VIACOMCBS NETWORKS UK ANNOUNCES ‘NO DIVERSITY, NO COMMISSION’ CONTENT POLICY
Policy applies to channels including Channel 5, MTV, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central
‘New Faces, New Voices’ initiative aims to boost on-screen representation
‘Promotion Opportunity Project’ to support BAME talent in UK production sector
ViacomCBS Networks UK has announced new measures to strengthen its diversity drive in the UK, including a ‘no diversity, no commission’ content policy for its suppliers.
ViacomCBS president Maria Kyriacou: 'Important we work closely with production partners to ensure they help us to achieve our ambition of being truly reflective of Britain today, both on-and off-screen.' Source: Viacom
The ‘no diversity, no commission’ policy will be applicable to production suppliers working for all ViacomCBS Networks UK brands, including Nickelodeon, Channel 5, MTV, Comedy Central, BET and Paramount Network.
The company will also extend the Creative Diversity Network’s Diamond diversity data monitoring across all its pay TV brands, in addition to public service broadcaster (PSB) Channel 5.
Other initiatives include hiring a new role within its commissioning team responsible for developing diverse talent on- and off-screen. This new position will help launch and run a ‘New Faces, New Voices’ diverse contributors search to boost on-screen representation.
ViacomCBS Networks UK will also create a new ‘Promotion Opportunity Project’ to identify and support the promotion of BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic) talent in the UK production sector. The idea is to champion a number of mid-level freelancers and aid their career progression, with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills on a primetime commission.
From an organisational perspective, ViacomCBS will create an Inclusion Board allying its senior leadership team in the UK with its Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and will give quarterly reports on performance.
A new BAME Talent Sponsorship Programme will pair senior leaders with diverse talent. The company says it will build on existing inclusive leadership and unconscious bias training for all senior leaders and hiring managers.
ViacomCBS has committed to diverse candidate pools for every open vacancy and is evolving its internship scheme to provide entry level and mid-level fast track positions into leadership.
In addition, it has committed to voluntarily publishing its Ethnicity Pay Gap report in the UK on an annual basis.
Maria Kyriacou, president, ViacomCBS Networks UK & Australia said: “Society is now at an inflection point on the issue of systemic racism and as individuals, as a company, we all have a part to play in righting centuries of wrongs. For too long the TV industry has been a relative closed shop and if we are to be of continued relevance to the audiences that we serve, then this must change.”
Ben Frow, director of programmes, ViacomCBS Networks UK added: “It is important that we work closely with our production company partners to ensure that they help us to achieve our ambition of being truly reflective of Britain today, both on-and off-screen.
“The ‘Promotion Opportunity Project’ and ‘New Faces, New Voices’ are two practical actions that will contribute to change in front of and behind the camera, building on our BAME indies initiative which remains a continuing area of focus.”
Tonight we dine on turtle soup! Or more accurately, catch up with actor Tohoru Masamune as he discusses his role as Shredder in 2014's live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film!
For decades, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has been influencing generations with its themes of brotherhood, kinetic action, and hilarious jokes.
There have been several iterations of the "heroes in a half-shell" over the years, each bringing varying amounts of "turtle power," beginning as a coming in the '90s by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, the series' dark roots made way for bright colors as the franchise released its first animated series. From there, the franchise became the media hit that it is today.
For every great hero, however, there must always be a threatening villain. Enter the Shredder, the arch-enemy of the turtles, and leader of the Foot Clan. Through his many iterations, many voices and factors have donned the helmet of the nefarious warrior; in the 2014 Michael Bay-produced film, the Shredder was brought to life by actor Tohoru Masamune.
Masamune, on top of adding the aggressive edge to the villain, has had various other roles, including a role in the Twitch original series, Artificial. Artificial, now in its third season, is a show that allows the players to interact with the story and shape the character arcs and overall narrative of the series.
Recently, Comic Book Movie and Toonado was able to catch up with Masamune and ask him what it was like taking on the Turtles and also about his role in Artificial. Check out what he had to say, and if you want to see the full audio interview, make sure to give it a listen below! (skip to 44:15 to hear the part about Shredder)
It turns out that Masamune actually looked to the comic version of the villain when getting into character rather than the cartoon, and he also hangs out with one of the turtles in his free time! Check out what he had to say below.
Toonado: I was wondering if you mind if I ask you a couple of questions about your time as Shredder in the 2014 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?
Tohoru Masamune: Of course! It's always fun to talk Shredder!
Toonado: So what can you tell me about your experience playing the character?
Tohoru Masamune: Wow, that's a very big question. (Laughs)
Toonado: You're right. Let me break it down a little bit more for you. I know you also voice-acted in a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series several years later. I'm curious if you're a fan of the franchise in general, then?
Tohoru Masamune: I can work with that. (Laughs) Yeah, those folks know me. I've worked with the folks over at Nickelodeon a bunch of times. They just kind of brought me in for some stuff that I thought would be fun, you know, for that recent one.
But I've done stuff with the casting people like Kung Fu Panda[: Legends of Awesomeness]. So I've worked with them before and they brought me in and thought it would be fun if I did a few voices one morning.
But I actually go back, it's funny because I was very young in Massachusetts when they penned the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I think they were in Maine at the time? So it's interesting, my connection with this goes back to the comic books.
And this might be interesting to add, I know a lot of people connect it with the cartoon, but my incarnation of Shredder I drew entirely from the comic books. That was where I went and it was nice because that was actually what they were looking for too. That one had sort of a dark vibe to it.
But I remember the time when a buddy of mine said "hey, they came up with this comic book called Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and I remember thinking it was so wacky. I remember starting reading those.
I remember those first six episodes, and I think Shredder came out in the second one. And it's funny that I remember it, because who would have guessed, right?
Toonado: Right! So do you have a favorite turtle?
Tohoru Masamune: Yeah, I'm gonna say probably Donatello. It's hard to say, I mean it's hard to tell. It's such a great idea - the four brothers and how they're all different. And I thought they did a terrific job of showing that brotherhood. But yeah, I'm gonna say Donatello. I tend to get drawn to the nerd, I guess.
