NICKELODEON AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND TO MAKE ROOM FOR THE CASAGRANDES
New Series Follows Adventures of a Multigenerational Mexican-American Family
in Spinoff of the Emmy Award-Winning The Loud House
Share it: @nickelodeonaustralia @thecasagrandes
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 4th May 2020 at 4:30pm (AEDT) on Nickelodeon Australia and New Zealand! Following launch, new episodes of The Casagrandes will continue to air regularly on the Nickelodeon channels in Australia and New Zealand.
The hunt is on to find America’s Most Musical Family! Nickelodeon Benelux will premiere Nickelodeon’s brand new music competition series on Saturday 9th May 2020 at 19:30 uur on Nickelodeon Netherlands (Nederland). The show is also expected to air on Nickelodeon Flanders (Vlaanderen), however, it is currently unknown whether the series will also air on Nickelodeon Wallonia (Wallonie). Following its debut, new episodes of America’s Most Musical Family will continue to regularly on Nickelodeon. The series is locally titled Amerika's Meest Muzikale Familie in the Netherlands.
Hosted by Nick Lachey, this one-of-a-kind series invites 30 of America’s most musical families to battle it out on stage for the chance to win a $250,000 cash prize and a recording contract with Republic Records.
Grammy Award-winning global superstar Ciara, who also acts as executive producer of the series, digital media sensation David Dobrik and singer-songwriter, record producer and actress Debbie Gibson, make up the shows all-star judging panel with the power to make one family’s musical dreams come true.
Over the course of 12 hour-long episodes, and one half-hour special, a wide variety of talented and diverse families of two or more relatives who perform together, ranging from a father/daughter duo, sibling groups and a 12-member multigenerational brass ensemble, will attempt to wow the judges with their musical renditions in hopes of being crowed America’s Most Musical Family!
promo desaficio familiar musica a todo volumen 7 de febrero en nickelodeon
The families that will be battling it for the ultimate prize are:
The Harris Brothers from Chicago, Illinois
The Smith Kids from Nashville, Tennessee
Christiansen from Los Angeles, California
Lucero Garcia from Chicago, Illinois
Mathis Family from Jonesboro, Arkansas
The Next Generation Leahy from Ontario, Canada
The Casey Family from Avon, Connecticut
The Brown - Alexander Family from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The Maughon Siblings from Kernersville, North Carolina
The Keller Family from Jasper County, Mississippi
The Heichel Sisters from Lexington, Ohio
The Schwenke Family from West Hollywood, California
Rivera Duo from Los Angeles, California
Family Prōch from Willow City, Texas
The Bomparts from Fort Lauderdale, Florida
The Juat Sibs from Rancho Santa Margarita, California
WanMor from South Jersey, New Jersey
The Mitchells from San Jacinto, California
The Rees Family from Nashville, Tennessee
Juna N Joey from West Palm Beach, Florida
Ava & Lily from Prince Edward Island, Canada
The McCormick Family from Phoenix, Arizona
The Melisizwe Brothers from Leduc, Canada
The Dutton Family from Brandon, Missouri
The Harris 3 from Cape Coral, Florida
The Schultz Family from Kalamazoo, Michigan
The Hope Brothers from Hiram, Georgia
The Sanchez Family from Las Vegas, Nevada
The Tonga Family Oahu, Hawaii
The Johnson Family from Valdosta, Georgia
Fans can visit nickelodeon.nl and nickelodeon.be to find out more about their favourite Nickelodeon shows as well as watch videos, view pictures and play games. Fans can also Like the official Nickelodeon Facebook pages (NL | BE), follow Nickelodeon on Instagram and subscribe to the official Nickelodeon Nederlands YouTube channel for the latest Nick news, highlights, video clips and more.
In additional news, Nickelodeon has relaunched their official Benelux websites with a fresh new design! As part of the redesign, both Nickelodeon Nederlands and Nickelodeon Belgium's (België) - nickelodeon.nl and nickelodeon.be - have been combined into one website, nickelodeon.nl (Nickelodeon Nederland & België). Based on the current nick.com design, the new website doesn't feature any online games, with games being moved onto the Nickelodeon Play app.
Originally published: Sunday, April 26, 2020.
H/T: Anime Superhero Forum /@Lkoui.Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon Benelux and America's Most Musical Family News and Highlights!
When Nickelodeon announced that they were rebooting the network's iconic '90s TV show All That, it was certainly a dream come true. Yep, not only is the hilarious sketch show back and better than ever with an all-new cast, some of the OG stars — including Lori Beth Denberg, Josh Server and Kel Mitchell — have made appearances in the revival!
J-14: Can you share any fun behind-the-scenes stories or secrets from on set?
Aria Brooks: Something you may not know is that we film an episode a week and the script changes nearly every day. It changes Monday through Wednesday because they may think of something even funnier. Sometimes we may get a new script the same day and have to film.
Chinguun Sergelen: Something funny that happened on set was that when we were shooting a sketch, I bent down and my pants ripped so I had to change them!
Gabrielle Nevaeh Green: The funniest behind-the-scenes story that comes to mind is the first time I was shooting “Coffee, Coffee, Coffee.” The scene required that I chugged a bag full of “coffee beans.” We had rehearsed it a couple of times and couldn’t get the right kind of bean to flow out of the bag to cover my face. In our network run through the props department had made an adjustment to the opening of the bag to make it easier to cover my face, but when it was time for the part in the scene I didn’t realize how large the opening was and I gave it a big tug and the chocolate sprinkles actually went up my nose and I was blowing out chocolate all night.
Kate Godfrey: A fun behind-the-scenes secret is that we all do school together on set! There are two classrooms and there are four of us in each room. We have so much fun “doing school.” It’s one of my favorite parts of the day!
Lex Lumpkin: Chinguun ripped his pants during an actual shoot. We were in the middle of the scene and Chin yells “cut!” It was hilarious.
