Remembering Renford Rejects with Bill Homewood and Tom Weller | Nineties 'n' Noughties UK
In this first episode of the Nineties 'n' Noughties Podcast, Jamie Dyer discusses the Nickelodeon series Renford Rejects, and speaks to two cast members about their experience of working on the show. First, he chats to actor Bill Homewood about the thinking behind Basil Stoker, the coach of the Razors, as well as acting and what he's up to these days. Then, Tom Weller (Razor Captain Terry) unveils some behind the scenes stories, and touches upon his own passion for football.
Renford Rejects was a teen comedy that ran for four series, spanning 52 episodes between 1998 and 2001 on Nickelodeon UK. It followed the lives of a group of teenagers who failed to get into their school football team, so they started their own five-a-side. What followed was a marvellous mix of clever dialogue, a great soundtrack, likeable characters, and many guest stars. It starred Martin Delaney (Zero Dark Thirty), Adam Dean, Roger Davies, Paul Parris, Charlie Rolland, Matthew Leitch, Holly Davidson, Lucy Punch, Megan Bertie and Alex Norton (Two Doors Down).
Invader Zim veterans discuss the Nick show's enduring legacy at Comic-Con@Home!
Almost two decades after Nickelodeon canceled it, Invader Zim continues to burrow into our puny human minds like a grotesque alien parasite via Oni comics, a Netflix original film, and an extensive art book. The sci-fi cartoon (created by Jhonen Vasquez) only ran for two seasons that yielded less than 30 episodes, but the wildly imaginative — not to mention unsettling — imagery and unique characters have turned the show into a beloved cult classic over the years.
Hosted by SYFY WIRE's Jeff Spry, a Invader Zim panel invaded Comic-Con@Home this weekend and featured a lively discussion of the franchise's enduring legacy. Participants included: Eric Trueheart (Invader Zim show and comics), Drew Rausch (Invader Zim #41), Aaron Alexovich (Invader Zim show and comics), and Chris McDonnell (The Art of Invader Zim).
"I think it's the audience, it's the people that kept it alive all these years," said Alexovich, who worked as a character designer on the show. "It just tapped into some kind of strange energy back in 2001 and people have kept it going since then." He added that "kid's animation seems to have veered off in a different direction," but traces of Zim can be felt in more adult offerings like Rick and Morty.
On the subject of catering to an older demographic, Trueheart (who originally worked as a writer on Zim) felt that the unabashed maturity of the content resulted in the property's lasting quality.
"We weren't making a kid's show, necessarily," he said. "We were making a show for all the demented sensibilities of us on the staff. I think because of that, it's the show you can discover as a kid and then you come back to it when you're an adult and it's, hopefully, just as entertaining and just as twisted."
Rausch's thoughts on the subject were as follows: "Probably why it's lasted so long is that it's one of those cartoons that you had to really pay attention to, or you missed the joke. There was just so much chaotic energy happening, that if you weren't actively watching it, it went right over your head."
McDonnell contributed to the virtual chat with some new stills from his art book:
Credit: Abrams Books/Nickelodeon
Credit: Abrams Books/Nickelodeon
Credit: Abrams Books/Nickelodeon
The Art of Invader Zim goes on sale this coming Tuesday (July 28) from Abrams Books. The original series is streaming on Hulu and the movie, Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus, is streaming on Netflix. Oni will continue to publish quarterly comics, including a Christmas issue written by Trueheart.
While the series' 20th anniversary is coming up next year, none of the panelists were aware of any plans for an anniversary celebration, a Florpus sequel, or (and this is probably just wishful thinking) an animated revival.
"I happen to know that after Florpus aired, nobody from Nickelodeon or Netflix called up Jhonen to say, 'Hey, nice job.' I might not be able to tell people that, but I just did!" Trueheart revealed. "There might not be people at Nickelodeon or Netflix, who are really focusing on the fact that this is coming up, so it might be incumbent upon fans to remind them."
"I just know that everybody on the Florpus crew would love to make more. It's gonna be up to the fans to resurrect it again at this point," Alexovich added. "I think the coolest thing would be to do a movie every couple years or something."