Toonado: Yeah, well I'm a Mikey guy, so I'm a loud nerd. I feel you.
Tohoru Masamune: (Laughs) There you go! And the other day I remember I went on a hike with Jeremy Howard who played the character of Donatello. And so before Corona I asked him if he wanted to go for a hike, and he said yeah, that'll be great.
And it was so funny because my first thought was "oh, wow, I'm gonna go on a hike with Donatello!" (Laughs) I got kind of excited.
*This interview has been edited for clarity.*
What do you think of Masamune's comments? Re-watch the trailer for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and check out Twitch's Artificial below, also don't forget to share your thoughts in the usual spot!
As the fallout of Kira's investigation drives Dr. Lin into isolation, Elle and Justin move forward with the AI Lilith's development. The familiar faces of Zander and Carmen challenge the mission of the project by raising questions about the AI's past and future. How will Lilith adapt to all these conflicts? It's up to you.
Artificial is live and interactive every Thursday at 5pm PST on Twitch.
Series co-creator Michael DiMartino spoke in a Comic-Con@Home panel about why Avatar: The Last Airbender's popularity hasn't diminished over time.
During a panel for ComicCon@Home, Avatar: The Last Airbender co-creator Michael DiMartino shared his thoughts about Nickelodeon's beloved animated series' lasting power.
"At the time, doing a kind of continuous story in kids' animation was not a thing that was happening-- you know it was more common in Japan, but certainly not in the U.S. and certainly not on Nickelodeon," DiMartino said. He then went on to praise Nickelodeon for letting them continue with the series, despite being unaccustomed to their chosen format.
DiMartino went on to say that Avatar's continuous storytelling format is likely the reason it has done so well on Netflix, despite originally being released more than a decade ago. "I think part of the reason why now, that the original series is back on Netflix, why it's doing well is 'cus it kind of fits that format already. Even though there's standalone episodes."
In 2005, Nickelodeon began airing Avatar: The Last Airbender, which was created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. The series saw major success and even spawned a comic book series, novel series and live-action film adaptation.
A live-action TV series based on Avatar: The Last Airbender is planned to release through Netflix sometime in the future. As of now, an official cast, release date or plot details about the live-action series haven't been announced.
AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER WRITERS DISCUSS THE SHOW'S LEGACY AT COMIC-CON@HOME
With Avatar: The Last Airbender arriving on Netflix in May, the animated series has since settled into its next incarnation, with several new viewers discovering the series — as well as its sequel, The Legend of Korra, which will soon be joining it on the streaming platform, thus opening up the animated world further.
But even before the former Nickelodeon originals took on this second life, it’s had a devoted legion of fans, which have further inspired the development of the shows’ universe in the form of YA novels, comics, and graphic novels.
This year’s Comic-Con@Home panel celebrated that with Faith Erin Hicks (The Nameless City), F.C. Yee (The Epic Crush of Genie Lo), and Eisner winner Gene Luen Yang (Superman). Together with one of the series’ creators, Michael DiMartino, they discussed the franchise's growth and some of the changes that have taken place since that first series ended 12 years ago.
“Avatar shaped and broke the mold for an entire layer of creatives,” said Yee, the author of The Rise of Kyoshi and The Shadow of Kyoshi, two YA novels that focus on one of the previous avatars in the show’s universe. “It inspired so many of us. It’s where our heads go, and what we really love, and what we would love to be like, and what we would like to accomplish as creative professionals.”
Hicks, who’s currently penning the Dark Horse continuation comics set between Avatar and Korra, as well as an original Katara-centric graphic novel coming out this fall, agrees.
“Avatar is the platonic ideal of what is an amazing fantasy story for kids. It has everything,” she says, citing its influence in her own original graphic novel trilogy The Nameless City.
“It’s established that it’s a living world,” says Yee. “It’s got a past. It’s got a future. It’s got a present.”
When it comes to the essence of what it is that makes Avatar (and by extension, Korra) stand the test of time, Yee, Hicks, and Yang all agreed that it’s the combination of the shows’ impressive worldbuilding and characters who grow and change over the show’s three-season run, something that was unusual in American animation at the time Avatar was airing.
“The characters are incredibly real,” says Yang, who penned five arcs' worth of comics for Dark Horse set after the original run of Avatar. “They all have very relatable flaws. Even the hero, Aang, struggles with anger and cowardice. These are all things that we all deal with on a daily basis.”
According to Hicks, part of the show’s success also comes from the range of female characters it featured at the time.
“Now we’re having this huge surge of women in animation and shows with female leads, which is important,” she says. “But back then, in the ‘90s, it felt rare to have a show with multiple female leads. We had Katara, Toph, Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee.”
Yee feels it also has to do with the quality of villains showcased in the show’s run, from Zuko, the disgraced prince of the Fire Nation, to his ambition-driven sister Azula, to Ozai, their father and the current Firelord himself. “I joke that it’s why anytime anyone of a certain age sees a compelling villain you always see [them ask], ‘How are they going to be redeemed? What kind of redemption arc is going to happen?’ Because that’s my ideal storytelling.”
Avatar co-creator DiMartino thinks that it's this kind of long-form serialized storytelling that’s made the show particularly successful on Netflix, where it’s remained in the platform’s Top 10 streamed shows list for weeks.
“At the time, doing a continuous story in kids’ animation was not a thing that was happening. It was more common in Japan, but certainly not in the U.S. or on Nickelodeon,” says DiMartino of his and co-creator Brian Konietzko’s experience making Avatar. “Part of the reason that the original series is doing so well on Netflix is it's because it fits that format already. It’s a continuous storyline.”
As for expanding the show’s universe through comics and novels and letting its legacy continue that way, DiMartino admits that he may have been a bit hesitant at first.
“I was wary of becoming the kind of property where it was like, ‘Here’s the novelizations and here’s the comics,’ without adding any value to the property,” says DiMartino. “That’s why Brian and I have tried to stay as involved as we have while trying to give them the space to put their own spin on things.”
For Yang, that’s involved answering all his burning questions after the series wrapped — including what happened to Zuko’s mother, while for Hicks, who actually picked up writing the comics after Yang’s tenure, it’s involved slowly developing the Avatar world so it turns into the one that fans will recognize in Korra.