Nathan Janak: Here’s a funny behind-the-scenes story that happened one time while we were filming a “Canceled” segment in front of our live studio audience. In the sketch I had to eat a piece of chocolate from those little heart shaped boxes of candy. To paint the picture, I’m sitting there in my hot tub (which is actually really warm!) and I lean towards my side to pick up a piece of chocolate and eat it… Let’s just say warm watery hot tub hands don’t mix well with chocolate and the chocolate begins to melt into my hand as I eat it. Then, I notice that my hand is now smothered in melted chocolate, so I try to rub it off but the only thing to rub it off on was a fake plant prop located in the background. So, then I began to wipe my hand off of the fake leaf and then suddenly the leaf detaches from the stem and flies downwards. It surprised me and the audience as well, I had to try to contain myself from breaking character!
Reece Caddell: One of the things I love about All That is we have a lot of sketches with animals! We filmed a “Detective Dan” sketch with Josh Server recently and we had a cat on set. Our amazing art department had printed all these posters and pictures and stuff of this cat to be in the sketch — I mean, they were all over the place! Then the day before we shot it, that cat was fired. There was a lot going on in the sketch and the cat was kinda grumpy. So, they brought in another cat who was super chill. But the art team had to reprint every single photo of the first cat in just a few hours! Kate Godfrey, who plays Detective Ann, and I were all like, “You can fire a cat?!” Turns out, yes.
Ryan Alessi: When I’m in a sketch with Chinguun, it is difficult to get through the scene without laughing. We know each other very well, and I know what makes him break. Some of my favorite moments have been when the cameras capture the outtakes.
J-14: Are you guys close in real life? Do you guys get along when cameras stop rolling?
Aria: We are all really close. We go to each other houses and go out to eat after shows. When we are not working we’re probably calling each other or sending memes in our group chat.
Chinguun: We all get along and get together during hiatus, after being on set and even during the weekends. We all love each other.
Gabrielle: I remember the first time we all met, it was sort of weird because we all just started hugging each other and laughing as if we had known each other forever. We love to hang out together, sometimes we go to grab a bite to eat after our live shows or we meet up to hang out for a little bowling or anything fun.
Kate: We are all extremely close. We are always hanging out on the weekends, in between filming, and really just all the time! I am so lucky to be on All That with not only seven talented cast members, but seven extremely kind cast members.
Lex: Yes, we are friends outside of the show as well. We like to hang out and have done so by celebrating birthdays together, going to the movie and Chinguun my brother and I even went indoor sky diving!
Nathan: I would have to say that we are super close in real life. Not an hour goes by without all of us laughing and joking around together, onset and offset too! We all hangout outside of the show to get dinner, to watch a movie, and even to the beach!
Reece: One of the best parts of being on a show with a big ensemble cast like ours is that you have a built-in group of friends who get your crazy life! We have two classrooms on the set and it’s super fun to have some “classmates” too. We get together after our live audience shows to grab dinner and just hang out. It’s always super fun! We’re all really close and we FaceTime when we’re away from set and we have a group chat where we send memes and TikToks to each other.
Ryan: We are extremely close outside of the show. For my 15th birthday, several cast members joined me in Malibu for a couple of days. We rented a house on the ocean, stayed up late, and played video games until the early morning.
J-14: What’s your all-time favorite skit you have ever performed?
Aria: My all-time favorite sketch is “Tashleigh.” Ryan does so great in that role and it is so much fun to play that “valley girl” character.
Chinguun: My favorite all-time sketch we have filmed is “Simplicity.” It’s so much fun with Ryan. Also, Clumsy Kevin is my favorite character.
Gabrielle: There have been so many sketches on the show that I had a blast shooting, but my number one would probably be the “Coffee, Coffee, Coffee” sketch that I did with Tyga! Getting to work with him was an absolute dream come true! Tyga was so much fun to work with. At lot of what you see in the sketch was actually improvised by me and Nathan! We just decided, hey, we have a cool celebrity guest with us this week, so let’s have a little fun! My second favorite sketch would have to be the “Beyoncé and Coach Kreeton” collaboration! The contrast of the super cool Beyoncé and the very cranky accident-prone Coach Kreeton was so fun to shoot. Kel gives 200% in whatever he is doing, so it’s always so much fun getting to interact with him and bounce off of his energy while trying not to break character.
Kate: The most memorable sketch I have ever filmed would have to be “Cake Clash.” It was a really fun sketch because Chinguun made us all break character. He was so funny. In the sketch he takes off his shoe, and when he did that, his sock had a hole in it. I don’t know why we all thought that was so funny, but none of us could keep it together. And to top it off, I got to eat a bunch of gourmet cake over and over again.
Lex: My favorite would have to be “Denzel Training Day!”
Nathan: I have to say that I absolutely love every single sketch on our show. It’s really tough to have to pick a favorite, but I have to choose the “Babies Who Brunch” sketch. Where Reece and I are these boujee valley girl babies who just can’t get enough of the gossip, while Chinguun plays your favorite wacky ordinary baby. There are so many fun things that happen in the sketch, like we get to throw props, and bounce around in baby bouncers! It’s just an all-around fun sketch to film!
Reece: Oh my gosh — there have been so many fun characters! I love Vital Information because it is just such a fun kind of humor. And I really love the “Babies Who Brunch” sketches. A recent one had Nathan (Tambourine) and I discussing baby skincare (drool is key) while Chinguun (Andrew) ate dirt. It’s always a really fun time!
Ryan: My favorite sketch to film was “Trampolini’s” because of my Italian grandmother. I first learned how to do accents by listening to her, and “Trampolini’s” was my journey coming full circle.
J-14: Did you watch the original show when you were younger?
Aria: I had heard of All That but I never watched it when I was younger. I did watch the Good Burger movie, though.
Chinguun: I didn’t watch the show when I was younger but I did watch the Good Burger movie, and loved it so much.
Gabrielle: I watched reruns of the original show and immediately fell in love with it. Some of my top favorites were “Good Burger,” “Super Dude” and “Pierre Escargot!” I completely became obsessed with the Good Burger movie, it’s so iconic.
