Nickelodeon announced today the greenlight of its new adventure-filled docu-series I Wanna Be (Working Title), hosted by the Carolina Panthers two-time PRO BOWL quarterback Cam Newton and Executive Produced by Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz of Magical ELVES (Project Greenlight, Top Chef). Continuing to expand the network's content pipeline, I Wanna Be will follow Newton as he takes real kids on THE RIDE of their lives to help make their dreams come true. The 20-episode series is slated to air in 2016 and will shoot during the NFL off seasons.
In each episode Newton will step into the lives of two different kids and take them on a journey that will push them closer to fulfilling their dreams. From decorating award-winning cakes, to landing a spot on a Broadway stage, kids will be mentored by experts and supported by Newton as he cheers them on, and participates in the action, every step of the way.
"Time in the spotlight has made me realize the importance of creating positive messages to inspire the next generation. I'm very passionate about mentoring young people, and this show will be the perfect opportunity to help talented kids get the chance to pursue their dreams. And to be able to do it all on
Nickelodeon - a network I grew up watching - is extremely exciting," said Newton.
Born May 11, 1989 in College Park, GA, Cam Newton began playing football at a young age. He dominated backyard games with his older brother and friends. After an impressive junior year at Westlake High School, Newton was heavily recruited by colleges throughout the U.S., ranking #2 on the 2007 Rivals.com prospect list. Newton won the 2010 Heisman and led Auburn to the 2011 BCS National Championship. Newton was selected by the Carolina Panthers as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. He broke several NFL records during his rookie season and garnered honors such as the Pepsi Rookie of the Year Award and AP Offensive Rookie of the Year Honors. After an historic rookie season with 4,051 passing yards, Newton continued his success reaching 3,869 passing yards in his sophomore year He broke Peyton Manning's record for most passing yards in a player's first two seasons and was selected to the
PRO BOWL in the 2011 and 2013 seasons. Newton is the only player in the modern era to be awarded the Heisman Trophy, win a national championship, and become the first overall pick in the
NFL DRAFT all in the same one-year span.
For the latest information on I Wanna Be
Nickelodeon fans can head to Nick.com.
I Wanna Be is hosted by Cam Newton and produced by Magical
ELVES with Dan Cutforth, Jane Lipsitz and Cam Newton serving as executive producers.
About Nickelodeon:
Nickelodeon, now in its 36th 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 20 consecutive years.
Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B).
About Magical Elves:
Magical
ELVES is the award winning production team behind some of the highest quality documentary and reality programming on television. Since the company was founded in 2001, Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz have been nominated for numerous Emmys, culminating in a win in 2010 for Outstanding Reality Program or Competition for "Top Chef". Other credits include; "Last Comic Standing", "Fashion Star" (NBC), "Project Runway" (Bravo), "Cold Justice", "Step it up and Dance" (Bravo) "Dance on Sunset" (Nickelodeon), "Dance Your Ass Off" (Oxygen). Magical
ELVES joined forces with international media producer and distributor The Tinopolis Group in 2014.