Meanwhile, Yee coined "dust-stepping," a way for the avatar to bend dust, something DiMartino says could only really be explored in prose, as opposed to animation.
All three creators feel that Avatar and Korra’s influence runs deep and will probably be felt in future creations as more people discover the show through Netflix, especially fans who may not have been born during the shows’ original runs.
“It’s hard to describe the extent of the influence of that show,” says Yang. “I think you can find it in almost any story that’s being told right now, especially for kids. Even if it’s not a fantasy story, I think there’s an element of Avatar in there.”
Hicks agrees, pointing to recent Netflix series that have inspired their own devoted fandoms.
“Looking at all these animated shows, like Hilda, and She-Ra, that feels like Avatar: the next generation,” she says. “These creators are inspired by Avatar are now getting their own shows, which is so amazing.”
Avatar: The Last Airbender is currently available to stream on Netflix. The Legend of Korra will join it on Aug. 14.
Avatar Creators Discuss the Legacy of Avatar: The Last Airbender
One of the most popular animated series of all time, Avatar: The Last Airbender, is having something of a resurgence due to being added to Netflix’s library of shows. With the news that the sequel series Legend of Korra, would be joining Netflix in August, we’re all thinking about how the Avatar universe influenced our world. During today’s Comic-Con@Home 2020 panel, one of the original creators of the show, Michael DiMartino, sat down with comics creators Faith Erin Hicks and Gene Luen Yang, as well as author F.C. Yee to discuss Avatar‘s lasting influence.
On the legacy of Avatar:
F.C. Yee: “I feel like Avatar both shaped and broke the mold for an entire generation of creatives. It inspired so much of us, it’s just where our heads go when we think about what we really love and what we would like to be like and, you know, what depths we would like to accomplish as creative professionals.”
Faith Erin Hicks: “I feel like Avatar is just this Platonic ideal of what is an amazing fantasy story for kids; it has everything. It’s absolutely influenced and inspired my work right from the beginning.”
Mike DiMartino: “Brian and I just were animation dudes back in the early 2000s who wanted to make a TV show that was cool and that we liked and that hopefully would stand the test of time, which it somehow has. In some ways I feel like we got lucky too in that this show even got made, and that we got to tell the story the way we wanted to. At the time doing a kind of continuous story in kids animation was not a thing that was happening. It was common in Japan, but not in the US and certainly not on Nickelodeon, they were kind of confused by what we were making. But to their credit, they were like alright, you guys seem to know what you’re doing so we’ll let you run with this idea. I think part of the reason why now that the original series is on Netflix, why it’s doing so well is that it kind of fits that format already. Even though there’s standalone episodes, it’s a continuous storyline.”
Yee: “It’s established that it’s a living world, it’s got a past, it’s got a future, it’s got a present and any time you dip in for a particular story for part of that timeline, it’s alive, it’s going to evolve over time. It evolved from all the worldbuilding that the show had.”
Hicks: “It’s so unusual, particularly in the time [Mike was] making it, it was unusual where you had an animated show where the characters would evolve. They would change and grow over the course of three seasons. I do feel like the characters are probably why it stands the test of time. People return because they love these characters so much. I feel like Toph in particular was such a big deal for me. I was this huge tomboy as a kid, and now I feel like we’re having this huge surge of women in animation and female characters and animated shows with female leads that’s incredibly important. But earlier in the 90s, in the aughts, it felt like that was incredibly rare to have this strong, tough, tomboy female character in an animated show. And also to have a show with multiple female leads—we had Katara, we had Toph, we had Azula, we had Mei, we had Ty Lee, there were so many women in this show. That was something that really spoke to my heart as someone who worked in animation… and watching the characters grow and transition and change over the course of three seasons, it was so unusual. And that’s why I continued to return to that show and continue to be inspired by it, and wanting to put that heart and that empathy into my own work. It was so different.”
Gene Luen Yang: “I think it’s hard to describe the extent of of the influence of that original show. I think you’d probably find it in almost any story that’s being told right now, especially if it’s for kids. Even if it’s not a fantasy story, I think there’s some element of Avatar in there… I do think some of the magic is like, you can’t even put your finger on it. It’s almost hard to capture. But it is the worldbuilding, and the characters I think are really incredibly real, they all have very relatable flaws. Even Aang has these struggles with anger, these struggles with cowardice—these are all things we deal with on a daily basis. And I think, as somebody whose written in that world, you can tell that it’s a really good world because some of those stories write themselves. Some of those characters… you just give them a little nudge, and then you can hear Toph talking in your head and you just write down what you hear, because she’s so well defined. That world and those characters are so well defined, they write themselves.”
Check out the rest of the panel above, and share your favorite Avatar: The Last Airbender moments in the comments!
The Avatar Series: From Animation to Comic Book Creation at Comic-Con@Home
Dark Horse Comics, Abrams Books, and Nickelodeon treated fans to a panel worthy of the Avatar! BGN was able to join Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra creators and writers, Michael DiMartino, Faith Erin Hicks, F.C. Yee, and Gene Luen Yang for further exploration of the beloved world as it has grown and changed since the animated series has ended.
Fans were delighted to watch the most adorable nerd out session filled with Avatar writers just gushing over the show and DiMartino looking humble as they fire off compliment after compliment. If nothing else, this panel was the place for Avatar nerds to go crazy and learn more about the literary world of Avatar.
Yesterday, after the panel, the co-creator korranewsofficial dropped an announcement on Instagram that Toph will be getting her own solo graphic novel. Toph Beifong’s Metalbending Academy, is coming in February. This is the second standalone graphic novel revealed after Katara and the Pirate’s Silver by Hicks. https://www.instagram.com/p/CDAcLA3lN4a/
There is also excitement about the new deluxe version of the ATLA artbook that features 8 brand new pages and more! It’s been out of print for years, and now they’re finally bringing it back with a deluxe second edition that includes a new cover, a slipcase, and a collectible lithograph.
Avatar: The Last Airbender — The Art of the Animated Series (Second Edition) hits the shelves on November 24th.
