Submitted for the approval of the Midnight Society...
Thanks to Illusionist Studios and Dark Hill Films, '90s Nickelodeon fans have something really exciting (and nostalgic) coming to them this Halloween. For those of you who remember the classic Nickelodeon series, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, you might want to catch up on the show — because we are getting a tribute movie based on the series!
The movie, set to be titled "The Tale of the Ghostly Guest", was written and directed by Nathanial Ingram and Zac Lockard. The directing pair recently reached out to iHorror to talk about the project and share their Indiegogo account to help raise funds to disperse among cast and crew members who helped make the project a reality.
[Credit: Illusionist Studios & Dark Hill Films]
The working title for the Are You Afraid of the Dark? tribute film "The Tale of the Ghostly Guest" is the hard work and dedication from the generation of horror fans who grew up enjoying the ultimate SNICK program for kids. The project of passion is something purely for lovers of this glorious series.
Viacom Boosts its Content Distribution Arm with Key Promotions and Hires
Names Samantha Cooper as Executive Vice President of Distribution Partnerships, Deena Demasi as Executive Vice President of Distribution Marketing
Andrew Borak, Sheri Weidner Advance to Senior Vice President while Josh Clark and Richelle Clements Join the Distribution and Business Development Team
Viacom today announced four internal appointments and two new additions to its Distribution and Business Development group as the company continues to execute on its strategic plan to strengthen its distribution partnerships.
Samantha Cooper and Deena Demasi have been elevated to Executive Vice President, and will continue to report directly to Tom Gorke, EVP, Head of Distribution and Business Development. Demasi will also report to Dario Spina, EVP and Chief Marketing Officer of Viacom Velocity, which will help bring full-service content solutions to super-serve Viacom’s partners.
Samantha Cooper, Executive Vice President of Distribution Partnerships, Viacom (Photo: Business Wire)
In addition to leading the team responsible for negotiating and securing all linear and digital distribution deals across domestic Viacom media networks, Cooper will work to deepen the company’s commitment to more client-centric relationships with distribution partners. A seasoned executive with extensive experience and relationships in the cable distribution industry, Cooper most recently served as Senior Vice President in the Distribution Sales group. During her 20-year career at Viacom, she has been a strong advocate for the company’s brands and a powerful force behind its expansion across cable, satellite and telco providers. She has also led Viacom’s digital content distribution deals with subscription video aggregators, electronic sell-through providers and other emerging content distributors.
Deena Demasi, Executive Vice President of Distribution Marketing, Viacom (Photo: Business Wire)
As EVP of Distribution Marketing, Demasi will continue to guide content distribution marketing, communications and client experience for Viacom and its brands, and will expand her work with Viacom Velocity and other internal stakeholders to help re-envision the company’s distributor relationships. A senior member of the Content Distribution team since 2004, Demasi previously served as SVP of Content Distribution Marketing. In that role, Demasi was charged with developing strategic marketing initiatives to drive awareness for Viacom’s portfolio of brands, partnering with distributors to market their services and advance their goals, guiding TV Everywhere messaging, and leading the renewal marketing strategy.
Said Tom Gorke, “These moves ensure we have the right management team and structure in place to evolve Viacom’s approach to our content distribution partnerships. With leaders like Sam and Deena now fully empowered to execute our strategic initiatives, I am confident we can cement Viacom as the go-to provider for our partners who seek more innovative and flexible opportunities to serve their customers and expand their business.”
Along with the appointments of Demasi and Cooper, Viacom has named Andrew Borak as SVP of Distribution Marketing, reporting to Demasi, and Sheri Weidner as SVP of Distribution Partnerships, reporting to Cooper. Borak will be responsible for Viacom’s integrated marketing strategy with its existing and emerging distribution partners to drive awareness for Viacom’s portfolio of media brands. He previously served as Vice President of Content Distribution Marketing since 2012. Weidner will take on greater responsibility in leading negotiations and strengthening Viacom’s relationships with an expanded account portfolio of linear and digital distribution partners. She assumes the position of SVP after serving as Vice President on the Content Distribution Sales team since 2010.
Viacom is also bolstering the Distribution and Business Development team with two key hires. Josh Clark joins the department as SVP of Distribution Partnerships after previously serving as Vice President of Programming at DISH Network. In that role, he led negotiations for broadcast and cable network rights across satellite and OTT platforms. Prior to DISH, Clark held positions in digital distribution and business development at NBC Universal. Additionally, Richelle Clements has been hired as SVP, Deal Finance, a role in which she will lead distribution deal analysis, financial strategy and analytics. Clements previously worked at Credit Suisse where she was a Director in the Technology, Media and Telecommunications Group of the Investment Banking Division.
About Viacom
Viacom is home to premier global media brands that create compelling television programs, motion pictures, short-form content, apps, games, consumer products, social media experiences, and other entertainment content for audiences in more than 180 countries. Viacom's media networks, including Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, Spike, BET, CMT, TV Land, Nick at Nite, Nick Jr., Logo, Nicktoons, TeenNick, Channel 5 (UK), Telefe (Argentina) and Paramount Channel, reach over 3.9 billion cumulative television subscribers worldwide. Paramount Pictures is a major global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment.