Following a passion for the funny, the strange, and everything between, Eric P. Trueheart ‘91 has led an extensive career in the entertainment industry. Among his many projects over the past several decades — which range from comic books to comedy sketches — is the Nickelodeon hit “Invader Zim”: an animated television show that amassed a large following for its special brand of dark humor. The Harvard Crimson sat down with Eric to discuss his talents across mediums, the genre of science fiction, and what a life in entertainment looks like.
The Harvard Crimson: I understand that writing for “Invader Zim” was your first brush with the entertainment industry, but you’ve since worked on a variety of projects — from more television to film to live comedy to podcasts. How has your initial experience with “Invader Zim” influenced the rest of your career?
Eric P. Trueheart: Working on “Zim” first set the bar pretty high, because it was an unusual show — I mean, really kind of a once-in-a-generation show that comes along, and so everything I did after that was a little bit more mainstream in terms of working for the big networks and things like that. But in terms of what I’ve done on the side — the sketch comedy, the stuff like that — it just sort of fit in with my philosophy.
THC: Have you found that one medium, between the screen and your written work, has been particularly enjoyable?
EPT: That’s a tough question because I don’t know. The funny thing is in America, and in American film business, they want you to specialize. Once you’re a cartoon person, you’re a cartoon person. Once you’re a writer, you’re a writer. Occasionally you’re a writer-performer, occasionally you’re a writer-director, but you really have to climb the ranks, as opposed to, say, in the UK where you have people like John Cleese and Stephen Fry, who write, they produce, they’re comedians, they perform, and nobody bats an eye at that. It’s interesting because from that perspective I kind of feel like it’s all bound up together.
THC: As a writer, what’s it like working with networks and balancing your show’s unique voice with the expectations of TV executives?
EPT: It’s tough. There’s a martial arts to it. There’s sort of like an “executive-fu” that you have to learn, and I have to say — being my first job, “Invader Zim” — I didn’t know it. The show creator, Jhonen Vasquez, didn’t know it. He came from a background of comic books, where it was him and a drawing table and that was the only exchange. You know what they want can’t change, but you also know that there are ways of telling them what you want… But they’re under pressure too, so there’s sometimes mind games involved.
THC: It seems like a lot of your work is partial to science fiction — from writing about alien invasion to scripting massive robot battles. Are you a fan of the genre? What are your biggest inspirations?
EPT: Absolutely I’m a fan of the genre, and I grew up in a time before video on demand. I grew up in a time when if you wanted to watch “Star Trek,” you had to be in front of the TV at seven P.M. on Saturday night or you didn’t see it, and that sort of sense of scarcity — I think that’s how cult TV was born… And because everything was so rare back then, when something weird made it across the finish line into the movie theaters, you were like, “Oh my god, this is awesome that this even happened.”
THC: Are the same things that drew you to science fiction the same things that made “Invader Zim” as popular as it is?
EPT: So I think people respond to the imagination, but I think they also respond to a certain level of cynicism and a certain level of darkness. In Nickelodeon, at the time, where they were just relentlessly happy and obviously trying to tell people how great it was to be a kid, I think we were a nice little ray of darkness that reassured children: “You’re not going to be happy all the time. That’s okay. That’s reality, so you can laugh at that too. It doesn’t have to be all Chuckie and the Pickles.”
THC: What are your biggest takeaways from working on such a variety of projects, and from working in the industry for such a long time?
EPT: Philosophically there’s a couple of things. One is that I realized at a certain point — and actually this probably started on “Zim” — that part of doing my job was inspiring everybody else down the line to want to do their best work… On “Zim,” our storyboard artists had a brutal schedule because we threw such complicated things at them. I tried to be more strategic about throwing complicated things at them, knowing that if I wrote a parade sequence it would be a nightmare for the storyboard artists, but I knew the people who were going to be drawing it and when I was writing it, I would be like, “Oh, you know, Chris is going to love this.” If I write a chase scene and write it as two paragraphs on a script, it’s going to go to a storyboard artist who’s going to spend a few days making it happen on paper. And if I’ve inspired them with funny stuff, they’re going to add funny stuff of their own, and they’re going to love doing it and if they love doing it and they have the freedom to flex their creative muscles, they are going to give their best work. You hope that their enthusiasm and happiness comes through on the screen.
THC: I would be remiss if I didn’t touch upon current events. How has the pandemic influenced your recent work and the motions of the entertainment industry?
