The penguin brothers from DreamWorks’ Madagascar film franchise are making their way to the small screen in a new toon series premiering on Nickelodeon US on Saturday March 28.

The Penguins of Madagascar, a co-pro with DreamWorks Animation, will air immediately following the kidcaster’s 22nd Annual Kids’ Choice Awards, at 9:30 ET/PT, with two weeks of primetime exposure, weeknights at 8 p.m. (ET/PT) from Monday, March 30 through Friday, April 10. It will settle into its regular timeslot on Saturdays at 10 a.m. on April 18.

The half-hour CG-animated series revolves around Central Park-dwelling penguins Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private who are convinced they’re an elite strike force with commando skills. But their world is turned upside down when the lemurs, led by the deluded King Julien, arrive.

TurboNick, the kidnet’s broadband player, will support the launch by streaming instant replay eps and short-form content following the premiere, while Nick.com will also roll out a themed mini-site at Nick.com/penguins, featuring a personality quiz, e-cards, downloads, printables and messages boards.

Nick’s wireless partners are also offering sneak peeks and a playlist of dedicated content, and the premiere episode will be simulcast on Nickelodeon Mobile. Penguins will also be highlighted on Nick’s March VOD offering, with advanced screenings of premiere episode and dedicated short-form content.

Nick’s ‘sneak peeks’ of the series premiered over last Thanksgiving weekend, and drew an average of 14 million viewers, including 7.2 million kids between the ages of two and 11.