Nickelodeon Unveils New Preschool Subscription Service; Possible SPONGEBOB Broadway Musical

Nickelodeon, at its annual upfront presentation held today at the Skylight at Moynihan Station, outlined the power of its unmatched, 10-screen ecosystem to deliver the biggest and most engaged audience of kids and families, and announced numerous key initiatives from its content pipeline. The new series and development projects underscore Nick's commitment to fresh and innovative formats, from a wide range of creative sources and voices.

Announcements at the presentation included: Noggin, a mobile subscription service for preschoolers; numerous new content innovations; a sneak peek at a potential SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS Broadway musical; future spinoff possibilities for the wildly successful Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise; and Nickelodeon Sports, which brings content from the major sports leagues to Nick's platforms. Nickelodeon also detailed the suite of its partner services that provides consumer insights, advertising solutions and branded-entertainment opportunities, now formalized under the banner of Nickelodeon Inside Out Solutions.

The presentation was augmented by an appearance from Will Arnett--star of Paramount Pictures' global theatrical hit, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and the forthcoming sequel set for 2016; a performance of a song from the SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS musical, currently being developed for a potential Broadway debut; and a closing set of songs by pop hit-makers, Echosmith.

"The proliferation of platforms and massive amounts of new content are having an unprecedented impact on entertainment, and we are using these opportunities to super-serve our audience with fresh content, new formats and innovative storytelling," said Cyma Zarghami, President, Viacom Kids and Family Group. "We remain laser-focused on using all of the screens and tools in our ecosystem to deliver the biggest audience of kids and families, and creating hits and building franchises that thrill our audience and deliver unrivaled reach."

Nickelodeon highlighted a selection of content drawn from its pipeline, with each project showcasing the network's commitment to reinvent genres and introduce new formats and ideas to its audience. 2

These projects include:

Game MAKERS (working title), just picked up for 26 episodes, is the newest creation from hit-maker Dan Schneider. It's a live-action sitcom about two 12-year-old girls who start a multi-million-dollar gaming company and take on rap superstar Double G as a business partner. As part of a multi-platform experience, the games seen in the episodes will be released through apps and online. Schneider will also serve as Executive Producer.

Make It Pop, picked up for 20 episodes, is a comedic, music-infused daily strip about three unique girls who come together to start their own K-Pop-inspired band. Randomly selected to room together at boarding school, bookish Corki, fashion-forward Jodi and social media maven Sun Hi meet and bond over music. With the help of fellow boarding school classmate and DJ hopeful, Caleb, the girls grow from roommates to bandmates as they become a school-wide sensation and compete for a place in the upcoming school musical. The series, which will feature original songs and performances in every episode, is co-created by Thomas W. Lynch and Nick Cannon and produced by DHX Media. Make It Pop is executive produced by Lynch and Cannon, together with Steven DeNure and Anne Loi for DHX Media.

Talia's Kitchen (working title), just picked up for 40 episodes, is a live-action series inspired by the daily telenovela format that follows 14-year-old Talia who moves in with her grandmother and starts spending time in THE KITCHEN of their family-owned restaurant. There, she discovers her true calling: cooking. With the help of her special "salt and pepper sense"--and her late father's magical spices--Talia is able to infuse emotion into her food and cook just what each customer needs. Talia's Kitchen is created by Catharina Ledeboer and produced by Viacom International. Tatiana Rodriguez will serve as Executive Producer.

Mutt & Stuff, which has just been picked up for 20 episodes, is a live-action preschool series produced by Sid and Marty Krofft. Set in a unique school for dogs, the series stars Calvin Millan, The Puppy Whisperer and son of The Dog Whisperer, Cesar Millan, interacting with a cast of real dogs and puppets. Mutt & Stuff is filled with unbelievable dog tricks, adorable puppies, and alternating moments of heart and comedy. The series is created and executive produced by Sid and Marty Krofft and Bradley Zweig. Cesar Millan also serves as Executive Producer.

Roll Call (working title), which is currently in development, is a single-camera comedy series shot in a mockumentary style that follows an eclectic group of kids navigating their way through middle school. Roll Call is executive produced by Sharla Sumpter Bridgett and directed by Ian Pfaff.

Nickelodeon also announced a spin-off of its hit Every Witch Way-The W.I.T.s Academy (working title; 20 episodes). The W.I.T.s Academy will be a daily strip about the comedic adventures of witches- and wizards-in-training. The series is created by Catharina Ledeboer and is produced by Viacom International. The W.I.T.s Academy is executive produced by Tatiana Rodriguez.

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