you show off your creativity? 👯‍♂️ Check out Nickelodeon's new digital series, Little Lens, where black kids tell their stories! 🎥 Episode #5: This Is My Art:



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'Avatar: The Last Airbender' is Getting a Fan Made Musical

Fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender shared their plans to make and perform an original musical based on the beloved animated series.


Nickelodeon's Avatar: The Last Airbender will be receiving its first musical treatment.

TikTok creator Katherine Lynn-Rose introduced the project, Avatar: The Last Musical, on YouTube. "Back in June, the idea of an Avatar musical went viral on TikTok and a bunch of creators were writing their own original songs based off of the show," Lynn-Rose says. "A few of us TikTok creators teamed up in hopes of creating a full-length stage production."


This isn't the first time that TikTok creators created new media from beloved fandoms. In November of 2020, Emily Jacobsen shared a video of her performing an original song based on Pixar's Ratatouille, which led to the creation of a Ratatouille musical written by creators on TikTok. The musical incorporated Broadway stars like Tituss Burgess, Ashley Park and Andre De Shields in lead roles and raised over a million dollars for The Actor's Fund -- a national organization that offers emergency financial aid to individuals working in the performing arts.

Nickelodeon properties are no strangers to being adapted into musicals. Nickelodeon previously produced a Broadway musical based on another iconic hit, SpongeBob SquarePants.

Fans also gave Avatar musical makeovers last year during the pandemic.

Also, Lynn-Rose introduced the team behind Avatar: The Last Musical, including herself, Daniel Mertzlufft, who also worked on Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical, Joshua Turchin, Jasmine Rochelle Goodspeed, Lilianne Coeverden, Amari Anaya and Jon Maltz. The team members discussed their musical backgrounds and their shared love for Avatar's world.

Lynn-Rose continues, "There is such a lack of mainstream representation of Indigenous and Asian cultures on Broadway. And we really want to combat that and make sure that our voices are being heard. As for Asian representation in musical theater, I'm hoping that Avatar: The Last Musical can become one of the first mainstream musicals that features a largely Asian cast where the story being told isn't some white savior trope or another way to perpetuate racial stereotypes."

Goodspeed adds, "In terms of our casting and our music, we are going to be looking for Native people for the roles, Native actors and Native singers for ensemble, for lead parts, whoever we can find. And we are going to be using Native instruments throughout different pieces. You can hear them blending in with the other cultural music and giving you this gorgeous mix that ATLA itself tends to give throughout the show."

In terms of future plans for the musical, Lynn-Rose stated that her team is hoping to get a concept album out soon. Avatar fans can support the project by following @ATLMOfficial on social media and spreading the word about the upcoming TikTok musical.

Watch Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra on Paramount+ and Netflix!

Subscribe to the NEW official Avatar: The Last Airbender YouTube channel!: https://at.nick.com/AvatarSubscribe

Find out more about Avatar: Braving the Elements, the brand new official Avatar podcast!: http://nickalive.blogspot.com/2021/05/nickelodeon-and-iheartradio-partner-on.html

More Nick: Nickelodeon Establishes Avatar Studios; Announces Animated 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' Movie!

NickALive! will earn a commission if you sign up to the Paramount+ streaming service is using the links provided in this post. Thankyou for supporting NickALive!.

Original source: CBR.

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Kate Mulgrew Reveals How Captain Janeway Will Be Introduced in 'Star Trek: Prodigy'

It’s very fair to say that Star Trek has exploded once again in popularity due to the arrival of shows like Star Trek: Discovery, Picard and Lower Decks. So much so that a plethora of new series and shorts have been coming out to once again flesh out the universe where “no man has gone before”. But, for the first time in decades, they’re going to be headed to the animated realm via Star Trek: Prodigy. This very special kid-focused Star Trek series will be unlike anything seen before - not just because of its 3D animation, but its story and characters.


But the hook that many Star Trek fans didn’t expect was the return of Captain Janeway, voiced by her original actor in Kate Mulgrew from Star Trek: Voyager. To be clear, she won’t be THE Janeway in the show, rather she’ll be something else. And in a chat with the Dennis Miller+ podcast, she revealed how her character “returns”:

“Five kids are incarcerated on an obscure planet in an uncharted part of the galaxy,” Mulgrew says. “They escape from their imprisonment and race across the planet to find a defunct starship buried in the sand of the planet’s surface. They go in, and of course, the prison guards are coming after them, and they can’t get it up, and the shields won’t run — and suddenly, somebody hits a button, and [hologram turns on noises]: ‘Hello kids, I see you’re a little bit stuck here. Can I help you out?’ It’s Captain Janeway, in a holographic form.