EPT: Something I never thought I would do — I’m doing a Dungeons and Dragons podcast with Rikki Simons, who is a voice actor and he was the voice of Gir on “Invader Zim,” and he’s been a friend of mine ever since the show… I think the seclusion has driven us all to new mediums.
Originally published: Monday, July 27, 2020. Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon at SDCC 2020 and Invader Zim: Enter The Florpus News and Highlights!
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. - After falling behind on mortgage payments following the onset of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, the Mall of America, home to Nickelodeon Universe at Mall of America - is now current on its mortgage, according to a spokesperson for the mall.
Triple Five, the owners of the Mall of America, missed at least two payments on its $1.4 billion mortgage last year. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the mall temporarily closed in mid-March and did not reopen until June.
According to a statement from the Mall of America, staff began working with lending partners and were able to resolve outstanding issues by modifying the loan terms, reports Fox 9.
"Early in our conversations, lenders pointed out their strong confidence in the long-term success and viability of Mall of America," read a statement in part. "They understood that we faced a short-term cash flow issue during a time when many tenants were temporarily unable to pay rent due to the financial impacts of the pandemic."
According to the statement, the Mall of America has encouraged its tenants to apply to Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and other programs amid the pandemic.
While the mall is open for retail, attractions like Nickelodeon Universe remain closed for the time being. Indoor dining is also not allowed, due to the governor's current order.
American Dream in New Jersey, including Nickelodeon Universe at American Dream currently remain open to the public. For the latest, visit https://nickelodeonuniverse.com.
Mall of America Gets Modified Terms on $1.4 Billion Mortgage
- Owner Triple Five Group agreed to interest-only payment terms
- Mall must increase reporting and send net cash monthly
The Mall of America is current on mortgage payments it had missed during the pandemic, after lenders agreed to ease terms of its $1.4 billion loan.
The largest U.S. shopping center became delinquent on its debt last year after its owner Triple Five Group began skipping mortgage payments, citing hardships from the Covid-19 pandemic. It received a modification from lenders in December that allows it to pay only interest on the debt.
Under the terms of the modification, the 5.6 million-square-foot (520,000-square-meter) mall will continue to meet increased reporting requirements and send net cash to its lenders on a monthly basis, according to its special servicer. The shopping center has already done so for April to November 2020 as part of a forbearance and cash management agreement. The loan matures in 2025.
CWCapital, the mall’s special servicer, will monitor rent collection efforts and expenses as part of the deal. The Mall of America has been working to collect past due and current rents from its tenants, many of which have struggled financially since the pandemic began.
Details of the modification were earlier reported by the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Covid Closures
The Mall of America was forced to temporarily close last March because of the Covid-19 pandemic. It reopened in June with limited hours and select attractions. As of November, the mall’s food services were available for takeout and delivery only and its Nickelodeon Universe amusement park was closed.
Retailers and their landlords, hurt by competition from online stores even before Covid-spurred shutdowns, have struggled to make rent and mortgage payments. The Mall of America collected about 33% of rents from retail tenants in April and May and 50% in July, according to its special servicer.
Other mall owners reported rock-bottom April rent collections, including about 12% for Tanger Factory Outlet Centers Inc., roughly 20% for Brookfield Property Partners LP and 26% for Macerich Co.
The Bloomington, Minnesota-based mall is owned by members of the Ghermezian family, whose holdings also include the West Edmonton Mall, a 5.3 million-square-foot complex in their Canadian hometown, and American Dream, a 3 million-square-foot mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
TIME and Nickelodeon Reveal the First-ever Kid of the Year
Gitanjali Rao, 15, is Recognized as the 2020 Kid of the Year for Her Mission to Create a Global Community of Young Innovators to Solve the World's Biggest Problems
Kid of the Year TV Special, Hosted by Trevor Noah and Produced by TIME Studios, to Simulcast on Nickelodeon, TV Land, TeenNick and Nicktoons on Friday, Dec. 4 at 7:30 P.M. (ET/PT)
Special to Also Air on Comedy Central on Friday, Dec. 11, at 7 p.m. (ET/PT) and CBS Television Network on Monday, Dec. 21, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT)
Sharif Hamza for TIME
NEW YORK, Dec. 3, 2020 -- TIME, TIME for Kids and Nickelodeon announced 15-year-old scientist and inventor Gitanjali Rao from Colorado as the 2020 Kid of the Year, the multiplatform initiative recognizing extraordinary young leaders who are making a positive impact in their communities.
