"What is coronavirus? How do you prevent it? And when will we be able to go back to school?" In this special Nickelodeon Town Hall, Nick will answer these questions and more from real kids like you on how to navigate all of the recent changes to our daily lives!
Kristen Bell hosts as she connects with kids from all over and gets in touch with medical experts to offer some tips on social distancing, ways to keep safe and healthy, and fun activities to enjoy at home! With special appearances by Alicia Keys, David Dobrik, JoJo Siwa, Kel Mitchell, Kenan Thompson, Noah Centineo, Young Dylan, Jayden Bartels, Russell and Ciara Wilson, and more!
Originally published: Tuesday, March 31, 2020 at 01:49 BST.Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon News and Highlights!
“There’s an ‘in it together’ sense for today’s parents and kids, as opposed to shielding kids from something negative.”
Shielding kids from the reality of COVID-19 is nearly impossible, new interviews from Nickelodeon Consumer Research show. Their daily lives have been disrupted by social distancing measures, parents working from home, and school closings, which is causing kids to feel much of the same anxiety as adults.
Parents, meanwhile, struggle to find age-appropriate ways to explain the pandemic and stay-at-home measures to their children. “For my generation, parents never talked to us about things that impacted the world,” says Ron Geraci, Executive Vice President (EVP) of research and planning for Nickelodeon. “There’s an ‘in it together’ sense for today’s parents and kids, as opposed to shielding kids from something negative. They can get anything with the click of a button. It’s hard to shield them.”
Geraci and his research team interviewed the parents of kids ages 2 to 5 for the study, Parenting through the Pandemic. Their goal was to learn what parents are doing to keep their families safe and how they’re talking to their young children about the pandemic.
There’s an ‘in it together’ sense for today’s parents and kids, as opposed to shielding kids from something negative. They can get anything with the click of a button. It’s hard to shield them.
Participants reported that their older preschoolers have lots of questions about why school is closed and why they can’t have playdates. Meanwhile, parents are encouraging their kids to wash their hands more than usual while trying not to raise too many questions.
The mom of a 4-year-old girl reports that her daughter keeps asking why school is closed. “I am having trouble answering this without scaring her,” she says.
Understanding Kids’ Anxieties
The Nickelodeon team also interviewed a panel of 8-to-14-year-olds to get a pulse on their concerns—and how much they understand about the current state of the world.
This quote from a 12-year-old girl illustrates the sense of fear many kids have about the shuttered economy and how it directly impacts them: “My school just announced we will be closed for three weeks. My mom is a single mom and she won’t get paid for the next three weeks. So many people in my family are struggling because of the types of jobs they have, they will be out of work for a while. We are not afraid of the virus itself, we’re afraid we won’t have a place to live soon.”
The change from their routines also has kids rattled. “My school is closed for three weeks because of the Coronavirus,” a 10-year-old boy says. “I’m happy to be off, but it is still very scary because people are dying from it. I wash my hands more.”
And then there is the disappointing cancellation of special events. “We were supposed to go to Disney World, but it closed,” says a 10-year-old girl. “We are just not going out as much now. We are going to go to the beach more instead of inside places. We are washing our hands a lot.”
Programming to Kids
To help parents in the education process, Nickelodeon on Monday, March 30 aired #KidsTogether: The Nickelodeon Town Hall, an hour-long special hosted by actress Kristen Bell that offered a kid-friendly view of life amid COVID-19. It’s part of Nickelodeon’s multiplatform, global pro-social initiative, #KidsTogether, which features Nick’s most popular characters teaching kids how to properly wash hands and stay healthy, and gives ideas for families to stay active during the quarantine.
The Nickelodeon Town Hall is available on Nick On Demand, Nickelodeon’s YouTube channel, the Nick App, the Nick Pluto TV channel, and here on NickALive!. It will also appear on Nickelodeon’s international networks.
The special features kids giving first-person accounts of their new normal: learning from home, social distancing, and spending weeks interacting only with immediate family. Guests include the California Surgeon General and former U.S. Surgeon General, along with appearances by Charli D’Amelio, Noah Centineo, Josh Gad, Kel Mitchell, Kenan Thompson, Young Dylan, David Dobrik, and Russell and Ciara Wilson, as well as a special performance by Alicia Keys.
Families are coming together in a way they haven’t in the past.
Simon & Schuster is supporting virtual learning by opening its online resource, The Book Pantry, to educators and librarians so they can livestream readings of children’s titles. Similarly, Nickelodeon is offering Noggin, its direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service, free for three months to millions of kids in need through the help of national partner organizations, including the National Head Start Association and First Book.
Geraci encourages families to see there are still silver linings in the midst of this epidemic. “Families are coming together in a way they haven’t in the past,” he says. “They’re eating dinner together, watching movies and TV together in greater numbers, playing games together.”
Building on the company's history of giving back, Spin Master, producer of Nickelodeon's beloved CG-animated preschool series PAW Patrol is pitching in to help fill the growing need for personal protection equipment (PPE) for front-line healthcare workers amidst the global COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.
Pictured above: Dr. Aaron Glickman, Chief Radiologist, Michael Garron Hospital
Their product development team came up with an ingenious idea to create face shields using headbands from the firm's Hedbanz game fitted with PET inserts.
