Nickandmore!

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Feb 13, 2001 — Tapped by
Nickelodeon, Grammy Award nominee Macy Gray (“I Try”) tries out a new musical
genre, TV theme songs, lending her distinctive voice to the music of the
popular animated children’s series “As Told By Ginger” (Sundays, 7:30 p.m.
ET/PT). Gray’s rendition of Ginger’s theme, reflecting the 12-year-old title
character’s junior high journey, will hit the airwaves on March 4. (The series
premiered on October 25, 2000.)

“As Told By Ginger” is a key element to TEENick, Nickelodeon’s new Sunday-night
programming destination created and designed for the network’s tween viewership
(kids 9-14). Launching Sunday, March 4, at 6 p.m. (ET/PT), the
two-and-one-half-hour block will feature a roster of live-action and animated
shows with tween appeal, such as “All That,” “Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper,” “Taina”
and “Caitlin’s Way.” In addition to its programming content, TEENick also will
include a weekly countdown of viewers’ top music video picks; music concert
specials; on-air tween testimonials; tween lifestyle information; and special
online content, including on-screen message boards, in partnership with
Nick.com.

Noting that her own three children are avid viewers of Nickelodeon, Gray
informs they gave a big thumbs-up to the tune — music by Jared Faber and
lyrics by series creator Emily Kapnek — when she previewed it for them at
home. Gray herself is attuned to the junior high anxiety and insecurity
depicted on the series and in the lyrics, recalling her own awkwardness at that
age and the cool crowd’s rejection of her as a smart kid. She muses, “It would
be great if kids could embrace their individuality and know that some of the
very things that make them different may be the things responsible for their
success later on.”

The chanteuse, whose voice has evoked comparisons to Tina Turner and Billie
Holiday — and whose sound is an eclectic mix of hip-hop, soul, reggae and old
school funk — won the Best New Artist Award for her “I Try” video at the MTV
Music Awards. This year, “I Try” earned her three Grammy Award nominations:
Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
(The 43rd Annual Grammy Awards will air from Los Angeles on February 21, 2001.)

In 1998, Gray landed a deal with Epic Records and recorded her debut album on
that label, On How Life Is, containing the smash hit, “I Try,” which was
released to rave reviews in the summer of 1999. That year, she received a
Grammy nomination in the Best New Artist category.

From the creators of “Rugrats,” “The Wild Thornberrys” and “Rocket Power,” “As
Told By Ginger” belongs to a cool clique of Nickelodeon’s animated series from
Klasky Csupo, Inc. Its title character, 12-year-old Ginger Foutley (voiced by
Melissa Disney) finds her way through the social minefields of Junior High
School as she tiptoes between two worlds: the cool and the uncool.

“As Told By Ginger” is a Nickelodeon Production in association with Klasky
Csupo, Inc. Executive Producers are Arlene Klasky and Gabor Csupo. Emily Kapnek
is the creator/story editor/consulting producer.