Tagged With: Nick

Brown Johnson, formerly evp of Nick Jr., has been promoted to the newly created position of exec creative director of preschool television, Nickelodeon Television. Johnson will oversee development and production for all preschool programming across Nickelodeon networks, including Nick Jr. and NOGGIN.

Three decades ago he delighted families with FAT ALBERT AND THE COSBY KIDS. More recently he won a Daytime for Outstanding Childrens Animated Program for LITTLE BILL on Nick. Now a beloved American humorist icon Bill Cosby takes his special brand of family comedy to primetime in FATHERHOOD, debuting June 20, 2004 at 9:00 pm on Nick at Nite. The series, based on his bestselling book of the same name is Nick at Nite first original animated series. The series movies to its regular timeslot June 29 at 9:00 pm and repeats on Saturdays at 10:00 pm.

New animated series from Bill Cosby and Kelsey Grammer are part of Nick at Nite and TV Lands first-ever slate of original shows and specials. The development slate, which also includes new programming from Henry Winkler, Peter Bonerz, David Steinberg and several others, could be seen on both networks as early as 2004. The originals will serve as a complement to Nick at Nite and TV Land's successful acquired programming.

As kids are getting ready to face going back to school, they perhaps can find animated comfort and reassurance in the BLUES CLUES primetime special, BLUE TAKES YOU TO SCHOOL, when the kitten, Periwinkle, faces his first daunting day of preschool. The special debuted at 8:00 pm August 11, 2003 on Nick Jr.

When the Nickheads.net fansite (which is not connected with Nickelodeon) posted news that Klasky Csupo was only getting an order from Nick for eight episodes of the RUGRATS spinoff, ALL GROWN UP, and thereby was laying off lots of employees, AWN asked reps at Nickelodeon and Klasky Csupo to respond.

Vee Pee Cartoons, the broadcast design and animation division of Virtual Persuasion, recently completed production on MAD CAPS, a series of 60-second educational interstitials for Nick Jr. The spots will be featured as part of Nick Jrs. fall 2003 line-up and introduce the 3D animated characters Rip, Rap and Rippity Doo. The lively animated shorts employ a hip-hop attitude to teach pre-school kids about colors, shapes and sounds. The interstitials feature the voices of Eastern Conference Records rap artists Mr. E-On, Tame One and The Dutchess performing to hip-hop rhymes written by Nick producers Greg Alkalay and Lisa Versaci along with writer Samantha Berger.

The characters were based on designs by Nickelodeons Manny Galan. "Originally Mannys designs called for 2D characters," according to Vee Pees director of animation, John Siciliano. "But once we did a test of them in 3D, everybody preferred them in that format. We modeled all the characters with Newteks LightWave 7.5. Then we combined the character animation with 2D graphic elements and text in Adobe After Effects to create some really eye-catching spots. The hip hop music and the animation really move together nicely." Vee Pee is located in Fairfield, Connecticut. For information call (203) 332-0184 or check out www.veepee.biz.

Nick at Nite will produce its first ever original animated series, FATHERHOOD. David Alan Grier (LIFE WITH BONNIE, DAG) has been signed to star in the series, which is based on Bill Cosby's bestselling book, FATHERHOOD. Cosby will executive produce the primetime series for Nick at Nite along with Charles Kipps (LITTLE BILL, COSBY MYSTERIES, LAW & ORDER) and David Brokaw (LITTLE BILL). Sal Maniaci, VP, development & production, TV Land and Nick at Nite, is overseeing the project, which is scheduled to premiere December 2003. "We are thrilled and honored to join forces with America's most beloved and creative funnyman for the network's first original project," said Jones. "We've been looking for an original property much like THE COSBY SHOW, that truly fits the Nick at Nite family viewing brand," according to by Larry W. Jones, EVP/GM, TV Land and Nick at Nite. "What better way to launch our first original series than with an original Cosby gem." This project marks the third installment of Cosby's animation "trilogy" which includes LITTLE BILL for Nickelodeon, FAT ALBERT and now FATHERHOOD for Nick at Nite. Each installment of the animated series will be a comedic/insightful look at the challenges, life lessons and comical confusions of family life. David Alan Grier will star as the voice of Dr. Bindlebeep, a high school teacher, loving husband and father of three. "I hope the audience will enjoy the art of New Yorker cartoonist George Booth that inspired the look of these characters," said Cosby. Bill Cosby was represented by William Morris Agency chairman Norman Brokaw and Mark Itkin, exec VP. Nick at Nite, the evening and overnight programming arm of Nickelodeon, offers new and timeless TV shows restored to their original graphic quality such as THE COSBY SHOW, CHEERS, THREE'S COMPANY and ALL IN THE FAMILY.

SHREK producer John Williams and his company Vanguard Films will produce a live-action theatrical adaptation of children's book TED for Nickelodeon Movies, starring a CG-animated version of the lead character. Ted is the mischievous imaginary friend of a young boy in the book of the same name by best-selling author/illustrator Tony DiTerlizzi. Rob Moreland (HAPPILY EVER AFTER) is adapting TED for Vanguard and Greenlight Media. TED will be rendered entirely in CG amongst a live-action cast and environment.