Spin Master's first shipment arrived at Michael Garron Hospital in Toronto, Ontario this week. The company are now producing more than 10,000 per day and will be shipping to hospitals in North America and eventually globally, to help support the selfless work of the amazing healthcare workers in the fight against COVID-19.
Nickelodeon Germany (Deutschland), Switzerland (Schweiz) and Austria (Österreich) has announced that they're bringing Nickelodeon Kids‘ Choice Awards: Deutschland, Österreich, Schweiz, Nickelodeon GSA's localised version of Nickelodeon's 2020 Kids' Choice Awards to the stars and kids at home, as well as the launch of #ZusammenZuhause, a multiplatform prosocial initiative to help combat coronavirus!
Originally planned to take place at Europa-Park, Germany's largest amusement park in April 2019, Nickelodeon Kids‘ Choice Awards: Deutschland, Österreich, Schweiz had to be postponed due to the global COVID-19 (aka coronavirus) outbreak.
Nickelodeon will now be bringing viewers KCAs 2020: Deutschland, Österreich, Schweiz – Zusammen Zuhause, a creative 'home-based' awards ceremony, airing on Easter Sunday, 12th April 2020 at 19:00 Uhr.
Nickelodeon is treating fans to a special Instagram Live tonight on the @SpongeBob Instagram account featuring The SpongeBob Musical: Live On Stage! cast members answering questions and competing in trivia challenges at 6:15 p.m. ET.
Hosted by Kelvin Moon Loh (Perch Perkins), guests Ethan Slater (SpongeBob), Danny Skinner (Patrick), and Christina Sajous (Sandy) will join individually via video to share with viewers their SpongeBob insights and offer a behind-the-scenes look at the musical. The special pre-show leads into an encore airing of The SpongeBob Musical Sing-A-Long at 7:00 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon.
The Broadway company of The SpongeBob Musical includes Ethan Slater as SpongeBob SquarePants, Gavin Lee as Squidward Q. Tentacles, Danny Skinner as Patrick Star, Brian Ray Norris as Eugene Krabs, Wesley Taylor as Sheldon Plankton, and Christina Sajous as Sandy Cheeks.
Adapted from the beloved Nickelodeon series, the Broadway musical was hailed by The New York Times as “brilliant,” and “effervescent candy-for-the-spirit” by New York Magazine. This new musical earned its place on 2017’s “Best of Broadway” lists, including Broadway.com, BuzzFeed, Chicago Tribune, The Daily Beast, Deadline, ET Online, Forbes, Time Out New York and Variety.
Named Best Musical by the Drama Desk Awards and Outer Critics Circle, and earned 12 Tony Award nominations – the most nominated musical of the 2017-2018 theatre season – winning for Best Scenic Design of a Musical (David Zinn).
Acclaimed Steppenwolf director Tina Landau and the groundbreaking designers behind Fun Home, Hedwig, and Spring Awakening have brilliantly reimagined Bikini Bottom for the Broadway stage, on tour, and now for television, bringing the spirit of SpongeBob to life with humanity, heart, and pure theatricality. With an original score from some of the biggest names in pop and rock, The SpongeBob Musical: Live On Stage! explodes with energy.
The SpongeBob Musical: Live On Stage! is a musical production conceived and directed for the stage by Tina Landau, book by Kyle Jarrow, orchestrations, arrangements & music supervision by Tom Kitt, with choreography by Christopher Gattelli, produced for television by Austin Shaw, and directed by Glenn Weiss. Nickelodeon’s Vice Presidents Paul J Medford and Susan Vargo serve as executive producers, alongside Senior Vice President of Music & Talent Doug Cohn and is executive produced and overseen by Executive Vice President of Unscripted and Live Events Rob Bagshaw.
This one-of-a-kind television musical event features original songs by Yolanda Adams, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Sara Bareilles, Jonathan Coulton, Alex Ebert of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, The Flaming Lips, Lady Antebellum, Cyndi Lauper, Rob Hyman, John Legend, Panic! At The Disco, Plain White T’s, They Might Be Giants, and T.I. (Clifford Harris, Jr.), Domani Harris, and Darwin Quinn, and additional songs by David Bowie, and by Tom Kenny and Andy Paley. Additional lyrics by Jonathan Coulton. Additional music by Tom Kitt. Along with “The SpongeBob Theme Song” by Derek Drymon, Mark Harrison, Stephen Hillenburg, and Blaise Smith.
The design team includes scenic and costume design by David Zinn, lighting design by Kevin Adams, projection design by Peter Nigrini, sound design by Walter Trarbach, hair and wig design by Charles G. LaPointe and casting by Telsey + Company/Patrick Goodwin, CSA.
The Broadway cast of The SpongeBob Musical reunited late last year for The SpongeBob Musical: Live On Stage!, a television special filmed in front of a live theater audience, capturing all-new depths of theatrical innovation, where the power of optimism really can save the world.
The SpongeBob Musical: Live On Stage! made its debut on Nickelodeon USA on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019, where it was a ratings hit. The SpongeBob Musical: Live on Stage! Sing-A-Long premiered Sat., January 4, 2020 at 7 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nick USA.
