April On Nickelodeon UK And NickToons

From The Nick Insider #20, Nickelodeon UK's official newsletter:

Hi! Welcome to the Nick Insider, with all the latest news from Nick! Bet you thought we'd forgotten you, huh? No way - and we've got a ton of hot news for you too...

A SPLASH OF MAGIC!
EXCLUSIVE!
Meet Cleo, Ricki and Emma - ordinary girls with all the usual problems, and supernatural powers! Oh, and did we mention that they're mermaids? This smash hit show is coming your way in April, but we won't keep you waiting - catch a preview right now on TurboNick! Plus, check out our brand new H2O Website packed with everything you want to know about Nick's newest seafaring stars!
H2O: STARTS MONDAY APRIL 9TH ON NICK

SIT DOWN TO BROWN (AND PURPLE)
Let's face it, there aren't that many good things in life that are brown. And Purple isn't that much better, either. But Nick's very own plasticine performers Purple & Brown are ready to change all that, as we take time out to celebrate their award-winning adventures!
PURPLE & BROWN SPECIAL: SATURDAY 24TH & SUNDAY 25TH MARCH AT 9.30 ON NICK

If you haven't noticed yet, NickToons has got a brand new look! It's still the funniest channel in the whole history of the world ever, but now the bits between the programmes are even more better. See NickToons on Sky 606, Virgin 717, and if you've got some other kind of telly then it's probably on another number..
NICKTOONS: AND IT'S GOT A WEBSITE
AS WELL, WHICH IS EVER SO GOOD..

PHANTASTIC!
Danny Phantom is half kid, half ghost, and all action - and he's back with ALL NEW EPISODES in April, and a special feature-length episode where Danny visits the Phantom Planet!

EVERY DAY AT 5 ON NICKTOONS!

YUGIOHOHOH!
Great news for duel fans - we're bringing on brand new episodes of Yu-Gi-Oh GX in April on NickToons! With new monsters, new challenges, and new duellists, the action just keeps on coming!
BRAND NEW EPISODES: WEEKENDS
AT 10.30 & 4.30, ONLY ON NICKTOONS!

COMING NEXT MONTH.. EXCLUSIVE
If there's one question we get asked more than anything else, it's "When will there be new episodes of Zoey 101?" - well, today we're answering that question, and Nick Insider readers are the FIRST to know!

Zoey 101 is BACK with a brand new third series starting in APRIL, only on Nick! Watch for more details in the next edition of The Nick Insider, plus news of even more brand new shows and new episodes coming at ya!

THE BIG NICK HITLIST
We've hand-picked our funniest and favouritest highlights from schedule - here's your cut-out-and-keep guide to the best bits:

MARCH 28th, 3pm: Drake attempts the turkey-balancing record in The Amanda Show.

MARCH 31st, 6pm: Jack teaches Chris how to dance in The Complete Savages.

APRIL 2nd, 11.45 & 6.30: Your first sneak peek of our brand new series H2O!

APRIL 2nd, 10am: The premiere of Stuart Little kicks off a Nick Flicks week of big-screen movies!

APRIL 12th, 9am & 4pm: Eric accidentally punches Drake in a brand new episode of Drake & Josh!

APRIL 14th, 10am: Your first chance to see the USA Kids Choice Awards 2007!

APRIL 29th, 10AM: The Spring Break special kicks off a Zoey 101 marathon!

"Avatar: The Last Airbender" Co-Creators on Season 3 Finale

From SCI FI Wire:

Avatar To End With Battle

The creators of Nickelodeon's Avatar: The Last Airbender animated fantasy series told SCI FI Wire that the third set of episodes will end with an epic battle that will please the fans.

"The current Avatar story will culminate in an epic battle between Aang and the Fire Lord at the end of book three," co-creator Mike DiMartino said in an interview. "Book three is all mapped out, and much of it is written. We're excited about it, and we know the fans will be, too!"

All 20 episodes of the animated series' first season are available in a DVD box set, and the second volume, subtitled Earth—Volume 1, has just been released on DVD. The new set features commentary from the voice cast and DiMartino and co-creator Bryan Konietzko.

The story follows Aang, a 12-year-old powerful "Avatar," who wants to be a regular kid but is called upon to help fight the vicious Fire Nation. He is joined by Katara, a girl known as a Waterbender, and her stubborn brother, Sokka, as well as a flying lemur and flying bison.

The creators intended Avatar to be both whimsical and edgy. "Bryan and I wanted to create a show that had a lot of heart and integrity, and we wanted to create a show that we would like to watch," DiMartino said. "Like Aang trying to balance the four elements, we try to balance comedy, action, drama and spirituality in every episode so there is something for everyone. Also, there is a message of balance that is pervasive throughout the series: characters trying to balance their lives."

