Wednesday, August 12, 2020

Tata Sky Binge Strengthens OTT Play with the Addition of Voot Select and Voot Kids

Tata Sky Binge strengthens OTT play with the addition of Voot Select and Voot Kids


The aggregator service gives a single sign-in access to 8 premium apps - Disney+ Hotstar Premium, Zee5, SunNxt, Hungama Play, Eros Now, ShemarooMe and now Voot Select and Voot Kids

Strengthening its content catalogue to meet the growing entertainment requirements across age groups, Tata Sky Binge – Tata Sky’s OTT aggregator service has partnered with Viacom18 Digital Ventures to bring onboard their premium content streaming service Voot Select, and kids-focussed Voot Kids - featuring Nickelodeon content - for its growing subscriber base.

This partnership will add India’s top TV shows from Viacom18 and Voot Originals, along with the most-loved cartoon characters from Indian and International shows, to Tata Sky Binge. Bringing the benefits of catch-up and premium OTT content on television, Tata Sky Binge already offers a host of entertainment options from India’s top OTT platforms, such as Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar Premium, Zee5, SunNxt, Hungama Play, Eros Now and ShemarooMe.

The addition of Voot Select and Voot Kids to the existing vast offering of content on Tata Sky Binge will enable Binge users to access path breaking originals, exclusive international content, cult blockbuster movies in multiple languages and a versatile collection of thousands of videos, e-books, quizzes and audio stories for children with an aim to aid holistic development of their mental, emotional and social faculties.. The partnership will reconceptualize the way content is consumed on television in the age of connected devices and will help cater to a wide set of underserved audiences, giving a fillip to consumer satisfaction quotient.

Commenting on the partnership, Pallavi Puri, Chief Commercial and Content Officer, Tata Sky, said, “Keeping customer requirements at the forefront, we have continued to expand the library for Tata Sky Binge with OTT apps that offer the most popular and relatable content for the entire family. In the current environment when children are facing a dearth of entertainment options, adding Voot Kids will enhance the entertainment experience for kids with a balanced library of fun and learning content. Further, with Voot Select, we will open the doors to Viacom18’s exciting library of movies and top Indian TV shows – all available 24 hours before TV.”

Commenting on the partnership, Gourav Rakshit, COO at Viacom18 Digital Ventures, said, “At Voot, we believe in building a versatile and immersive digital ecosystem that will add value to our users with path-breaking and diverse content experiences. With an increase in demand for content consumption, be it entertainment through Voot Select or fun learning through Voot Kids, this promising collaboration with Tata Sky Binge will help us cater and reach out to a larger audience base. We are delighted to partner with a like-minded brand who resonates with our ideologies and will help us make content viewing an enriching and engaging experience for all our viewers.”

With Voot Select, Tata Sky Binge users can access host of exciting content, including many Voot Originals like Asur, Marzi, Raiker Case, Illegal, etc. Blockbuster movies and on demand content of popular shows from Colors (Hindi), MTV, Nickelodeon, Colors Kannada, Colors Marathi, Colors Bangla, Colors Super and Colors Gujarati will also be featured on the platform. Added to the list are renowned international shows, such as Shark Tank S11, Why Women Kill, The Good Wife, The Affair and The Twilight Zone among others.

At a time when kids are compelled to stay indoors and there has been an increased demand for content to keep them safely engaged at home, the partnership with Voot Kids – India’s only app for kids that provides an amalgamation of learning and entertainment content – will provide the perfect destination for kids on Tata Sky Binge. It offers thousands of hours of popular Indian and international shows, with 200+ cartoons – including favourites like Avatar: The Last Airbender, Pokemon, Peppa Pig, Paw Patrol, Motu Patlu, Dora the Explorer and Ben 10 – 150+ audio stories, 500+ eBooks and 5000+ educational quizzes.