"So I think it’s really, really, going to capture the imagination of little kids. And if they can sit with their mothers who watched me in live-action, and their fathers who loved the other guys, then we’ve got a family affair and that that will bring it full circle."

While official descriptions from the show have previously described the Prodigy alien crew as “outcasts,” this is the first time we learn they start off as prisoners. This is also the first we have learned about how they find the Starfleet ship and meet hologram Janeway. It may not be significant, but Mulgrew mentions five kids start incarcerated but the official crew images show six characters (see above) so it’s possible they pick up one along the way, possibly the one that looks like a robot.

Mulgrew also revealed how she landed the job and why it is important for the franchise:

"This came through a phone call—when I was doing Mr. Mercedes—from Alex Kurtzman, whom you may or may not know is now in charge of the entire franchise. All things Star Trek-related belong to Alex Kurtzman. [He’s] an incredibly smart guy, really astute. He understands the culture and understands where kids are. He understands the mentality in a way I just don’t. And the only demographic that Star Trek is missing are the young ones, the kids. It really has appealed to the 20- to 35-year-old males."

Mulgrew’s comment meshes with earlier reporting that Kurtzman and ViacomCBS see Prodigy as “critical” to the franchise.

Last month on First Contact Day, it was revealed that Prodigy will be set in the Delta Quadrant—the same setting as Star Trek: Voyager—however, Mulgrew’s comment about this being an “uncharted” part of the galaxy indicates the show will not be set around Voyager’s path through the quadrant, or at least not at the beginning. The new series is set in the year 2383, five years after the USS Voyager returned to Earth and four years after the events of Star Trek: Nemesis (which included a cameo from Mulgrew as Admiral Janeway).

Mulgrew is incredibly excited for this return to the Star Trek universe, and thinks that Star Trek: Prodigy will truly go and resonate with kids in a way the original series did for many when it debuted. The series will arrive on the Paramount+ streaming platform later this year, followed by a run on Nickelodeon.

During the same interview, Mulgrew also talked about her history with the Star Trek franchise, including how not originally understanding the scale of Star Trek was helpful in landing the job as Captain Janeway:

"Everybody is besotted with Star Trek. I hadn’t the first clue when I got [on Voyager]. I hadn’t the first clue. And I never would have gotten the part had I known the size or the dimension of it. But I didn’t. I said, 'What is it? What is that?' I understood science fiction as if from afar. It’s not my thing. And then I was told, 'Well, you’re an idiot, because this thing is vast and very, very important in the culture.' But I didn’t know that when I went in for the for the audition. And I think it was that ignorance that stood me in good stead. I laughed with Janeway whom I created as a female captain. I laughed and I winked in the room. She was saucy. She was sassy. She was warm. She was worried she was vulnerable. I think even a little funny. So it won the day."

She admitted that she soon learned what a big deal it was:

"But as for Captain Janeway and sitting in the captain’s seat as the first female to helm a starship, it changed my life. It utterly changed my life. And Rick Berman, who was then the carrier of the franchise, told me that it would. I laughed and thought, ‘Oh, yeah, they all say it’s going to change your life.’ This changed the fabric of my life. The very substance of it, in fact. It’s huge, huge."

She also discussed other lessons she learned during her seven years on Voyager:

"It was quite a chapter. You called it a tenure earlier, and that’s exactly what it was. It was seven years in a very unique foxhole. And I made lifelong friendships in that foxhole. I learned a lot of things about myself, some of them not so admirable, but most of them actually quite good. I learned how to stand up for eighteen hours a day and to remind myself that excellence was of the moment and it had to be exercised at every turn. I think I learned a kind of extraordinary discipline during those years. I was raising two little children by myself, and those days and weeks were very long. And I just said to myself, 'The only thing you could possibly do to make this right with your children is knock it out of the park as best you possibly can.' And I think for young women in science I may have done that a little bit. And that alone was gratifying."


Originally published: Saturday, May 15, 2021.

Original source: Anime Superhero News; H/T: ASF /@The Overlord; Additional sources: TrevMovie.com, ScreenRant.

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Two New 'Rugrats' Shorts Released Ahead of Revival's Series Premiere on Paramount Plus

Hold on to your diapees! Tommy Pickles is back in two all-new Rugrats shorts, now streaming before the babies return in the CG-animated revival premiering May 27 on Paramount+.


The streaming service will release a total of four shorts from the Paramount+ Original Series: three "modern reimaginings" that recreate scenes from the classic '90s Nicktoons series but with new endings, and a fourth, "Night Howl," featuring Tommy and his dog Spike in an original story created for the new Rugrats. "Night Howl" and "Tommy's Ball" debuted on Nickelodeon on Friday, May 14 and are streaming now on YouTube and will be followed by "The Slide" and "The Lamp," classic scenes featuring Chuckie and Angelica.


