Illustrator Charlotte Cooke Commissioned By Nick Jr. UK To Illustrate Six Stories For A New Nick Junior Bedtime Show

Illustrator Charlotte Cooke has announced on her official Twitter profile page (@charlottecooke) that she has been hired by Nickelodeon UK and Ireland's preschool channel, Nick Jr. Channel UK And Ireland, to illustrate six stories for a new Nick Junior Bedtime television show:

@charlottecooke: So the exciting news I have is I have been asked to illustrate 6 stories for a new #nickjr bedtime programme. Very cool! @nickelodeonuk - 8.57am Monday 19th March 2012

Nickelodeon UK (@NickelodeonUK): Congrats @charlottecooke thats so exciting! We have our very own Nick Jr twitter over at @nickjruk if you'd like to share the news there:) - 11.13am Tuesday 20th March 2012@charlottecooke: *NEW JOB!* If you missed the news, I have been asked to illustrate 6 stories for a new #nickjr bedtime programme. Very exciting! @nickjruk - 5.19pm Tuesday 20th March 2012

Also, Tweeted (posted) by Nick Jr. Channel UK and Ireland on their official Twitter profile page (@NickJrUK):

Congratulations @charlottecooke! Welcome to the #NickJrUK family. Let us know how the illustrating goes. We can't wait to see it!

You can find out more about the illustrator Charlotte Cooke on her official website and blog and on her official Twitter feed.

Nickelodeon Inks Master Publishing Deal With Random House For Books Based On New Properties "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" And "Winx Club"

From Kidscreen:

Random House gets Nick master publishing rights

In an effort to expand its existing publishing partnership and grow the CP [Nickelodeon Consumer Products] program of the latest incarnation of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and girls-skewing Winx Club, Random House Children's Books has been tapped as Nickelodeon's master publishing licensee, taking over from long-time Nick licensee Simon & Schuster.

Starting in spring 2013, Nick's publishing program with Random House expands into new formats (hardcover, paperback, picture books, storybooks, leveled readers, chapter books, junior novels and board books).

Random House VP, editor-in-chief, and executive director of licensed publishing Chris Angelilli will be responsible for overseeing the Nickelodeon publishing program, and Random House plans to publish brand new items around Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Winx Club in fall 2012.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles books were originally published by Random House in the 1980s and the property continues its rebirth with a new CG-animated series currently in production at the Nickelodeon Animation Studios and set for release in 2012.

Books are also planned for Italian import Winx Club, Nick's first ever girl-targeted animated series.

Random House will also continue to publish coloring, activity and Little Golden Book titles based on hit Nickelodeon properties including SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, Team Umizoomi, and Bubble Guppies.

Tags: Chris Angelilli, Little Golden Book, Nickelodeon, Random House Children's Books, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Winx Club

HIT Entertainment's Animated Preschool Show "Mike the Knight" Inks New North American Master Publishing Deal With Simon And Schuster

From Kidscreen:

HIT's Mike the Knight gets publishing deal

HIT Entertainment's animated preschool property Mike the Knight continues its strong ride with a new master publishing deal for North America inked with the brand's UK and international publishing partner Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.

With the number of sales to international broadcasters steadily increasing (17 in total), the new publishing deal marks the IP's [
Intellectual Properties] first consumer products licensing deal for North America.

Products (story, picture, novelty, activity, and coloring books, non-interactive e-books) from Simon & Schuster imprint Simon Spotlight are set to launch in the US and Canada in 2013.

The HIT Entertainment and Nelvana Studio co-produced half-hour series, which airs on Treehouse in Canada and on Nickelodeon and Nick Jr., is created by Alexander Bar (Lunar Jim) and written by Marc Seal (Bob the Builder).

Also, from Publishers Weekly:

S&S Goes Medieval with HIT's Mike the Knight

An animation still of Mike the Knight.
HIT Entertainment has signed Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing as its first licensee in the U.S. and Canada for the CG-animated television series Mike the Knight. HIT announced last year that S&S UK would be the publisher for Mike the Knight in that country, where it airs on the BBC’s CBeebies network. As is the norm for Simon & Schuster’s multi-territory licensing arrangements, some of the U.K. titles may be adapted for the U.S. market, while others will be U.S. originals.

