A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM NICKELODEON

CYNOPSISKIDS!
03.14.14

Good morning.It’s Friday, March 14, 2014, and this is your first early morning briefing.

Nickelodeon Upfront: What a difference a year makes. Last year at this time Nick was still smarting from a ratings pummeling. This year, thanks to 13 months of year over year growth, the net is prancing into the new season with a slate that includes 100-plus hours of new preschool programming, a fresh approach to animation, lots of new live-action, the launch of the Nick Jr. App and the establishment of a new event franchise, the Kids Sports Choice awards. Noting that 70% of the Nick audience is post-millennial, network topper Cyma Zarghami told CynKids privately yesterday, “We’ve gotten to know this audience and are creating content for them. We’ve taken the company and are galvanized around this viewer.” Content chief Russell Hicks’ move to LA and “mission to get more, better, faster content is now paying off.” The Upfront included a performance by recording artist Sara Bareilles and an appearance by former NFL star Michael Strahan, who’s hosting the net’s new Kids Choice Sports awards. A visibly jazzed Strahan told the crowd, “My personal mission is to get the best talent” for the event. “There are definitely some people I’d like to see slimed.”

Here’s what you need to know from yesterday’s Upfront:

Preschool Programming: More than 100 hours of new content is in the works, including…
– Dora and Friends: Into the City! (20 eps) The spinoff finds now 10-year-old Dora in new adventures, with new friends and a new interactive curriculum. The series helps teach Spanish and introduces new educational areas, including social-emotional skills like community service and peer relationships. Created by Chris Gifford and Valerie Walsh Valdes (Dora the Explorer), launching in late summer on Nickelodeon.
– Blaze and the Monster Machines (20 eps) CG-animated series debuts this fall with a focus on all areas of STEM through the adventures of 8-year-old AJ and his incredible monster truck Blaze. Created by Jeff Borkin (Team Umizoomi, Blue’s Clues) and Ellen Martin (Bubble Guppies, The Backyardigans).
– Shimmer & Shine (20 eps) Series follows the magical adventures of fraternal twin genies, Shimmer and Shine, who unintentionally create chaos while attempting to grant wishes for their human best friend, Leah. Series, set to premiere in 2015, is created by Farnaz Esnaashari-Charmatz and produced at Nickelodeon Animation Studios.
– Fresh Beat Band of Spies (20 eps)  New animated series based on the hit live-action show positions the four best friends in the pop band — Kiki, Marina, Twist and Shout  as a group of undercover spies. Created by Nadine van der Velde and Scott Kraft, the duo behind The Fresh Beat Band, and set to premiere on Nick in 2015.

Live-action: Nick’s Saturday night comedies, which are up 41%, “ultimately end up fueling the Monday through Friday viewing,” Zarghami tells us.
– Henry Danger (20 eps): Crime-fighting comedy, created and written by Dan Schneider (Sam & Cat, iCarly, Victorious, Drake & Josh) and Dana Olsen (George of the Jungle, Inspector Gadget), follows a 13-year-old who lands a part-time job as a sidekick-in-training to super crime fighter Captain Man.
– Bella and the Bullfrogs (12 eps): Series follows a perky head cheerleader whose life in Texas takes an unexpected twist when she becomes the new quarterback for her school team. Written by Gabriel Garza and Jonathan Butler (The Haunted Hathaways, Fanboy & Chum Chum), who were discovered through the Nickelodeon WritingProgram. Jeff Bushell serves as exec producer.
– Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn (13 eps): The story of a 10-year-old girl whose sibling rivalry with her three brothers is heightened by the fact that they are quadruplets. Created by Matt Fleckenstein (Wendell & Vinnie, iCarly, Victorious) and executive produced by Fleckenstein and Michael Feldman (See Dad Run).

More Animation: With SpongeBob holding strong and newcomers Sanjay & Craig and Breadwinners beginning to gain audience share, Nick has a bevvy of new animated series.
– Bad Seeds  Harvey, a sweet and well-meaning bird, makes two new best friends, Fee and Foo, the wildest imps in the forest. Created, written and directed by C.H. Greenblatt (SpongeBob SquarePants, Chowder).
– Pig Goat Banana Cricket  This show features a series of absurd interwoven stories about four friends and roommates, Pig (the fool), Goat (the artist), Banana (the wise-guy) and Cricket (the brain).  Series is created by Dave Cooper and J. Ryan, and executive produced by David Sacks (The Simpsons).
– Welcome to the Wayne  Launching on the Nick App, this an animated comedy following the adventures of two 10-year-old boys was created and written by Billy Lopez (The Wonder Pets!).
– Kids’ Choice Sports: With 26 years of KCAs under its belt, Nick is expanding its awards event game with the Kids’ Choice Sports, debuting July 17 with host/exec producer Michael Strahan.