Tata Sky subscribers can access the library of premium OTT apps on Tata Sky Binge via the Amazon Fire TV Stick – Tata Sky Edition for just Rs. 299/-per month. New and existing Tata Sky customers can avail a Tata Sky Binge+ connection at an offer price of Rs. 3999/- which includes 6 months subscription to the Tata Sky Binge platform. Tata Sky Binge customers on the FireTV stick or the Android Box also get access to last 7 days of missed shows (based on linear entitlement) and 3 months of Amazon Prime subscription at no extra cost.

More Nick: Nickelodeon India Brings the Playground Home for Kids with #HomeOkPlease Campaign!

Source: BestMediaInfo; H/T: AnimationXpress.
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Nick Cannon Is NOT Suing ViacomCBS Over 'Wild 'N Out'

Despite the swirling rumors, Nick Cannon is not suing ViacomCBS over his MTV show Wild 'N Out, which was previously reported by The Shade Room. A spokesperson for Cannon told Newsweek that there is no truth to the rumors and they cannot attribute any comment to the news.


Nick Cannon attends the Premiere Of Netflix's "Sextuplets" at ArcLight Hollywood on August 07, 2019 in Hollywood, California. Credit: LEON BENNETT/WIREIMAGE/GETTY

The Shade Room reported on August 12 that the television personality was prepared to file a lawsuit against ViacomCBS for $1.5 billion over his sketch comedy and improv game show. Cannon created the show and serves as its host, and executive producer.

Cannon was reportedly taking legal action after his contract was terminated after he made anti-semitic remarks during an episode of his podcast, Cannon's Class. According to The Blast, the $1.5 billion in damages Cannon allegedly sought was the estimated value of Wild 'N Out.

On July 14, Cannon was dropped from ViacomCBS after calling Black people "true Hebrews."

"You can't be anti-Semitic when we are the Semitic people," Cannon said during a June episode of his podcast, which included former Public Enemy member Professor Griff. In a 1989 interview, Griff blamed Jewish people for "the majority of wickedness that goes on across the globe."

"When we are the same people they want to be. That's our birthright," Cannon added.

The media personality had been working with ViacomCBS for over 20 years under the Nickelodeon and MTV brands of the media company.

"While we support ongoing education and dialogue in the fight against bigotry, we are deeply troubled that Nick has failed to acknowledge or apologize for perpetuating anti-Semitism, and we are terminating our relationship with him," a statement from ViacomCBS read on July 14.

The day before Cannon was fired from the media conglomerate, he took to Facebook to explain himself. "Anyone who knows me knows that I have no hate in my heart nor malice intentions," Cannon wrote at the time. "I do not condone hate speech nor the spread of hateful rhetoric. We are living in a time when it is more important than ever to promote unity and understanding."

Although Cannon shared another Facebook post where he apologized for his remarks on July 15, he demanded for the complete ownership of Wild 'N Out, along with complete ownership for the MTV show.

"As for Viacom, who is now on the wrong side of history, I will continue to pray for you," Cannon wrote. "I don't blame any individual, I blame the oppressive and racist infrastructure. Systemic racism is what this world was built on and was the subject in which I was attempting to highlight in the recent clips that have been circulating from my podcast. If I have furthered the hate speech, I wholeheartedly apologize."

"But now I am the one making demands," he continued. "I demand full ownership of my billion dollar Wild 'N Out brand that I created, and they will continue to misuse and destroy without my leadership! I demand that the hate and back door bullying cease and while we are at it, now that the truth is out, I demand the Apology!"

Newsweek did not receive comment from ViacomCBS at the time of publication.

More Nick: Nickelodeon Upfront 2020 Roundup!
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Revisit 'Nickellennium', Nickelodeon's Global Youth & The Future Documentary

Revisit Nickellennium, a Y2K documentary featuring kids with no idea how bad it was about to get.