To celebrate Nickelodeon USA premiering the brand-new The Thundermans season four episode "Come What Mayhem" on Saturday 17th June 2017 at 8:00pm ET/PT, Nick USA has unveiled a super sneak peek preview from the all-new episode, which you can watch in the fantastic video clip here on nick.com!
In the brand new The Thundermans episode "Come What Mayhem" (#418), Phoebe (Kira Kosarin) makes a life-altering decision when her powers combined with Max's (Jack Griffo) powers are not enough to stop one of Max's old pranks from ruining a superhero gathering! In Nick's fantastic sneak-peek, "Super Interview", Max and Phoebe are interviewed with the Super News channel about the Z-Force - But it looks like Max has his own plans to put the spot light on himself!
To celebrate Nickelodeon USA premiering the brand-new Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn season three episode "Quadpendence Day" on Saturday 17th June 2017 at 8:30pm ET/PT, Nick USA has unveiled a quad-tastic sneak peek preview from the all-new NRDD episode, which you can watch in the fantastic video clip here on nick.com!
In the brand-new Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn episode "Quadpendence Day" (#315), the quads declare their independence when Dawn (Lizzy Greene) decides to get her ears pierced and the boys get a snake without their parents' permission! In Nick's super sneak-peek, "Dawn's Dilemma", Dawn and Mae (Kyla-Drew Simmons) are picking out fun jewellery for their school recital, but Dawn is in a major dilemma because she does not have her ears pierced and the magnetic ones keep falling out!
To celebrate Nickelodeon USA premiering the brand-new hour-long special episode of Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles "When Worlds Collide" on Sunday 18th June 2017 at 9:00am ET/PT, Nick USA has unveiled a Turtley Awesome sneak peek preview from the all-new TMNT season five special, which you can watch in the fantastic online streaming video clip here on Nick.com! Booyakasha!
In the brand-new Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles special "When Worlds Collide" (#993), the Newtralizer returns to New York City more powerful than ever before and joins forces with a dangerous, yet unexpected ally. With the help of Mona Lisa, the highly skilled Salamandrian warrior played by returning guest star Zelda Williams (The Legend of Korra), the Turtles fight back to defend their city! In Nick's super sneak-peek, "The Newt", the Ninja Turtles are back in action to fight off evil in NYC! Watch as they take down the Newt!
Fans can visit the Nick App, Nick.com, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to learn more about Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Episodes of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are currently available on the Nick App, available for download on iOS, Apple TV, Roku, Android, and Android TV, Nick.com, and Nick On Demand.
Any kid who watched Nickelodeon in the '80s and '90s knows that it was all about the green slime. Marc Summers, host of Double Dare and What Would You Do? explains what it was actually made out of. A new documentary about Summers' life and career comes out later this year called "On Your Marc," and you can check out Business Insider's full interview with him about his time on Double Dare here on BusinessInsider.com.
Original Nickelodeon Press Release via ToonZone News:
Nickelodeon’s Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Returns
with New Hour-Long Episode Sunday, June 18, 2017 at 9:00 a.m. (ET/PT)
Share it: @Nickelodeon @TMNT
Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo prepare to defeat a familiar enemy, but are faced with a new power they’ve never seen, in the all-new hour-long special episode, “When Worlds Collide,” premiering Sunday, June 18, at 9:00 a.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon.
The Newtralizer returns to New York City more powerful than ever before and joins forces with a dangerous, yet unexpected ally. With the help of Mona Lisa, the highly skilled Salamandrian warrior played by returning guest star Zelda Williams (The Legend of Korra), the Turtles fight back to defend their city.
This week for Throwback Thursday, NickALive! looks back with great fondness at the British version of Nickelodeon's hit preschool series Blue's Clues!:
About Blue's Clues (UK):
Step into the colourful, animated storybook world of Blue's Clues - where everyday objects come alive and young viewers are invited to help finish the day's adventures. Kevin, the live action host, and his puppy Blue interact with viewers as they investigate, discover, solve puzzles and play games whilst collecting clues to find the answers to a new question every day.
Blue's Clues isn't just a programme kids watch - it's a think-along and play-along experience! Blue's Clues storylines promote learning through participation. This innovative show challenges the active minds of kids, builds their self-esteem and makes them laugh! It has kids learning whilst they play.
Presented by Kevin Duala, the locally produced UK edition of Blue's Clues was based on the US version hosted by Steve Burns and Donovan Patton. Although most parts of the original US version were kept, some aspects were changed for a British audience, such as "Mail Time", which became "Post Time" in the UK, with the songs lyrics changed to reflect the new name, and characters such as Pail, Shovel and Mailbox were renamed as their British equivalents, Bucket, Spade and Postbox, respectively. Additionally, the shows animated characters, such as Mr. Salt, Mrs. Pepper, Postbox (Mailbox), Sidetable Drawer, Snail, Bucket (Pail), and Spade (Shovel) were dubbed with British accents, and British kids were used for the off-screen audience, to give the show a localised feel.