Michael DiMartino’s Thoughts on the Avatar Adaptations
DiMartino started by sharing with fans that he is involved in the creation and development of each Avatar adaptation. He consulted with the writers on all comics and novels. He joked that his involvement means he’ll never be free of the Avatar universe.
He told viewers that he is amazed how much impact Avatar has had on the lives of so many people. He shared that since Avatar was added Netflix recently, he’s had his old friends message him that their kids are watching the show. While others were rewatching for 30th time and some friends, kids that are watching for the first time.
Additionally, over the years he told fans that he’s seen people have Avatar wedding themes and entire communities and friendships form from bonding over the show.
He explained that years ago, he was never a fan of creating prequels, as he never saw the point. However, he said, “we’re digging in with the comics and filling in the middle” in reference to creating a sequel to the original Avatar series and a prequel to Legend of Korra.
He also shared that it’s great to see talented creators that use their personal experiences to make the comic, novel, and graphic novel adaptations so good. He admitted that he was nervous about the prose and comics being created with no true meaning and depth behind them. He was particularly irked about there being an actual prose novel, in reference to The Rise of Kyoshi by Yee. He told audiences that he admires Yee’s ability to turn an animated series into a novel, something he couldn’t imagine doing.
The Writers Discuss Their Experiences
In this multitalented panel, fans were able to learn more about the people behind the magic of the Avatar books. Hicks wrote some of the graphic novels, Yang wrote many of the comics and Yee created the very first solo written Avata novel by himself.
Yee explained that the novel version is darker in ways that the animated series and more adult themes come up.
He had a funny story of how the novel came to be. A colleague pitched the idea for a novel adaptation and mentioned that Yee would be a great fit to write it, but Yee didn’t know about that. Yet, by the time it was approved and Yee was put on the spot to write it, he was thrilled.
“I got lucky, really lucky” he said.
Yang was asked what it was like to create the first Avatar comics. He chuckled and explained that the first comics were actually appeared in the Nickelodean comic publication that use to come out years ago. He mentioned that he used to collect them.
He also shared that having the opportunity to join the Avatar team had him freaking out. He was already such a fan and recalled asking about Zuko’s mom during on of his first conversations with Avatar creators. For him, it was amazing.
After Yang joined the team, Hicks became a quick fan of his work as well as a seasoned Avatar fan herself. The two of them became fast friends, they would meet up at comic book conventions and nerd out over Avatar before they both were writing for the series.
Hicks explained that, “getting a change to hop in the Avatar sand box was amazing.”
After accepting the job offer from Dark Horse, she had the opportunity to write Imbalance, which is a team Avatar story.
Yang and Hicks are such good friends that they even did a comic book collaboration together for the series. The two reflected on how Avatar has such a strong influence on their friendship.
Yee also explained that “Avatar defined our aspirations got professional work and we always looked for characters with good redemption arcs”
Yee and Yang reflected on just how much the comics have grown the Avatar world. Yee explained that through the books, the world has kept growing.
“It’s hard to capture the extent of the show, it wasn’t like most shows on Nick. It’s so real, relatable. It has characters with flaws and feelings we experience on a daily basis,” Yang added.
He went on to explain that some of the character stories flowed so naturally that they told themselves.
Hicks added to their analysis, saying that over time, “characters grew and changed. Toph being a tough girl wasn’t something that happened in normal shows in the 90’s, neither were female leads.”
Writers share their Challenges in Adapting Animation to Book
Yang started off by explaining that’s difficult to creating bending in static print. He was grateful that they brought in a martial arts specialist to help them make the bending look as natural as possible, while also looking aesthetically pleasing on the page.
Hicks added that it’s also tricky to have certain page counts that stop her from making longer fight sequences. She had wanted to do more Shonen comic book fight sequences, but they were hard to shorten and compress.
She was also grateful for martial arts consultants for the drawing sequences. Going from screen to book was very hard for them.
However, some things translated to print quite well when it came to Yee’s novel. He explained that a new technique called “dust stepping” in the prose translated quite well.
Despite some challenges, Hicks expressed that Katara and the Pirate Silver was fun to write.
The writer’s felt that their struggles were worth it, as more fans have not only been reading the books, but also sharing new fan art inspired by them.
Even their family members are watching and reading the books more. Yang mentioned that his 4 children have gone from watching the entire series on Amazon Prime to watching it again after it was released on Netflix.
It would seem that both the animated shows and books are coming together to foster an entirely new generation of watchers and readers. The books and comics are available on Amazon and in stores.
Classic Rugrats Comic Strip for Saturday, July 25, 2020 | NickRewind
Rugrats, provided to Creators Syndicate by Nickelodeon, based off the popular animated television series has been created for children and family's to laugh and enjoy together.
Follow these comics and their take on real episodes of the show and their own spin on hilarious adventures.
In 2012, then up-and-coming actor Taylor Zakhar Perez received one of his first roles on Nickelodeon's hit comedy series iCarly.
In the episode "iGet Banned", Taylor played Keith, a character who is supposed to go on a date with Carly (Miranda Cosgrove). He has one line and is only briefly seen when T-Bo (BooG!e) is showing Carly his new lemon launcher which he purchased from the internet. Keith walks in saying, "Hey Carly, I brought--" and is interrupted when T-Bo accidentally hits him down with a lemon. Although it was only small role, the Kissing Booth 2 star recently revealed that the role was originally meant to be much bigger!
“I had a whole eight pages of this multi-camera with Miranda Cosgrove, and [I was] so stoked. I felt like I'd made it,” he told Teen Vogue. “The day before, they cut the entire role. They called me and were like, ‘Hey, you're just going to get hit with a lemon launcher and you're going to say, 'Hey Carly, what's up?' I was devastated.”
“Nickelodeon, if you can hear me, you did me dirty,” Taylor added.
You can see Taylor in actor in the video clip below!
The Kissing Booth 2 , a sequel to Netflix’s popular 2018 rom-com, is out today.
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, NickHits on Amazon Prime Video Channels and Nick on CBS All Access!