Kate: The show had just ended a few years after I was born, so I didn’t get to grow up with it. My older siblings all loved All That, it was their childhood show. So, through the years I had heard of all its greatness! Little did I know what the future held!
Lex: No. The show was not on when I was born but I have watched the spin off movie Good Burger.
Nathan: Being born in 2005, the year All That wrapped, I unfortunately did not get to grow up watching the amazing OG All That! But, for our auditions for the show, they told us it was recommended that we watch some clips and episodes of the original All That, so we did! I absolutely loved it and wished that I had a show like that when I was super young.
Reece: I had seen some of the memes and clips of sketches, but I didn’t watch it until I was in the audition process. And then I watched a bunch of episodes in a row and started to really understand some of the magic of the show. And I was like, “Please, oh please, oh please, oh please let me get to be on this amazing show!”
Ryan: I didn’t watch All That when I was growing up because I was too young. But, when I found out I was auditioning for the reboot I sat down and binge watched the show from the beginning.
J-14: Did you feel any pressure joining the reboot of such an iconic series?
Aria: I did feel a little pressure because this is my first series regular role. It was a new experience and I was like the underdog in so many ways, but the cast helped me out and got me acclimated to everything.
Chinguun: I feel a little bit of pressure just because when it was on, it was so popular. Like Chance the Rapper watches the show. I love Chance the Rapper!
Gabrielle: I absolutely feel the pressure of joining such an iconic series. I always want to make sure I represent the show in the best possible way. I make sure I put the work in, doing my research for my characters, being prepared and constantly working to be better and better at my craft. I know we have a big fan following of those that grew up on the show and our new generation of fans, I want to make sure I am using my platform to impact our viewers in a positive way! It is a big responsibility to carry the torch.
Kate: I definitely felt some pressure joining such an iconic series. We had some big shoes to fill. I think what really helped me through all that initial pressure was the original cast themselves. They were so welcoming and supportive. I look up to all of them.
Lex: Yes and No. It was a bit nerve wracking being on my first TV show with such big shoes to fill. Especially one that had already been established and loved by loyal fans all over. No because the OG’s have been there with us from the start, giving us tips and making us feel welcomed.
Nathan: Saying that we felt pressure joining the reboot of All That is a huge understatement. Collectively as a cast, we all took on this responsibility to fulfill the legacy that the original cast members painted over 25 years ago! Our goal from the start was to carry out that legacy and elevate it from iconic level — one million to iconic level — one billion!
Reece: Heck yeah! It’s one thing to attract a fan base for the reboot of the show and all the neat ways it’s relevant in today’s pop culture, but it’s a whole other thing to honor the fans of the original show and the legacy the original cast created. Honestly, it’s a really delicate balance and I think our writers and producers have done such a great job of tying the old and the new together.
Ryan: I definitely felt pressure joining the reboot, because we had such big shoes to fill.
J-14: I know OG stars Kenan and Kel are producing the show, what’s it like working with them?
Aria: I have not gotten the chance to meet Kenan yet, but Kel has come a few times. He is so nice and fun to watch. He takes work seriously but still finds times to joke with us, which is pretty easy since joking is our job.
Chinguun: Working with Kenan and Kel is amazing. They both are super cool, nice and so funny. They are all-around amazing people.
Gabrielle: Working with Kenan and Kel is a dream come true. I have learned so much from both of them, they are shining examples of extraordinary comedians and great people with kind hearts. Kenan and Kel have been the greatest coaches, mentors and the best “funcles” (fun uncle). Both Kenan and Kel welcomed us with open arms and told us to always remember the show does not make us special, we were born special.
Kate: Kenan and Kel are amazing! They are Nickelodeon royalty. I am so honored to be able to work with them. They could make a rock laugh!
Lex: They both are such great role models and they want to see us win. It’s amazing being able to work with them and learn from them.
Nathan: Words cannot describe how cool it is to be working with Kenan and Kel on All That! They are extremely funny and kind people who we all look up to. I mean this is Kenan and Kel! Whenever we are in a sketch with them its super hard to keep a straight face. Kenan and Kel constantly come up with something new every single take and it truly takes you by surprise and makes you laugh out loud.
Reece: We met Kel before we ever started shooting and he was extraordinarily encouraging to us, welcoming us to the show. We got to meet Kenan for the first time at our Today Show appearance and he couldn’t stop grinning at us — it was so awesome, and we felt like we were gonna do okay!
Ryan: Kenan and Kel are amazing and extremely supportive. They have given me numerous acting tips, and personal advice to help me navigate through the industry.
J-14: I also know Lori and Josh appear in various sketches, what is it like working with them?
Aria: They are all so sweet. They were once in our shoes, so they help us out a lot. I’ve been in sketches with both of them and they just radiate great energy overall.
Chinguun: Working with Lori and Josh is so cool. When I was watching All That I loved loud librarian and ear boy. I think those are super-duper funny.
Gabrielle: Loud Librarian was also one of my favorites and one of the characters that I was drawn to. I was so excited to actually work with Lori and be in the same sketch was unbelievable. Lori and Josh were great helping us all get settled in the show, giving advice when we need, they really are like a big brother and sister to the cast.
Kate: Lori and Josh are also amazing! They give the best advice and always make me crack up on set.
Lex: It’s cool to see how the OG’s bring their particular style of funny. Each castmate (old and new) have had different backgrounds and trainings which I believe adds layers of skill to the show.
Nathan: Let’s just say it’s hard to keep a straight face whenever we’re around Lori and Josh. Whenever Lori whips out her Loud Librarian character I just lose it, and whenever Josh does his classic Detective Dan character I truly roll on the floor laughing. Even off-set I have some great laughs with them too! The original cast has been so extremely welcoming and amazingly nice to hang with at crafty, and work with on set!
Reece: Any time any of the legacy cast are on set, it is this crazy feeling of wanting them to be proud of us and then them loving us and encouraging us. Sketch is such a specific kind of comedy and being able to watch Lori and Josh just go for it and be so brave about their choices is amazing.
