NICKELODEON’S BRAND-NEW PRESCHOOL SERIES
BABY SHARK’S BIG SHOW! MAKES A SPLASH WITH SPRING
PREMIERES BEGINNING FRIDAY, MARCH 26, AT 12:30 PM (ET/PT)
Share it: @NickJrUK #BabySharksBigShow
London–May 3, 2021–Nickelodeon’s brand-new preschool series Baby Shark’s Big Show! will make a splash on Nick Jr. UK & Ireland beginning Saturday 8th May 2021 at 9:30am, when preschoolers can join the pop culture phenomenon for jaw-some underwater escapades. Co-produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio and SmartStudy, the global entertainment company behind the beloved children’s brand Pinkfong, the series (26 half-hour episodes) follows Baby Shark and his best friend William as they journey on fun-filled comedic adventures in their community of Carnivore Cove, make new friends and sing original catchy tunes along the way. New episodes of Baby Shark’s Big Show! will continue to air regularly weekends at 9:30am on the Nick Jr. channel.
“With Baby Shark’s Big Show!, the Nickelodeon Animation Studio team has taken the most popular song on the planet and created a whole new world of characters,” said Eryk Casemiro, Senior Vice President, Nickelodeon Preschool. “It’s a series that celebrates family, friends and adventure through comedy, catchy songs and stories of social-emotional learning.”
In the series premiere, “Baby Tooth/Slobber Slug,” Baby Shark gets his first loose tooth and enlists William’s help to lose it so he can trade it in for a sand dollar. When their antics get the tooth lost for real, they must team up with the Toothfish Fairy to track it down. Then, while Baby Shark and his friends are playing Barnacle Ball, Hank’s pet rock, Rocky, is accidentally sent soaring into the lair of the vicious Slobber Slug and they must stage an elaborate rescue mission.
Baby Shark’s Big Show! features a swim-sational lineup of voice actors: Kimiko Glenn (Orange is the New Black), as Baby Shark; Luke Youngblood (Glitch Techs, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone), as William; Natasha Rothwell (Insecure), as Mommy Shark; Eric Edelstein (Hotel for Dogs, Pig Goat Banana Cricket, We Bare Bears), as Daddy Shark; Debra Wilson (MADtv), as Grandma Shark; and Patrick Warburton (Tak & the Power of Juju, The X's, Seinfeld, Family Guy), as Grandpa Shark.
To celebrate the launch of Baby Shark’s Big Show!, the Nick Jr. Fan Club is offering members the chance to download an exclusive Fan Club Baby Shark’s Big Show activity pack, as well as exclusive online access to the Nickelodeon Official! Pinkfong Baby Shark magazine. Plus, members can download party hats ready with a fun colouring-in headband craft – perfect for the launch of the brand show. Now, that’s some fin-tastic fun to be had! Visit https://www.nickjrfanclub.uk for more information!
Online at nickjr.co.uk and the Nick Jr. Play app, parents and preschoolers can find lots of videos, games and activities guaranteed to keep their little ones occupied for hours. Parents can also like the official Nick Jr. UK & Ireland Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages and sign up to the official Nick Jr. Fan Club for the latest Nick Jr. news, highlights, video clips, competitions and more.
In addition to Nickelodeon and SmartStudy’s partnership to produce Baby Shark’s Big Show!, ViacomCBS Consumer Products (VCP) is managing consumer products licensing worldwide, excluding China, Korea and Southeast Asia, for the Pinkfong Baby Shark property.
"Baby Shark officially reigns as the No. 1 most viewed YouTube video of all time. ViacomCBS recognises the sea of opportunity with this IP and its expanding reach through the lens of content and consumer products. In May 2021, a new series, Baby Shark's Big Show, will be arriving on the Nick Jr. channel, much to the delight of pre-schoolers both here in the UK and globally. In the consumer products space, Baby Shark has achieved UK sales growth of+46% between August 2020 vs. August 2019, showing that the IP is a brand that is here to stay.
"The licensing programme for Baby Shark continues to grow, most notably with the expanded line from WowWee (via Jazwares). Clementoni will continue to build on its range, particularly the Soft Clemmy.