The North American tour of The SpongeBob Musical recently had to wrap early due to the on-going COVID-19 (coronavirus) crisis.
Concord Theatricals announced earlier this month that it has secured exclusive worldwide licensing rights to Nickelodeon’s award-winning Broadway hit The SpongeBob Musical. For more information visit concordsho.ws/PerformSpongebob
Originally published: Wednesday, March 25, 2020.Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nick Jr. Russia, Nickelodeon Preschool and Bubble Guppies News and Highlights!
A new home in the city holds big adventures, laughs and love around every corner in The Casagrandes, Nickelodeon’s new original animated series, premiering Monday 30th March 2020 at 13:50 on Nickelodeon Portugal and at 14:50h on Nickelodeon Spain (España)! Following launch, new episodes will continue to air weekdays at 13:50 on Nickelodeon Portugal and at 14:50h on Nick España.
Nickelodeon Greenlights Second Season of Blue’s Clues & You! as Series Debuts at Number One
Share it: @NickJr #BluesCluesAndYou
November 19, 2019 05:00 PM Eastern Standard Time
NEW YORK--Beloved puppy Blue will skidoo into season two as Nickelodeon greenlights an additional 20 episodes of its newest series Blue’s Clues & You!, which took the top spot as the number-one preschool show in its first week on air (11/11/19-11/17/19). The curriculum-driven interactive series Blue’s Clues & You! posted strong gains during its premiere week, up +38% with K2-5 (2.9/257,000) over prior four weeks and +34% among total viewers (674,000). New episodes of Blue’s Clues & You! will continue to air weekdays at 11 a.m. ET/PT on Nickelodeon.
The second season of Blue’s Clues & You! will follow Josh (Josh Dela Cruz) and puppy Blue on brand-new adventures with friends old and new. The new season will also feature special appearances by Steve (Steve Burns), Joe (Donovan Patton), and Josh’s Lola (Carolyn Fe)--his grandmother--along with even more singing and dancing, exploration, celebration, and of course clues that empower preschoolers to help their friends.
Later this month, Nickelodeon will debut a brand-new float inspired by Blue’s Clues & You! in the 93rd Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade®. Host Josh Dela Cruz will perform on the float alongside a 22-foot tall Blue covered in 13 pounds of glitter.
Alongside the linear episodes, brand-new Blue’s Clues & You! play-along videos are currently available in Noggin, Nick’s top-ranked interactive learning subscription for preschoolers. The play-along videos allow users to explore the stories in an immersive way, and engage with live-action host Josh and the animated characters, by tapping, touching or swiping to navigate through enhanced learning experiences. Preschoolers have the ability to customize elements, like the color of the clues or the creation of birthday cards for Blue, and then see their designs appear throughout the video. The classic Blue’s Clues library is also available on Noggin and additional Blue’s Clues & You! play-along videos will continue to roll out into next year.
Original short-form content and full-length episodes of Blue’s Clues & You! are available now on NickJr.com and the Nick Jr. App. Episodes are also available on Nick Jr. On Demand and Download-To-Own services.
Blue’s Clues & You! follows Blue as she invites viewers to join her and Josh on a clue-led adventure and solve a puzzle in each episode. With each signature paw print, Blue identifies clues in her animated world that propel the story and inspire the audience to interact with the characters.
The original Blue’s Clues series launched in September 1996 to critical praise from educators, parents, and preschoolers and ran for six groundbreaking seasons. Created by Traci Paige Johnson, Todd Kessler, and Angela C. Santomero, Blue’s Clues drew acclaim and high ratings for its unique interactivity that helped change the way kids watch television and has remained one of the most popular preschool shows of all time. The landmark series also raised the bar in preschool television by exploring advanced subject matter such as sign language, geography, physics, emotions, and anatomy.
Nickelodeon, now in its 40th 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 brand includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, digital, location based experiences, publishing and feature films. 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).
'Blue's Clues & You' Host Joshua Dela Cruz Breaks Barriers as Asian-American Children's Television Show Host
Actor Joshua Dela Cruz is bringing a fresh, new perspective to television as the first Asian-American host of Blue’s Clues & You.
Dela Cruz became the host of the groundbreaking, updated Nickelodeon series, Blue’s Clues & You in 2019. Launched in 1996, Blue’s Clues is an exploratory series that allows the host to examine life through the lens of his dog Blue. The series weaves live action with interactive cartoons as worlds collide during the host’s busy day. The mailbox sings, salt and pepper shakers dance and a “handy dandy notebook” helps the Blue and the host uncover the “clues” during the day.
The series has featured two other hosts. Steve Burns was the original host. Then, actor Donovan Patton took on the role of Joe. The show wrapped in 2007 but is now being rebooted with Dela Cruz as the show’s lead. Burns and Patton will also return. But Cruz shared that the show will be updated to reflect the current cultural vibe.
Why did it take so long to see an Asian-American as a children’s show host?
Children’s programming dawned with shows like Howdy Doody, followed by series like Romper Room, Bozo the Clown and a slew of animated shows. Nearly every series lacked diversity until Sesame Street arrived in 1969. The cast featured puppets who interacted with the children and adults on the show, which also included several people of color.
