Top-Ranked Nickelodeon Announces its 2010-11 Season Programming Slate at Annual Upfront Presentation

Six New Shows, New Seasons of 16 Returning Hit Series Coming to Nick’s Schedule

Five New Series to Launch Across Nick’s Digital Nets — TeenNick, Nicktoons and Nick Jr.

Nick’s Upfront Event in NYC Highlighted with Special Performances by Pop Singing Sensation Justin Bieber and Nick’s Own Big Time Rush; and Appearances by M. Night Shyamalan, Miranda Cosgrove, Victoria Justice and Jamie Kennedy

NEW YORK, March 11 /PRNewswire/ — At its 2010 annual upfront presentation which featured top talent across the worlds of television, music and film, Nickelodeon today announced a slate of new programming that will be added to the network’s 2010-11 schedule, including: six new series and new seasons of 16 returning hits such as top-ranked iCarly, SpongeBob SquarePants and Team Umizoomi.  Additionally, five brand-new series will bow across Nick’s digital nets, which include TeenNick, Nick Jr. and Nicktoons, during the 2010-11 season.  Nickelodeon, the top-ranked basic cable network in total day for almost 16 years, is poised to close 1Q10 as its most-watched quarter ever in its 30-year history and just celebrated January as its most-watched month ever.

Held this morning at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, Nickelodeon’s upfront presentation featured special guest appearances and contributions from: M. Night Shyamalan, director of Paramount Pictures’ and Nickelodeon Movies’ upcoming feature film The Last Airbender; Miranda Cosgrove, star of iCarly, basic cable’s top kid and tween series; Victoria Justice, from the upcoming Nickelodeon live-action series Victorious; and Jamie Kennedy, star of the animated hit Fanboy and Chum Chum.  The event was capped by musical performances from Nick’s Big Time Rush, and pop singing sensation Justin Bieber, who sang his hit songs, “One Time” and “Baby.”

Six new series will be added to Nickelodeon’s programming line-up this season, including:

• House of Anubis (working title) will debut in fall 2010. From Nickelodeon, in partnership with Belgium-based Studio 100, House of Anubis is a long-form mystery series and the first-ever Nickelodeon live-action show produced in Europe. Originally made for Nickelodeon in Holland, this new global version follows eight students trying to solve a hidden mystery at an English boarding school while dealing with the highs and lows of their teenage years. House of Anubis is produced in the UK by Lime Pictures.
• Victorious, starring Victoria Justice (Zoey 101), co-produced by Sony Music and created and executive produced by television hit-maker Dan Schneider, follows Tori Vega (Justice) as she unexpectedly finds herself navigating life at an elite performing arts high school.  Featuring an ensemble cast of teens who act, sing, dance and perform to original music, Victorious will premiere on Nickelodeon on Saturday, March 27, right after the 23rd annual Nickelodeon’s Kids Choice Awards.
• Kung Fu Panda: The Series, Nickelodeon’s second collaboration with DreamWorks Animation, chronicles the further adventures of Po, the energetic, enthusiastic, always hungry martial arts panda as he protects the Valley of Peace from threats of all kind.  Based on DreamWorks Animation’s hit feature film Kung Fu Panda, the Nick animated series is executive produced by Cheryl Holliday (King of the Hill, Still Standing, Father of the Pride) and produced at Nickelodeon’s Burbank, Calif. Animation Studios.
• Planet Sheen, executive produced by Steve Oedekerk, Keith Alcorn (The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius) and Jim Hope (George Lopez), is the intergalactic tale of Sheen Guevera Estevez–the hyperactive, attention span-challenged kid from Nickelodeon’s hit Jimmy Neutron–who crash lands on Zeenu and deals with bizarre customs and strange-looking creatures as he tries to return home.  Planet Sheen is produced by O Entertainment for Nickelodeon.
• T.U.F.F. Puppy, created and executive produced by Nickelodeon hit-maker Butch Hartman, follows the gung-ho, dim-witted dog named Dudley Puppy who is thrust into the role of “hero” when recruited by the super secret crime fighting organization, T.U.F.F. (Turbo Undercover Fighting Force) to protect his hometown against the evil animal organization, D.O.O.M. (Diabolical Order of Mayhem).  T.U.F.F. Puppy is produced at the Nickelodeon Animation Studios in Burbank, Calif.
• Bubble Guppies is a new interactive, animated variety show for preschoolers set in a vibrant 3D, CGI-animated underwater classroom.  Bubble Guppies – created by Robert Scull and Jonny Belt (The Backyardigans) — has an emergent curriculum: ideas that emerge from preschoolers’ own discoveries.  Each episode will delve into a preschool topic from a variety of angles as the cast and viewers explore the swaying kelp forests, coral reefs and undersea gardens of their aquarium-inspired surroundings.