Ryan: Lori and Josh are insanely talented, and incredibly funny. They have been helpful, kind, and it’s been a pleasure working with the both of them.
‘All That’ Cast Members Kate Godfrey & Aria Brooks Spill On Set Secrets
Get ready, people, because Nickelodeon‘s All That is almost back! The latest episode is set to premiere on Saturday, January 18 and, according to the cast, it’s filled with hilarious new sketches.
J-14 got a chance to sit down with Kate Godfrey and Aria Brooks from the show (which also stars Ryan Alessi, Reece Caddell, Gabrielle Nevaeh Green, Nathan Janak, Lex Lumpkin and Chinguun Sergelen) exclusively about the show and they spilled a lot of on set secrets! They also opened up about their audition process and experience being a part of the iconic series’ reboot.
J-14: What was the audition process like for ‘All That?’ How did you land the role?
Kate Godfrey: The audition process was pretty long. I auditioned seven times, I believe. I know some of my other cast members auditioned eight or nine times. The first one I did two characters — grandma and a sports lady — and then they kept calling me back and calling me back, it was super fun and obviously nerve wracking because you don’t know what’s going to happen. Then my final audition was called “The Test” and that was pretty nerve wracking too, just because it’s called a “test” and I did that audition.
Aria Brooks: I only had three auditions. When I first got it, I had to do a self-tape and I came up with sketches. I had to come up with three or four sketch characters and I had to prepare a scene. For my callback, I had to do the same thing. So, I did my characters for them that I came up with myself and the same thing for “The Test.” The auditions were pretty consistent, I did the same thing for each of them. That did make it a lot easier because it got better every time.
J-14: What does it feel like knowing people have been loving the reboot so much?
Kate: I just love to act, it’s like my sport. So the fact that people watch it and tune in every Saturday is really special to me.
Aria: It feels really good. I’m really glad that I got to join [the cast] and be a part of these next episodes. It’s crazy because my parents and my family members watched All That growing up, so now I get to be a part of it. It’s just an honor, I’m really excited.
J-14: Do you feel any pressure starring in a reboot of such an iconic show?
Kate: We definitely had some big shoes to fill because it’s just so loved and iconic. The original cast members were so welcoming, and kind. They were so helpful, it made it a lot easier.
Aria: Not a whole lot of pressure. I don’t even think that it’s the fact that it’s a reboot, although that is kind of hard because I want people from the old audience and the new audience. I want everyone to like the show. I think a lot of the pressure just comes from just knowing I’m the youngest one, the shortest one, I’m completely different from everyone else and I’m coming in with not as much training.
J-14: What has been your favorite sketch?
Kate: It’s really hard to pick my favorite sketch because they’re all very fun to do, but I really like “Marie Kiddo” because I get to smash and actually break things which is really fun. I like doing “Brie Back From The Dentist” because she’s super messy and I get to get covered in pudding. I get to do very messy things. It’s fun, especially when other people clean you up.
Aria: My all-time favorite sketch is the “Babies Who_____.” It’s different every time. That’s one of my favorite sketches and it just gets better and better every time.
J-14: Have you ever had any sketch ideas of your own that they used in the show?
Kate: The first ever meeting we did with the writers, we told them a few sketch ideas we had and then a few characters that we already developed. For my audition I did a grandma and then they put that in a music video. For our first cast and group meeting we did a music video and I played my grandma that I did in the audition.
Aria: Since we do have more weeks to come there are some characters that will be used a little later on, but one of my characters that I used in my audition did get to go into a sketch and I was really excited about that one. I’m really excited for people to see it.
J-14: Can you spill any behind-the-scene secrets or stories from the All That set?
Kate: One secret that’s not really portrayed in the show is that Nathan [Janak] carries an orange. Nobody really knows why, but in the ‘90s Josh Server used to carry an apple during the musical guest performances, so in the reboot, Nathan carries an orange.
Aria: These little 30 second to one-and-half minute sketches take all day to film. There’s so many moving parts, so they take all day for one sketch. They turn out really well because all the time we put into it. It’s worth it. They produce something really great. That’s one secret that you may not know, that it takes us five hours for one sketch, it’s crazy.
J-14: Are you close to your cast mates when the cameras stop rolling?
Kate: We’re so close, we never stop hanging out with each other. We just went on break for New Year’s and we were literally facetiming every day, we’re always texting. We’re all pretty much best friends.
Aria: We’re all really close friends and we all spent time with each other outside of the show and outside of rehearsals as well. [I loved] getting to know everyone and knowing how different everyone is and how diverse we all are.
J-14: What’s your favorite memory from working on the show?
Kate: When we were first announced as a cast and we were on the TODAY Show. It was fun to be with all my new friends and doing something so momentous in my life.
Aria: One time I went over to [Reece Caddell’s] house. When I first got [on set] I was getting to know everyone so they invited me over to their house. We had dinner together and they had some of the best lasagna that I think I’ve ever had in my life.
J-14: You’ve worked with a few of the original All That stars. What was that like?
Kate: It’s so cool because throughout the audition process we had to watch All That sketches. By the time I got the job I knew every single sketch, I basically had them all memorized and so just to see them, they’re iconic. Kel [Mitchell], Lori Beth [Denberg], Kenan Thompson and Josh Server, they’re really nice and very talented people.
Aria: It was like a mixture of different emotions. First it was crazy because even though I didn’t watch All That when I was younger, I knew some of their other projects. To be there with them was crazy. Meeting Kel, Lori Beth, Josh Server, everyone’s been so nice.
J-14: If you could work with any one of the original ‘All That’ cast members that you haven’t yet, who would it be?
Kate: I hope that Amanda Bynes comes back because I loved watching her in all her sketches. That would be the top of my list.
Aria: It would probably have to be Kenan Thompson because everyone’s met him, and I really want to meet him. He’s actually from my home city and we went to the same ensemble. So, I really want to meet him and get to know him like everyone else did.