But diversity wasn’t as widespread in children’s programming until recently. Dela Cruz says he isn’t sure why it took until 2019 to feature an Asian-American as the host. But he’s thrilled to be paving the way for others. “You know, everything comes at its own time,” he told Showbiz Cheat Sheet. “It’s very funny watching old movies and TV shows and then realizing how it wasn’t diverse at all, outside of even bit parts.”
“It’s very surprising, even today, whenever movies come out and it’s usually just white men,” he continues. “And it’s a little like, you scratch your head and are like, ‘Oh, we’re still doing this.’ But I think a lot has to do with the creative team.”
Creative teams are becoming more diverse
Dela Cruz points out that as creative teams become more diverse, the roles they write are for a wider demographic. He credits creators Angela Santomero and Traci Paige Johnson for their ability to bring more diversity to children’s programming. “Because they’re the ones bringing in the diversity,” he says. “And there are so many diverse actors out there like they don’t even get the opportunity to be looked at.”
“But I think the diversity that’s in the creative team really helps move us forward and move us along,” he continues. “And what more, there’s a lack of good material for people to use. If there’s good material out there, people will stop seeing a Filipino guy or a black woman. And just start seeing an actor. A good actor.”
Dela Cruz is optimistic that programming is trending toward diversity. “Thankfully it is getting better and it is progressing,” he says. “But even before diversity was really a hit, Nickelodeon was really the most diverse channel I had ever seen. As far as cartoons like, Hey, Arnold! was a much closer depiction of what New York City looked like. If you even compare that with a popular television show like Friends, a children’s cartoon show was more diverse than that, which was really important for me growing up to see that. And so I’m just so excited and I’m so honored that I get to be in this role.”
He adds that viewers are going to be treated to some of his culture, which includes introducing a new character. “I get a grandmother,” he shares. “This is very exciting to me because, in the Philippines, they call the grandmother, Lola! So I get a Lola and I get to be able to share a piece of my culture with everyone watching.”
Josh Dela Cruz Talks Blue’s Clues & You – Exclusive Interview
Talking to Josh Dela Cruz about Blue’s Clues & You is something that is very special to our family as Blue’s Clues was one of those shows that my son loved. We were happy to find out that Blue’s Clues & You would be entertaining and teaching another generation of children with Josh Dela Cruz as the host. Given the opportunity to ask Josh some questions about his career as well as both of the shows with Blue was something we have been looking forward to for a while.
Having premiered in the winter of 2019 and already being picked up for a second season, one of Nickelodeon’s most iconic children’s series to date “Blue’s Clues & You” is back and better than ever with new host Josh Dela Cruz. Rebooted from the original 1996 series “Blue’s Clues,” the all-new 2019 series invites its viewers to join in on collaborative, clue-led adventures to solve puzzles that mixes live-action and digital animation.
Let’s talk some Blue’s Clues & You with Josh Dela Cruz!
BSCKids: We have a huge attachment to Blue’s Clues and my middle son carried around a plush puppy Blue with him for years. Do you find that people tell you stories like that a lot and do you have a favorite?
Josh Dela Cruz: I heard one of my favorite stories about the show while I was in the middle of auditioning. I was going over lines backstage at Aladdin on Broadway when a fellow cast member overheard that I was auditioning for the remake of BLUES CLUES and YOU. We immediately started to reminisce about watching the show as kids and as our conversation grew, the cast started singing the “Mail Song” at the top of their lungs. That’s when I realized just how special this show really is. Up until that point, my memories of the show were only shared between my sister and I. We played along finding clues, laughed, and sang every song. I look back now and realize we were sharing those moments with kids all over the world. Decades later as adults we’ve discussed how our connection through kindness, silliness and empathy were, in large part, lessons we learned on Blue’s Clues.
We grew up right around the corner from Paper Mill Playhouse and loved seeing shows there, tell us about your experiences there.
Every year, Paper Mill Playhouse hosts The Rising Star Awards to celebrate the students and Musicals they perform in High School. Essentially, the New Jersey high school Tony Awards. My school was nominated twice. Once for best musical and once for best actor in a musical. As a nominee, you get to perform in front of the largest audience any of us had ever seen. I remember the nervous anticipation as we waited backstage and then to have it all melt away when we stepped under the lights. This is such a happy memory for me.
How familiar with the original show were you? What would you say your favorite original episode was?
Some of my fondest memories come from watching Blue’s Clues with my youngest sister. I remember Steve drawing a cup in his handy dandy notebook so vividly—the circle, two lines and a line on the bottom. Fast forward to my first clue drawing on set and it’s a cup! “A circle, two lines and a line on the bottom.” All of those wonderful memories sitting on the floor of my Aunt’s bedroom watching the show with my little sister came flooding back to me. It’s not so much the episodes that are my favorite, but the time I shared with my sister as we watched, learned, and laughed. I’m so honored that I get to be a part of that experience with families all over the world as they watch our show.
How hard is working with the animated characters and did your work on Aladdin help at all? What has been your funniest slip up while filming Blue’s Clues & You.