A trio of new animated series from DreamWorks Animation and Netflix will join the companies’ first born Turbo FAST later this year. The digi-collaborators’ new shows also have deep roots in DreamWorks intellectual property. King Julien, will unleash new hijinks from Madagascar’s favorite lemur; Puss in Boots is set to explore more lives of the Shrek feline; and Veggie Tales in the House will feature new faith-based adventures from Bob, Larry and friends. “There is so much richness to be found within each show world and a wealth of comic opportunity to entertain fans of DreamWorks in new and surprising ways,” said Marjorie Cohn, the studio’s head of television. Additionally, the next bingep-ready eps of Turbo FAST will be available for streaming April 4.

With the failed Ravenswood now in the rearview mirror, Tyler Blackburn will return to ABC Family’s Pretty Little Liars as a series regular in the upcoming fifth season of the series, which premieres June 10. ABC Fam spilled the news in its “Behind the Curtain” YouTube series (http://youtu.be/e-2O692j5FU).

 A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE

PGS Entertainment is having a growth spurt. Branching out from its usual catalog of animated kids brands, the company is repping young adult animated series The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk, produced by Nomad Films, with Canal + as commissioning broadcaster. The show, a heroic medieval fantasy, comedy/parody based on the publishing franchise Le Donjon de Naheulbeuk, is in production and slated to deliver by the end of 2015.

Listen up, teens. MarVista Entertainment has several more music docs on tap. The company behind One Direction and Taylor Swift, gave the green-light to EntertainMe US to begin work on features about Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and Michael Jackson. MarVista Entertainment acquired 16 music documentaries from EntertainMe last year, and has seen big success.

Don’t Miss Out… The call for entries in the third annual Cynopsis Kids !magination + People Awards is almost closed. The Awards honor the best children’s and family multiplatform programming and marketing, plus the outstanding execs in kids entertainment. This year, we will also be honoring an elite group of Animation Innovators. Entry deadline is Friday, March 14, and we will salute all winners on  June 11, 2014, at the !magination Awards ceremony in NY. Please visit the awards website for info: http://www.cynopsis.com/event/cynopsis-kids-magination-awards-2014/

Scholastic is launching the Worlds Collide multiplatform initiative to bring together three of its top-selling brands–The 39 Clues, Infinity Ring and Spirit Animals. Each of the franchises, aimed kids ages 8-12, comprises books in print and digital form, combined with online games. Scholastic will release for the first time a digital Powerpack ebook bundle-including three first-in-series books in one volume-featuring The 39 Clues #1: The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan, Infinity Ring #1: A Mutiny in Time by James Dashner, and Spirit Animals #1: Wild Born by Brandon Mull. During April, fans can access a mashup of online content, combining themes and storylines from all three series. The Worlds Collide online hub will also launch a new “real-time message board,” which will allow fans across the globe to quickly communicate in a safe and moderated environment. And also in April, Dashner, Mull, Gordon Korman and Jude Watson will headline a multi-city “Worlds Collide #1s Live Tour” across the U.S. including Seattle, Washington, Chicago and Exeter, N.H.

Join CynKids NEXT THURSDAY (3/20) for the webinar The Exploding World of Kids Tablets and find out how to launch or extend your brand in the kids tablet world from experts including PBS Kids Digital‘s Abby Jenkins, iStoryTime‘s Graham Farrar, Sesame Workshop‘s Mindy Brooks, and Scholastic‘s Caroline Fraser at the CynKids’ webinar.

Zodiak Kids appointed francetv distribution to manage the licensing rights in France and French-speaking territories for its animated series Lolirock. The series is a co-production of France Televisions and Disney Channel, aimed at 5-10-year-old girls and rife with music. It follows the journey of a spirited teenage girl with a beautiful voice and an unending desire to help others, and is set to launch at the end of 2014 on France 3.

Answer to yesterday’s Trivia Question: What food do the Wonder Pets eat after every time they save an animal? CELERY Kudos to: Stephanie Bang, Nickelodeon, NY; Danna Castiglia, CBS, NY; Michael Ritz, BucStar Consulting, NY; Nicki Dennis, Bender/Helper Impact, LA; Courtney MacGregor, Torrance, CA; Sabrina Sparlin, Network Talent Agency, Studio City, CA.

Today’s Trivia Question: What is the name of Mr. Krabs’ fishing boat in SpongeBob?(Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company, city and time zone.)

 A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE

Join Cynopsis at the…

Creating the Perfect Media Pitch: The New Secrets of Selling Content to Advertisers Webinar
April 8, 2014|1:30-3 p.m. ET| Register Now

Speakers Include:
Lynn LaRocca – SVP of Marketing and Advertising (Modell’s)
Jon Steinlauf – EVP, Ad Sales and Marketing  (Scripps)
Linda Ong – President and Brand Strategist (TruthCo.)
Tom Talbert – Group Director, Media Services (Lowe Campbell Ewald)

Cheers — Cathy Applefeld Olson
[email protected] for Cynopsis Kids!
03.14.14

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