"Several exciting new partners are on board for spring/ summer 2021, including Ravensburger, Moose, MV Sports and John Adams. Role-play has been identified as a key opportunity for the property, fitting nicely with settings seen in the new series such as Carnivore Cove and the house where Baby Shark lives, whilst the classic IP look translates seamlessly into wooden toys; a partner to sign here is being explored. From a softlines perspective, a big focus will be on the summer shop for spring/summer 2022. As the brand skews towards a younger audience, babywear and accessories will be another key area of attention. As a result, the existing partnership with Denicci will be built on. Within CPG there's good coverage in confectionery, chocolate, cereal and baking, with additional opportunities being looked into across beverages, ice cream and ice pops, healthy eating and more."
Leading up to the premiere, Nick Jr. UK & Ireland treated fans to an early look at the brand new animated preschool series based on the world-famous pop culture phenomenon Baby Shark with the debut of the all new Christmas special “Baby Shark’s Big Fishmas Special” ("All I want for Fishmas") in December 2020.
Pinkfong Baby Shark launched on YouTube in November 2015 and took the world by storm, amassing 8 billion views and becoming the most-watched video in the platform’s history. With music, characters, story and dance all combined together, the song certified RIAA Diamond and 11x platinum single for selling over 11 million units in the U.S., and spawned a viral phenomenon #BabySharkChallenge, generating over one million cover videos around the globe.
Baby Shark’s Big Show! is executive produced by Gary “Doodles” DiRaffaele (Breadwinners) and Tommy Sica (Breadwinners), with Whitney Ralls (My Little Pony: Equestria Girls) serving as co-executive producer. The series is produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio in Burbank, Calif., with production overseen by Eryk Casemiro, Senior Vice President, Nickelodeon Preschool.
Now an established brand, and named the No. 3 licence in infant and toddler toys in January this year, Pinkfong’s Baby Shark has experienced overnight success across multiple touchpoints including UK retail aisles. Through a partnership with SmartStudy, the global entertainment company behind the beloved children’s brand Pinkfong, ViacomCBS Consumer Products has been managing Baby Shark’s licensing globally outside of Asia since October 2019 as well as in the UK. A wide range of products is now available at all major retail stores. For the spring/summer season 2021, a WowWee infant range will be available through Jazwares, while Clementoni and Ravensburger will launch new Baby Shark branded puzzles and games. An expanded range of toys will also be coming this summer from Spin Master. Spring saw Sambro release an exciting range of children’s arts & craft, novelty and outdoor products including painting sets, doughs and inflatable play products, while MV Sports’ colourful line will include a scooter, bikes, a horn and helmet. In addition, ViacomCBS Consumer Products UK partnered with Kellogg’s earlier this year to launch Baby Shark multigrain cereal, babywear specialist Dennicci has enjoyed success with its Baby Shark collection, and Lexibook has developed a strong line of consumer electronics.
About SmartStudy
Founded in June 2010, SmartStudy is a global entertainment company moving beyond the limits of platforms to create original content across children’s education, games and animation. Through SmartStudy’s beloved children’s brand, Pinkfong, the company produces modern-day songs and stories to provide stimulating, fun, learning experiences to children.
About Pinkfong
Pinkfong is a global entertainment brand that creates award-winning kids’ content for families around the world. Pinkfong has over 5,000 songs and stories within its vast library of children’s content, which can be accessed on the App Store and Google Play, as well as on YouTube and Amazon Video. Pinkfong’s accolades include the Amazon Video Direct Star, YouTube’s Diamond Play Button and Google Play’s Best Family App of 2014-2017.
For more information, please visit the Pinkfong website, subscribe to its YouTube channel, or follow the company on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
About Nick Jr.
Where every day’s an adventure, Nick Jr. is a top-performing commercial pre-school entertainment brand in cable and satellite homes. Launched in 1999 as the world's first channel dedicated to pre-school children, Nick Jr.’s programming includes beloved shows PAW Patrol, Shimmer and Shine, Nella the Princess Knight and Peppa Pig. Kids and parents can find lots of video clips, games, exclusive activities and downloads featuring their favourite Nick Jr. friends online at nickjr.co.uk and on the Nick Jr. Play app. Viewers also have the opportunity to catch up with the schedule through Nick Jr. +1. Nick Jr. is available on Sky 606, Virgin 715, through BT Vision and TalkTalk channel 318.