On New Year’s Day, 2000, there was plenty of reason to feel hope for the future. We’d just managed to evade a global computer glitch that was meant to cause, at worst, nuclear devastation and, at best, our toasters to fly off the counter and right into our faces. If even the dreaded Y2K bug could be overcome, then, well, the new millennium seemed like a time of infinite possibility—a time where technology would help usher in an era of cross-cultural exchange, better-informed global citizens, and life-enhancing new inventions.

We don’t need to get into each and every way the last 20 years have betrayed these kind of hopes, but we can recapture the optimistic mood of the new millennium with Nickellennium, a 24-hour documentary aired by Nickelodeon in the U.S. and U.K. on New Year’s Day, 2000.

Watch through the entire condensed five-hour version or skip around to find a few highlights of what these kids around the world thought might happen in the future. A lot of them are pretty exciting visions of how things will go. There’s a lot of talk about cool technology they imagine existing or how the problems of the year 2000 will be fully solved in the decades to come.


There are examples, of course, of youthful cynicism, too. Some kids describe how everyone in 2050 will be “sad and gloomy” because of the horrible pollution and a child Nostradamus or two predict how computers will take away jobs and damage our sense of human connection. Largely, though, the children think things in general are going to get better.

It’s important to hang onto some good things throughout all of this. Around an hour and 40 minutes into the documentary, a nine year-old Romanian boy says that his wish is to live on an island with a lot of cats by 2040, taking breaks to go visit discos playing metal music. While we don’t have the cat xerox machine he imagines, we do still have cats and metal in 2020. As well as computers that bring us both of these things whilst we continue to lose our sense of human connection.

More Nick: Nickelodeon to Bring 'Rugrats' Back for the Next Generation of Kids!

Original source: The A.V. Club.

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‘SpongeBob’ Voice Actors Tom Kenny and Bill Fagerbakke React to SpongeBob’s Sexuality Following Viral Tweet Celebrating Pride Month

Back in June, Nickelodeon took to social media to celebrate Pride Month by sharing photos of LGBTQ+ characters from some of its most popular series.


In the post that blew up social media, the network shared three photos featuring transgender actor Michael D. Cohen from Henry Danger, Avatar Korra, from The Legend of Korra, who is bisexual, and the beloved SpongeBob SquarePants.

Many Twitter users felt it was confirmation that SpongeBob is part of the queer community, prompting the hashtag #SpongeBobIsGay to start trending.

ET Canada’s Carlos Bustamante caught up with Tom Kenny And Bill Fagerbakke, stars of The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge On The Run, this week to chat about how they feel about representing the LGBTQ+ community with the iconic character.


“Cartoon characters are always broad strokes, you never know. Bugs Bunny is just Bugs Bunny. Daffy Duck, whatever, SpongeBob’s the same, but I do think from the very beginning SpongeBob and Patrick, it’s really been about being who they are,” Kenny shares.

The 58-year-old voice actor continues: “It’s just okay, this is who I am, this is where I’m at, so deal with it. I’m nice to people, so I think people have always responded to that aspect of them, that they let their freak flag fly and don’t even think about it.”

Adding, “I think it’s really powerful for people. They don’t even think of it in those terms, I don’t think when you’re a kid watching, in those terms. But if you like SpongeBob and his friends, it’s kind of an inclusive vibe that they give off.”

Meanwhile, Fagerbakke says, “I think it comes down to the honesty of the characters, and the honesty of the relationships. It’s all founded, and I think my fellow cast members bring so much to the show and that resonates.”

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run will open in theatres across Canada on August 14. In the U.S., the movie will debut debut digitally via premium video on demand in early 2021 and then move exclusively to CBS All Access. For fans outside North America, the movie will debut on Netflix (including in Canada).

More Nick: CBS All Access to Premiere 'Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years' During Early 2021!

Originally published: Wednesday, August 12, 2020 at 21:24 BST.
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What Did You Think of the New 'The Casagrandes' Episode 'Guess Who's Shopping for Dinner?'? | Nickelodeon Fan Poll

What did you think of the brand new The Casagrandes episode "Guess Who's Shopping for Dinner?" Vote in the poll and sound off in the comments below!