DiMartino said that he and Konietzko love "serious and dramatic stories and believe you can do that without shocking violence." For example, the episode "Lake Laogai" deals with the nefarious Long Feng, who brainwashes Jet and eventually kills him—not the usual stuff of children's shows. Such dark moments are "written and directed in a very tasteful and dramatic way, where it's clear what's going on without having to show gratuitous violence," DiMartino said. "And we are always careful to balance the serious moments with humorous ones."

Purple and Brown Coming To Mobile Phones

From Player X:

Player X and Aardman Animations team up on mobile video

March 19th 2007

Academy Award®-winning company Aardman Animations has appointed Player X as its exclusive distributor for its premium mobile video content in North America.

Player X will launch Aardman classic content such as Wallace & Gromit, Angry Kid and Creature Comforts on two of the US’s major carrier networks with other deals expected to follow.

Player X already exclusively distributes Aardman mobile video across Scandinavia and on O2 UK. Later this month the company will launch a dedicated Aardman channel on the O2 UK deck as part of its ongoing promotions, as well as distribute upcoming original made-for-mobile content such as Purple and Brown and Shaun The Sheep. Aardman’s deals with Player X have all been brokered by Aardman’s global mobile agent, Crucible Media.

“Aardman has a strong portfolio of digital content, many of our films are among the top-rated mobile downloads in the UK and we are looking forward to working with Player X to reach North American audiences,” said Robin Gladman, Digital Content Manager at Aardman.

To underscore the strong relationship between the two companies, Player X is also sponsoring an Aardman short film competition. When the winner is announced later this quarter, Player X will extend full marketing support for the exclusive global rights of the winning entry.

“We already enjoy a very productive and innovative relationship with Aardman and it’s a natural progression to extend this relationship across the Atlantic. Millions of people have seen Aardman content such as Angry Kid online and we’re delighted to be taking this content to mobile,” said Tony Pearce, Player X CEO.

The announcement follows Player X's continuing impact in the emerging mobile video market. In December last year the company launched its mobile TV channel geekTV with UK operator 3 UK, and has recently sold the channel in territories as disparate as India, Chile and Scandinavia.

For more information, please contact monty.munford@playerx.com or +44 (0) 7970 673695 or go to www.playerx.com

Notes to Editors
About Player X

Player X is a mobile media company that specialises in games, video and TV. It develops, publishes and distributes mobile entertainment content through global operators, portals and handset manufacturers.

Player X has direct deals with more than 100 global operators and a potential audience of more than two billion people. The company operates in all five continents across the world and has offices in all the key territories in Europe, Asia and the Americas.

Former Nickelodeon UK Presenter Malcolm Bird Leaves AOL Kids and Teens

From C21 Media:

Bird flies AOL nest

Malcolm Bird, senior VP and general manager of AOL Kids and Teens, has become the latest exec to leave the Time-Warner owned company amid its ongoing corporate reshuffling.

Malcolm Bird was Nickelodeon UK's first ever live presenter. Malcolm Bird joined Nickelodeon UK in 1993 as the presenter of Nickelodeon UK's early morning show Dawn Patrol. While at AOL Kids and Teens, he worked with another former Nickelodeon UK presenter, Rick Adams, who presents AOL's kids internet radio show, Radio KOL.

"Avatar: The Last Airbender" Co-Creators Support Shyamalan's Live-Action Version

From SciFi Wire:

Avatar Creators Praise Night

The creators of Nickelodeon's animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender told SCI FI Wire that they are thrilled that The Sixth Sense director M. Night Shyamalan will adapt their series into a live-action feature film.

"We are thrilled that there is going to be a feature film of Avatar and that M. Night Shyamalan is writing, producing and directing it," co-creator Mike DiMartino said in an interview. "Personally, I can't wait to see Appa fly!" DiMartino referred to the bison that the lead character, a 12-year-old boy named Aang, rides in the series. (The first season and the first part of the second series have just been released on DVD.)

In Avatar, Aang and a select group of kids have learned to control the elements of water, air, fire and earth and find themselves in a battle with the inhabitants of the Fire Nation. The kids are accompanied by odd creatures and pets.

"Yeah, maybe I will get to hang out with Momo for real now!" added co-creator Bryan Konietzko about a comical flying lemur. "The movie is in the earliest stages, so it is too soon to comment on exactly what we will be doing. However, Mike and I have met with Night and, on top of really admiring his craft, he is a great guy who really respects the material. It means a lot to us that he personally chose to do this project, and we look forward to helping him in any way."