“It’s hard to find a really good preschool property for boys,” says Valerie Garfield, S&S’s v-p and publisher for novelty and licensed publishing. “This has that sense of whimsy, adventure, humor, and fun that makes a great show, and translates to books as well.”

S&S will act as the master publisher for the property, which is aimed at kids ages 3 to 5. The Simon Spotlight imprint will release story, picture, novelty, activity, and coloring books, as well as non-interactive e-books, starting in 2013. “It will be a pretty big launch for us,” Garfield says. “It’s one of those well-thought-out properties that has lovely, well-developed stories and a world that will captivate boys and bring them in. It’s a really rich world to mine for publishing.”

Mike the Knight is set during the Middle Ages; replete with dragons and Vikings, it features a young knight who goes on a mission in each episode, following in his father’s footsteps and adhering to the motto “Be a Knight, Do It Right.”

“Simon & Schuster has been extremely enthusiastic about the brand since we first showed it to them about a year ago,” says Stacey Reiner, v-p of HIT global brands, U.S. “They got it. They really understood the humor.”

Mike the Knight launched on Nickelodeon in February and Nick Jr. this month, and has aired on the Treehouse network in Canada since September. It is co-produced by HIT and Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana Studio.

Reiner says that there has been a lot of interest from consumer products manufacturers for rights to apparel and other products. “The show has a great play pattern,” she says. No toy deal has been announced yet, but Mattel has owned HIT since October 2011.

Italy's 'Switchover Media' Acquires Nickelodeon Australia's Live-Action/Puppet Comedy "Me And My Monsters"

From Kidscreen:

Italy’s Switchover acquires Me & My Monsters

Italian broadcaster Switchover Media has inked a deal with BBC Worldwide to acquire free-TV, home video and licensing rights for the kids and family-targeting, live-action/puppet comedy Me & My Monsters (26 x half hours).

The UK/Australian co-pro with Tiger Aspect, The Jim Henson Company and Sticky Pictures, in association with Baker Coogan Productions, will make its Italian debut on Switchover’s K2 in June.

Me & My Monsters, a hit for CBBC in the UK, follows the zany adventures of the Carlson family who have relocated from Australia to the UK only to find monsters living in their basement.

Commissioned in February 2010 by CBBC, ZDF (Germany), Network Ten and Nickelodeon Australia, with BBC Worldwide handling distribution, the series continues its growth as Switchover Media’s Switchover Licensing division plans to leverage yet unannounced licensing and merchandising opportunities.

Nickelodeon USA To Premiere The New "iCarly" Episode "iGo One Direction" (Formally "iGot Jungle Worms") On April 7, 2012

UPDATE - Nickelodeon UK has announced that Nickelodeon UK and Ireland and Nickelodeon HD UK will be holding the UK premiere of "iGo One Direction" on Monday 16th April at 5.30pm! You can find the full information here on NickALive!!

From Examiner.com:

One Direction's 'iCarly' episode gets premiere date; 1D book updates for U.S.

One Direction's 'iCarly' episode gets premiere date; 1D book updates for U.S.

One Direction's guest appearance on the Nickelodeon sitcom "iCarly" now has a premiere date: April 7, 2012.

"iCarly" star Miranda Cosgrove (second from left) with One Direction, pictured from left to right: Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles and Liam Payne Photograph Credit: Nickelodeon
As previously reported, One Direction filmed the guest appearance in January 2012. The episode title was originally "iGot Jungle Worms," but the title has now been changed to "iGo One Direction." In the episode, One Direction's Harry Styles has a crush on Carly (played by Miranda Cosgrove), and he fakes an illness to get her sympathy and affection. The other members of One Direction play a prank on Styles and pretend to leave him out of the group. One Direction also performs "What Makes You Beautiful" in the episode.

"What Makes You Beautiful" is the first single from One Direction's debut album, "Up All Night," which debuted at No. 1 in the U.S., making One Direction to be the first U.K. group to have this a No. 1 debut in the U.S. with its first album.

