Original Nicktoons Press Release:
"NFL RUSH ZONE: GUARDIANS UNLEASHED," SEASON THREE OF NICKELODEON, NFL ANIMATED SERIES, TO PREMIERE THIS FALL
NFL Coaches, Players to Voice Animated Personas in 20-Episode Original, Half-Hour Nicktoons Series
NEW YORK - July 11, 2013 - NFL Rush Zone, co-produced by Nickelodeon and the NFL, will air a 20-episode third season, NFL Rush Zone: Guardians Unleashed, the two entities jointly announced today. The third installment of the Emmy nominated series based on NFLRUSH ZONE, the NFL's online world for kids, debuts this fall on Nicktoons and NFL Network.
In season three, Ishmael (Ish), and his hero friends, the "Guardians," develop enhanced powers to protect the NFL and the world from new and familiar villains. The Guardians are aided by NFL coaches and players who voice their animated personas, including San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis, Chicago Bears running back Matt Forté, Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III, Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson, Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.
New weekly episodes from season two of NFL Rush Zone: Season of the Guardians, the first-ever original half-hour animated series jointly developed by a cable network and major U.S sports league, return to Nicktoons Sunday, July 14, at 11:00a.m. (ET) and will re-air on NFL Network Saturday, July 20 at 8:00a.m. (ET). Viewers will watch Ish and his friends fend off Wild Card and his wingman, Drop Kick, who are attempting to destroy the NFL and ultimately the world by harnessing the power of the 32 teams' Megacores that preserve the essence of each team, its fans and its community. All 32 NFL teams will be showcased throughout the series, which continues to feature NFL Films game footage.
When season two returns on Sunday with "Mystery Solved," viewers will hear Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson voice his animated persona. Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen, Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, Houston Texans running back Arian Foster, San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates, Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck and Oakland Raiders running back Darren McFadden, among other NFL personnel, will appear in season two.
NFL Rush Zone is available on Nicktoons.com and NFLRUSH.com following each episode's on-air premiere. Full-length episodes will also be available on the Nick App the day after premieres. Episodes also re-air on NFL Network and are produced in high definition for availability on video boards in NFL stadiums across the country.
NFL Rush Zone is produced by Rollman Entertainment, Inc. The team is led by veteran kids TV producer and Rollman Entertainment CEO Eric S. Rollman, who previously served as president of Marvel Animation; Saban Productions and Fox Family Productions working on thousands of animated and live action kids TV series, including The Avengers: World's Greatest Heroes, Super Hero Squad, Iron Man Armored Adventure and Power Rangers.
Nickelodeon and the NFL initiated their partnership in 2010 with Rush Zone: Guardians of the Core, a short-form series. The 22-chapter micro-series followed 10-year-old unlikely kid hero Ish on his destiny to protect shards of a power source that were fortified in NFL stadiums across the country. Ish's powerful enemy, Sudden Death, used an army of Blitz Botz in a plan to hunt down the shards and destroy the NFL in an attempt to take over the world. However, with a secret avatar, known as "The Sub," Ish ultimately defeated Sudden Death in the season finale at Cowboys Stadium during Super bowl XLV.
The NFLRUSH ZONE, a role playing game on NFLRUSH.com, was launched in December 2007 and today has more than 2.5 million registered users. The NFLRUSH ZONE is an immersive virtual world where kids are able to create avatars, join their favorite team, play games, chat and compete with friends in a safe and fun environment. All 32 teams are represented within the NFLRUSH ZONE with distinct team lands and team Rusherz and Avatars.
NFLRUSH ZONE is accessible on mobile devices and will feature exclusive content associated with the animated TV series, including achievements and games linked to the show. Users will become NFLRUSH Zone Guardians, immersing themselves in the world as they "Enter the RUSH ZONE" with Ish and his fellow Guardians.
About Nicktoons
Nicktoons has the highest concentration of B2 - 11 across all television and offers programming such as the NFL Rush Zone franchise, Rob Dyrdek's Wild Grinders, Iron Man: Armored Adventures, Alien Dawn, the Dragon Ball franchise, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Voltron Force, Monsuno, and the Power Rangers franchise as well as a roster of hits that have defined kids' and animation lovers' TV, including Avatar: The Last Airbender, Invader Zim, Danny Phantom, SpongeBob SquarePants, The Fairly OddParents, and The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius. Nicktoons currently reaches almost 68 million homes via cable, digital cable and satellite. Nicktoons and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB).
[via press release from Nicktoons]