J-14: Are there any guest stars or musical guests you really want to be on the show?
Kate: I really like Taylor Swift, so I think Taylor or Ariana [Grande]. That would be very cool.
Aria: I would definitely want Zendaya to come and be a musical guest because she’s my favorite singer. Also, Melanie Martinez because I listen to her all the time and I love her music. It I was in a sketch with Melanie Martinez I would freak out, definitely, I would really want them to be in a sketch with me. That would be awesome.
HOW VIACOMCBS IS CONNECTING TO FANS DURING THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS
‘Sonic The Hedgehog’ goes on-demand early and ‘The Daily Social Distancing Show with Trevor Noah’ moves from digital to linear.
The coronavirus has caused a radical shift in how—and how much—content is consumed around the globe. With millions of people forgoing typical social activities, there’s been an increased demand for options that can offer on-demand information and entertainment. Behind the camera, news crews are working amid unprecedented conditions to deliver constant updates, and late night shows known for slick in-studio productions are now finding creative ways to give fans daily boosts.
ViacomCBS also partnered with the Ad Council and the U.S. government on a PSA campaign that encourages social distancing. Starting last week, the #AloneTogether campaign aired on linear television spots and via paid social media. Talent from across the brand portfolio, including Trevor Noah and David Spade, as well as accounts from shows like Siesta Key and Lip Sync Battle, participated in the campaign.
Here’s a look at how the brands at ViacomCBS are finding creative ways to keep audiences entertained and informed:
Bellator
Bellator fighter Cris Cyborg is offering daily quarantine workouts on YouTube as gyms and studios around the world are closed in order to lessen the spread of COVID-19. The daily workouts—which launched in partnership with the ViacomCBS #AloneTogether campaign—will be live on Cyborg’s channel beginning at 10 a.m. PST every Monday through Friday and they will be saved for users to watch at any time.
CBS All Access
On March 23, CBS All Access announced it would offer 30-day free trials to new customers, just ahead of the finale of Star Trek: Picard.
“That is the heart of Star Trek, how to become more human,” Stewart says in the clip. The month-long trial is redeemable until April 23 by using the code “GIFT” when signing up.
CBS News
The CBS News division has continued to deliver round-the-clock coverage on-air and online despite several staffers testing positive for the virus. In the last weeks, a smaller than normal staff has produced CBS Sunday Morning and 60 Minutes. Affiliates from Boston and San Francisco are helping CBSN, the streaming network, with additional space and resources. CBS News Radio moved its technical base from New York to Washington. And, the local CBS news channel in New York has led with anchors from Los Angeles and San Francisco.
CBS This Morning moved its studio location several times last week, relocating temporarily to the the DC studio of CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell since its normal West 57th Street studio had to close. Last Thursday it broadcast from the Ed Sullivan theater, the usual home of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. “I couldn’t even promise [the anchors] teleprompters at first,” producer Diana Miller told Variety. “They’re so flexible. It’s so clear that they want to be on the air. They’re incredibly resilient, positive and curious. They are the face of the operation and they are good at keeping us all calm.”
CBS Television Studios
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert stopped filming with a live audience on March 12 and in the days following, the show shut down in-studio production, but ramped up production remotely.
The Late Show recorded new monologues March 16-18 from Colbert’s home, which were edited into scheduled repeats of The Late Show. They aired on online and on CBS. Of note were the locations he chose: on March 16, Colbert delivered his monologue from his bathtub; on the 17th, he sat beside a fire in his backyard; and on Wednesday, March 18, he greeted viewers from his front porch.
The Late Late Show With James Corden will air a primetime special on March 30 at 10 p.m. EST on CBS in the wake of COVID-19.
Corden will host the show, titledHomefest: James Corden’s Late Late Show Special from his garage and feature special guests via webcam, like Will Ferrel and David Blaine. There will also be special music performances from BTS, Billie Eilish with Finneas, Dua Lipa, Andrea Bocelli, John Legend, and more.
Since The Daily Show stopped filming last week, host Trevor Noah has been filming digital segments and monologues from his couch and guests have appeared via video chat. The digital version of the late night talk show, labeledThe Daily Social Distancing Show with Trevor Noah, which began streaming via online and social channels on March 18 will air on linear beginning Monday, March 23. The online episodes were an immediate hit—earning recognition for the production value and amassing more than 3 million viewers on YouTube within the first day of release.
Noah’s also created educational messages related to the coronavirus for the ViacomCBS’ #AloneTogether PSA campaign, as well as for the Mayor’s Office of NYC. On The Daily ShowYouTube page, viewers can donate to No Kid Hungry via a simple button. The show’s fundraising feature has already helped raise more than $140,000 toward the organization.
To encourage music lovers to practice self-quarantine, MTV brought back its classic show Unplugged. The first installment featured an at-home unplugged performance from Wyclef Jean. The series is available to stream on YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram. Additional artists will be announced soon.
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon launched its summer schedule a few months early. The scheduled programming is designed for school-age children. The network is also airing two new animated shows on a daily basis: The Casagrandes, a spin-off of its popular show The Loud House, and It’s Pony, a British cartoon. Audiences have also been able to watch marathons of shows like SpongeBob SquarePants, PAW Patrol, and Henry Danger.
To help inform parents and children about the pandemic, the network has launched a special website called NickHelps.com, which features informational short-form content about COVID-19 for children and downloadable activities. Children can receive hand washing tips from the Bubble Guppies or learn about social distancing from SpongeBob.
Paramount Pictures announced last Friday that the family-friendly flick Sonic The Hedgehog, based on the Sega video game character, would be available on-demand on March 31.
As many schools have announced weeks-long closures, Simon & Schuster issued a temporary policy whereby teachers and booksellers can read its children’s books aloud to classes and customers over streaming platforms.
The publisher has also given authors information about making the most of their social media accounts during coronavirus and pledged to double its annual contribution to the Book Industry Charitable Foundation, which helps booksellers in need.