Like NickRewind on Facebook, subscribe to the NickRewind YouTube channel and follow NickRewind on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive digital content from all of your throwback favorites like Rugrats, Hey Arnold!, iCarly, Victorious, Kenan & Kel, CatDog, Doug, Rocko’s Modern Life, The Amanda Show, Clarissa Explains It All, The Ren & Stimpy Show, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, and so much more!
"Kaison and I checking out the NICK Jr website and we found a game of us on there. It is from our Calvin and Kaison's Play Power Show .
Check it out guys it is so much fun."
Nick Playlist: Especial Super Amigos | EPISÓDIO COMPLETO! | Brasil | Nickelodeon em Português
No mês da amizade, preparamos uma reunião épica com todos os seus artistas favoritos em um super especial NICK PLAYLIST! Tem Grachi, Eu Sou Franky, Club 57 e Kally's Mashup, com apresentação da @Raissa Chaddad!
Nick Playlist: Edición Especial Super Amigos | EPISODIO COMPLETO | Latinoamerica | Nickelodeon en Español
En el mes de la amistad, reunimos a tus estrellas favoritas en un especial épico, Nick Playlist: Edición Especial Super Amigos.
¡Mira cómo los actores de Grachi, Yo Soy Franky, Club 57 y Kally's Mashup cantan y bailan los hits que más amamos!
¿Lo mejor? ¡Está presentado por la gran @Sofia Reyes!
#AmigosDeVerdad #NickPlaylist
Kally's Mashup | Key of Life (Versión Acustica) | Nick Playlist
Kally's Mashup Cast | Happy Birthday to Me | Nick Playlist
Kally's Mashup Cast | Baby be Mine (Feat. Maia Reficco & Alex Hoyer) | Nick Playlist
The anime openings for SpongeBob SquarePants that have been created by fan animator Narmak have gone viral time and time again on the internet, thanks in part to the stylish animation as well as taking the hilarious characters and placing them into ridiculously serious scenarios and now, fans have the chance to watch a full episode of what an anime series for SpongeBob would look like. Remaining one of the most popular, if not the most popular, animated series on Nickelodeon, the series continues to this day and has a third feature length film set to arrive in the future.
In the first episode of the "Bubble Bass Arc", we see SpongeBob attempting to get back the Krusty Krab Secret Formula, after discovering that Mr. Krabs had sent Squidward to retrieve it from the massive figure known as Bubble Bass. Of course, the anime interpretation of SpongeBob SquarePants is fit to bursting with homages to the medium of anime, as well as a number of familiar faces from the now legendary series from Nickelodeon. While we don't know if there will ever be an official SpongeBob SquarePants anime, it's not hard to imagine it would have some big shoes to fill with this amazing interpretation.
SpongeBob first premiered on Nickelodeon in 1999 and currently has over a dozen seasons to its name as well as over two hundred and fifty episodes as well. The franchise has also had two feature length films released in the forms of The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie and its sequel The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water. The next film of the trilogy, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run, was originally slated to be released this year, but obviously, the film had to be delayed as a result of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. It'll now forego a theatrical release, and bow in the U.S via premium video on demand in early 2021 and then move exclusively to CBS All Access, and on Netflix internationally.
SpongeBob has been running for over two decades, and shows no signs of ending any time soon, with new episodes being released on the regular for the series that follows the denizens of Bikini Bottom. Though we aren't sure if there will be future episodes of SpongeBob SquarePants The Anime down the road, fans will certainly be crossing their fingers that we see more from this animator in the future.
Late night comedy host and political commentator Jimmy Fallon has a major question about President Donald Trump, and it is not exactly flattering.
On Friday (July 25) morning, Fallon took to Twitter to make an inquiry about the president’s intellectual abilities in a short post. The five-word caption, while brief, jumped right to the heart of Fallon’s curiosities. “Can you say, ‘cognitively there,’” the political commentator tweeted.
The post comes at the heels of a Fox News interview that the American president did with Fox News medical contributor Dr. Marc Siegel. In the exclusive, Mr. Trump explained the format of a cognitive test that he claims to have taken recently.
According to the president, he was posed a series of memory questions involving lists of words. “Person, woman, man, camera, TV,” the president recited in his interview with Dr. Siegel.
The official results of the alleged test have yet to be released to the public.
In addition to posting a question about Mr. Trump’s mental faculties, Fallon tweeted a short video parody of the president’s interview with Dr. Siegel.
The forty-one-second clip incorporates imagery from Nickelodeon's educational children’s television series Dora The Explorer.
Throughout the video, Dora encourages Mr. Trump to accurately parrot the very words that he repeats in his Fox News exclusive. “Can you say, ‘person, woman, man, camera, TV,’” the cartoon character asks.
In the clip, the president seems to engage in Dora’s activity. “Person, woman, man, camera, TV,” Mr. Trump said repeatedly. Every time Trump repeats the sequence correctly, Dora responds positively, ending by saying her famous catchphrase "we did it!"
Update - Fatima Ptacek, who voiced the Latino heroine, tweeted: "I have always been proud of the role I played sharing Spanish language, Latino culture, and problem solving skills with children while voicing Dora the Explorer (2010 - 2018), but there’s something deeply satisfying about hearing my voice in this @ProjectLincoln ad ❤️"
I have always been proud of the role I played sharing Spanish language, Latino culture, and problem solving skills with children while voicing Dora the Explorer (2010 - 2018), but there’s something deeply satisfying about hearing my voice in this @ProjectLincoln ad ❤️ https://t.co/enSu3QOe2z
The story of Avatar Kyoshi continues! Check out the cover for Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Shadow of Kyoshi, the follow-up to F.C. Yee and Michael Dante DiMartino's New York Times bestselling Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Rise of Kyoshi, hitting shelves Tuesday, July 21, 2020! Pre-order now at https://www.abramsbooks.com!
AVATAR, THE LAST AIRBENDER: THE SHADOW OF KYOSHI (THE KYOSHI NOVELS BOOK 2)
By F. C. Yee
Kyoshi’s place as the true Avatar has finally been cemented—but at a heavy cost. With her mentors gone, Kyoshi voyages across the Four Nations, struggling to keep the peace. But while her reputation grows, a mysterious threat emerges from the Spirit World. To stop it, Kyoshi, Rangi, and their reluctant allies must join forces before the Four Nations are destroyed irreparably. This thrilling follow-up continues Kyoshi’s journey from a girl of humble origins to the merciless pursuer of justice still feared and admired centuries after becoming the Avatar.