The first short, "Tommy's Ball," recreates a scene from the 1991 first season Rugrats episode "Barbecue Story." When Angelica (Cheryl Chase) kicks a new ball over the fence, Tommy Pickles (E.G. Daily), Chuckie Finster (Nancy Cartwright), Susie Carmichael (Cree Summer), and Phil and Lil DeVille (Kath Soucie) must do "what a baby's gotta do" to get it back.

In the second short, the original "Night Howl," Tommy's dog Spike wakes him up at "night-night time" for a secret outing to see the full moon.

All four shorts will be available to watch on Paramount+ and the Paramount+ YouTube channel beginning on May 28, one day after Rugrats premieres on the streaming service.

Other animated Nickelodeon exclusives on Paramount+ include the CG-animated SpongeBob SquarePants prequel series Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run, and the upcoming Star Trek: Prodigy.

"Rugrats is one of the most iconic cartoons recognized by fans around the globe, and this original version is one we are taking great care and pride in creating for a brand-new audience," Ramsey Naito, president of Nickelodeon Animation, previously said in a statement. "Having the voice cast behind these special characters come together is one of the essential pieces to making the show recognizable and we can’t wait to watch this talented group bring them to life again."

"This brand-new CG take on the franchise is packed with all-new stories and adventures for the babies and pairs original voice cast members with an all-star roster of brand-new talent," added Eryk Casemiro, Senior Vice President, Nickelodeon Preschool and Executive Producer, "making it the perfect combination for the original Nick generation and today's kids."

Streaming May 27th, only on Paramount+, a reimagining of the classic '90s hit, the brand-new series features rich and colorful CG-animation and follows Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, Lil, Susie and Angelica as they explore the world and beyond from their pint-sized and wildly imaginative point-of-view.

Don't have Paramount+ yet? You can sign up for the service here, which includes the streaming home of other classic Nickelodeon shows, and will also be the home of the upcoming iCarly revival, premiering June 17!


Original source: ComicBook.com.

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Nickelodeon to Premiere 'Hunter Street' Season 4 in Australia and New Zealand on Monday 17th May 2021

A brand-new mystery is in store for the Hunter family in the all-new fourth season of Hunter Street, launching with double episodes Monday 17th May 2021 from 5:30pm (AEST) on Nickelodeon Australia and New Zealand!


Fun, laughs and action await viewers this upcoming season, which will follow the Hunter kids undercover to find and unite both new and ancient technology, discover that they are not the only kid members of ‘The Relatives’ as they had previously thought, and take on powerful enemies with grudges against the Hunters that threaten to tear the family apart. Hunter Street season four will air on Nickelodeon’s international channels in 170+ countries and territories.

In the season premiere, "An Unexpected Guest", it's summer, and Oliver and Anika have a whole new mystery on their hands - figuring out who their real dad is. Then in "Babies, Bunnies and Beards", determined to get to the bottom of what's inside the toy bunny, Anika decides to accompany Jennie to summer school and pretend to be Sal, leaving Oliver to search through lists of potential dad suspects.

Following launch, new season four episodes of Hunter Street will air weekday evenings at 5:30 (AEST) on Nickelodeon channels in Australia and New Zealand.

Hunter Street will see returning stars Kyra Smith as the free-spirited Hunter sister Anika; Kate Bensdorp as Evie; Eliyha Altena as Oliver; Sarah Nauta as Jasmyn; Alyssa Guerrouche as Jennie; Tooske Ragas as Kate Hunter; Ronald Top as Erik Hunter; and Cystine Carreon as Oliver’s Mom, Dottie; and some new cast members to be announced.

Fans can visit nick.com.au to find out more about their favourite Nickelodeon shows as well as watch video clips and play games. Fans can also like the official Nickelodeon Australia and New Zealand Facebook page and follow Nickelodeon on Twitter and Instagram for the latest Nick news, highlights and videos.

Hunter Street’s success is a testament to Nick’s innovative, international production model and we know fans everywhere will enjoy seeing what adventures the Hunters get into this season,” said Nina Hahn, SVP International Production & Development, Nickelodeon.

Originally announced in February 2020, production of Hunter Street season 4 was originally planned to commence in May 2020, however, the announcement was made just before the world went topsy turvy due to the global COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. Filming was then shifted to summer/autumn 2020.

Hunter Street is produced for an international audience by Blooming Media. The series was originally co-developed with the Nickelodeon Netherlands series, De Ludwigs.


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