About Nickelodeon
The Nickelodeon Network is a top-performing commercial kids’ TV network in the UK and Ireland with Nickelodeon channels available in over 13 million cable and satellite homes. Having launched in 1993 Nickelodeon UK comprises seven dedicated entertainment channels for kids aged 4-15 and their families, and is a joint venture between Viacom International Media Networks and BSkyB.
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BABY SHARK'S BIG SHOW! CAST BIOS & CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS
Kimiko Glenn as Baby Shark
Kimiko Glenn is the voice of Baby Shark, a sweet, bubbly, and abso-toothly fearless little shark who has a habit of biting off more than he can chew.
Glenn is an American actor, singer and Broadway performer. She is best known for her role as Brook Soso in the award-winning Netflix series Orange Is the New Black, which earned her three Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series.
Most recently, Glenn can be seen in the second season of the YouTube Original series Liza On Demand and the Facebook Watch series Sacred Lies. Her other television credits include TBS' The Guest Book, Comedy Central's Drunk History and HBO's High Maintenance, as well as a recurring role on FX's Married.
On the big screen, Glenn has appeared in the Lionsgate feature film Nerve (alongside Emma Roberts and Dave Franco) and starred in the independent film In Reality. She can also be seen in BCDF Pictures’ Can You Keep a Secret? and Freeform’s Ghosting: The Spirit of Christmas; and her voice can be heard as Peni Parker in the Academy Award-winning animated film, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and in Over the Moon, which shot to number one on Netflix its first weekend. She has also lent her voice to characters on Netflix’s BoJack Horseman and Carmen Sandiego; HBO Max’s Close Enough; and Disney’s DuckTales, Sofia the First and The Lion Guard.
Glenn’s talents extend to theater where she originated the role of Dawn in the Broadway musical adaptation of Waitress, which was nominated for a 2016 Tony Award for Best Musical and a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical. She also performed in the first national tour of Spring Awakening and The Flaming Lips musical Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, which had its world premiere at La Jolla Playhouse.
Luke Youngblood as William
Luke Youngblood is the voice of William, a quick-witted pilot fish with a flair for the funny who is always down for jaw-some adventures with his best bud Baby Shark.
Youngblood is a British actor who has had an extensive career working with award-winning directors such as Chris Columbus (Harry Potter), Julie Taymor (The Lion King) and Dan Fogelman (Galavant). Having trained at the Sylvia Young Theatre School in London, he went on to secure principal roles in various films including Ladybird, Ladybird, directed by Ken Loach, the first two Harry Potter films and most recently, the indie horror comedy Useless Humans.
In addition to his movie career, Youngblood has appeared in several theater productions. He was cast as Nipper in the West End musical, Oliver!, directed by Academy Award-winner Sam Mendes and produced by Cameron Mackintosh. Youngblood also worked with John Crowley in Fair Ladies at a Game of Poem Cards at the National Theatre, before being cast as the lead in the original London cast of The Lion King.
One of Youngblood’s most notable roles in the U.K. was portraying Tracy's best friend, Ben, in BBC's The Story of Tracy Beaker, which earned several nominations for Best Children's Drama at the BAFTA’s Children's Awards. Youngblood also recurred on NBC’s Community in the iconic role of Magnitude, the "life and soul of the party," coining the phrase, "POP-POP!," and in ABC's musical comedy Galavant. He has since been a guest star on CBS’ Superior Donuts, USA’s Queen of the South and SHOWTIME’s White Famous.
Youngblood also voices lead characters in Netflix’s animated series, Glitch Techs from Nickelodeon and Fast & Furious: Spy Racers from DreamWorks. Additionally, he has done performance capture and voice-over work for EA’s latest virtual reality game for Oculus, Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond.
Natasha Rothwell as Mommy Shark
Natasha Rothwell is the voice of Mommy Shark, a fun-loving shark with a fierce streak, who works for the Mayor of Carnivore Cove.
For the last five years, Rothwell has been a series regular and producer on Issa Rae's Peabody Award-winning HBO series Insecure, for which she was nominated for a 2019 NAACP Image Award. Prior to that, Rothwell wrote for Saturday Night Live and later went on to write and star in the original sketch series Netflix Presents: The Characters. She can also be seen in 20th Century Fox’s groundbreaking hit film Love, Simon as well as Paramount Pictures’ Sonic the Hedgehog and Warner Bros. Pictures’ Wonder Woman 1984.