About The Author
Outside of writing, F. C. Yee practices capoeira, a Brazilian form of martial arts, and has a day job mostly involving spreadsheets. His debut YA novel, The Epic Crush of Genie Lo, released in August 2017 to critical acclaim. He lives and writes in Denver. The Shadow of Kyoshi was written in consultation with Michael Dante DiMartino, the co-creator, executive producer, and story editor of the animated TV series Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra.
Book Details
Publisher: Abrams Children's Books
Imprint: Amulet Books
Publication Date: July 21, 2020
Price: $18.99
Trim Size: 5 1⁄2 x 8 1⁄4
ISBN: 978-1-4197-3505-9
EAN: 9781419735059
Page Count: 368
Format: Hardcover
Rights: North America
Additional formats: Ebook
THE SHADOW OF KYOSHI Continues the Powerful Avatar’s Story
When Avatar: The Last Airbender introduced Avatar Kyoshi as a statue and then as a vision, fans stood up and took notice. She made an impression. The book The Rise of Kyoshi by F.C. Yee looked at the character’s origins and history. She was the longest-living Avatar and established the Kyoshi Warriors and founded the Dai Li. And now, we have the next chapter in her story with Avatar, The Last Airbender: The Shadow of Kyoshi—also by F.C. Yee. Her place as the Avatar is sturdy, but now Kyoshi is on her own. She has to protect the Four Nations from a threat emerging from the Spirit World.
Yee related to Nerdist how Kyoshi first came into his life and how he developed the character. He worked with Michael Dante DiMartino, the co-creator, executive producer, and story editor of the animated TV series on the book, too. Yee had the challenge of bringing the very visual language of bending the elements to the page, and he shared how he did so in the book. Read his thoughts below.
"Avatar quickly became one of my all-time favorite shows back when I first watched the series. Somewhere on an old lost hard drive, next to my expired Final Draft Pro license, lies my spec script for Avatar that I wrote while watching season two. While TV writing turned out not to be in the cards, the Avatar franchise stuck with me (as it’s done for so many people) even through the years where I was creatively fallow. My debut novel, The Epic Crush of Genie Lo, ended up being an action-adventure-comedy with Asian influences. That is no coincidence.
I wasn’t present for the origin of the Kyoshi novels. My publisher and Nickelodeon worked on a proposal for two books about Kyoshi before asking me if I was interested. I don’t know if Kyoshi came up because she was the next Avatar down the line that we knew very little about at the time, or because everyone involved with the proposal had exceptional taste, but there it was—a chance to write about my favorite “prequel” character for one of my favorite media franchises.
The show establishes characters and makes them iconic with such great economy. In a few short appearances, we learn Kyoshi is venerated, she is blunt and unbothered to a fault, and that she considers justice one of the highest goods. I worked on her character with those qualities as a destination and tried to figure out what changes to get there would be interesting to read about. That need for a character arc is very much the origin of her tragic backstory. Someone as hard as Kyoshi is as an adult probably went through some rough times when they were younger.
On panels I often talk about the difficulty of capturing the movement and energy of bending in prose but describing Kyoshi’s bending was a story challenge as well. In the show we see her perform some of the most spectacular in-universe feats. Someone that powerful is rarely going to be in personal narrative danger, plus we all know she lives the longest life in the entire setting. The way I approached her growth in power and tried to make it interesting is split out over the course of the two books. In Rise, she has to come to grips with her desire for strength. In Shadow, she has it in spades, but how is she going to end up using it?
The other factor I tried to apply to the books was the Avatar world being a living, breathing setting that will keep on going even when the protagonists are absent. The precedent is set in the opening credits of the show, and I think this is one of the things that has kept Avatar so relevant to its fans over time. In so many cases in fiction, it feels like the surroundings vanish when the main character isn’t there to observe them. The depth of Avatar’s world building and the structure of its plots renders that disappearing act impossible. If there’s anything I hope readers take away from the books, it’s that the same applies in our lives. Our world turns lack of action into a choice. It makes all of us relevant, whether we want it to or not."
Avatar, The Last Airbender: The Shadow of Kyoshi will be available on July 21. You can pre-order the book now.
Avatar: Kyoshi Did What Aang Refused To Do With Ozai
In the new Avatar prequel novel The Shadow of Kyoshi, the titular heroine is forced to do something that Aang would not on Avatar: The Last Airbender.
WARNING: Spoilers for The Shadow of Kyoshi
In the climactic battle of The Shadow of Kyoshi, the title character makes a decision to do something that Aang pulled himself back from in the finale of Avatar: The Last Airbender. The second of F.C. Yee's Avatar prequel novels, following 2019's The Rise of Kyoshi, The Shadow of Kyoshi sees its heroine placed into many challenging and even emotionally difficult situations. However, the book's ending pushes her to make a bitter choice to save the day.
In Avatar's series finale, Aang finds himself confronted with the possibility of having to kill Fire Lord Ozai in order to end the Fire Nation's conquest of the world once and for all. With Aang having been brought up as a peaceful Southern Air Temple monk, the great value he places on all life leaves him in a deep philosophical and spiritual crisis. Though he comes close to slaying Ozai when they finally face-off, with Aang's past lives ready for him to do so while he is in the Avatar State, Aang ultimately pulls back and instead uses Energybending, an ability earlier granted to him by a Lion Turtle, to render Ozai incapable of Firebending.
Kyoshi faces a similar and arguably far more emotional dilemma in her final confrontation with Yun. Having emerged from the Spirit World with the power of Father Glowworm, Yun had previously been mistakenly identified as the new Avatar before it was correctly determined to be Kyoshi. With Yun now intent on wreaking bloody vengeance on the world after the cruel rejection he was subject to, Kyoshi and Rangi do their best to hold their own against Yun, with Rangi being stabbed in the back by Yun during the battle. As Kyoshi holds her in her arms, she mournfully apologizes for Yun's life being ruined when Kyoshi "stole your Avatarhood". This causes Yun to lower his guard and approach her, with Kyoshi also apologizing for telling him that he needed to be able to live with his pain, "Because you won't." Kyoshi then finally uses icebending to freeze Yun's heart and lungs, ending his rampage, and with it, his life.
