The annual event was held 3/10 at NYC’s Jazz at Lincoln Center and featured appearances by the network’s stars including Miranda Cosgrove, Jason Biggs, Kenan Thompson and Jerry Trainor. The upfront event opened with Victoria Justice, star of the hit Victorious, debuting her brand-new single, “Beggin’ on Your Knees.” Guest appearances also included the cast of Victorious; and Nickelodeon alumnus Kenan Thompson (Saturday Night Live, All That, Kenan & Kel).
Nickelodeon announced more than 400 new episodes of animation, live-action and preschool programming, including: four new animated series as part of the network’s biggest animation order yet; a new super-charged look and feel to the network’s Saturday-morning animation block; an original primetime TV movie event that will bring the casts of iCarly and Victorious together for the first time; the addition of hit comedy series Friends and Yes, Dear to Nick at Nite; and the launch of “The ’90s Are All That!,” a block of Nick’s iconic ’90s series, to air on TeenNick. The Saturday morning toon block will include a new show from DreamWorks Animation, “Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness.”
The presentation also featured the first-ever sneak peek of footage from the brand-new, CG-animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, revealed by Jason Biggs, who will voice Leonardo in the series. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is currently in production at the Nick Animation Studios and debuts in 2012.
Nickelodeon also offered a preview of its original virtual world for kids, Monkey Quest, which launches 4/2. Artists Jennifer Hudson and Raphael Saadiq closed the event with an exclusive duet of the Motown classic “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing,” as well as performances of Hudson’s latest single, “Where You At,” and Saadiq’s latest, “Radio.”
For Q1 to date, Nickelodeon is expected to close the quarter as basic cable’s number-one network in total day with kids 2-11, kids 6-11 and total viewers and post its best quarter ever with total viewers.
Additionally, the network will roll out new episodes of hit series iCarly; Victorious ; Big Time Rush ; True Jackson, VP ; House of Anubis ; Nick News with Linda Ellerbee , which is currently celebrating its 20th anniversary on the air; the afternoon game show, BrainSurge; and The Troop. The season will also feature new episodes of brand-new Nick series debuting later this year: Supah Ninjas and Bucket & Skinner’s Epic Adventures.
Nick at Nite
Nick at Nite’s line-up of modern comedies will expand to include the complete libraries of beloved comedies Friends and Yes, Dear. Yes, Dear, the 122-episode family comedy that follows two couples with dramatically different parenting styles, stars Mike O’Malley (Glee, GUTS) and airs in 2012. The 236-episode catalogue of Friends also joins Nick at Nite in September.
Nickelodeon will launch a new nighttime programming block this fall on TeenNick called “The ’90s Are All That!,” featuring a rotating selection of iconic live-action and animated shows from Nickelodeon’s 1990s library, including All That, Clarissa Explains it All, The Adventures of Pete & Pete, Rugrats , Rocket Power, Salute Your Shorts, The Amanda Show and Kenan & Kel.