Rothwell is a 2021 Sundance Screenwriters Lab Fellow. She is also executive producing and developing three shows for HBO, one of which she will also write and star in. Concurrently, she is writing the coming-of-age feature We Were There, Too with Gloria Calderón-Kellett for HBO Max, and will star in Malltown, an animated series she is executive producing alongside Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer. Rothwell has also voiced characters on Netflix’s BoJack Horseman and Tuca & Bertie; Disney’s DuckTales; and FOX’s American Dad!, Bob’s Burgers and The Simpsons.
In addition to being an ardent supporter of the HRC, the ACLU, the SPLC and RAINN, Rothwell also lent her voice to support Planned Parenthood by narrating the documentary Ours to Tell, directed by Academy Award-winner Rayka Zehtabchi. Rothwell continues to be a staunch advocate for the arts and arts education, having worked with the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, KIPP NYC College Prep High School, Arena Stage, Los Angeles Public Libraries, The Young Storytellers and The Story Pirates.
Eric Edelstein as Daddy Shark
Eric Edelstein is the voice of Daddy Shark, a dentist in Carnivore Cove who flosses when he’s nervous. He’s a perpetual worrier who can’t help his loud and goofy nature.
Edelstein is an actor, improv performer and writer in Los Angeles, Calif. His voiceover credits include roles in the Cartoon Network series We Bare Bears and Clarence. Having a wide-spanning television career, Edelstein has held recurring roles on NBC’s Parks and Recreation, HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, ABC’s Modern Family and Fresh Off the Boat, SHOWTIME’s Shameless and USA’s Complications. He has also appeared in the SHOWTIME reboot of Twin Peaks, Comedy Central’s Drunk History and ABC’s The Goldbergs.
On the feature film side, Edelstein can be seen in Universal Pictures’ Jurassic World; Jeremy Saulnier’s feature Green Room (opposite Imogen Poots, Alia Shawkat and Patrick Stewart); the DreamWorks feature Hotel for Dogs (opposite Emma Roberts and Don Cheadle); and Disney’s Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (opposite Jennifer Garner and Steve Carell).
Edelstein can next be seen in season two of the AMC series Creepshow.
Debra Wilson as Grandma Shark
Debra Wilson is the voice of Grandma Shark, a new-agey prankster who’s all about good vibes and bubbleberry pies.
Born and raised in New York City, Wilson began her acting career in theater, after attending the High School of Performing Arts. She is best known for her eight-season run on the late-night sketch comedy series MADtv.
With numerous guest starring appearances in both network comedy and drama series, and a score of independent films, Wilson continues to concentrate her craft in the realm of voice over and motion capture, with her first motion capture project, as the prototype model for ‘Ney’tiri,’ played by Zoe Saldana, in James Cameron’s Avatar. Wilson has a wide-spanning career as a voice-over artist, having lent her voice to various forms of media including animated television series and films, ADR and looping, network announcing, radio commercials, books on tape, theme park attractions, an array of video games and a few E! Entertainment celebrity specials.
Wilson’s television voice-over credits include the announcer on NBC’s The Weakest Link, hosted by Jane Lynch; PBS’ Curious George; FOX’s The Simpsons, Family Guy, American Dad! and The Cleveland Show; Cartoon Network’s The Boondocks and Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart; and Netflix’s All Hail King Julien. She is currently working on two new projects.
Patrick Warburton as Grandpa Shark
Patrick Warburton is the voice of Grandpa Shark, a charismatic shark who loves to tell stories about the glory days.
Warburton is a renowned American film, television and voice-over actor, well-known for his deep, booming voice. He has played some unforgettable roles, one of the most popular being his portrayal of Puddy, the laconic, enigmatic, quirky Saab salesman and Elaine’s boyfriend on the iconic NBC comedy Seinfeld. His other notable television roles include Lemony Snicket in the hit Netflix show A Series of Unfortunate Events; Jeff on CBS’ comedy series Rules of Engagement; Jeb Denton, an opinionated network anchorman on ABC’s Less than Perfect; Johnny Johnson, the unscrupulous business rival on the hit NBC show NewsRadio; and the Tick himself in FOX’s live-action series The Tick.
On the film side, Warburton starred in Disney’s major motion picture Underdog, based on the 1964 cartoon television series, as the archenemy Cad, and appeared as Guy in the Universal Pictures blockbuster comedies Ted and Ted 2.
With his unique and dynamic voice, Warburton has built a prolific career as a voice-over artist, voicing several characters, including Joe Swanson on FOX’s hit animated comedy Family Guy and Kronk in Disney’s The Emperor’s New Groove, Kronk’s New Groove and The Emperor’s New School. He has also lent his voice to the Cartoon Network series Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated and The Venture Bros.; DreamWorks’ animated feature Bee Movie (with Jerry Seinfeld, Renée Zellweger, Uma Thurman and Oprah Winfrey); UPN’s animated series Game Over; and Disney’s Kim Possible and Buzz Lightyear. Additionally, Warburton voiced Ian in the Sony animated smash hit Open Season (opposite Ashton Kutcher and Martin Lawrence), which opened at number one its first week, and can be heard in Lionsgate’s Happily N’Ever After (alongside Sarah Michelle Geller, Sigourney Weaver, George Carlin, Andy Dick and Freddie Prinze Jr.).
A native Californian, Warburton grew up in Huntington Beach and currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife Cathy and four children Talon, Alexandra (Lexie), Shane and Gabriel.
PRODUCTION BIOS
GARY “DOODLES” DIRAFFAELE
Executive Producer, Baby Shark’s Big Show!
Gary “Doodles” DiRaffaele is executive producer of Nickelodeon’s brand-new preschool series, Baby Shark’s Big Show! Based on the world-famous pop culture phenomenon, the 2D-animated series follows Baby Shark and his best friend William as they journey on fun-filled comedic adventures in their community of Carnivore Cove, meet new friends and sing original catchy tunes along the way.
DiRaffaele co-created the animated kids’ comedy series Breadwinners for Nickelodeon in 2012. He executive produced two seasons, collaborating with a talented team to bring his gluten-filled vision to life.
Later in 2016, DiRaffaele developed the 2D sketch comedy series TMNT: Team Up! based on his favorite childhood cartoon, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Produced entirely in-house as part of a two-man team, he put his artistic twist on the popular franchise by writing, storyboarding, designing, animating and even voice acting for the series. TMNT: Team Up! has garnered over 40 million views on YouTube to date.
In his spare time, DiRaffaele enjoys making oatmeal and going for a jog around town. He currently lives in Los Angeles.
TOMMY SICA
Executive Producer, Baby Shark’s Big Show!
Tommy Sica is executive producer of Nickelodeon’s brand-new preschool series, Baby Shark’s Big Show! Based on the world-famous pop culture phenomenon, the 2D-animated series follows Baby Shark and his best friend William as they journey on fun-filled comedic adventures in their community of Carnivore Cove, meet new friends and sing original catchy tunes along the way.
Sica is a writer, producer, composer and sound designer. He began his career at Nickelodeon in 2013, producing the shorts The Meerkats and Breadwinners, and later became the composer and co-producer for the Breadwinners television series. In that role, Sica implemented a unique music-first production process by constructing and supervising a team of audio engineers to create the show’s musical feel. He then went on to serve as co-executive producer, composer and sound designer for the 2D sketch comedy series TMNT: Team Up!, while also lending his voice to the show.
Utilizing sound and music as a creative tool, Sica brings a different perspective to producing content. Prior to his career in animation, Sica lived in New York City and was a touring musician and music producer. He currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife and son.
WHITNEY RALLS
Co-Executive Producer, Baby Shark’s Big Show!
Whitney Ralls is co-executive producer of Nickelodeon’s brand-new preschool series, Baby Shark’s Big Show! Based on the world-famous pop culture phenomenon, the 2D-animated series follows Baby Shark and his best friend William as they journey on fun-filled comedic adventures in their community of Carnivore Cove, meet new friends and sing original catchy tunes along the way.
Ralls is a writer and comedian. Before joining the Baby Shark’s Big Show! team, she served as story editor for the Hasbro series My Little Pony: Pony Life and Hanazuki: Full of Treasures. Ralls has also written for various shows for Netflix, Cartoon Network and Discovery Family.
In addition to performing live, her comedy writings have been published in the online satirical magazine Reductress.com. Ralls currently resides in Los Angeles.
Originally published: Monday, May 03, 2021 at 18:41 BST.
Additional source: Toy World Magazine (May 2021).
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