In addition to appearing on "iCarly," One Direction will be featured in an upcoming Nickelodeon special (premniere date to be announced) about Big Time Rush's North American tour that had One Direction as the opening act. One Direction toured with Big Time Rush from February 24 to March 9, 2012.

One Direction is set to perform on the 25th Annual Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards on March 31, 2012, and on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" on April 7, 2012. In Canada, One Direction will be on YTV on March 26, 2012, and MusiquePlus on March 27, 2012.

One Direction (which came in third place on "The X Factor" U.K. in 2010) has also signed a development deal with Nickelodeon.

In other 1D news, the groups had two official books released in the U.K. in 2011. Now, those books will be released in the U.S.

"Forever Young" goes on sale in the U.S. on April 15, 2012. Meanwhile, "Dare to Dream: Life as One Direction" goes on sale as a paperback in the U.S. on May 22, 2012.

One Direction's Niall Horan Confirms No Current Plans For A One Direction Nickelodeon TV Show

From MTV News USA:

Are One Direction Getting Their Own Nickelodeon Show?

Niall Horan tells MTV News nothing is set in stone, but teases Kids' Choice Awards performance and 'iCarly' appearance.

Now that One Direction are officially taking over the American pop scene, it seems that they are also being embraced by the bigwigs over at Nickelodeon. Having toured with Nickelodeon network stars Big Time Rush, the five lads from the U.K. insist that rumors of their own show on Nick have been greatly exaggerated.

"We've just been doing stuff with Nickelodeon. They've been brilliant to us; they've been really good to us. There's no sign of a TV show," Niall Horan told MTV News. "We haven't heard anything. We're obviously doing the Kids' Choice [Awards] and stuff, but there's no deal been done or anything [for a show]. They're just kind of helping us out, I suppose."

[Click here to watch MTV News USA's interview with One Direction's Niall Horan in which he addresses the 'One Direction Nickelodeon Show' rumor [video only available to view in the USA]]

That help includes an appearance on one of the network's biggest shows, "iCarly." "We had a lot of fun doing that. [Nick] put us on an episode of 'iCarly' as a guest appearance. First time we've ever done any acting, by the way, and if it comes out bad, we're very sorry," Horan joked. "But we think it's going to be really fun — it was really fun to make. And all the cast, it was really easy to work with them. They made us feel really comfortable. After a couple of takes, it was quite easy. The fans really reacted to the 'iCarly' thing."

Before that episode airs, the guys will take the stage at the KCAs, airing March 31. It's an honor they aren't taking lightly. "We're gonna be in L.A. for the Kids' Choice Awards. We're doing a big performance with that," he said. "Kids' Choice is the biggest night on Nickelodeon, and all the big stars are going to be there, and when we found out it was just us and Katy Perry performing, we were like, 'Geez, this is a big deal.' "

With so much attention on the small screen here in States, what are their U.S. fans like? "American fans are very, very loud," he said. "Everyone in America is very enthusiastic."

Should One Direction have their own show on Nickelodeon?

Also, from the Belfast Telegraph:

1D's Niall Horan denies TV show

One Direction's Niall Horan hasn't heard anything about the band getting their own TV show

One Direction's Niall Horan has batted away claims of an upcoming TV show.
The Brit-winning boyband - Niall, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson - who are the first UK pop group to debut at number one on the US album chart, were rumoured to be in talks about starring in their own programme with children's channel Nickelodeon.

But the Irish singer insisted: "It's nothing that I know about. There's no sign of a TV show in the pipeline."

However, the 18-year-old was quick to praise the network, adding: "Nickelodeon have been amazing to us. They have helped us out so much while we've been here, and we're performing on the Kids' Choice Awards with Katy Perry."

Nickelodeon seemed to confirm the stories when they tweeted: "The rumours are true, our live-action slate does include a development project for @onedirection. Welcome to the family!"

Niall also had only kind words to say to The Wanted's Max George, who recently dismissed their British boyband rivals as "no competition" when it comes to conquering the US.

"I don't know, it could all be rumours. There's no hard feelings between us and The Wanted," said Niall.

"We've met them, they're super-nice guys. There's room over here for everyone, I suppose."