Nickelodeon is set to debut TAK AND THE POWER OF JUJU, Nicktoon's first CG-animated series produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studios. Based on the THQ videogame, two back-to-back half-hour episodes will launch on Friday, Aug. 31, 2007, from 8:00 - 9:00 pm. In support of the launch, Nicktoons Network, Nick's 24-hour animation network, will air the premiere episodes the following day, Saturday, Sept. 1, at 11:00 am. The series will air regularly on Saturdays at 10:00 am on Nickelodeon.
TAK AND THE POWER OF JUJU follows the teenage jungle-boy Tak, voiced by Hal Sparks (TALK SOUP), and his fellow Pupununu villagers as they deal with their fate as the unluckiest tribe in the world. Their lives are sometimes helped -- and frequently made more complicated -- by the strange and mystical Jujus, magical beings with whom Tak has a special bond. Tak is the only Pupununu who holds the "Power of Juju," which allows him to access magic usually only available to 177-year-old shamans. For most, Juju power could be a recipe for success, but because of Tak's particular combination of imagination and irresponsibility, his powers only get him, the Pupununu villagers, and sometimes the Jujus, into outlandish trouble. Tak is joined by a colorful cast of characters, including Chief (Maurice LaMarche, PINKY & THE BRAIN), Jibolba (Lloyd Sherr, MODERN MARVELS), Jeera (Kari Wahlgren, SUPER ROBOT MONKEY TEAM HYPERFORCE GO!), Zaria (Dannah Feinglass, MAD TV), Lok (Patrick Warburton, THE X'S) and Keeko (John DiMaggio, FUTURAMA).
"TAK is a great example of Nickelodeon's ability to develop an original character-based property and broaden it to multiple entertainment platforms," said Marjorie Cohn, executive vice president of original programming and development, Nickelodeon Television. "As our first in-house CG-animated series, it is another example of Nick's leadership in creating diverse, cutting-edge animation."
Since its inception in 2003, the TAK videogame franchise has shipped more than three million units worldwide. TAK AND THE POWER OF JUJU was the first installment in the series of games and has since sold more than one million units worldwide. The second installment, TAK 2: THE STAFF OF DREAMS, came one year later and was followed by TAK: THE GREAT JUJU CHALLENGE.
Leading up to the premiere, Nickelodeon will offer additional short-form videos of TAK AND THE POWER OF JUJU, as well as instant replays of episodes after its on-air premiere on TurboNick, the network's broadband video service on www.nick.com. In August, short-form videos of TAK AND THE POWER OF JUJU will be available on Nickelodeon Mobile on various wireless carriers. TAK AND THE POWER OF JUJU post-premiere episodes will stream on video-on-demand and will be available for paid download to purchase on Nickelodeon's direct-to-video distribution partner platforms.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