As a kid I spent so much time using my imagination. Building worlds, writing stories, drawing pictures. When I became an adult, I started to develop habits that were effective and not necessarily creative. Thankfully, studying theatre requires you to constantly explore uncomfortable territory. You surrender to the unknown and use your imagination to create a world beyond the “fourth wall.” My experience with every show I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of, but particularly Aladdin, has helped me immensely. Green-Screen acting forces you to rely solely on your imagination. It’s the most fun I’ve ever had. I’m sure I slip-up all the time, but the funniest moments have been plugging Josh and Blue into different worlds during playback. Since we’re on green-screen our Digital Imaging Technician can change the background so sometimes we’re being chased by a T-rex, sometimes we’re hanging out with Keanu Reeves…Blue is an action hero at heart.
What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?
I think people would be surprised to learn that I am very much an introvert. A little ironic that I’ve chosen to be an actor for a living. I used to have a lot of trouble reading out loud in class as a kid. I was just so nervous. Theatre taught me to slow to down and shift my focus to other people in the room instead of thinking about my own fears. To listen and to immerse myself in the story. Now I pretty much read out loud for a living and love it.
Besides Blue who would you say is your favorite character on the show?
I love Mr. Salt and Mrs. Pepper. They are the bridge to what we as adults are thinking at home. And they’re hilarious.
Tell us about your Jiu Jitsu and how that has helped you create balance with your career? Tell us about your journey to becoming vegan.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is not only my favorite form of exercise but one of the best ways to learn how to stay in the moment. While you’re wrestling, your partner confronts you with challenging obstacles and uncomfortable situations that would normally illicit a very muscled, labored, and panicked reaction. In these situations, it’s natural to stop thinking clearly and let the panic take over. Practicing Jiu Jitsu has taught me not to panic in an uncomfortable situation and instead, take a deep breath, calm my mind and throw away my doubt so I can solve the problem in front of me. In class we’re taught that we already have the tools we need to face adversity we just need to shift our perception to use them.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is known as the “Gentle Art” because it is one of the only martial arts that can end a physical fight without hurting anyone. I think when we meet with adversity, the tendency is to fight with the people around you or to be unkind with yourself. Instead, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu teaches me to be respectful to adversity and to myself. Defeat is just an opportunity to learn about yourself and no matter what, you can survive. I’ve applied that philosophy to my entire life and have found that I’m more open to new experiences and am happier because of it.
My wife and I became vegan almost 4 and a half years ago. At that time, cancer started to appear on both sides of my family and neurodegenerative disease on her side. We decided that we wanted to be as healthy as possible for each other and our families to help minimize those risks that are becoming so prevalent in our world today. I used to be worried I wouldn’t be able to intermittent fast, or that I would become lethargic or lose the strength and athleticism I had worked so hard to get with a carnivorous diet. What actually happened was I had more energy, became stronger, and felt much better overall. Additionally, growing up neither of us had ever felt good about the process of how meat found its way onto our plates, but we felt like we “had” to eat meat. Everyone is different but for us being vegan feels so right and it’s something we wish we had realized a long time ago. My wife and I have been spending a lot more time cooking together because we’re vegan and discovered how much we love finding new recipes… even if not all of them turn out so well.
Why should parents turn Blue’s Clues & You on for their kids?
There is so much content for kids today it can be overwhelming sifting through every show trying to find something parents can trust. Blue’s Clues was created in 1996 because there was a lack of quality programming that was based on childhood developmental research. Since its premiere, it has proven time and time again that both parents and kids value and love what the show has to offer. Blue’s Clues has become a cherished childhood memory to generations of kids—many of whom are parents today. Over twenty years later, the show is just as entertaining, lovable and backed with new childhood developmental research. What’s more, parents can now share a piece of their own childhood and how the show helped them to learn and grow with their kids. Sharing experiences like this strengthens your relationship as a family and creates priceless memories like I had with my sister.
You can watch Josh and Blue in this Blue’s Clues & You Silly Town Mix Up Nick Jr. clip below:
Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum, a show for which 9 Story Media Group teamed up with PBS, is based on a book property called Ordinary People Change the World from Brad Metlzer. In the TV series, Xavier Riddle and his pals journey back in time to meet iconic historical figures like Albert Einstein, Rosa Parks and Amelia Earhardt—not as the icons they became, but as kids brimming with the potential that foretold their futures. According to Vince Commisso, the president and CEO of 9 Story Media Group, Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum works because “Xavier, his sister Youdina and their friend Brad are ambassadors for the audience at home. There’s a funny dynamic between the three of them and it gets funnier when they interact with the other characters.” He adds of the entertaining educational series, “All the comedy is driven by the characters.” Commisso talks to TV Kids Weekly about the continued selling power of kids’ comedy and the importance of having character-driven stories like those found in Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum in appealing to children—and parents—of all ages.
This interview was conducted prior to the COVID-19 global pandemic. Media companies are currently shifting their strategies in the wake of production postponements.
TV KIDS: What is the overall demand for kids’ comedy? Does comedy sell better than other genres?
COMMISSO: Kids’ content in general is selling really, really well. There’s a great demand for kids’ comedy from the OTT world and the SVOD world. Of course, there are still major kids’ channels around the world that look for content. And the demand has never been greater than it is today. I actually don’t think you can make any kind of kids’ content these days without there being a comedic element to it. Kids always want to be entertained with a smile, with a giggle. You can engage them through some other ethos—creativity, friendship, family, empathy—but if there’s not a comedic element to it, you won’t succeed.