Top 10 Secrets You Don't Know About THE CASAGRANDES 🏠 Nick Confidential | Nickelodeon

Top 10 Secrets You Don't Know About THE CASAGRANDES 🏠 Nick Confidential | Nickelodeon


Bobby knows how to do WHAT? Apparently the Casagrandes have a lot of secrets to hold! So let's turn to Nick Confidential to find out the top 10 secrets you DON'T know about The Casagrandes!

Have you tuned into The Casagrandes Familia Sounds podcast? Listen here!: http://nickalive.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Casagrandes%20Familia%20Sounds

Watch Lincoln & Ronnie's vlogs here!: http://nickalive.blogspot.com/search?q=Lincoln+%26+Ronnie+Anne%E2%80%99s+Vlog

More Nick: Nickelodeon to Premiere New Hour-Long 'The Loud House' Special 'Schooled!' in September 2020!
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Glitch Techs Season 2 OST - "She's One Of Us" by Brad Breeck

Glitch Techs Season 2 OST - "She's One Of Us" by Brad Breeck


"She's One Of Us" from Netflix/Nickelodeon Glitch Techs Season Two "Glitch Modder". Music by Brad Breeck.

Action, mystery, and a brand new recruit--that's just a little bit of what is going on at Hinobi HQ! Glitch Techs Season 2 comes to Netflix August 17. Click the following link for more info!: http://nickalive.blogspot.com/2020/07/netflix-to-release-glitch-techs-season.html

More Nick: Netflix and Nickelodeon Form Multi-Year Output Deal to Produce Original Animated Films and Series!
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Baby Shark Takes Over Nick Jr. for 'Baby Shark's Big Week', Airing This August on Nick Jr.

Official Nickelodeon Press Release:

Nickelodeon's Baby Shark's Big Week!


Preschoolers can dive into fin-tastic adventures with pop-culture phenomenon Baby Shark, when Nickelodeon airs “Baby Shark’s Big Week,” Monday, Aug. 10–Friday, Aug. 14 from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. (ET/PT). In partnership with Discovery, the weeklong celebration will feature Baby Shark shorts, bite-sized shark facts and underwater-themed episodes of Nick’s hit preschool series PAW Patrol, Bubble Guppies and Blaze and the Monster Machines, as well as the premiere of a brand-new Bubble Guppies episode, “Too Bright for Movie Night,” on Friday, Aug. 14, at 11 a.m. (ET/PT).


The net recently announced the greenlight of a brand-new animated preschool series, Baby Shark’s Big Show! (working title) set to debut with an all-new original holiday special this December, with premieres rolling out across its preschool platforms in spring 2021. Following the U.S. launch, the series will roll out on Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. channels internationally.

Co-produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio and SmartStudy, the global entertainment company behind the beloved children’s brand Pinkfong, the 2D-animated series (26 half-hour episodes) will follow Baby Shark and his best friend William as they journey on fun-filled comedic adventures in their community of Carnivore Cove, meet new friends and sing original catchy tunes along the way. In addition to Nickelodeon and SmartStudy’s partnership to produce Baby Shark’s Big Show!, ViacomCBS Consumer Products (VCP) is managing consumer products licensing worldwide, excluding China, Korea and Southeast Asia, for the Baby Shark property.

SOCIAL

@NickJr #BabySharksBigShow

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Baby Shark's Big Week - Shark Dance Party - Promo


It's Baby Shark's Big Week! Tune into Nick Jr. all this August to hang out with all your Nick Jr. friends, plus catch a brand new episode of Bubble Guppies! It's all hosted by Baby Shark! Baby Shark's Big Week, airing this August on Nick Jr. USA!

Original post:

It's Baby Shark's Big Week! Tune into Nick Jr. all this August to hang out with all your Nick Jr. friends, plus catch a brand new episode of Bubble Guppies! It's all hosted by Baby Shark! Baby Shark's Big Week, airing this August on Nick Jr. USA!


