Wednesday, July 07, 2021

Nickelodeon Partners with PUMA for Special 'Rugrats' 30th Anniversary Collection [Brazilian Version]

Below is the Brazilian (Brasileira) version of the official press release announcing the launch of Puma's brand new Rugrats 30th anniversary collection in Brazil (Brasil). For an English version of this article, click here.


NICKELODEON E PUMA LANÇAM COLLAB PUMA X RUGRATS

EDIÇÃO RETRÔ DO SNEAKER PUMA COURT RIDER CELEBRA OS 30 ANOS DE UMA DAS SÉRIES ORIGINAIS DE MAIOR SUCESSO DA NICK EM TODO MUNDO

JÁ DISPONÍVEL EM PUMA.COM POR R﹩699,90 COM ENTREGA PARA TODO BRASIL


A Nickelodeon, através da área de Consumer Products da ViacomCBS Brasil, e a PUMA, uniram-se para a collab PUMA x Rugrats. Os produtos, inspirados na série original da Nickelodeon, Rugrats, que está celebrando seu 30º aniversário, imprimem a nostalgia dos anos 90 em seu estilo retrô.

“Rugrats é um dos desenhos animados mais conhecidos e amados de todo o mundo e a estreia dessa nova versão despertou essa paixão dos fãs”, comenta Jacqueline Padua, Diretora de Licenciamento da ViacomCBS Brasil. “E como fã que é fã quer estar sempre perto daquilo que gosta, o lançamento dessa collab aproxima a audiência de seus ídolos”, finaliza.

A coleção PUMA x Rugrats têm cores vibrantes e brilhantes que lembram os anos 90 e elementos de design que incorporam personagens populares. O PUMA Court Rider x Rugrats, disponível somente no tamanho adulto, é perfeito para jogos dentro e fora da quadra.

O novo PUMA Court Rider x Rugrats está sendo vendido com exclusividade no PUMA.com por R﹩ 699,90.

Rugrats

A série original foi lançada em agosto de 1991 e rapidamente se tornou um fenômeno em todo mundo – Rugrats ganhou quatro prêmios Daytime Emmy, seis Kids ‘Choice Awards e sua própria estrela na Calçada da Fama de Hollywood.

Em maio deste ano, uma nova versão da animação foi lançada no serviço de streaming Paramount+ (no Brasil, a animação tem previsão de lançamento no segundo semestre de 2021). Para essa releitura, a Nickelodeon reuniu membros do elenco original como as vozes por traz dos icônicos Tommy Pickles, Chuckie Finster, Angelica Pickles, Susie Carmichael e Phil e Lil DeVille.

A nova série é supercolorida e segue as crianças enquanto elas exploram o mundo e muito mais, a partir de seu ponto de vista pequenino e incrivelmente imaginativo.

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New Preschool Series 'Milo' Debuts on Milkshake! to Great Ratings Success

Planeta Junior is working with Lisle Licensing in the UK to build a strong brand presence and licensing programme for Milo.


Milo, the new pre-school series produced by Fourth Wall in association with Planeta Junior, had its UK premiere on Channel 5´s Milkshake! in mid-May and is already celebrating high ratings figures.

Within one month of launching on 10th May in the highly regarded primetime 8am weekday slot, Milo has achieved great ratings on Milkshake! and the expectation is that it will continue to go from strength to strength. The series is also available for viewers on the broadcaster’s on-demand platform, My5.

The series consists of 52 x 11’ episodes, is bright and colourful, and brings to the screen a contemporary graphic style. Milo is an adventurous 5-year-old cat who, together with his best friends Lofty and Lark, uses role-play to explore the world of vocations – from doctors and mechanics, through to hairdressers, chefs, and postal workers – introducing pre-schoolers to a variety of professions in a positive and entertaining way. The series’ underlining message, through the eyes of Milo and his friends, is that every job is amazing.

Milo is already a successful children’s book character with over 30 titles published and sold in more than 20 territories worldwide.

The production was supported by the UK government’s Young Audiences Content Fund. Managed by the BFI, the fund supports the creation of distinctive, quality content for young audiences. The fund is intended for providing content that informs our understanding of the world, stimulates knowledge and learning, as well as representing diversity and alternative viewpoints.

Planeta Junior holds and manages the series’ worldwide consumer products rights and is working with Lisle Licensing in the UK to build a strong brand presence and licensing programme.

Discover more about Milo here: www.miloseries.com.

Lisle Licensing has over 50 years of extensive market and category knowledge in multiple territories and possesses a unique combination of experience and youth, delivering first class programmes for its clients, managing all strategy development, product approvals and royalty reporting. For more information, visit the company website here.


Original source: Toy World Magazine.

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Character.com Unveils Peppa Pig x Team GB Collection

Character.com and Peppa Pig join in with the summer of sport


Online retailer unveils new Peppa Pig x Team GB collection, supported by a host of promotional activity.