Brand-new seasons of 16 hit blockbuster series will be featured in Nick’s 2010-11 schedule:

Live action:

• iCarly, basic cable’s top kid and tween series; True Jackson, VP; BrainSurge; and the award-winning Nick News with Linda Ellerbee.
• Big Time Rush, Nick’s newest live-action, record-setting series; and The Troop, which have been picked up for second seasons.

Animation:

• SpongeBob SquarePants and The Penguins of Madagascar, the top two programs with kids 2-11 on television; and The Fairly OddParents.  Additionally, Nick at Nite will premiere the second season of the family favorite Glenn Martin, DDS, on Father’s Day, June 20, 2010.
• Fanboy and Chum Chum, which has been picked up for a second season.

Preschool:

• Team Umizoomi, the number-one preschool show on all of television since debuting Jan. 25, 2010; Go, Diego, Go!; The Wonder Pets; and The Backyardigans.
• Dora the Explorer, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year with four prime-time specials; an original documentary produced by Academy Award®-nominated Brett Morgen (The Kid Stays in the Picture); new online Dora content; and the “Beyond the Backpack” pro-social campaign championing overall school readiness for preschoolers.

Nick’s digital nets—TeenNick, Nicktoons and Nick Jr.–will also add a total of five new shows:

• Gigantic, coming this season to TeenNick, is the network’s second collaboration with award-winning production company Reveille. The half-hour series takes a fictional look at the glitzy, chaotic and often outrageous life of being a Hollywood “it” kid.  Shot at various locations around Los Angeles, Gigantic features an ensemble cast that includes Grace Gummer and Gia Mantegna as two of the lead characters.
• Voltron Panthera Force will premiere on Nicktoons this season.  The series follows the exploits of a group of five young cadets brought together under trying circumstances to form a newly appointed Voltron Lion Squad dubbed the “Panthera Force.”  Voltron Panthera Force is a World Events Production in conjunction with Kick Start Production.
• Dragon Ball Z Kai, premiering on Nicktoons in May 2010, follows the last descendants of an evil race of warriors, known as the Saiyans, on their collision course with Earth. Goku–the strongest fighter on the planet–is all that stands between humanity and extinction and must face the villainous Saiyan warlord.  Dragon Ball Z Kai is developed by Funimation Entertainment.
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, debuting this season on Nicktoons, is based on four mutant turtles–trained in the art of Ninjitsu–who battle evil from the New York sewers.  The animated series was recently acquired by Nickelodeon and is jointly produced by 4Kids Entertainment and Mirage Studios.  Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is considered one of the most popular kids’ television programs and was created in 1984 by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird as a successful comic book series.
• Dino Dan will premiere fall 2010 on Nick Jr.  The new original series combines live-action with CGI-animation to create an adventure-filled modern day world where dinosaurs roam freely.  Developed and produced by Sinking Ship Entertainment and directed by J.J. Johnson, Dino Dan will deal with relatable kids’ issues and teach preschoolers scientific information from new species to dinosaur vocabulary.  Dino Dan was co-developed by real life palaeontologist-in-training, 11-year-old Daniel Cook.