From Broadcasting + Cable:

Nickelodeon Gives ‘Baby Shark’s Big Week’ TV’s Biggest Promo Push

And more from Promo Mojo, our exclusive weekly ranking of the programming networks are promoting most heavily

B&C has partnered with always-on TV ad measurement and attribution company iSpot.tv to bring you a weekly chart we call Promo Mojo: exclusive data showing the top five TV promos ranked by ad impressions. This is the programming the networks have been promoting most heavily to drive tune-in (our data covers the seven-day period through July 26.

On the strength of 367.9 million TV ad impressions, a Nickelodeon promo for Baby Shark’s Big Week takes the No. 1 spot.

Our ranking is entirely dominated by cable networks, with Nick joined by HGTV, which hypes two of its shows — Build Me Up and Vacation House Rules — while TNT gives some love to The Alienist, and Investigation Discovery promotes Devil Among Us.

Notably, the Vacation House Rules spot has the highest iSpot Attention Index (147) in our ranking, getting 47% fewer interruptions than the average promo (interruptions include changing the channel, pulling up the guide, fast-forwarding or turning off the TV).

1) Baby Shark's Big Week, Nickelodeon
Impressions: 367,900,861

Attention Score: 96.20
Attention Index: 140 (40% fewer interruptions than avg.)
Imp. Types: National 98%, Local 1%, VOD/OTT 1%
In-network Value: $8,440,380
Out-of-network Est. Spend: $1,535

[...]

*Data provided by iSpot.tv, TV Ad Measurement for Disruptive Brands*

Impressions - The total impressions within all US households including National Linear (Live & Time-shifted), VOD+OTT, and Local.

Attention Score - Measures the propensity of consumers to interrupt an ad play on TV. The higher the score, the more complete views. Actions that interrupt an ad play include changing the channel, pulling up the guide, fast-forwarding or turning off the TV.

Attention Index - Represents the Attention of a specific creative or program placement vs. the average in its respective industry. The average is represented by a score of 100, and the total index range is from 0 through 200. For example, an attention index of 125 means that there are 25% fewer interrupted ad plays compared to the average.

Imp. Types - Impression types tracked include National (Live + Time-shifted), Local, VOD & OTT. See below for further details.

In-network Value - Estimated media value of in-network promos.

Out-of-network Spend - The estimated amount spent on TV airing time for this promo's spots during a given date range.

National: Live - A national promo which was viewed during live linear television broadcast or same day, via DVR or on-demand.

Advertisement

Local - A promo that was aired during a local ad break slot.

VOD - This includes promos that run in on-demand content past three days (i.e. do not contain the linear promo load)

OTT - On-demand streaming content (i.e. Hulu, Roku, Fire TV Stick, Chromecast).

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From Romper:

'Baby Shark’s Big Week' On Nickelodeon Is Basically Shark Week For Preschoolers

If your kid loves anything that has to do-do-do-do-do with Baby Shark, then they'll definitely be amped for "Baby Shark's Big Week" airing on Nickelodeon next week. Starting on Aug. 10, Baby Shark will be making special appearances on the network and he's bringing some under-the-sea themed episodes from your kid's favorite Nick Jr. shows with him.

For the past 32 years, the Discovery channel has been celebrating Shark Week, one week dedicated educating and entertaining its viewers about the terrifying but fascinating ocean creatures. And this year, in partnership with Discovery, Nickelodeon has created Shark Week of sorts for kids, hosted by the one and only Baby Shark.

According to Nickelodeon, the weeklong special — airing from Monday, Aug. 10 to Friday, Aug. 14 from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET/PT — will feature Baby Shark shorts as well as special aquatic themed episodes of PAW Patrol, Bubble Guppies, and Blaze and the Monster Machines. The network will also offer up some "bite-sized shark facts," so your little one can learn something, too. And on the final day of "Baby Shark's Big Week," Nickelodeon will air a brand-new Bubble Guppies episode called "Too Bright For Movie Night" on Aug. 14 at 11 a.m. ET/PT.