TV KIDS: What role can comedy play in curriculum-driven/educational content?
COMMISSO: If you think about doing educational content today, you have to actually lead with the entertainment and with the comedy and then deliver the education in that construct because that’s what sticks. If you even think about when you were a child and all of the shows that you watched when you were a kid, the things that resonate with you today are the things that you learned from—the things where you learned life lessons from or some hard data. You wouldn’t have learned them or gotten that unless you were entertained or compelled by the content.
TV KIDS: Are you finding slapstick humor or character-driven humor more popular these days?
COMMISSO: I feel like it’s all character-driven. But when you start talking about ages, you have to deliver the comedy a little bit differently. If you’re dealing with 2 to 5, preschoolers, the comedy has to be gentle, deliver a giggle and maybe a little, What do you think that means? And the answer is, I don’t know! And the audience will laugh, right? And that’s kind of soft, gentle comedy and you can deliver that and it makes the kids smile at that age, makes them laugh. We’re doing Blue’s Clues & You! with Nickelodeon for a very young audience, and so much of the comedy comes from when Josh [Dela Cruz] on screen is looking for something, the clue, and it’s right in front of him and he doesn’t know where it is. The kids are watching and going, It’s right there! He picks it up and goes, Oh it’s right here, nobody told me! And the kids laugh really loud because they know they just told him. You engage them through that entertainment element.
When you get a little older, it becomes more character-driven. You start to get a little bit more into what it’s like for the characters, who like each other, but when they interact with each other, they do things that are unexpected or say things that are unexpected. You start to get comedy that’s a little bit bolder. Then, if you get a little bit older still, it gets to be kind of wise-cracky and slap-sticky. You could have slapstick when you’re younger, but that’s got to be more seasoning than the essence of it. When you’re older, it’s always got to be character-driven [and] you can do a little more, be a little more liberated with the visuals and the extremes of the characters.
TV KIDS: What about live-action comedies versus animated?
COMMISSO: Everything has to deliver comedy for kids, and live-action comedy really is about a link to the characters. That absolutely has to be character-driven. The comedies that work, the shows that have worked in live-action for kids usually have a main character that has two layers—one that’s relatable and one that’s aspirational. Their everyday life is relatable and then they have something about them that is superstar-like or unattainable, but it’s fantasy. We’ve seen plenty of examples of that. That relatable piece has to involve humor, has to connect with other characters in a construct that’s very similar to the audience—like a family construct with a wise-cracking brother.
TV KIDS: Are family-viewing shows with jokes for everyone having a moment?
COMMISSO: What you’re seeing now—because things are available on-demand, so you can get them anytime you want—is [demand for shows] for families to sit and watch together. They used to be driven by schedules, like when we were watching linear television. What was on at 8 o’clock or 9 o’clock that the family could watch together? A lot of that was the reality shows and music shows like American Idol and things like that that everybody could watch together. Now it’s broader because you can watch anything. You can put on whatever compels you to watch as a family. Often that’s a family movie, but sometimes there are series that you can watch with your kids and your family that are for everyone that will go on serialized. We’ll watch one tonight, we’ll watch one tomorrow night. And that, depending on the children’s ages, works really well.
TV KIDS: What do shows need in order to appeal to the whole family?
COMMISSO: You have to have entry points for all of them that they can relate to. You assume that there’s a family watching at home. You generally have to deliver them a family construct and then you have to say, This person is relatable in his or her role inside the family to someone in the audience at home. And then you have to create a conceit around that that’s compelling. Even the early Steven Spielberg movies—E.T., and he did one recently called Super 8—it’s always about kids and families that have become empowered. That movie works for all audiences. We’re seeing more and more content created in that mindset rather than a movie or limited series and even high-end limited series because there’s no bigger win for the platform than to have everybody in a home watching this show.
TV KIDS: What kind of comedy travels best? And what are the potential challenges of translating humor?
COMMISSO: Comedy that travels best tends to be character comedy. When there’s a character that compels you because he or she is funny. SpongeBob is a great example. SpongeBob is a hysterical character who has unbridled optimism. That’s something you can appreciate all over the world. His take on things is simplistic and unique. And he’s very transparent as to what he is and that’s appealing. That’s going to work. The challenges sometimes are either in cultural or dialogue nuances. When you make a joke in a certain language that you have to translate into another language, the joke doesn’t land because of the translation. Or, if you make a joke that is about pop culture or any kind of specific cultural reference, it’s only funny in that culture. Laughter is universal but sometimes comedy isn’t and you have to make sure that your comedy is universal.
It's safe to say that this Easter will be much different than previous years due to the global COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. Instead of barbecues with friends and trips out of town, people are advised to stay at home and indoors to help halt the spread of the virus.
However, for those who work in healthcare, it will be another day at the front line of the emergency, and we can never thank them enough, as they are putting their health - and lives - at risk for the greater good. Thanks also go to their families who patiently endure being without their loved ones.
As a special thank-you, Nickelodeon Italy (Italy) today, World Health Day, gifted a sweet treat to the children and grandchildren of those who have been fighting for us since day one: the doctors, healthcare workers and hospital staff.