Nickelodeon is approaching its 16th straight year as basic cable’s top network in total day with kids 2-11, 6-11 and total viewers.  Its 1Q 2010 to date performance will mark Nick’s 60th consecutive quarter as basic cable’s top total day network for kids 2-11, 6-11 and total viewers–the longest run of its kind.  Nickelodeon also leads its direct competition with boys 2-11, 6-11 and 9-14 by double-digit percentages.  For the quarter to date, Nickelodeon boasts six of the top 10 programs for kids 2-11, five of the top 10 programs for kids 6-11 and tweens, and the top five preschool programs on broadcast and basic cable television (source: NMR, Live+7 Blended with Live+SD 12/28/09-2/21/10, Live + Same Day data 2/22/10-3/7/10).

Nickelodeon, now in its 30th 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 almost 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 15 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com.  Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. ( VIA, VIA.B).

SOURCE Nickelodeon

CORUS KIDS APRIL 2010 HIGHLIGHTS

Nick presents premiere episodes of True Jackson, VP and The Fairly OddParents

(March 2, 2010 – Toronto, Canada) Canada’s largest kids’ broadcaster, Corus Entertainment, welcomes spring with schedules jam-packed with fresh new series and specials for kids and their families. Highlights include: YTV’s Survive This, Season 2, starring Les Stroud; premiere episodes of True Jackson, VP and The Fairly OddParents on Nickelodeon (Canada); and the special premiere of Be On Roll Play on Treehouse.

YTV APRIL 2010 HIGHLIGHTS

SURVIVE THIS, SEASON 2 – SEASON PREMIERE
Who will survive? A new group of teens returns to the Canadian wilderness in Season 2 of Survive This, hosted by real Survivorman Les Stroud. Brought to the scene of a floatplane crash in episode 1, it doesn’t take long for the teens to realize what it’s going to take to win the title of Ultimate Survivor. Leaving civilization behind to face the challenges of finding food, shelter and safety, each teen puts their resourcefulness, skills and character to the test to see if they have what it takes to survive the great outdoors. Produced by 9 Story Entertainment in association with YTV, Survive This, Season 2 will air Mondays at 7:30 p.m. beginning with two back-to-back episodes on Monday, April 19 at 7 p.m.

THE NEXT STAR DAY
With Season 3 auditions in May just around the corner, viewers can get into The Next Star spirit when YTV revisits the guest stars, including heart-throb Justin Beiber, and contestants from Season 2 with The Next Star Day on Friday, April 9 beginning at 6:30 p.m.

This family-filled evening kicks off with the premiere episode True Jackson, VP: True Concert, guest-starring Beiber at 6:30 p.m. The fun continues at 7 p.m. as YTV gets nostalgic with The Next Star Season 2 finale featuring a heart-pounding performance by Beiber and where over one million Canadians voted to determine the winner Tianda Flegel. Topping the night off, viewers will get a glimpse of what Tianda has been up to as YTV presents the premiere special The Next Star: Where Is She Now?at 8:30 p.m.

THE NEXT STAR: WHERE IS SHE NOW? – PREMIERE
Fans can get caught up with their favourite Season 2 contestant and winner of The Next Star, Tianda Flegel in this special premiere episode The Next Star: Where Is She Now? Follow Tianda as she creates her first single “Liar Liar”, travels back to her hometown in Fraser Lake, BC – plus be the first to check out her music video in this half-hour special premiering on Friday, April 9 at 8:30 p.m.

EASTER WEEKEND ON YTV
Beginning on Friday, April 2 at 10 a.m. with the premiere special Barbie in a Mermaid Tale, YTV will be treating viewers to a weekend chock-full of sweet programming including the Charlie Brown classic It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

IT’S THE EASTER BEAGLE, CHARLIE BROWN
The Peanuts gang gets ready for Easter in this Emmy®-nominated special. Linus is convinced that the Easter Beagle will appear, while Snoopy replaces Woodstock’s leaky nest with a swank bachelor pad and Peppermint Patty tries to show Marci how to make Easter eggs. It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown airs Saturday, April 3 at 5:30 p.m. (r) Sunday, April 4 at 2 p.m.

WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY
YTV airs the 1971 classic Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory – a music-filled, Day-Glo version of Roald Dahl’s book, starring Gene Wilder. Viewers can find the golden ticket on Saturday, April 3 at 6 p.m.