Online retailer Character.com has this week launched its new Peppa Pig x Team GB collection.

The line – which include t-shirts and outfit sets – aims to showcase the spirit of Team GB and the Olympics, while adding the fun and playfulness of Peppa Pig, according to the retailer.

Character.com worked closely with Hasbro to create the range, explained buying director, Karen Hewitt.

“We’re so excited to launch our Peppa Pig x Team GB range,” she commented. “Working alongside our partners at Hasbro, as well as Team GB, we’ve been able to launch a range that really captures the spirit of the Olympics, and will hopefully inspire kids to get active.”


The product launch (which was unveiled on the website on 5 July) is being backed with a host of promotional activity including a special email campaign, a website takeover for Peppa Pig and a bespoke video.


In addition, Character.com will also be sharing fun Peppa Pig activities and games on social media, as well as a giveaway on its platforms next week.


Original source: Licensing Source.

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Milkshake and Nickelodeon Network Remain Top Free to Air and Pay TV Destinations in the UK

Success has been fuelled by perennially popular programming such as Peppa Pig and PAW Patrol, alongside a new generation of hits.


ViacomCBS’ Milkshake programming strand ranked as the number one rating free to air kids block during the first six months of 2021 and the Nickelodeon Network continues to be the market’s number one pay-TV network for kids 4-15, for six consecutive years!

This success – which also extends across streaming following a +25% year-on-year viewing increase year to date on Channel 5’s video on demand service, My5 – has been fuelled by a diverse range of perennially popular programming such as Peppa Pig, PAW Patrol, Thomas & Friends, Blue’s Clues & You, The Adventures of Paddington and Fireman Sam alongside a new generation of hits. These include the Axel Scheffler book-based series Pip & Posy, 2D animations, Daisy & Ollie and Milo, mixed media storytelling show The World According To Grandpa and influencer-led observational documentary, Go Green with the Grimwades.

Milkshake ranks as the number one FTA children’s morning destination in the UK (year to date for 2021) and will be powered by 50 hours of UK commissioned original content this year – the strand’s biggest slate to date.

New launches will include Sixteen South’s Odo and Thomas & Friends All Engine Go.

Meanwhile, Nickelodeon has maintained its position as the number one commercial network in pay homes in the UK, for the sixth consecutive year.

Baby Shark’s Big Show! (pictured) – which launched on Nick Jr. in May this year – has reached over half a million viewers so far and to date, is 2021’s biggest commercial kids TV telecast. Meanwhile, Blue’s Clues & You! has so far reached 3.3m viewers in the UK, of which 1m were children across Nick Jr. and Milkshake making it number one in its slot.

PAW Patrol remains the number one show in kids TV in 2021 so far reaching 8.3m viewers, of which 2.5m were kids 4-15, across Nick Jr., Nick Jr. Too and Milkshake.

As part of its biggest ever slate, a host of live action and animated shows are due to launch on the Nick network channels this year. This will include the hotly tipped SpongeBob SquarePants spin-off, The Patrick Star Show, plus preschool acquisition Kangaroo Beach.

“We are on a ratings roll,” enthused Louise Bucknole, Vice President (VP) kids programming at ViacomCBS Networks UK & Ireland. “To have one channel brand taking the number one spot is fantastic, to have the whole network is exceptional and our powerhouse of original children’s content, supported by the BFI’s Young Audiences Content Fund on Milkshake and produced by a host of talented, world class creators, has helped to drive ViacomCBS to become kids favourite children’s channels in the UK.

“It’s incredibly rewarding to see the content we make is so compelling to children of all ages up and down the country and that we are reaching audiences across all platforms, whether free or pay.”


Original source: Licensing Source; H/T: Special thanks to @RegularTweetsUK for the news!

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Every Song from Nickelodeon Specials! 🎵 | Kira Kosarin, Lizzie Greene, Ella Anderson + More

Every Song from Nickelodeon Specials! 🎵 | Kira Kosarin, Lizzie Greene, Ella Anderson + More


Listen to every song featured in Nickelodeon's Sizzling Summer Camp Special, Not So Valentine's Special, and Ho-Ho Holiday Special!

0:00 Worst Guy at the Beach - Kira Kosarin ()
2:08 I'm Invited - Jack Griffo, Lizzy Greene, Breanna Yde, Isabela Moner, and Kira Kosarin
3:59 Chocolate Rap - Ella Anderson, Cree Cicchino, Benjamin Flores Jr., Sean Ryan Fox, JoJo Siwa
5:20 Snowflakes - Owen Joyner, Rio Mangini, Addison Riecke, and Jaheem Toombs
7:29 Bad Giftin' Grannies - Haley Tju and Lillimar Hernandez



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Eva and JJ Go to Couples Therapy | Club 57 | Nickelodeon Latin America

Eva y JJ van a terapia de parejas | Club 57 | Nickelodeon en Español


¿Qué harías tú si el amor de tu vida te olvidara por completo? ¡Eso mismo responde el elenco de Club 57 acerca del romance entre Eva y JJ! ¿Qué sugerencia le haría Gabo López a Eva? ¿Qué haría Simoné Marval para recordar por siempre al amor de su vida? Además, JJ de los 80s y Eva hacen terapia de parejas para intentar resolver su problema. ¿Lo lograrán?

Mira los nuevos episodios de Club 57, de lunes a viernes en la pantalla de Nick, 6pm COL | 7pm VEN y CHI  | 8pm MEX y ARG

Más Nick: Nickelodeon anuncia a los nominados a los Kids' Choice Awards México 2021!

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Middlemost Post | Promos #5, #6, #7 & #8 | Nickelodeon

Introducing Nickelodeon's totally brand new show, Middlemost Post, premiering Friday, July 9, at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT, straight after the debut of The Patrick Star Show at 7, only on Nickelodeon! Check out the latest promos below!:






Marking Nickelodeon’s first original animated series in five years, Middlemost Post hails from SpongeBob SquarePants’ alum John Trabbic III and follows a former rain cloud, a brawny mailman and their magical pet walrus as they deliver packages to the unusual inhabitants of Mount Middlemost.

In the debut episode, “First Delivery,” while delivering a letter to a house that never gets mail, the gang goes through warfare to get to its front door. Next in “Chore or Less,” in an attempt to be more like Angus, Parker does the chores and realizes that they’re actually boring.


The Middlemost Post voice cast includes Becky Robinson (Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts) as Parker J. Cloud, an exuberant, relentlessly kind, overly eager, and most of all, pliable cloud who’s desire is to spread cheer; John DiMaggio (Futurama) as Angus Roy Shackelton, Parker’s boss and proprietor of the Middlemost Post; Kiren (Raising Hope) as Lily, Parker’s best friend and master inventor;  Colton Dunn (Superstore) as Mayor Peeve, the petty Mayor of the city of Somewhere locked in a petty, one-sided feud with Angus; and Johnny Pemberton (In the Loop) as Ryan, Mayor Peeve’s loyal assistant.


Middlemost Post is created and co-executive produced by John Trabbic III. Dave Johnson serves as co-executive producer and story editor for Middlemost Post, with production overseen by Kelley Gardner, Vice President, Current Series, Animation, Nickelodeon.

Produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio, each series will continue to rollout new episodes Friday nights on Nickelodeon and debut internationally in the fall.

###


Originally published: July 03, 2021.

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Nickelodeon UK Premieres 'It's Pony' Season 2

Pony on the sixth floor, Pony in the bathroom, Pony in the kitchen, Pony on the school bus, and.. Pony back on your TV screens in the brand new second season of It's Pony, premiering Monday 28th June 2021 at 7:00am and 4:00pm on Nickelodeon UK & Ireland!


In the It's Pony season two premiere episode, "Flight of the Chickens", Annie wants to stay home alone, but when the chickens escape, she and Pony must get them back.

Monday 28th June 2021 - Flight of the Chickens: Annie wants to stay home alone, but when the chickens escape, she and Pony must get them back.

Tuesday 29th June 2021 - Henrietta the Psychic: After Henrietta predicts that Pony will mess up Annie's attempt to win a contest, Pony believes she's a psychic.

Wednesday 30th June 2021 - Pighog Day: When Annie is chosen to take part in Pighog Day, she's determined to do a good job despite everything going wrong.

Thursday 1st July 2021 - Second Best Friend: Annie's struggle to believe that Pony's second-best friend is a fly puts her own second-best friend, Gerry, in jeopardy.

Friday 2nd 1st July 2021 - Annie vs Pony: Annie enters Pony in a best pet competition, but Pony's got other ideas and enters a pet of his own.

Monday 5th July 2021 - Get Sapphire: Annie and Pony are desperate to read the latest installment of a fantasy trilogy but can't get their hands on a copy.

Tuesday 6th July 2021 - Pony Car: When Annie and her friends are invited to a fancy party, Pony decides they can't show up on foot and builds them a car.

Wednesday 7th July 2021 - Wedding Planners: Annie and Pony try to use Mom and Dad's marriage certificate to claim a free holiday, but realise the certificate is a fake.

Thursday 8th July 2021 - Cat Alley: Annie tries to take a shortcut through an alley, but soon discovers that Pony's reluctant to go that way because the cats who live there have been terrorising him.

Friday 9th July 2021 - Saving Horse: When the park is vandalized with graffiti and Pony's favourite sculpture is threatened, Annie and Pony must find a way to stop the vandal.

Additionally, Nick will be airing the It's Pony "mini-episode" shorts in July!:

Monday 5th July 2021 at 4:15 pm - Coffee Run: Annie and Pony pay a visit to a coffee bar. What could go wrong?

Monday 12th July 2021 at 4:15 pm - Hold My Spot: Holding a place in line turns out to be harder than it looks for Pony.

