Nickelodeons AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER has been greenlit for 20 additional episodes to premiere in 2007. Created and exec produced by Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, the new pick-up order will bring the total number of episodes for the series to 60, for a third season.
AVATAR continues to be one of our top shows with kid and tween audiences who keep tuning in for the layered storylines and incredible, animated martial arts, said Marjorie Cohn, evp, development and original programming, Nickelodeon. In season three, Aang will confront his biggest enemy yet along with Katara and Sokka, and meet his destiny by facing the evil Fire Lord at last.
When we came up with the original concept for the show, we intended Aangs first journey to culminate by facing the Fire Lord in the third season, said Konietzko.
Were excited that we will be able to complete that original vision for the series and allow Aang to meet his fate, added DiMartino.
Launched in February 2005, AVATAR is the #1 animated series on all of TV among boys 9-14. The series posted double digit year-to-year gains in May and averaged a 5.2 tween 9-14 rating/1.1 million viewers in its Friday night time period, up +23% in rating and +26% in impressions over last year. Among boys 9-14 the show posted even bigger year-to-year growth, up +25% with a 6.8 boy 9-14 rating.
Next up for the series is THE FURY OF AANG, an hour-long animated movie premiering on Friday, July 14, 2006, at 8:00-9:00 pm (ET/PT). The kids travel to a spirit library in the middle of the desert, where Sokka hopes to discover powerful secrets to use against the Fire Nation and something is taken from Aang that causes the Avatar to become angrier than ever before.
The epic story follows the journey of Aang, a 12-year-old boy torn between fulfilling his fate as the long-awaited Avatar and just wanting to be a regular kid. Aang is called upon to lead the fight against the vicious Fire Nation to restore balance in his war-torn world. Aided by a protective teenage Waterbender named Katara and her bull-headed warrior brother Sokka, Aang proceeds on a perilous journey to save the world while sometimes shaking off his heavy responsibilities so that he can enjoy being a kid.
AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER is produced at the Nicktoons Studios in Burbank, California.
Nickelodeon, in its 27th year, is the #1 entertainment brand for kids. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, magazines and feature films. Nickelodeons U.S. television network is seen in more than 90 million households and has been the #1-rated basic cable network for more than 10 consecutive years.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