Ahead of "Baby Shark's Big Week" kicking off on Monday, Nickelodeon released a commercial teasing what's in store, which a narrator described as a "whole week of swimsational adventures and music videos with Baby Shark and all your Nick Jr. friends."

You can expect to see a lot more Baby Shark on Nickelodeon in the future. Baby Shark will also be the star of a brand new show on the network, which is tentatively titled Baby Shark's Big Show. There will be 26 half-hour episodes in this new series (geared towards pre-school aged kids), which will dive deeper into Baby Shark's world under the sea and introduce audience members to other people in his world, like his best friend William.

So, before the weeklong special airs on Aug. 10, do yourself a favor and mentally prepare for yourself now for your kiddo to be obsessed with Baby Shark all over again in a brand new way.

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Baby Shark's Big Week - Baby Shark song (orchestra version) - Promo


Baby Shark's Big Week - Let's go and swim - Promo


Baby Shark's Big Week - Hush-a-bye, Baby Shark - Promo


Baby Shark's Big Week - Baby Shark song (disco version) + Bubble Guppies New!


Baby Shark's Big Week - There are three sharks all in the ocean - Promo


Baby Shark's Big Week - Opposites - Promo


Baby Shark's Big Week - Stick Around!


More Nick: Nickelodeon Dives In With All-New 'Baby Shark' Animated Preschool Series 'Baby Shark’s Big Show!'!

Originally published: Monday, July 20, 2020.

Press release via BelAirMommie.
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Glitch Techs Season 2 OST - "I'm Ridley" by Brad Breeck

Glitch Techs Season 2 OST - "I'm Ridley" by Brad Breeck


"I'm Ridley" from Netflix/Nickelodeon Glitch Techs Season Two "Glitch Modder". Music by Brad Breeck.

Action, mystery, and a brand new recruit--that's just a little bit of what is going on at Hinobi HQ! Glitch Techs Season 2 comes to Netflix August 17. Click the following link for more info!: http://nickalive.blogspot.com/2020/07/netflix-to-release-glitch-techs-season.html

More Nick: Netflix and Nickelodeon Form Multi-Year Output Deal to Produce Original Animated Films and Series!
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Glitch Techs Season 2 OST - "It's A Chomp Kitty" by Brad Breeck

Glitch Techs Season 2 OST - "It's A Chomp Kitty" by Brad Breeck


"It's A Chomp Kitty" from Netflix/Nickelodeon Glitch Techs Season Two "Glitch Modder". Music by Brad Breeck.

Action, mystery, and a brand new recruit--that's just a little bit of what is going on at Hinobi HQ! Glitch Techs Season 2 comes to Netflix August 17. Click the following link for more info!: http://nickalive.blogspot.com/2020/07/netflix-to-release-glitch-techs-season.html

More Nick: Netflix and Nickelodeon Form Multi-Year Output Deal to Produce Original Animated Films and Series!
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Glitch Techs Season 2 OST - "B.U.D.S " by Brad Breeck

Glitch Techs Season 2 OST - "B.U.D.S " by Brad Breeck


"B.U.D.S." from Netflix/Nickelodeon Glitch Techs Season Two "B.U.D.S." Music by Brad Breeck.

Action, mystery, and a brand new recruit--that's just a little bit of what is going on at Hinobi HQ! Glitch Techs Season 2 comes to Netflix August 17. Click the following link for more info!: http://nickalive.blogspot.com/2020/07/netflix-to-release-glitch-techs-season.html

More Nick: Netflix and Nickelodeon Form Multi-Year Output Deal to Produce Original Animated Films and Series!
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'Avatar: The Last Airbender' Gets an Honest Trailer

Avatar: The Last Airbender has been on everyone's minds since it came to Netflix in May. Now it's getting the Honest Trailer treatment. Screen Junkies' Honest Trailers series took a break from its Blockbuster Summer event to release it's latest installment, focusing on Nickelodeon's beloved, seminal animated series.


