Nickelodeon leans into known brands, names for new slate

HarperCollins and Tyler Perry are behind some of the kidcaster’s new commissions, while Henry Danger and The Loud House are getting live-action spinoffs.
February 19, 2020

Nickelodeon is building up its new content slate, filled with titles from big names, as well as spinoffs of its major brands and renewals galore.

Kicking things off is Tyler Perry’s new 14-episode live-action series Young Dylan (pictured), premiering on February 29. Executive produced, directed and written by Perry, the show follows a family whose world is turned upside down when their nephew, an aspiring hip-hop star, randomly moves in without telling anyone. It’s currently in production in Atlanta, Georgia. The show was first announced in October last year and is part of Perry’s agreement with Viacom to produce original series exclusively for its networks.

The action-adventured series The Astronauts, Nick’s previously announced co-production with Imagine Kids+Family, is set to premiere in the summer. The 10 x half-hour series was first picked up at New York Toy Fair last February and is already heading to airwaves led by executive producers Brian Grazer (A Beautiful Mind), Ron Howard (How the Grinch Stole Christmas) and Imagine Kids & Family’s president Stephanie Sperber.

The kidcaster’s other big new commission is Big Nate, from HarperCollins Publishing, which it just acquired to turn into a 26-episode animated series. Based on books by acclaimed author and cartoonist Lincoln Pierce, the eponymous series follows 11-year-old Nate and his best friends as they navigate sixth grade—often resulting in detention or disaster. The show will feature new storylines not included in the book. It is executive produced by Mitch Watson and John Cohen, with Pierce serving as a consultant in development and production.

Meanwhile, some of Nickelodeon’s major brands are getting spinoffs, including Danger Force, set to premiere on March 28. Based on the popular Henry Danger universe, the 13-episode series features Captain Man and Schwoz from the original show as well as four new superheroes-in-training to fight crime. It’s not the first time Nick has used the Henry Danger IP to create a new series—in 2018 it premiered a 10 x half-hour animated offshoot called The Adventures of Kid Danger.

Another spinoff in the works is based on the popular Loud House series. The live-action original TV movie The Loud House: A Very Loud Christmas!  is set to debut in December. Casting is currently underway and production will begin this summer.

In renewals, Nickelodeon has picked up new seasons of All That (additional 10 eps in season one), The Casagrandes (season two), Blue’s Clues & You! (season three), PAW Patrol (season eight), Blaze and the Monster Machines (season six), Bubble Guppies (season six), Are You Afraid of the Dark? (season two) and Top Elf (season two).

In other Nickelodeon news, ViacomCBS International is merging its Australian sales teams for all its subscription brands, including Nickelodeon, Nick Jr. and their related digital and event properties. The Foxtel Media and ViacomCBS teams will be fully merged in mid-April and will be led by Rod Prosser, the chief sales officer at Network 10 and ViacomCBS. ViacomCBS’ senior director ad sales & brand partnerships for Australia and New Zealand Vanessa Winley will report to Prosser. There is no news on how many layoffs this will lead to.

About The Author
Alexandra Whyte is Kidscreen's News & Social Media Editor. Contact her at awhyte@brunico.com

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