Nickandmore!

Nickelodeon has officially picked up the iCarly/VICTORiOUS spin-off series Sam & Cat. Created by Dan Schneider, the series will star Jennette McCurdy and Ariana Grande reprising their roles from their parent series. Nick has ordered 20 episodes for the first season.

Nick also ordered a Gibby pilot back in August, but no word on whether that will go to series or not.

The full press release from the network follows:

NICKELODEON GREENLIGHTS “SAM & CAT,” NEW SPIN-OFF SERIES FROM HITMAKER DAN SCHNEIDER STARRING FAN FAVORITES JENNETTE MCCURDY AND ARIANA GRANDE

Production Commences on 20 Episodes Featuring iCarly and Victorious Stars Who Embark on Crazy Adventures as Unlikely Best Friends and Part-Time Babysitters

Santa Monica, Calif. – November 29, 2012 – On the heels of last week’s series finale of iCarly that topped all basic cable with 6.4 million total viewers, Nickelodeon is announcing the series pick-up of Sam & Cat (20 episodes), a spin-off comedy from award-winning creator and executive producer Dan Schneider (iCarly, Victorious, Drake & Josh, Zoey 101). Starring Jennette McCurdy (iCarly’s Sam Puckett) and Ariana Grande (Victorious’ Cat Valentine) reprising their roles from their respective hit shows, Sam & Cat features the pair as unlikely roommates who become teen entrepreneurs by starting their own after-school babysitting business. Sam & Cat will premiere in 2013, with production beginning this January in Los Angeles.

“Jennette and Ariana are adored by our audience, and it’s great to unite these talented actresses in this hilarious new comedy from Dan Schneider,” said Russell Hicks, President, Content Development and Production, Nickelodeon. “This show promises to deliver on what our audience loves most about these two favorite characters — laugh-out-loud humor and non-stop adventure, and is sure to be a compelling new chapter for our new comedic duo.”

Best known for her comedic portrayal of Sam Puckett on the mega-hit Nickelodeon series iCarly, Jennette McCurdy most recently wrapped production on Nickelodeon’s original TV movie Swindle. In addition, she was featured in two other Nick original TV movies, Fred: The Movie and Best Player. McCurdy has also guest starred on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Strong Medicine, Law & Order: SVU, Medium and Judging Amy.

Prior to garnering attention as the beloved character Cat Valentine on the Nickelodeon series Victorious, Ariana Grande performed on Broadway in the musical 13. This holiday, Ariana will star as Snow White at The Pasadena Playhouse in a presentation of “A Snow White Christmas” alongside Neil Patrick Harris and Charlene Tilton. Grande’s other acting credits include a feature role in Nickelodeon’s original TV movie Swindle and voiceover work on the animated Nick series Winx Club. Grande is also signed to Universal Republic Records and her first single, “Put Your Hearts Up,” debuted at #24 on the pop charts. Grande is leading the way with her social media efforts on Twitter, Instagram and Keek, and her YouTube account has garnered over 115 million views.

Writer-producer Dan Schneider has established himself as a dominant force in the world of family entertainment by creatively drawing on his affinity for youth culture at Nickelodeon. Under his Schneider’s Bakery Productions, he has carved a unique, progressive niche in the world of kid and family entertainment, most recently as creator and executive producer of the mega-hit Nickelodeon series iCarly starring Miranda Cosgrove, Victorious starring Victoria Justice and Zoey 101 starring Jamie Lynn Spears – all of which have received Emmy nominations. Schneider also created/executive produced The Amanda Show starring Amanda Bynes and Drake & Josh starring Drake Bell and Josh Peck. Schneider began with Nickelodeon as executive producer and show runner on the network’s groundbreaking sketch comedy series All That from 1994 to 1998, and then returned to run the show in its seventh season. He then went on to produce Kenan & Kel, starring Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell. Schneider also created the hit WB series What I Like About You, starring Amanda Bynes and Jennie Garth. His comedic success has also translated to the big screen for which he wrote and produced the popular films, Good Burger and Big Fat Liar.

About Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon, now in its 33rd year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, and feature films. Nickelodeon’s U.S. television network is seen in more than 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 17 consecutive years. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B).