Nickelodeon has donated two thousand Balocco Easter Eggs personalised with a surprise from PAW Patrol, Nickelodeon's own pack of rescue pups, to the intensive care departments of seven Italian hospitals involved in the COVID-19 emergency, to help give children a moment of lightheartedness and normality in an uncertain and complicated period like this. After all, we're all #KidsTogether.
The intensive care units in the following hospitals received the eggs sent by Nickelodeon: ASST Cremona (Cr), Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda (Mi), IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele (Mi), Ospedale dei Bambini "Vittore Buzzi" (Mi), Ospedale Fatebenefratelli e Oftalmico (Mi), Ospedale Luigi Sacco (Mi), Ospedale Papa Giovanni XXIII (Bg).
You can watch Nickelodeon's programmes by tuning into Nick Jr. (Sky channel 603), Nickelodeon (Sky channel 605), Super! (digital terrestrial channel 47 and Sky channel 625), and online at nickjr.it, nicktv.it and supertv.it.
CON NICKELODEON LA PASQUA È #LONTANIMAVICINI: DONATE DUEMILA UOVA DI CIOCCOLATO A 7 OSPEDALI ITALIANI
Un dolce pensiero per i figli e nipoti del personale sanitario di terapia intensiva
7 April 2020
Sarà una Pasqua diversa da quelle che abbiamo conosciuto finora, in cui rinunceremo a gite fuori porta e barbecue tra amici per seguire responsabilmente #IoRestoACasa, l'unica arma che abbiamo contro la diffusione del coronavirus.
Per chi lavora nella sanità, sarà un altro giorno in prima linea nell'emergenza e non potremo mai ringraziarli abbastanza per mettere a rischio la loro vita per il bene comune. Un grazie va anche alle loro famiglie che sopportano con pazienza la lontananza e sostengono con amore la loro missione.
Proprio in occasione della Pasqua 2020, gli amici di Nickelodeon hanno pensato di mandare un dolce pensiero ai figli e nipoti di chi dal primo giorno si è battuto per noi, i medici, operatori sanitari e personale ospedaliero, per sentici #LontaniMaVicini.
Duemila Uova di Pasqua Balocco personalizzate con una sorpresa dei PAW Patrol, la squadra dei cuccioli più famosi della televisione, sono state donate ai reparti di terapia intensiva di sette ospedali italiani impegnati nell'emergenza covid-19.
Un gesto che vuole regalare soprattutto ai più piccoli un momento di spensieratezza e di normalità, in un periodo incerto e complicato come questo: #KidsTogether!
I reparti di intensiva che hanno ricevuto le uova mandate da Nickelodeon sono quelli degli ospedali: ASST Cremona (Cr), Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda (Mi), IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele (Mi), Ospedale dei Bambini "Vittore Buzzi" (Mi), Ospedale Fatebenefratelli e Oftalmico (Mi), Ospedale Luigi Sacco (Mi), Ospedale Papa Giovanni XXIII (Bg).
Puoi seguire i programmi targati Nickelodeon sintonizzandoti su NickJr, canale 603 di Sky, Nickelodeon, canale 605 di Sky, Super!, canale 47 del digitale terrestre e 625 di Sky, e online su tutte le piattaforme NickJr, Nickelodeon e Super!.
Coronavirus Milano, 2 mila uova di Pasqua donate a ospedali milanesi
Nickelodeon e NickJr hanno offerto uova di cioccolato ai figli dei medici e degli operatori sanitari dei reparti di terapia intensiva
In questi mesi siamo stati coinvolti in un’emergenza sanitaria nazionale che ha acceso la nostra voglia di ringraziare chi dal primo giorno si è battuto per noi, tutti i medici, operatori sanitari e personale ospedaliero. Consapevole della rilevanza del proprio ruolo sociale, ViacomCbs Networks Italia porta avanti la sua missione utilizzando gli strumenti che gli sono propri per raggiungere le emozioni del suo pubblico grazie alle property di Nickelodeon, Sky 605, e NickJr, Sky 603, tanto conosciute e amate da bambini e ragazzi. Con il calore di un abbraccio virtuale, Nickelodeon, vuole raggiungere i figli/e e nipoti di medici e operatori sanitari che in questo periodo stanno lavorando per far fronte all’emergenza regalando loro un momento di spensieratezza e “normalità” e per far in modo che a Pasqua si possa essere tutti #LontaniMaVicini con i nostri cuori e con le nostre speranze. #Kidstogether è uno dei messaggi che Nickelodeon vuole veicolare in modo che i bambini non si sentano mai soli. È evidente che la tragica emergenza che ha coinvolto il Paese e il mondo intero colpisce profondamente i bambini e che per loro, più che per ogni altro, è difficile comprendere una situazione che non ha precedenti e di cui subiscono le conseguenze. Impossibile non pensare all’imminente festività pasquale, una delle tradizioni di famiglia più sentite.