In the UK version of Blue's Clues, Kevin wears a green striped shirt and tan trousers. Later in the series, Kevin wears Joe's square shirts, with the main difference of them being Rugby style instead of T-Shirts.
Blue's Clues was created by Angela Santomero, Todd Kessler, and Traci Paige Johnson, who combined concepts from child development and early-childhood education with innovative animation and production techniques that helped their viewers learn.
Blue's Clues premiered on Nickelodeon USA on Sunday, September 8, 1996 in the USA, and launched on Nickelodeon UK in January 1997 as part of the channels relaunched Nick Jr. preschool programming block. In the US, Blue's Clues aired for 141 episodes over six seasons between September 8, 1996 – August 6, 2006, and spawned the spin-off series Blue's Room, which unfortunately never aired in the UK.
Blue's Clues UK wasn't the only localised version of Nickelodeon's popular preschool series. A Portuguese version titled Pistas da Blue, hosted by Duarte Gomes, was produced in 2004, and a Korean version, hosted by HyunShup Shin, was also produced. Kevin and HyunShup also appeared in the Blue's Clue's special Behind the Clues 10 Years With Blue.
Episodes of Blue's Clues UK are currently available on Amazon.co.uk.
Nick fact: Did you know that Blue was named after the blue screen filming technique to produce the show?
Enjoy this PAWsome selection of PUP-tastic video clips from Blue's Clues UK:
Nickelodeon’s New Animated Mystery Series, Welcome to the Wayne, Debuts Monday, July 24, at 5:30 p.m. (ET/PT)
(From L-R) Olly, Ansi, and Saraline from Nickelodeon’s Welcome To The Wayne
BURBANK, Calif. – (June 15, 2017) – A New York City apartment building holds mysteries and adventures behind every door in Nickelodeon’s newest animated series, Welcome to the Wayne, premiering Monday, July 24, at 5:30p.m. (ET/PT). Created and written by Emmy® Award-winning writer and composer Billy Lopez (The Wonder Pets) and executive produced by Emmy Award-winning creative executive Michael Pecoriello (Yu-Gi-Oh!), the 20-episode series follows three kids as they explore their strange and fantastical apartment building, the Wayne, where nothing is what it seems. The series will air at 5:30 p.m. (ET/PT) through Friday, July 28, and fans can catch encore episodes on Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon.
Welcome to the Wayne follows the comedic adventures of three friends, Ansi Molina, Olly Timbers, and Saraline Timbers, as they aim to unlock the secrets of the Wayne. Each new investigation brings them face-to-face with new characters, creatures, and oddities, known as “Wayne Phenomena,” leading them closer to uncovering the truth about the weird things happening in their building.
In the series premiere, “Rise and Shine Sleepyhead,” Ansi, a new resident of the Wayne, must work with siblings Olly and Saraline to stop a rampaging threat deep within their home.
The Welcome to the Wayne voice cast includes: Alanna Ubach (Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce) as Ansi, the anxious new kid in town; creator and co-executive producer Billy Lopez as Olly Timbers, the adventurous 10-year-old son of a toy maker and a military scientist, and lifelong resident of the Wayne; and Dana Steingold (Avenue Q musical) as Saraline Timbers, Olly’s responsible and more mature little sister.
Additional voice cast members include: Veronica Taylor (Pokémon) as The Spy from Apartment 8-I; Marc Thompson (Pokémon) as Masterson; and Robbie Sublett (The Good Wife) as Flowershirt; Dave Willis (Aqua Teen Hunger Force) as George the Doorman; Dana Snyder (The Thundermans) as Wendell Wasserman; Nikki M. James (BrainDead) as Julia Wiles; Carey Means (Aqua Teen Hunger Force) as Jonah Bishop; Harriett D. Foy (Collateral Beauty) as Clara Rhone; and Charnele Crick (Bocce Ballers) as Goodness.
Before the full-length series, Welcome to the Wayne was Nickelodeon’s first digital short-form series, which debuted on Nick.com in 2014.
Billy Lopez is an Emmy-winning writer and composer from New York City. He has written for shows including Phineas and Ferb and South Park and been head writer on several preschool shows, including The Wonder Pets!, 3rd & Bird! and PBS’s Peg + Cat. Lopez also co-created an adult sitcom for ABC Studios. Michael Pecoriello is an Emmy Award-winning creative leader. He has overseen campaigns for Nickelodeon tent poles Kids’ Choice Awards, Kids’ Choice Sports and the HALO Awards and also served as supervising producer and head writer on animated series Yu-Gi-Oh!
Visit Nick.com and the Nick App to learn more about Welcome to the Wayne. Fans can immerse themselves in the Wayne by following the official Instagram account to discover more about the show, characters, and mysteries within. A sneak peek, full-length episode will also be available beginning June 19 on Nick.com and the Nick App, along with platforms including iTunes, Amazon, Xbox, Google Play, Vudu, Playstation, and Nick On Demand.
About Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon, now in its 38th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, digital, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon’s U.S. television network is seen in more than 90 million households and has been the number-one-rated kids’ basic cable network for 22 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB).
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Watch Nickelodeon's launch trailer for Welcome to the Wayne below!:
