Simon Cowell: 'Nickelodeon Is Perfect Fit For X Factor's Rachel Crow'

From Digital Spy:

Simon Cowell: 'Nickelodeon is perfect fit for X Factor's Rachel Crow'

Simon Cowell has said that Nickelodeon is the "perfect fit" for former X Factor USA contestant Rachel Crow.

The teenager announced this week that she had signed a deal with Nickelodeon and Columbia Records, which is believed to include a starring role in a musical pilot and recurring part on Fred: The Show.

Cowell, who mentored Crow on The X Factor, said: "It's incredible. I can remember sprinting on to the stage [when she was eliminated] and saying to her, 'Look, honestly, I genuinely believe in a weird way this is the best thing that has ever happened to your career', which didn't go down particularly well on the night, but a few days later it sunk in.

"We stuck to what we said which was, we'll make a commitment to you and the public is interested in you, and then along came Nickelodeon which is such a perfect fit for her, and Columbia Records."

He added: "I think we did a good job in our great season of not just finding one great artist but a number and Rachel is one of a few who will have a great career off the back of this."

Fellow X Factor judge LA Reid added: "From the very beginning we always felt she had what it takes to become a major star and she did have the X Factor. Winning was difficult but it didn't stop the process. She will be a big star and I stand by that."

Speaking after the deal was announced, Crow told The Hollywood Reporter: "It's been amazing. A couple [of] days after the elimination I just found myself sitting home asking myself, 'What am I going to do now?' And I never would've thought that this is what I was going to do now. So, it's pretty amazing. I'm very thankful and I feel very blessed to have all this."

Auditions for the second season of The X Factor begin in Missouri on March 14. Full details on all the open casting calls, MyStudio Recording Booth and online auditions are available at www.thexfactorusa.com.

Watch Rachel Crow's X Factor audition below:

UK-Irish Boy Band One Direction's 'What Makes You Beautiful' Becomes Highest Charting Debut US Release From Any UK Artist For 15 Years

From Stereoboard.com:

One Direction's 'What Makes You Beautiful' Becomes Highest Charting Debut US Release For 15 Years

X-Factor boyband One Direction have managed to debut at #29 in the US Hot 100 charts this week – making their single ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ the highest charting debut release from any UK artists since the Spice Girls’ ‘Wannabe’ in 1997, 15 years ago.

The news comes ahead of their up and coming US tour alongside American boyband Big Time Rush and their appearance on Nickelodeon show ‘iCarly’, which has seen US interest in the boys skyrocket and sales of their single multiply. Of course, Simon Cowell is delighted – and hopes that their success will encourage more people to audition for the USA version of the X-Factor.

And, the track has still got a week before it goes up for pop radio airplay – meaning the track is likely to rise even higher in the charts, despite already becoming the highest charting debut since ‘Wannabe’ went in at #11. This all comes before One Direction have even released their debut album ‘Up All Night’, which is set to hit shelves on March 13th.

One Direction announced a 2013 UK tour at the BRIT Award ceremony last Tuesday, meaning you’ll be able to catch the boys across the country in a year’s time. If you’re a fan, make sure you grab your tickets soon – as One Direction tickets sell like wildfire. Check the dates and details below.

One Direction UK & Ireland Tour Dates are as follows:

Fri February 22nd 2013 - O2 Arena, London
Sat February 23rd 2013 - O2 Arena, London
Tue February 26th 2013 - SECC, Glasgow
Fri March 1st 2013 - Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, Cardiff
Sat March 2nd 2013 - Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, Cardiff
Tue March 5th 2013 - O2 Dublin, Dublin
Wed March 6th 2013 - O2 Dublin, Dublin
Thu March 7th 2013 - Odyssey Arena, Belfast
Fri March 8th 2013 - Odyssey Arena, Belfast
Fri March 15th 2013 - MEN Arena Manchester, Manchester
Sun March 17th 2013 - Liverpool Echo Arena, Liverpool
Tue March 19th 2013 - Motorpoint Arena Sheffield, Sheffield
Wed March 20th 2013 - Capital FM Arena Nottingham, Nottingham
Fri March 22nd 2013 - LG Arena Birmingham, Birmingham
Sun March 24th 2013 - Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle Upon Tyne

Click Here to Compare & Buy One Direction Tickets at Stereoboard.com.

NickToons USA Ready To Premiere New Animated Show 'Monsuno' On 23rd February 2012; Scheduled To Debut Internationally During Summer 2012

From Animation Insider:

Nicktoons Ready to Launch 'Monsuno' Animation

Premiering on the Nicktoons network this week, Monsuno is the newest addition to a rather extended lineage of monster-training adventure cartoons. The new TV animation follows a group of kid heroes whose destiny to save the world is equally intertwined with the lives of fantastical creatures of enormous size and power. Monsuno is a co-production of Dentsu Entertainment (U.S.), Dentsu Tec (Japan), FremantleMedia Enterprises (UK), and JAKKS Pacific (U.S.), who recently unveiled a number of competitive role-play items at the 2012 American International Toy Fair.

According to the Nickelodeon family of networks, Nicktoons spent 2011 cultivating regular growth for its Boys 6-11 (+02%) and Boys 9-14 (+08%) demographics.

Now, right up their alley, comes the 2D animation Monsuno, an action-adventure title that involves oversized monsters, arcane mystery, and a homegrown mythology.

The series marks its debut on Nicktoons this week (February 23, 2012), in advance of its regular broadcast position on Thursdays at 8:30pm (ET).

In Monsuno, the story begins centuries in the past when the dinosaurs are wiped out by a cluster of asteroids careening through space. The asteroids, it turns out, were the temporary home to alien DNA strands of unknowable origin. As the years past, the foreign DNA lay dormant on Earth. It wasn't until a curious scientist, surname Suno, began looking into the capabilities of the alien genetic material that something remarkable happened. The story of Monsuno continues as Suno's research unwittingly awakens (and unleashes) the Monsuno DNA across the planet. The scientist's actions have unveiled creatures of tremendous power, and whereas some individuals wish the best for these amusing beasts, there are other organizations with more sinister plans afoot.

Fast-forwarding to the present time, Chase Suno, the doctor's charismatic son, has pledged to right some wrongs and uncover any remaining secrets surrounding the Monsuno.

Chase assembles a team to help use the Monsuno monsters to save the world from ne'er-do-wells, and if he's lucky, locate his missing father as well. At the boy's side are Jinja, a girl with a good education and penchant for rough adventure; Bren, Chase's brainy childhood friend; Beyal, a forward-looking monk; and Dax, "the bad boy of the group," who is most comfortable rebelling against authority.

The Monsuno, of Monsuno, are enormous hybrid creatures with assorted powers that are likely helpful in a number of actioner scenarios.

For example, Chase's Monsuno, Lock, is a cross between a bear, gorilla, and tiger, and is fiercely protective. Charger, Jinja's ally, is a mythical cross between a buffalo, armadillo, and a moose, with a heroic and confident disposition. Should Monsuno prove immensely successful, one can rest assured JAKKS Pacific will be quick to unveil newer and fresher creature toy designs as the months pass. Nicktoons is currently preparing to broadcast all fifty-episodes of Monsuno, no doubt with the aid of growth in the Kids 6-11 (+03%) range. An international rollout is scheduled for summer 2012.