To give people a breather from their new day-to-day, the network is also offering bi-weekly yoga class from Julie Montagu on Facebook Live at 2 p.m. EST on Mondays and Fridays. The brand also has a #CutenessBreak Twitter thread featuring its vast library of cute animal content on one mega-thread, as well as new weekly #MondayMotivation Twitter campaign, in which fans can get a personalized, hand-drawn illustration of a motivation or mantra to add to their vision board.
As part of the #AloneTogether campaign, the network is also participating in Facebook Watch parties every Tuesday and Thursday from 4 to 6 p.m. EST, featuring a back-to-back watch party of two Aerial America episodes together that engage fans with state-by-state trivia.
More from the ViacomCBS Newsroom:
YOUTH IN POWER: MARKETING TO GEN Z AUDIENCES DURING THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS
“Reaching young people is such an important part of this. We know how strong their voices are.”
Millennials and Gen Z for the most part have been raised on the internet with information readily available at their fingertips. Now, with the coronavirus crisis unfolding around the world, they’re scrolling through their feeds looking for brands who are making a social impact, not serving them ads for sandals or sunglasses.
Young people ages 13-24 care about brands that care—85% agree “brands or companies who participate in social issues earn my respect” and 85% say “it’s important for brands and companies to play a bigger role in social issues today,” according to ViacomCBS Global Consumer Insights’ 2020 “Youth Decoded” study. With that information, brands are beginning to market less to consumers at this difficult time and prioritize creating resources and providing sources of entertainment.
“We see unique campaigns that have been very quickly pulled together to address the concerns and the needs of young consumers, and some brands are doing that in really creative ways. With young consumers stuck at home, obviously, there’s a desire for connection,” says MaryLeigh Bliss, VP of content for YPulse, a youth market research company. Bliss noted campaigns like Chipotle’s digital lunch parties labeled “Chipotle Together,” or how Netflix is carrying films that won’t be released in theaters due to government shutdowns of movie theaters, like Paramount Pictures’ The Lovebirds, which was originally slated for a theatrical release on April 2.
“There’s a lot of content being provided, as well as campaigns, that are really aimed at connecting young consumers when they’re feeling very isolated,” she added.
ViacomCBS is working around production hiatuses with unique digital content and linear marathons. The company also launched a PSA titled #AloneTogether in partnership with the Ad Council, which is airing across linear and digital and features messages from company talent like Trevor Noah and Pauly D. Nickelodeon launched its own version centered on children, titled #KidsTogether, which features content from its characters teaching kids how to socially distance and wash their hands properly.
“In these moments of uncertainty, we truly get to see the power of our brands, platforms, and reach in keeping our communities informed, entertained, and connected,” said Crystal Barnes, SVP of corporate social responsibility and environmental, social, and governance strategy and reporting at ViacomCBS. “Reaching young people is such an important part of this. We know how strong their voices are. And as we try to stop the spread of COVID-19, our social and talent-led public service campaign, #AloneTogether, is just one of the ways we’re engaging them.”
Marketing During Crisis
“People don’t want to be marketed to. That’s not a generational thing,” says 20-year-old Madison Bregman, founder of GirlZ, a Gen Z marketing company which serves clients like the NFL, Chipotle, Big Lots, and Taco Bell.
“Now is a great time for brands to be sort of trying stuff and putting out content because a lot of us are spending more time than ever watching Netflix and watching YouTube,” she says. “If you can put out a great story, then your brand will be okay.”
Bregman said that there’s a lot of information circulating right now and for brands, it’s important to be forthright with information, but not overbearing. The problem, she adds, is that there is so much news and it’s constant. Lighthearted content and entertainment that will keep people occupied is what many people are after right now, she says.
Bliss learned from ongoing research that young consumers continually look to brands for comfort, mainly through content. “They intentionally use content to treat their moods, their feelings. And this has really, as a crisis, has amplified that behavior for sure,” she says.
For Ziad Ahmed, a fellow member of Gen Z who runs his own Gen Z marketing business, JUV Consulting, it goes back to the idea that brands should take a stance. He says young people want to see brands acting like humans rather than corporations. About 56% of those 18 and up said they are pleased to hear about brands taking actions like donating goods and services, according to research by the 4As on March 18 and 40% they want to hear what brands are doing in response to COVID-19.
“People want to see brands just doing the right thing, like companies offering free internet and free video conferencing, and companies implementing full paid sick leave if they haven’t already,” he says.
Focusing on Mental Health
According to Bliss, preliminary YPulse research has shown an enormous shift in young people’s attitude toward mental health in the wake of COVID-19. Two weeks ago, 33% of those ages 13-39 felt anxious about the coronavirus crisis—and one week later, the percentage had jumped to 51%. Overall, 93% of young people surveyed said they were impacted in some way by COVID-19.
These unprecedented responses have led brands to respond by placing a focus on mental health resources and support. Social media channels like Snapchat. Twitter, and Instagram have implemented tools, information, and support to navigate the situation. Social media mental well-being is important for young people especially, as it’s where they are finding most of their news and how they keep informed, according to Bliss.
For MTV News, which reaches an audience made up of millennials and Gen Z, the organization was sure to create content and address concerns surrounding mental health that was now amplified in the wake of the crisis.
“We have a lot of stories coming up in which young people are telling us how they’re feeling about their mental health, how they’re trying to be proactive in this moment. MTV News is distilling all the resources together in one place to help them figure out what the best tools are for them so that they can navigate this new normal together,” says Ella Cerón, director of social impact for MTV News.
Ahmed, who left his junior year at Yale to return to his parents’ home in New Jersey, says many college students aren’t privileged enough to be in a situation like his and this is an incredibly stressful time for them.
“This is an unprecedented moment in terms of our economy, our healthcare, our mental health, our academics. The infrastructure that young people have been accustomed to in terms of going to school every day, seeing our friends, planning for the next thing is gone. We don’t know if we can plan for anything. We don’t know what tomorrow looks like.,” Ahmed said. “For many of us, this is a very confusing and fraught moment in our lives.”