In between the playful jabs at the characters and their world (like its decidedly interesting animals), the video praises Avatar's ability to weave in adult themes among the kid-friendly adventures. After all, as the video points out, Avatar was made for eight-year-olds. It also calls it out for some of its more cartoonish traits, including its liberal use of goofy sound effects. It also casts some shade at the infamous M. Night Shyamalan The Last Airbender movie, and questions why Netflix would try to adapt the series into live-action a second time, though this one will be created with the aid of original producers Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. You can watch the Honest Trailer for Avatar: The Last Airbender below.


The video also mentions how the much maligned live-action The Last Airbender movie may have sidelined and doomed a potential fourth season of Avatar: The Last Airbender. Putting aside that "Sozin's Comet" is one of the greatest television finales of all time, one could argue they didn't even need a fourth. The story of Avatar: The Last Airbender does continue in comic books from Dark Horse Comics, and they're great. There's a chance the Netflix adaptation could integrate the storylines that would've been included in the fourth season, but only time will tell. As it stands right now, though, the original Avatar is great, and even the Honest Trailer knows it.

There's also The Legend of Korra, the ambitious successor to Avatar: The Last Airbender that follows the adventures of the avatar that comes after Aang's death. The series, which remains a flashpoint of debate among Avatar fans, is coming to Netflix on Friday (August 14).

The Avatar Honest Trailer even points out what a few people on the internet have already decided: The series is something of a spiritual successor to Star Wars. Not only is Avatar's sequel series The Legend of Korra rather controversial among fans (like Disney's Star Wars sequel trilogy), but the trailer decides to playfully call Zuko "Pyro Ren," drawing attention to the similarities between him and Kylo Ren. Of course, many have noted that Zuko's redemption arc was more effective than Kylo's, but some may feel otherwise.

ComicBook.com spoke to Avatar voice actor Dante Basco, voice of Zuko, in July, not long after the show's Netflix debut. He said the series' sudden re-emergence in the pop culture discourse was palpable.

“Yeah I think it kind of blew up out of nowhere, which is great and unexpected,” Basco says. “But it really goes to show you: A, the power of Netflix, and B, the power of a really good project that kind of lasted over the years now. And it's like you said, it may be more popular than when it was first out.”

He also talked specifically about the popularity of his character, Zuko, who starts as a villain before embarking on a redemption arc. “I mean, ‘That's rough buddy,’ has become one of the most quoted lines. It’s strange that these lines that we don’t think much of them when we do them. It’s just how the project came out. It doesn't strike me why they become a part of the zeitgeist in whatever world we're in,” he says.

“’That's rough buddy…’ and ‘Hello, Zuko here,’ little lines that I didn't think much of when we did and something stuck with how the project came out, become these kind of catchphrases in life for people to use, that they use in their regular life. I get a kick out of all that,” Basco added. “Again, little things that none of us could predict. You know we didn't plan any of these things, these things happened organically. I appreciate, I'm proud of that multiplying, you know.”

Avatar: The Last Airbender is streaming now on Netflix and CBS All Access, and will be airing on Nickelodeon and Nicktoons from Sunday, August 16.

The Legend of Korra is now available on CBS All Access, and joins the Netflix library on Friday, August 14.

Graphic novels continuing both series are available to purchase today.

Subscribe to the NEW official Avatar: The Last Airbender YouTube channel!: https://at.nick.com/AvatarSubscribe

More Nick: Netflix to Host Open Casting Call for Live-Action 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' Series!