EARTH DAY ON YTV
To celebrate our majestic planet Earth, YTV salutes its environmentally conscious fans with two premiere episodes of viewers’ favourite shows SpongeBob SquarePants and iCarly starring Miranda Cosgrove.

SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS: THE LAST STAND – PREMIERE
When SpongeBob and Patrick find out that the highway being built will demolish Jellyfish Fields, they decide to take action. SpongeBob SquarePants: The Last Stand premieres on Thursday, April 22 at 5:30 p.m.

iCARLY: iGO NUCLEAR – PREMIERE
Best friends Carly, Sam and Freddie are given a school assignment to build a project that benefits the environment, but when Carly accidentally creates an illegal nuclear powered generator, things get a little out of control. iCarly: iGo Nuclear premieres on Thursday, April 22 at 6 p.m.

YTV APRIL MOVIE PREMIERES
The Prince of Egypt (1998) premieres Sunday, April 4 at 4 p.m. – starring Val Kilmer and Sandra Bullock
Evan Almighty (2007) premieres Sunday, April 4 at 6 p.m. – starring Steve Carell and Morgan Freeman
The Golden Compass (2007) premieres Sunday, April 11 at 6 p.m. – starring Nicole Kidman
Small Soldiers (1998) premieres Sunday, April 25 at 6 p.m. – starring Kirsten Dunst and Denis Leary

NICKELODEON APRIL 2010 HIGHLIGHTS

LOL THIS APRIL FOOL’S DAY WITH NICKELODEON
Where should kids turn to for non-stop laugh out loud programming this April Fool’s Day? Nickelodeon. On Thursday, April 1 beginning at 6 a.m., viewers can tune in for back-to-back gag-themed episodes of Nick favourites all day and night. Highlights include: The Naked Brothers Band: No School Fool’s Day, Romeo: The April Fools, Back at the Barnyard: War of the Pranks, Danny Phantom: Eye For An Eye and Rugrats: Joke’s.

TRUE JACKSON, VP AND THE FAIRLY ODDPARENTS – PREMIERE EPISODES
Nickelodeon is dishing out premiere episodes of viewers’ favourite series all month long. Keke Palmer fans won’t want to miss brand new episodes of True Jackson, VP every Saturday at 10 a.m. throughout April beginning with True Jackson, VP: Hunky Librarian on Saturday, April 3. The springtime fun continues on YTV with premiere episodes of The Fairly OddParents Tuesdays at 7 p.m. beginning with The Fairly OddParents: Crocker Shocker/Super Hero on Tuesday, April 6.

TREEHOUSE APRIL 2010 HIGHLIGHTS

BE ON ROLL PLAY – PREMIERE SPECIAL
This 30-minute special taped at Toronto’s Canada’s Wonderland is sure to get preschoolers at home up and moving. A narrative-focused concert featuring guest performances by Keisha Chante and Patrick Pentland of the band Sloan has audiences interacting with the story through various coloured ribbons, beach balls and bubbles. A Sinking Ship and Treehouse co-production, fans of the popular Canadian series Roll Play might even be able to spot themselves in the crowd when Be On Roll Play premieres on Saturday, April 17 at 6 p.m.

EASTER IN THE TREEHOUSE
From Friday, April 2 to Monday, April 5, kids and parents can celebrate Easter with themed episodes of popular series such as Dora the Explorer, Max & Ruby and Toopy & Binoo. Plus, Treehouse fans won’t want to miss two premiere episodes of My Little Pony.

MY LITTLE PONY: MEET THE PONIES – PREMIERE
In this half-hour compilation of seven, four-minute episodes, everyone’s favourite ponies each have their own adventure. Pinky Pie throws a party; Rainbow Dash puts on a fashion show; Sweetie Belle bakes a cake; Scootaloo has an outdoor party; Toola-Roola throws a plate painting party; StarSong has a karaoke party; and Cheerilee has a slumber party. My Little Pony: Meet The Ponies premieres on Friday, April 2 at 5 p.m.