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ViacomCBS’s #AloneTogether campaign is helping slow the spread of COVID-19 by educating people around the world about social distancing, while entertaining them, too.
Internally the company is connecting employees with one another by gathering videos about how they're all doing during this unprecedented time.
As the COVID-19 outbreak escalated into a global crisis, the entire ViacomCBS team all over the world has come together in amazing ways to ensure we keep providing the news and entertainment we know consumers are craving during this difficult time. Over the past several weeks, we’ve continued to support those impacted by COVID-19 through our global relief efforts, public awareness campaigns, and dedicated programming, as well as flexed what we call our “adaptive creativity.” This agile approach to creating and delivering content has allowed us to continue serving consumers, partners, and our communities in this uniquely challenging environment.
Last week, thousands of employees tuned in to a virtual town hall to hear leaders from across the company share how their teams, which are being asked to do their jobs differently than they’ve ever done before, are bringing the idea of adaptive creativity to life.
We heard from Diana Miller, Executive Producer of CBS This Morning, who spoke to the resiliency of the CBS News team in continuing to deliver important COVID-19 coverage under extremely fluid conditions. She and the team have created entirely new workflows to stay on the air, as broadcast locations have changed, interviews are now being done remotely via video conferencing platforms, and editors are cutting their pieces at home and submitting them through the cloud.
All throughout, anchors like Gayle King, Anthony Mason, and Tony Dokoupil have maintained their on-air presence, even while hosting from home. And, rather than disrupting the show’s chemistry, the new format has strengthened their connection to viewers, many of whom are going through the same isolation.
We also heard from Chris Licht, Showrunner and Executive Producer of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, which has been producing and airing shows on CBS uninterrupted. After the shutdown of its studio, the team moved quickly to a full work-from-home model and has been leveraging new tools that drive collaboration between their creative and production teams, including an online platform for scriptwriting in real-time and a virtual infrastructure for centralizing and sharing content.
Adaptive creativity “runs in the DNA of The Late Show,” as Chris pointed out, which puts out topical (and hilarious) material that’s often dictated by the unpredictable news cycle. The same can be said about The Daily Show (TDS), which also had to halt in-studio production and convert to a fully remote work setup. But in less than a month, the team pioneered a digital variant – The Daily Social Distancing Show with Trevor Noah – that was an instant hit on YouTube. So much so that we decided to move it to TDS’ regular timeslot on Comedy Central, while continuing to make it available on social – and it’s drawing large audiences.
Internationally, too, our teams are creating great content from around the world. MTV International just premiered MTV Games Live With Charlotte Crosby, an interactive game show series that streams on the brand’s social channels, and that is remotely produced by ViacomCBS Digital Studios International using cloud-based platforms Grabyo and Zoom. MTV also launched MTV Unplugged from Home, a digital reinvention of the iconic music program featuring artists performing – you guessed it – at home, as we encourage fans to practice social distancing.
But we’re not just adapting in the way we make and distribute our content. Equally important, ViacomCBS brands are evolving in how they connect with communities during this difficult time.
Another of our panelists, Jenny Wall, Chief Marketing Officer for Nickelodeon, highlighted the work that Nick is doing through its #KidsTogether initiative. The campaign features original, multiplatform educational content from SpongeBob SquarePants, Blue’s Clues & You, and other franchises, as well as resources for parents and caregivers. And, via Noggin, our pre-school edutainment service, we’ve reached out to over five million at-risk families to help them with homeschooling, and we are currently offering it free to all new subscribers for 60 days to keep kids engaged and active.
The brand also quickly created and aired #KidsTogether: A Nickelodeon Two Hall, which was produced remotely in just a week – a testament to the ingenuity, incredible teamwork, and creative spirit that is synonymous with the Nick brand.
BET is also playing a key role, leading outreach to urban communities of color where the disease has hit the hardest. Jeanine Liburd, Chief Social Impact and Communications Officer for BET Networks, overviewed a series of high-impact initiatives, including the creation of a COVID-19 relief fund in partnership with the United Way to support black Americans in our cities. On 4/22, BET will air a primetime special Saving Our Selves: A BET COVID-19 Relief Effort, co-hosted by Kelly Rowland, Terrence J, and Regina Hall, driving viewers to needed resources. And again, the entire production was done remotely – a herculean feat for talent, crews, and the many others responsible for bringing this to air.
Both the Nickelodeon and BET campaigns ladder up to our broader ViacomCBS relief efforts to deploy our media assets through PSAs to aid in COVID-19 awareness. That includes #AloneTogether from ViacomCBS and the Ad Council, which has generated over 31,000 linear spots aired globally and more than 450 million video views on social.
We are all feeling the very real impacts of this virus, and glancing at the headlines, it sometimes feels that optimism is in short supply. But I find bright spots every day in the resiliency of the people who make up ViacomCBS, in their ability to adapt with creativity, to stay focused, and to embrace new ways of working. I see firsthand how committed, connected, and collaborative they are in continuing to move our business forward and supporting our audiences and communities.
We are rising to the challenges before us, and that brings me a lot of hope for the future.
With #AloneTogether, the Media Industry Unites to Drive Awareness
The campaign, created by ViacomCBS in partnership with the Ad Council, educates audiences on the importance of social distancing and drives unity through entertainment.
Even in isolation, we’re not alone. That’s the message that’s at the core of the #AloneTogether campaign, which calls on audiences around the world to stay at home amid the coronavirus crisis.
Created by the ViacomCBS Entertainment and Youth brands and distributed widely via a partnership with the Ad Council, the goal of #AloneTogether is to educate audiences about the importance of social distancing and to promote a sense of unity through entertainment during a time of self-isolation. The campaign is purposefully brand and media agnostic, enabling it to scale quickly through additional media partners who can tailor the message to their audiences and platforms.