The Shadow of Kyoshi's ending is a clear inversion of Aang sparing Ozai in Avatar's finale, and shows that unlike Aang, Kyoshi, however reluctantly, was willing to use lethal force as the Avatar. Of course, this doesn't place Aang on a pedestal or make Kyoshi into a lesser Avatar. Aang had the benefit of being able to remove Ozai's Firebending from him, an ability that Kyoshi lacked, while it is also clear that Yun was not only now powerful enough to stand his ground against the Avatar, but too consumed with rage to be reasoned with. Under the circumstances, Kyoshi simply had no other option.
Fortunately, Rangi is healed from the near-mortal wound that Yun had inflicted upon her, while Kyoshi pays her respects to Yun at his grave, heartbroken that she could not save him from himself. Ultimately, the ending of Avatar: The Last Airbender is given a dark mirror in The Shadow of Kyoshi. Despite doing everything in her power to pull Yun back from the abyss he'd fallen into, Kyoshi was forced to make the one choice that Aang could not bring himself to.
Avatar Reveals a Major Difference Between Aang and Kyoshi in New Book
Netflix has helped in bringing back the hype when it comes to the likes of Avatar The Last Airbender and its sequel, the Legend of Korra, placing both series onto the streaming service, but one story you won't find on the platform is the current prequel novel known as the Shadow of Kyoshi, which is a novel that shows us the main difference between Aang and his predecessor in Kyoshi. Kyoshi was one of the earlier Avatars, having grown up in the world of the Earth Kingdom but clearly having a much bigger "killer instinct" than either Aang or Korra.
In the novel of Shadow of Kyoshi, the second book that follows the story of the Earth Kingdom Avatar, Kyoshi is attempting to battle against the threat of Yun, a bender who believes that the current Avatar had stolen the power that was rightfully his. Throughout the story, Kyoshi is left wondering what she should do, placed into a very similar situation as Aang was battling against the lord of the Fire Nation, Ozai, but unlike the young protagonist of the Nickelodeon series, the Earth Bender wasn't afraid to unleash her power in a terrifying way.
With Kyoshi making up her mind as to how to end the battle, she uses water bending to freeze Yun's lungs and heart, putting an end to his threat to the world at large. Unlike Aang who had decided to take Ozai's ability to bend and place him into prison for the rest of his life, Kyoshi had not mastered that ability and had instead decided to put an end to Yun permanently in a terrible way.
Kyoshi and Aang have met a number of times throughout the animated series of Avatar The Last Airbender, with the young protagonist normally visiting her spirit and asking her for advice on some of the major issues that were facing both himself and the world at large. When Aang was debating what to do about the Fire Lord Ozai, Kyoshi informed him that the "right choice" was to kill the head of the Fire Nation in order to save the world and put a stop to his reign of terror.
What do you think of the major difference between Aang and Kyoshi in the world of Avatar The Last Airbender? Feel free to let us know in the comments [...]!
Originally published: Sunday, January 26, 2020.Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon, NickRewind, Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra News and Highlights!
ViacomCBS Networks Consumer Products Latin America (Latinoamérica) has appointed Mon Entertainment as its licensing agent for Colombia and Ecuador. Under the agreement, Mon will build and manage the ViacomCBS portfolio of brands, including SpongeBob SquarePants, Garfield, PAW Patrol, Blue’s Clues and You!, Baby Shark, Bala, MTV and South Park. It will also promote and expand VCN's existing licensing and merchandising business in these markets.
VIACOMCBS ELIGE A MON ENTERTAINMENT COMO REPRESENTANTE DE LICENCIAS EN COLOMBIA Y ECUADOR
La alianza incluye a las reconocidas marcas 'Bob Esponja Pantalones Cuadrados', 'Paw Patrol', '¡Pistas de Blue y Tú!', 'Garfield', 'Baby Shark', 'Bala', 'MTV' y 'South Park', entre otros.
ViacomCBS Consumer Products Latinoamérica anunció a Mon Entertainment como su representante de licencias para Colombia y Ecuador.
Según los términos del acuerdo, Mon Entertainment será responsable de construir y administrar la cartera de marcas y propiedades de Viacom Media Networks, la cual incluye a 'Bob Esponja Pantalones Cuadrados', 'Paw Patrol', '¡Pistas de Blue y Tú!', 'Garfield', 'Baby Shark', 'Bala', 'MTV' y 'South Park', entre otros.
Además, Mon Entertainment también se encargará de promover y expandir aún más el negocio de licencias y comercialización existente de Viacom Media Networks en estos mercados.
ViacomCBS Consumer Products anuncia nuevo representante de ventas
ViacomCBS Consumer Products Latinoamérica anuncia a Mon Entertainment, Inc. como su representante de licencias para Colombia y Ecuador.
Según los términos de dicho acuerdo, Mon Entertainment, Inc. será responsable de construir y administrar la cartera de marcas y propiedades de VMN, la cual incluye a Bob Esponja Pantalones Cuadrados, Paw Patrol, ¡Pistas de Blue y Tú!, Garfield, Baby Shark, Bala, MTV, South Park, entre otros.
Además, Mon Entertainment también se encargará de promover y expandir aún más el negocio de licencias y comercialización existente de VMN en estos mercados.
ViacomCBS tiene nuevo representante de licencias en Colombia y Ecuador
ViacomCBS Consumer Products Latinoamérica cerró un acuerdo con Mon Entertainment, Inc. para convertirlo en su representante de licencias para Colombia y Ecuador.
ViacomCBS Consumer Products Latinoamérica anunció a Mon Entertainment, Inc. como su representante de licencias para Colombia y Ecuador.
Según los términos del acuerdo, Mon Entertainment, Inc. será responsable de construir y administrar la cartera de marcas y propiedades de VMN, la cual incluye a Bob Esponja pantalones cuadrados, Paw Patrol, ¡Pistas de Blue y Tú!, Garfield, Baby Shark, Bala, MTV y South Park, entre otros.