MY LITTLE PONY: A VERY PONY PLACE – PREMIERE
In this one-hour compilation of three, 20-minute episodes, the ponies learn to be themselves. Little unicorn Lily has a secret – her horn lights up when she giggles. After giggling at the Rainbow Lights Party, everyone sees Lily’s horn light up – which makes her run away in shame. Storybelle tells the tale of two little ponies who wished they could fly and woke up with beautiful wings. Also, in Ponyville everyone forgets Pinkie Pie’s birthday, so they decide to surprise her by painting the entire town pink. My Little Pony: A Very Pony Place premieres on Monday, April 5 at 5 p.m.

All YTV times are ET/PT.
All Nickelodeon and Treehouse times are ET.

via Nickelodeon press release:

Nickelodeon’s iCarly and Big Time Rush Top Basic Cable on Friday with Total Viewers, Kids and Tweens

NEW YORK–March 9, 2010–Nickelodeon’s dynamic duo, iCarly and Big Time Rush, produced yet another night of stellar performances by grabbing basic cable’s top two spots with total viewers (P2+) on Friday (March 5).  iCarly’s “iSpace Out” topped basic cable overall with total viewers (5.3 million), kids and tweens for the night.  Big Time Rush’s “Big Time Break” lodged a second-place finish among basic cable telecasts with total viewers (3.9 million), and was number-two with kids and tweens for Friday.

iCarly “iSpace Out” (March 5, 8 p.m. ET/PT) also bested all broadcast and cable programming with kids 2-11 and 6-11 for the week (3/1/10-3/8/10).  The telecast posted double- and triple-digit gains with all key demos and averaged an 11.1/2.4 million K6-11 (+127%), 8.6/1.9 million T9-14 (+126%) and a 8.5/3.0 million K2-11 (+85%). iCarly, year to date’s top live-action series with kids 2-11 and basic cable’s top tween 9-14 program for February, also took basic cable’s top spot on Friday with Adults 18-49 (1.1/1.3 million, +120%).

Big Time Rush scored its highest-rated and most-watched telecast since its premiere (Jan. 18) with kids, tweens and total viewers with “Big Time Break” (March 5, 8:30 p.m. ET/PT).  The telecast posted double- and triple-digit gains over last year, averaging a 9.0/1.9 million K6-11 (+137% over last year), 6.8/1.5 million T9-14 (+152%), 6.8/2.4 million K2-11 (+74%) and delivering gains of +171% among total viewers.  Nick’s record-setting Big Time Rush followed iCarly as broadcast and basic cable’s top live-action show with kids 2-11 in February.

Fresh from its most-watched February performance ever, Nickelodeon topped basic cable with kids 2-11, 6-11, tweens and total viewers for the week.  The network averaged a 3.5/1.3 million K2-11, 2.9/631,000 K6-11, 2.0/430,000 T9-14 and 2.2 million total viewers.   For the week, Nick snagged nine of the top 10 telecasts among kids 2-11 (including iCarly, SpongeBob SquarePants, Big Time Rush) and six of the top 10 telecasts with kids 6-11 on all of television, as well as nine of the top 10 kids’ programs on basic cable with total viewers.

Nickelodeon, now in its 30th 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 almost 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 15 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B).

Below are two tables for iCarly and Big Time Rush ratings for new episodes since January 18.

*Note: iCarly’s 2/12 episode was the premiere of the extended version of “iSaved Your Life” and therefore not completely new.

I will continue to update both tables when information is available.

Thanks goes to TravisYanan for ratings information.

Tonight on Nickelodeon is new episodes of iCarly and Big Time Rush starting at 8 p.m. ET/PT.  Following are descriptions of the episodes (via MSN TV) and links to discussion threads.

8 p.m. ET/PT – iCarly #239 “iSpace Out”

An eccentric billionaire asks the iCarly gang to perform a web show from outer space; Spencer is visited by a mysterious little girl.

Discuss this episode of iCarly at toonzone’s Entertainment Board.

8:30 p.m. ET/PT – Big Time Rush #109 “Big Time Break”

Kendall and James both make sacrifices for girls; Logan tries to sneak into a women’s college to attend a math lecture; Carlos and his father try to solve a mystery.

Discuss this episode of Big Time Rush at toonzone’s Entertainment Board.