Selected from a field of more than 5,000, 2020 Kid of the Year Gitanjali Rao is featured on the Dec. 14 cover of TIME, available on newsstands on Friday, Dec. 4.
Update (1/6/21) -Kid of the Year 2020 is now available to stream for free on Pluto TV!
In an interview with Angelina Jolie for TIME, Rao spoke about her work using technology to tackle issues ranging from contaminated drinking water to opioid addiction and cyberbullying: "I don't look like your typical scientist. Everything I see on TV is that it's an older, usually white man as a scientist. It's weird to me that it was almost like people had assigned roles, regarding like their gender, their age, the color of their skin. My goal has really shifted not only from creating my own devices to solve the world's problems, but inspiring others to do the same as well. Because, from personal experience, it's not easy when you don't see anyone else like you. So I really want to put out that message: If I can do it, you can do it, and anyone can do it."
Kid of the Year Gitanjali Rao, alongside the other top finalists and honorees, will be recognized during the first-ever Kid of the Year TV special, hosted by Trevor Noah. The special will simulcast across Nickelodeon, TV Land, TeenNick and Nicktoons on Friday, Dec. 4, at 7:30 p.m. (ET/PT). It will also air on Comedy Central on Friday, Dec. 11, at 7 p.m. (ET/PT) and CBS Television Network on Monday, Dec. 21, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT).
The Kid of the Year TV special will feature guest stars from entertainment, sports and pop culture to help surprise the top five Kid of the Year honorees and celebrate their work. Celebrity guests making appearances throughout the special include Kristen Bell, Simone Biles, Dixie D'Amelio, Billie Eilish, Rob Gronkowski, Neil Patrick Harris, Chris Hemsworth, Ken Jeong, Angelina Jolie, Chloe Kim, Brie Larson, Zachary Levi, Russell Westbrook and Malala Yousafzai, among others.
Each of the top five Kid of the Year honorees will receive a cash prize from Nickelodeon and have the opportunity to serve as a Kid Reporter for TIME for Kids with exclusive access to a Nickelodeon event. For additional information about the initiative, visit KidoftheYear2020.com.
Nickelodeon's Kid of the Year TV special is a co-production of TIME Studios, Day Zero Productions, Mainstay Entertainment and Nickelodeon, with Rebecca Gitlitz and Jeff Smith serving as Showrunners. Executive Producers include Andrea Delbanco (TIME for Kids), Ian Orefice, Alexa Conway and Mike Beck (TIME Studios), Trevor Noah and Haroon Saleem (Day Zero Productions), Norm Aladjem, Derek Van Pelt and Sanaz Yamin (Mainstay Entertainment) and Rob Bagshaw, Stacey Carr and Paul J Medford (Nickelodeon). Production of Nickelodeon's Kid of the Year is overseen by Rob Bagshaw, Executive Vice President, Unscripted Content.
About TIME
TIME is a global media brand that reaches a combined audience of more than 100 million around the world, including over 40 million digital visitors each month and 45 million social followers. A trusted destination for reporting and insight, TIME's mission is to tell the stories that matter most, to lead conversations that change the world and to deepen understanding of the ideas and events that define our time. With unparalleled access to the world's most influential people, the immeasurable trust of consumers globally, an unrivaled power to convene, TIME is one of the world's most recognizable media brands with renowned franchises that include the TIME 100 Most Influential People, Person of the Year, Firsts, Best Inventions, World's Greatest Places and premium events including the TIME 100 Summit and Gala, TIME 100 Health Summit, TIME 100 Next and more.
About TIME for Kids
Since 1995, TIME for Kids has delivered age-appropriate news and current-events content to millions of students in elementary and middle school classrooms across the U.S, and, now, for the first time, to homes, to keep kids learning, help them understand the news, and connect them to the world. Each week, TIME for Kids presents news in a format that teaches young readers to become critical thinkers and informed citizens. As an educational publication, the mission of TIME for Kids is to help teachers and parents engage kids with the world around them and inspire them to join the conversation about current events.
About Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon, now in its 41st year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The brand includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, digital, location based experiences, publishing and feature films. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of ViacomCBS Inc.