Además, Mon Entertainment también se encargará de promover y expandir aún más el negocio de licencias y comercialización existente de VMN en estos mercados.
ViacomCBS Consumer Products tiene nueva representación en Colombia y Ecuador
ViacomCBS Consumer Products Latin America hizo oficial en las últimas horas una nueva representación de licencias en Colombia y Ecuador. Se trata de Mon Entertainment, Inc., responsable a partir de ahora de construir y administrar la cartera de marcas y propiedades de VMN, que incluye a Bob Esponja Pantalones Cuadrados, Paw Patrol, ¡Pistas de Blue y Tú!, Garfield, Baby Shark, Bala, MTV, South Park, entre otros.
La empresa designada también se encargará de promover y expandir aún más el negocio de licencias y comercialización existente de VMN en estos mercados.
El área de Consumer Products de ViacomCBS (VCP) supervisa todas las licencias y la comercialización de ViacomCBS Inc. Sus propiedades abarcan animación, acción en vivo, preescolar, jóvenes y adultos.
Impulsado por marcas de consumo icónicas, la cartera de VCP incluye una importante variedad de brands y contenido de BET, CBS (incluidos CBS Television Studios y CBS Television Distribution), Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures y Showtime.
Además, VCP supervisa el negocio en línea directo al consumidor para los productos de programación de CBS y Showtime, así como los sitios web de comercio electrónico de marca independiente para Star Trek, SpongeBob, South Park y MTV.
ViacomCBS Consumer Products Latinoamérica anuncia nuevo representantes para Colombia y Ecuador
Mon Entertainment, Inc., nuevo representante de licencias para Colombia y Ecuador, se encargará de construir y administrar la cartera de marcas de la compañía en estos mercados
ViacomCBS Consumer Products Latinoamérica anuncia a Mon Entertainment, Inc. como su representante de licencias para Colombia y Ecuador.
Según los términos del acuerdo, Mon Entertainment, Inc. será responsable de construir y administrar la cartera de marcas y propiedades de VMN, la cual incluye a Bob Esponja Pantalones Cuadrados, Paw Patrol, ¡Pistas de Blue y Tú!, Garfield, Baby Shark, Bala, MTV, South Park, entre otros. Además, Mon Entertainment también se encargará de promover y expandir aún más el negocio de licencias y comercialización existente de VMN en estos mercados.
ViacomCBS Consumer Products Latinoamérica anuncia nuevo representante de licencias para Colombia y Ecuador
ViacomCBS Consumer Products Latinoamérica anuncia a Mon Entertainment, Inc. como su representante de licencias para Colombia y Ecuador.
Según los términos de dicho acuerdo, Mon Entertainment, Inc. será responsable de construir y administrar la cartera de marcas y propiedades de VMN, la cual incluye a Bob Esponja Pantalones Cuadrados, Paw Patrol, ¡Pistas de Blue y Tú!, Garfield, Baby Shark, Bala, MTV, South Park, entre otros. Además, Mon Entertainment también se encargará de promover y expandir aún más el negocio de licencias y comercialización existente de VMN en estos mercados.
After a successful four-season run, Netflix hit teen drama series Greenhouse Academy will not be returning with season five. The news was announced by Giora Chamizer, the creator of Greenhouse Academy on her official Instagram Stories.
Based on Nickelodeon Israel's hit series The Greenhouse, Greenhouse Academy was one of the most-watched and liked series on Netflix.
Chamizer’s Instagram story read, “I wish I had good news to tell you, but I really don’t. I am sorry to tell you that Netflix has discontinued our show. The entire cast was so ready to shoot two more seasons this coming fall, so this came as a shock to all of us. We still don’t really understand why such an inexpensive show, with so many fans, got terminated.
“I’d still like to thank Netflix for giving us a chance of a lifetime to bring our show to millions of fans all over the world. I hope that we can someday find a way to shoot and air those final two seasons. You all deserve to see how our story really ends. In the meantime we send our love to all of you who fell in love with our little show.” added the creator.
In Greenhouse Academy, at a private boarding school for gifted future leaders, mysterious events draw kids from both competing houses into a secret investigation. They uncover a deadly plot to destroy the planet. Only by joining forces and working together will they be able to save the world.
Greenhouse Academy is a Netflix original series based on the Israeli tween-drama The Greenhouse, which ran on Nickelodeon Israel. Both versions were created by Giora Chamizer and produced by Nutz Productions, a subsidiary of Ananey Communications. The series ran for 40 22-minute episodes of four seasons. The first season of the series was released back in 2017, followed by second in 2018, third in 2019, and the final season early this year in March.
Greenhouse Academy starred Ariel Mortman as Hayley Woods, Finn Roberts as Alex Woods, BJ Mitchell as Parker Grant, Chris O'Neal (How To Rock, Swindle, You Gotta See This) as Daniel Hayward, Benjamin Papac as Max Miller, Cinthya Carmona as Sophie Cardona, Dallas Hart as Leo Cruz, Dana Melanie as Emma Geller, Danika Yarosh as Brooke Osmond, Ishai Golan as Carter Woods, Jessica Amlee as Jackie Sanders, Nadine Ellis as Judy Hayward, Parker Stevenson as Louis Osmond, Rafael Cebrian as Enzo, and Reina Hardesty as Aspen Fairchild.
Giora Chamizer is responsible for some of the most successful young-adult TV Dramas in Israel. He has created and written several hit teen dramas, among them the popular show Ha-Hamama (The Greenhouse). The series, produced by Nutz Productions and aired on Nickelodeon Israel, was voted best teen show by the Israeli Academy of Film and Television. Netflix later remade it under the title The Greenhouse Academy, with Chamizer acting as the series' showrunner and Nutz Productions producing all seasons in Israel. The American adaptation was launched successfully in over 190 countries. Chamizer is also responsible for The Hood, which debuted on Nickelodeon in Israel and has also been sold to the Portuguese RTP2 channel, which premiered the series in 2016 under the title O Bairro. Chamizer is currently filming Sky for TeenNick Israel.