Proprio per far trascorrere una Pasqua, quanto più “tradizionale”, questa settimana saranno inviate 2 mila uova di Pasqua Balocco, personalizzate con una sorpresa dei Paw Patrol, la squadra dei cuccioli più famosi in tv, a sette ospedali italiani in emergenza da Covid-19. Le uova sono state donate ai reparti di terapia intensiva dei seguenti ospedali: Asst Cremona (Cr), Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda (Mi), Irccs ospedale San Raffaele (Mi), Ospedale dei Bambini “Vittore Buzzi” (Mi), Fatebenefratelli e Oftalmico (Mi), ospedale Luigi Sacco (Mi), ospedale Papa Giovanni XXIII (Bg). Questa iniziativa è parte della campagna pro-social #Alonetogether promossa a livello globale da ViacomCBS International Entertainment & Youth Brands, attraverso i canali MTV, Comedy Central, Paramount Network, Spike, VH1. L’iniziativa promuove messaggi positivi, legati al rispetto delle regole e al valore da dare al tempo trascorso in casa, come spazio per restare in contatto con le altre persone e per riscoprire il legame all’interno delle famiglie.
Da Nickelodeon, tante uova di Pasqua ai figli dei medici
L'iniziativa a supporto delle famiglie in questa Pasqua così difficile
Da Nickelodeon, tante uova di Pasqua ai figli dei medici
L'iniziativa a supporto delle famiglie in questa Pasqua così difficile
1 min
redazioneon by redazioneon10 Aprile 202010 Aprile 2020
Nickelodeon è pronta ad aiutare il personale sanitario in questo momento difficile, portando un po’ di gioia alle loro famiglie con tante uova di Pasqua. Si tratta di un modo per ringraziare chi, fin dai primi giorni dell’emergenza, è stato in prima linea per proteggere la salute di tanti italiani con impegno e abnegazione, aiutando tantissimi cittadini. Per questo motivo ViacomCBS Networks Italia ha dato il via a questa iniziativa, a supporto dei più piccoli.
Pioggia di uova di Pasqua grazie a Nickelodeon
Figli e nipoti degli operatori sanitari che stanno lavorando in questi giorni per fare fronte all’emergenza, riceveranno un piccolo pensiero. Si tratta di un modo per offrire un momento di spensieratezza, che riporti in parte lo spirito di festa, in un momento così particolare. Una piccola ricarica di allegria, per distrarsi da quello che sta succedendo e dare nuova vita alle speranze. Insomma, una via per riuscire a restare #LontaniMaVicini, come recita il claim della campagna.
Grazie a Nickelodeon, circa 2.000 uova di Pasqua arriveranno nei reparti di terapia intensiva di sette ospedali italiani. Si tratta di prodotti Balocco, tutti contenenti una speciale sorpresa dei Paw Patrol, gli amatissimi cuccioli della televisione.
Queste saranno le strutture sanitarie che riceveranno questa ondata di cioccolato. Si tratta di centri situati nei territori lombardi, più colpiti al momento dal contagio:
ASST Cremona (CR)
Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda (MI)
IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele (MI)
Ospedale dei Bambini “Vittore Buzzi” (MI)
Ospedale Fatebenefratelli e Oftalmico (MI)
Ospedale Luigi Sacco (MI)
Ospedale Papa Giovanni XXIII (BG)
Nickelodeon lancia #KidsTogether per i bambini di medici e operatori sanitari
In questi giorni così particolari per fortuna sono molte le belle notizie che hanno come protagonista la solidarietà. Anche Nickelodeon ha deciso di fare la sua parte con un’iniziativa dedicata ai bambini.
Lo slogan è #KidsTogether e riguarda in particolare i bambini (figli e nipoti) dei medici e degli operatori sanitari dei reparti di terapie intensiva. Questi bambini sono infatti costretti a vivere un momento di incertezza molto forte, dovuto proprio alla presenza di un familiare in ospedale.
Ecco perché Nickelodeon ha ideato una bella iniziativa in linea con le imminenti festività pasquali. Proprio per far trascorrere una Pasqua, quanto più “tradizionale”, questa settimana saranno inviate 2.000 Uova di Pasqua Balocco, personalizzate con una sorpresa dei PAW Patrol, la squadra dei cuccioli più famosi in tv, a 7 ospedali italiani in emergenza da Covid-19.
Le uova sono state donate ai reparti di terapia intensiva dei seguenti ospedali:
ASST Cremona (Cr),
Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda (Mi),
IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele (Mi),
Ospedale dei Bambini “Vittore Buzzi” (Mi),
Ospedale Fatebenefratelli e Oftalmico (Mi),
Ospedale Luigi Sacco (Mi),
Ospedale Papa Giovanni XXIII (Bg).
L’iniziativa di Nickelodeon ha scelto di toccare le realtà più colpite dal Covid-19, quelle dunque sparse su tutto il territorio lombardo.
Un abbraccio virtuale simbolico, con cui Nickelodeon, vuole raggiungere chi sta lavorando per far fronte all’emergenza regalando loro un momento di spensieratezza e “normalità” e per far sì che a Pasqua si possa essere tutti #LontaniMaVicini con i nostri cuori e con le nostre speranze.
Nonostante i dati positivi a oggi l’emergenza resta e siamo sempre chiamati a prestare massima cautela e rispetto. Per il prossimo e per noi stessi. L’impegno di Nickelodeon ci ricorda quanto sia importante il rispetto e l’attenzione per il prossimo senza dimenticare l’umanità.