“The COVID-19 virus has impacted our lives in every possible way. There is no doubt that we are in uncharted territory, and with that comes so many unknowns. But it’s important that we focus on what we do know and how we can help,” says Lisa Sherman, president and CEO of the Ad Council. “The #AloneTogether work is a needed rallying cry—one that shows how we can unite as one, even when we feel most alone. The message has already been embraced by media partners and influencers across the country, proving once again that we are a powerful force when we work together.”
The campaign kicked off on March 16, with a social-led effort by ViacomCBS’ Entertainment and Youth brands (which include MTV, Comedy Central, Paramount Network, Smithsonian Channel, Pop TV, CMT, VH1, TV Land, and Logo).
Since then, other companies and partners have used the campaign toolkit to customize and share the #AloneTogether message. iHeartMedia is airing audio versions of the PSA, Clear Channel Outdoor plans to extend the campaign across its out-of-home media, Snapchat is featuring #AloneTogether creative throughout its platform and developing two custom filters, and Twitter developed a custom emoji users can share.
Influencers and celebrities have also found creative ways to drive awareness. YouTube star Peter Hollens created an acapella parody, Love is Blind’s Giannina Milady Gabelli offered her support on Instagram, and child actor Ocean Maturo posted a light-hearted spoof of the Full House opening credits called “The Quaran-Teens.” ViacomCBS talent, including Trevor Noah, Pauly D, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, Stephen Colbert, and Debi Mazar (who tested positive for COVID-19) also lent their digital voices.
“We initiated this campaign to ensure that people around the world understand the importance of staying at home for the safety and health of everyone, as well as to support our fans at this moment,” says Jacqueline Parkes, CMO & EVP, Digital Studios for ViacomCBS’ Entertainment & Youth Brands. “For ViacomCBS’ Entertainment and Youth brands specifically, we wanted to ensure that young people understand the important role they can play in stopping the spread of this virus.”
ViacomCBS’ #AloneTogether Amplification
For ViacomCBS, the social amplification of #AloneTogether is part of an ongoing conversation with fans. Each brand within the portfolio has adapted the campaign with their talent and for their audiences. MTV created #MTVUnpluggedAtHome, a series of acoustic performances that kicked off with Wyclef Jean; Comedy Central launched My Beautiful Bunker, a series featuring comedian Hanna Dickinson; VH1 posted a TikTok of Bobby Lytes of Love & Hip Hop Miami washing his hands; the cast of Pop TV’s One Day at a Time posted a selfie compilation video on Facebook; TV Land’s Younger created a supercut establishing Diana Trout as “The OG Social Distancer”; and Paramount Network promoted a St. Patrick’s Day marathon of Bar Rescue on YouTube.
During the first week of the campaign, ViacomCBS’ Entertainment and Youth brands—as well as supporting efforts from CBS, BET, Nickelodeon, Showtime, Pluto TV, and Awesomeness—created more than 500 social posts, leading to over 3 million engagements, 43 million video views, and 127 million impressions. ViacomCBS brands will continue to create original social content to amplify the campaign’s mission. This content will include live takeovers and messages from talent, as well as profiles of young people who are helping create positive change during the pandemic.
The campaign has also extended to air across ViacomCBS’ linear networks around the world. Each brand again tailored the messages to their audiences. MTV made custom linear spots featuring talent including DJ Khaled, Justina Valentine, and Pauly D, Paramount Network plugged a stay-at-home movies night, and Comedy Central even developed original linear programming with The Daily Show with Trevor Noah spin-off, The Daily Social Distancing Show, which launched on digital before moving to linear.
#AloneTogether PSAs are airing English and Spanish across the U.S., with 14 local language versions airing in 50 countries across Western, Eastern, and Central Europe, the UK, the Middle East, and Africa, as well as all of Latin America and parts of Southeast Asia. It also appears across CBS Interactive’s digital platforms and on Pluto TV in the U.S., Latin America, and Europe.
During the first three days of the linear campaign, the #AloneTogeth PSAs aired more than 750 times in the U.S., including on CBS during primetime. They were also inserted into consumer streams on Pluto TV, the company’s ad-supported streaming platform, more than 600,000 times.
In a complement to #AloneTogether, other brands within the ViacomCBS portfolio kicked off efforts specific to their audiences. CBS launched #InThisTogether, a campaign featuring personal videos from CBS Entertainment, All Access, News, and Sports stars comforting fans with messages that focus on social distancing, community, and the power of entertainment.
Nickelodeon created #KidsTogether as a spinoff of the #AloneTogether campaign. Delivered in 14 languages for kids and families around the world, the pro-social initiative features Nick IP and talent—like Spongebob Squarepants, Bubble Guppies, and The Casagrandes —providing tips on staying healthy and suggesting activities to do while they’re at home.
Across its portfolio, ViacomCBS reaches every demographic in the U.S., with the largest share of linear viewing and a social media following of 825 million.
“The key to this campaign is to engage audiences across all ages and demographics, which is something ViacomCBS has unique experience in given our portfolio of brands,” says Josh Line, chief brand officer for ViacomCBS. “We know how to talk to diverse audiences with a tailored approach across platforms, and we’re lucky to be in a position to leverage that expertise in a way that can hopefully help to keep people safe and healthy.”
Originally published: Wednesday, March 25, 2020.Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon News and Highlights!
Watch all your ‘80s, ‘90s, and ‘00s Nickelodeon favorites on NickRewind, your late-night destination for your favorite childhood Nickelodeon cartoons and live-action shows! NickSplat doesn't question football-shaped heads, but embrace them - along with Reptar bars, a Big Ear of Corn, orange soda, and even slime for Pete (and Pete's) sake. Make your slime-covered Nickelodeon childhood dreams come true every night on TeenNick USA, and anytime you want on NickSplat on VRV, Nick Pluto TV, and Nick on CBS All Access!
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Originally published: Saturday, April 04, 2020.Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Classic Nickelodeon and NickRewind News and Highlights!
¡Aprende a bailar #KeyOfLife con el cast de #KallysMashup! 💜🕺🏻 Y cuando te sepas la coreografía, ¡enséñasela a tu familia! 😁 #ChicosUnidos #KidsTogether