Monday 12th July 2021 at 4:20 pm - Screen Time: An important video chat between Annie and her friends is haunted by the question: Where's Pony?

Monday 19th July 2021 at 4:15 pm - Vending Machine: When Annie and Pony get invited to Heston's party, Pony gets really "into" picking out his favourite snacks from the vending machine.

Monday 19th July 2021 at 4:20 pm - Inside Pony: The vet and Annie get a surprising look into Pony's bottomless pit of a stomach.


Have you played Nick's all-new It's Pony game, "Coin Collector" yet? In It's Pony: Coin Collector, players must guide a stampeding Pony around town, earning as many coins as possible whilst avoiding Annie so that he can give Annie a marshmallow treat! Play now at nicktoons.co.uk!

Catch season 2 of It's Pony! Weekdays at 7am and 4pm, from Monday 28th June, only on Nickelodeon!

Flight of the Chickens: Annie wants to stay home alone, but when the chickens escape, she and Pony must get them back or they’ll never be left alone again.

Henrietta the Psychic: When Henrietta predicts that Pony will mess up Annie’s attempt to win a contest, Pony believes she’s a psychic!

It's Pony Bumper (Nickelodeon UK)


It's Pony Bumper 2 (Nickelodeon UK)


Brand New It's Pony in 15 minutes Promo | July 2021 (Nickelodeon UK)


It's Pony Ice Cream Bumper



Originally published: June 02, 2021.

Additional source: Anime Superhero Forum /@PM13, @candyrandyj.

🔴It's Pony LIVE FULL EPISODE! | Season 2 SNEAK PEEK! | Nickelodeon UK

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Classic Rugrats Comic Strip for July 6, 2021 | Nickelodeon

Classic Rugrats Comic Strip for July 6, 2021 | Nickelodeon


Stream all new CG-animated Rugrats series, exclusively on Paramount+!



Rugrats, provided to Creators Syndicate by Nickelodeon, based off the popular animated television series has been created for children and family's to laugh and enjoy together.

Follow these comics and their take on real episodes of the show and their own spin on hilarious adventures.

Read more Rugrats comic strips!: https://www.creators.com/features/rugrats

More Nick: First Look: Nickelodeon's All-New Animated 'Rugrats' Reunites Members of the Original Voice Cast to Reprise Roles!

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'iCarly' Star Reed Alexander Talks Nevel's Return on the Revival; Reveals There's a Possibility That Nevel Could Return in Season 2: 'He's Always Lurking'

iCarly star Reed Alexander says there's a possibility that Nevel could return again if the revival gets renewed: 'He's always lurking'

Reed Alexander on episode five of the "iCarly" revival. Lisa Rose/Paramount+

Warning: There are spoilers for episode five of the iCarly revival, now streaming on Paramount+.

- Reed Alexander said that if the show gets renewed for additional seasons, fans could see Nevel again.

- "He's always lurking," the actor told Insider.

iCarly star Reed Alexander opened up about reprising his fan-favorite role as Nevel Papperman on the revival and teased that it might not be the last fans will see of his scheming character.

"He's always lurking," Reed, 26, who portrayed the character on the original Nickelodeon series that ran for six seasons between 2007 and 2012, told Insider.

Episode five of the revival, released on Thursday, July 1 on Paramount+, marked the first time Reed has played Carly Shay's childhood nemesis since guest-starring on the iCarly and Victorious spin-off series Sam & Cat in 2014.

The latest episode of iCarly, "iRobot Wedding," centered on Carly (Miranda Cosgrove) reluctantly attending the robot-themed wedding of Nevel and his supposed fiancée, Prunella Pitz (Bailey Stender). By the end of the episode, it was revealed that the wedding was a sham, with Nevel staging a fake wedding in the hopes that Carly would realize they're meant to be together.

Reed Alexander and Miranda Cosgrove on episode five of the "iCarly" revival. Lisa Rose/Paramount+

Reed Alexander wearing a silver suit and Miranda Cosgrove wearing a white wedding dress on episode five of the "iCarly" revival. 

The plot twist was the Prunella, Nevel's friend who pretended to be his fiancée, fell in love with him and the two ended up getting married for real.

The episode neatly tied up Nevel's storyline. But Alexander, who's currently a finance reporter at Insider, said that there's always a possibility that his menacing character could return. After all, he became a recurring character on the original series as he repeatedly sought revenge on Carly for shoving tapenade in his face and rejecting him.

"My sense of him is that he always has a really tough time letting go of a grudge," Alexander said. "I mean, look how he could not let go of the fact that he and Carly had that original falling out. This all started from an episode in 2007."

He added: "It's 2021 and Nevel's still trying to get revenge. So, that tells you everything you need to know about his disposition."

Reed Alexander on season one of the original "iCarly" series. Nickelodeon

The highly-anticipated iCarly revival premiered on Paramount+ in June, with new and returning cast members. New episodes are released every Thursday.

Although it has yet to be renewed for another season, Alexander said that the door is still open for the return of his character because "Nevel will continue to be scheming and plotting."

"I don't think he's the kind of person who could ever sit still," he said. "Maybe Prunella will have a calming influence on him for three months or six months or a year. But as I always say, old habits die hard."

Catch the brand new iCarly, streaming exclusively on Paramount+ with all new episodes released every Thursday! The classic series is also available to stream! Try it FREE today at ParamountPlus.com!


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'The Backyardigans’ Trends on Social Media Thanks to Gen Z

We're your backyard friends, 'The Backyardigans.'


The internet can be a fun and surprising place nowadays, thanks to Generation Z folk. People born between 1997 and 2012/15 have a knack for making the most obscure things go viral. Often thanks to their use of TikTok and the endless creativity they have. The latest “where did this come from” trend is the reappearance of Nickelodeon's popular CG-animated preschool series The Backyardigans.

The Backyardigans is a musical-adventure series featuring a group of five friends - Pablo, a blue penguin; Uniqua, a pink character that sort of looks like a bug; Tyrone, an orange moose; Tasha, a yellow hippo, and Austin, a purple kangaroo - who rely on their vivid imaginations to transform their backyard into a fantastical 3-D landscape, where together they embark on amazing epic journeys and solve problems. Each episode always comes with a lesson that the kids watching can take away.

They infuse the message with lots of catchy songs. Years later, kids and parents still find themselves singing (“hiya pie-ya, I make pie like a samurai,” is a popular earworm). Each episode starts with the theme song where each character introduces themselves, and ends with a catchy song about snack time.


Airing for 80 episodes across four seasons between October 11, 2004 and July 12, 2013, it’s one of the shows that the Gen Z people grew up watching and will forever love, it seems. And maybe it’s because of the pandemic, or it’s more a nostalgia factor for when problems were far simpler; the Backyardigans are listening to the theme song, causing it to go viral on TikTok and hit the US Spotify Viral 50 chart.


According to Chart Data, The Backyardigans’ “Castaways” song, which is a song in a episode from the show’s first season, has hit the number one spot on the Viral 50 chart. The crew finds themselves on a deserted island. Now castaways, they talk about being stuck on their own, which, to be honest, sounds a lot like quarantine. “On a lonely little island where it’s just us three” is something we can relate to a lot more now than when we were kids.

On TikTok, though, it’s the show’s theme song getting all the views. Gen Z is creating their own openings to the show, highlighting each character’s personality. Again, because The Backyardigans make grand adventures from their imagination while stuck in their backyard, it feels very fitting today.

@iamchrxstopher

Reply to @rainbowrailway WE'VE GOT THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD IN OUR YARD TO EXPLORE 🤣 #foryou #fyp #dance #dancer #throwback #gay #trending

♬ The Backyardigans Theme Song - The Backyardigans

And others are recreating the excitement they had when they were younger, and the show was on. Sitting anxiously at the TV while the theme song plays, wondering what adventures the group of friends would find themselves on.

@lilspuddyy

if y’all didn’t vibe to the backyardigans you can’t vibe with me #fyp #childhoodmemories #backyardigans

♬ The Backyardigans Theme Song - The Backyardigans

So, while we’re not totally sure why The Backyardigans are a hit thing again, the songs are catchy, the show is all feel-good adventures, and well, we could all do for more of that these days.

The Backyardigans is available to stream on Paramount+ and Noggin!

From Bandwagon:

The Backyardigans' lyricist McPaul Smith on the heart behind his viral TikTok hits and his illustrious career in kids' media

[]

In the spirit of celebrating these endearing songs that have taken over social media as of late, Bandwagon caught up with lyricist and writer for the Backyardigans, McPaul Smith, to find out what he thinks about the recent resurgence in the songs that he helped to write more than a decade ago.

Aside from crafting the words to 'Into The Thick Of It' and 'Castaways', McPaul also wrote many other songs for famous kids' shows like Winx Club, Lazy Town and The Book of Pooh. Read on to hear from the accomplished screenwriter-producer-lyricist himself, who's played an integral part in soundtracking our childhoods.

Hi McPaul! The songs you’ve written for The Backyardigans — ‘Into The Thick of It’ and ‘Castaways’ — have found rising popularity on TikTok after more than a decade. How did you feel when you first learnt about this?

I felt totally surprised and delighted. I heard about it first from my friend Tom Hill, who messaged me in May to say that his teenage kids had been listening to 'Castaways' a lot.  Then, over the next week, I had similar messages from many other people, so I finally checked in on TikTok and saw the profusion of videos.

What do you think is the reason for the songs’ resurgence over the past month?
I think it started because of @swagsurfff posting her first 'Castaways' video on TikTok. It was such a fun video, and she has a lot of followers, so lots of people saw it and responded. Then, I guess it spreaded fast because it’s a pretty, light, happy song – a great vibe for early summer. The melody is just so catchy and the lyrics express a feeling that many people had over the last year during Covid lockdowns - “we’re stuck where we are.”

As for 'Into the Thick of It', I’m less sure why that one caught on. But it’s a catchy tune and the lyrics “into the thick of it, but we can't see where we’re going” fit the pandemic too. Things are complicated and no one knows how this will all turn out, but we must keep moving forward.

Let us in on your creative process when you were writing the lyrics for the two songs. What was your source of inspiration?

Musically, 'Castaways' was inspired by Bossa Nova music from Brazil, a style of pop/jazz that first became popular in the 1960s. For each Backyardigans episode, we chose a particular style of music to work with, and Bossa Nova was chosen for 'Castaways'. We (the writers) listened to a lot of Bossa Nova songs and wrote songs that seemed to fit that style.

'Into The Thick of It' was written for the “Heart of the Jungle” episode. In that one, all the songs were inspired by Gilbert and Sullivan, who wrote comic operettas in England in the 19th century. Lyrically, the songs were simply inspired by the stories. We would outline a story, pick several places in that story where songs will happen, and then write lyrics that fitted the action of the story.

What was the experience like working with composer Evan Lurie on the songs?
I loved working with Evan, and also with Doug Weiselman who wrote many of the shows' songs. Doug actually composed the 'Castaways' song, and Evan composed 'Into the Thick of It'. Evan was the musical director on the show, and he brought in Doug because there were so many songs to write – four songs per episode meant 80 songs in a season! Hence, they split up the composing duties episode by episode. They’re both super talented, and really nice people to work with.

The lyrics were always written first, then they’d be given to Evan or Doug, who would write the music to fit the words. They’d bring in 'demo' recordings of the songs and we’d all listen together, along with Janice Burgess, who was the show’s creator and executive producer. After that, I'd often re-arrange the lyrics a bit to make them fit better and flow more smoothly. Sometimes, I’d add a new verse or cut a verse out – whatever it took to make the song fit the story and sound better.

The songs have been used by millions of TikTok users on their videos ever since it went viral. Have you watched any of them, and if so, what did you think of them?
Millions! Amazing! I certainly haven’t watched all of them, but I’ve watched maybe 30 or 40. I absolutely love seeing and hearing them. I’ve always been a fan of dance, whether it’s on video or in clubs or on stage – I watch a lot of contemporary dance company performances in New York. Hence, seeing people make new dance moves for songs that I co-wrote feels really good. And I love the remixes too! It’s exciting to hear something that you’re so familiar with suddenly get turned into something new and unexpected. It’s all so good.

Writing songs for a children’s series must be quite a specific process! What are some things that you’ve had to pay close attention to when writing such songs?

Clarity is important for kids’ songs. I’m careful to use language that’s clear and concrete so a younger kid would understand. If I do sometimes use more complex words, I try to make their meaning clearer through context. Usually, a song in a show tells part of the story. It takes a lot of editing and trying out different phrases and rhymes to get the story in the right order while maintaining the song’s rhythm and rhyme pattern.

I go through a lot of revisions before the final version, that’s for sure. Also, sometimes I like to put in little jokes into the songs that parents would get. Since parents are usually listening along with kids, it’s good to entertain them too – as long as it doesn’t make the song less clear to the child listener.

You’ve written many other songs for The Backyardigans and other popular TV series like Winx Club and Lazy Town. If you could pick another one of your songs to go viral next, which would it be and why?

If I were to pick another Backyardigans song to go viral, it would probably be 'The Yeti Stomp' from the Yeti episode. I like that it only mentions one particular move – “stomp, stomp, stomp” – but a dancer would then have to make up lots of other moves to go with the stomping. I’d love to see what they will come up with.

If I were to pick a non-Backyardigans song, I’d pick 'Dinosnores' from 'The Book of Pooh' for a similar reason. The song describes several different kinds of dinosaurs, and I’d like to see what kinds of moves dancers would invent for each of them.

Aside from music, you’re also an accomplished screenwriter for children’s TV, having worked on programmes like Arthur, The Book of Pooh and The New Mickey Mouse Club. In your opinion, what makes a good kids’ show?

A good kids’ TV show should have some real educational value – it should leave the viewer’s mind more enriched than before. At the same time, it should be so entertaining that it doesn’t feel “teach-y”. It should feel like a party, not like a classroom, but a kid should still learn something from it. And the music should be great!

Of all the scripting, soundtracking and production projects that you’ve worked on over the years, which has been a personal favourite?

My favourite changes all the time. At this moment, it’s probably 'The FurryTones'. That’s a musical adventure podcast that my friend Susan Clarke and I created in 2019 for Pinna, a subscription audio streaming service for kids.

It’s about four foxes who are in a band together. They live in the woods, and they get hired to play music at parties for other animals — a rabbit's graduation party, a snake's wedding, a sand crab's birthday party, a barn dance for pigs etc. In each episode, you can hear the band making up a new song for the upcoming occasion before performing it at the party towards the end. The show teaches kids about the process of songwriting. (And it’s also just full of a lot of silly animal jokes). The actors whom Pinna hired to play the foxes and the other animals did such a great job.

Alternatively, I might also say that my favorite was 'Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?', a funny game show that I worked on early in my career. It’s the first kids’ show I ever wrote for. I’m still friends with many of the people who worked on it. It started me off right!

What has been your proudest achievement in your media career thus far?

For some reason, I find this question difficult. I’ve written so many scripts and songs. I’ve worked on some shows that people remember fondly for decades, and other shows that came and went with almost no notice at all. Maybe my proudest achievement is simply that I’ve had fun working for about 30 years and have managed to make a living from it.

Tell us more about what you’ve been busy with recently!

Most recently, I’ve been writing scripts for an animated series called Molly of Denali. It’s on PBS here in the USA. The show is about the life of a 10-year-old girl named Molly who lives in a small village in central Alaska with her family. Alaska Native culture has rarely been featured in American media, so many people have misconceptions about it. This show puts it in a contemporary light, showing how Molly’s life is similar to most kids’ in some ways, yet very different in others. The show is funny and smart, and I’ve learned so much from the staff’s Alaska Native writers and producers who guided our work.

Also, for most of 2020, I was working as head writer on the new season of a Netflix animated kids’ show. The show’s new season hasn’t been officially announced yet, so I’m not allowed to tell you the title! But it’s a fun one.

###


Originally published: May 16, 2021.

Original source: Fatherly; Additional source: Hopster.

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'Avatar: The Last Airbender' Isn't Anime, But is a 'Love Letter' to the Art Style, Reveal Show's Co-Creators

Avatar: The Last Airbender boasts a very different style of animation from the other Nickelodeon series that debuted in the early 2000s, something that’s resulted in quite a few viewers referring to it as an “anime.” However, while the tale of Aang of his friends does pay homage to Japanese animation, it’s not the same thing, something series creators Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko clarified during a recent appearance on Nickelodeon’s Avatar: Braving the Elements podcast.


Speaking about the show’s animation style, DiMartino emphasized that the pair wanted to showcase their love of anime, but not duplicate it. “We wanted to do a love letter to anime, not just copy it,” DiMartino said. “In some ways I know it would have looked better if I had just copied stuff, but I was trying to do our little crummy version.”

Konietzko added that they hoped to introduce some of what makes Japanese amination so successful into American animation by implementing “a little bit of this magic into an American show.”


Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko on the cultural influences of Avatar: The Last Airbender

During their discussion, DiMartino and Konietzko also spoke about the responsibility of creating a series heavily inspired by Asian culture, especially with two white men at the helm. Recent conversations surrounding inclusion and diversity have prompted creators to look more closely at how they’re approaching stories (and whether they’re the ones who should be telling them), but DiMartino said the two tried to be conscientious of the cultures that influenced their work even before that was the case.

"We just naturally want to respect people and cultures. Part of the reason we created [Avatar: The Last Airbender] was admiration of [Hayao] Miyazaki’s films and Asian culture. So, it came out of a love and appreciation of it. It was just natural to try to honor it as best we could."

The creators don’t deny they’ve made some “missteps,” however. “Now we’re obviously even more aware and more conscious to do it right,” DiMartino said.

"Even the Avatar world isn’t monolithic. It is very multicultural. We are two white American dudes, but there isn’t one person who could represent the entire Avatar world. It’s very much about these different cultures coexisting, and the beauty and the pain that comes out of that. It’s just about a world that’s trying to find balance and trying to coexist. That’s our default attitudes anyway."

They’ll certainly get the opportunity to “do it right” now that the newly formed Avatar Studios is going to expand the universe through more films and television series. Hopefully, their efforts will include finding a more diverse lineup of creatives to help write and produce the new projects. And all that is separate and apart from Netflix’s own live-action remake of the show, which DiMartino and Konietzko were both attached to before leaving. Whatever happens, it’s an exciting time to be a Last Airbender fan.

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

Listen to the brand new podcast, Avatar: Braving the Elements!: http://nickalive.blogspot.com/search/label/Avatar%3A%20Braving%20the%20Elements

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


Original source: Winter Is Coming.

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How 'Star Wars: The Clone Wars' Creator Dave Filoni Helped Inspire 'Avatar: The Last Airbender'

Avatar: The Last Airbender co-creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino have revealed that Dave Filoni help inspire the show in a big way.


Avatar: The Last Airbender co-creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino have revealed that Star Wars: The Clone Wars creator Dave Filoni was partially responsible for the creation of the show! Filoni worked as a director on the first season of Avatar before moving on to other projects, having met Konietzko and DiMartino while working in animation in the late 1990s. However, it seems that Filoni’s impact on the world of Avatar goes back even farther than his work on the original show.

It’s no secret that Avatar is heavily inspired by Japanese anime, particularly the films of Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki. The show’s animation style and many of its narrative elements pull directly from anime, and Avatar and The Legend of Korra both employed Korean animation studios during their production. According to Konietzko and DiMartino, however, that anime influence might not have been as strong if not for Filoni.

Speaking recently on Nickelodeon’s Avatar: Braving the Elements podcast, the creators discussed their early days working in animation in Los Angeles and the process by which they created Avatar. Konietzko explained that he was a huge fan of anime growing up, but that he fell off it as a young adult due to some series’ more violent and misogynistic tendencies. Filoni helped him get back into anime, however, helping lead to the creation of Avatar. Read Konietzko’s full quote below.

“My own relationship with anime was like, there was stuff that really blew me away when I was younger, and then in college I just saw a bunch of stuff that I saw that was just really misogynistic and like, gratuitously violent, for no reason, and especially when those two were paired I was like, ‘I have no interest in this stuff. None.’ I’d just go watch an early ‘90s Jet Li kung fu movie instead or something. But it was working on [Invader] Zim, and Dave Filoni introducing us, kind of reintroducing me to Miyazaki stuff. I had seen stuff as a kid, didn’t know who made it, and then Filoni turned us onto that, and then it was like seeing Cowboy Bebop and FLCL and just going, ‘oh.’ And I’m someone who’s always looking at the top of the mountain, how can I get up there, you know? And that mountain being not success, it’s being a creative, you know this thing, how do we get up there, and I’m looking up there, and Cowboy Bebop and FLCL are way up the mountain, and I’m like, we’re down here.”

Princess Mononoke

It’s likely that, working in animation in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Konietzko and DiMartino would have eventually come across Miyazaki’s work even without Filoni’s help, but it’s fun to learn some more about how Avatar came to be. All three have gone on to do incredible things in the field of modern animation, with Filoni’s Clone Wars now regarded as some of the best Star Wars media ever made. It’s a shame that Filoni left Airbender after just one season, but his contributions at Lucasfilm certainly make up for what he could have continued to make at Nickelodeon.

Konietzko and DiMartino’s new Avatar Studios are currently working on a number of different projects set in the Avatar universe, which the creators have said will all embrace different visual and narrative styles. That could mean even more of the duo’s shared love of classic anime will enter into Avatar in the future, fleshing out the world of the franchise in new and stylish ways. Without the intervention of Filoni, however, it sounds like Avatar: The Last Airbender may not have been quite the same.

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

Listen to the brand new podcast, Avatar: Braving the Elements!: http://nickalive.blogspot.com/search/label/Avatar%3A%20Braving%20the%20Elements

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


Original source: Screen Rant.

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Winnipeg Students to Showcase Films Made with the Help of Nickelodeon Studios

WINNIPEG -- Despite a pandemic-disrupted academic year, a group of animation students at Sisler High School managed to create three animated short films, and now the students are ready to present their work to the world!


“Having that experience with my group, who have become my friends now, it’s amazing,” Dairyl Mabunga, a Sisler student part of The Orange Tree project, a collaboration between the Sisler CREATE program and Nickelodeon Studios, told CTV News.

“I can’t wait for everyone to see the film,” she said.

The Orange Tree Project, in its first year, is made up of high school and post-high school students with the Sisler CREATE program working with animation mentors from Nickelodeon Studios to create original animated short films.

The students were organized into three separate teams (Monarch Martians, Yam Jam Animation, Eclipse) that functioned almost like small-scale animation studios.

Each group was paired with one or more mentors from Nickelodeon who helped the students craft their films from concept to finished product.

The Bikini Bottom Box Unveils Second Sneak Peek at Summer 2021 Edition

You like Krabby Patties, don't you? 🍔 Get this fresh-of-the-grill limited-time "Home of the Krabby Patty" T-Shirt inside of the Summer 2021 Bikini Bottom Box! Sign up now so you don't miss out - pre-order now at https://thenickbox.com/pages/the-bikini-bottom-box!






New to The Bikini Bottom Box? Visit https://thenickbox.com/pages/the-bikini-bottom-box and choose your plan!

Already a subscriber? You don't need to do anything else. Your subscription will be renewed in March.

From the same people behind The Nick Box comes The Bikini Bottom Box, the first-ever SpongeBob SquarePants subscription box is here!Each Bikini Bottom Box brings fans exclusive SpongeBob SquarePants merchandise to your door 4 times a year. Each box is packed with exclusive apparel, accessories, collectibles, homeware and decor inspired by iconic moments from the show. A new box is delivered quarterly, every season. A total of four boxes a year. Fans can order their Bikini Bottom Box online. Annual plans start at $39.99 a box.

The Bikini Bottom Box launched with its winter 2020 edition.

ICYMI: The Summer 2021 edition of The Nick Box is also available to pre-order!


Originally published: July 07, 2021.

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The Avatar Returns | Episode #4 | Avatar: Braving the Elements

The Avatar Returns | Episode #4 | Avatar: Braving the Elements