Sources: ComicBook.com, ScreenRant; Additional source: Nerd Site.
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Nickelodeon Universe at Mall of America to Reopen to the Public on Monday, August 10

BLOOMINGTON, MN — The Mall of America on Monday (August 3) announced that it will reopen Nickelodeon Universe on Monday, August 10. After being closed for almost five months due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, the seven-acre theme park will reopen "with significant changes to maintain a safe, healthy, and comfortable environment for those who visit," states the MOA.


"To meet current state guidelines, Nickelodeon Universe will operate with a significantly reduced capacity of 250 people throughout the seven-acre theme park at any given time. Capacity will be controlled by only allowing guests through a single entry point to Nickelodeon Universe. All other entry points to the park will remain closed. Only guests who have purchased a ticket will have access to walk through the park."


"Guests will be able to purchase a two-hour ticket which will allow them to enjoy unlimited attractions throughout Nickelodeon Universe within that time frame. Tickets are $19.99 + tax for riders, $4.99 + tax for non-riders and will only be available for purchase onsite (no advance ticket reservations will be available). Capacity is anticipated to be reached early in the day, therefore guests who arrive when the park is at capacity will have the opportunity to join a virtual queue and be notified when they are able to enter Nickelodeon Universe to begin their two-hour unlimited park experience. No other ticket options will be available for purchase at this time."

For more on tickets, click here.

Guest safety requirements

"Nickelodeon Universe guests ages three and up will be required to wear face masks at all times – including the duration of each attraction - to cover the nose and mouth. Children ages two and under and people with special medical conditions are exempt from this requirement. Guests may remove their face mask when actively eating or drinking but must be stationary and maintain appropriate social distancing."

"Guests must sanitize their hands before entering each attraction. Sanitizing stations have been added to the entrance and exit of each attraction."

For more on the reopening requirements and other information, click here.


Limited attractions

"Certain attractions will not be open due to limited staffing with the reduced capacity levels as well as the inability to safely social distance. A list of the available attractions that will be running can be found at nickelodeonuniverse.com."

The Nickelodeon Universe rides reopening on August 10 are:

Junior/Family Rides:
The Backyardigans Swing-Along
Big Rigs
Blue's Clues: Blue's Skidoo
Carousel
Go, Diego, Go!: Diego's Rescue Rider
Ghost Blasters
Bubble Guppies: Guppy Bubbler
Dora the Explorer: Swiper's Sweeper

Thrill Rides:
Brain Surge
Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odd Coaster
Pepsi Orange Streak
SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge

Safety protocols

- "Attractions will be sanitized after each ride by Nickelodeon Universe team members."

- "Team members will assign seats for each attraction to maintain safe social distancing."

- "Queue lines for each attraction have social distancing floor markers for guests waiting to enter an attraction."

"Reopening Nickelodeon Universe – even with significantly reduced capacity – is a positive step forward," said Jill Renslow, EVP of Business Development and Marketing for the MOA, in a news release.

"This is a process, and we will continue to learn, evaluate, and if needed, enhance, this new Nickelodeon Universe experience in the coming weeks and months. We are confident in the health and safety protocols we have in place and look forward to welcoming back guests of all ages to Nickelodeon Universe."

"We evaluated each and every ride to make sure it's a safe environment. So like our Paw Patrol play area will not be open because there are too many touch points for our guests to be exchanging.

"But we do have a great mix of family rides and thrill attractions."

"With the reduced capacity, you'll be able to go on a lot of rides in two hours," said MOA spokesperson Chris Grap.

The theme park will be open 11 a.m, to 7 p.m. daily.

On a traditional, pre-covid weekend, capacity often reached as many as 3,000 guests at once, MOA public relations director Sarah Grap said.

“With a maximum capacity of 250 guests at any given time with this limited reopening, it will give these guests the sense of having the theme park to themselves,” said Grap.

The Mall of America reopened in June and didn't initially require guests to wear a mask.

Nickelodeon Universe's sister park at the American Dream mall in New Jersey remains closed at this time.

Mall of America staff explains how reopening at Nickelodeon Universe will look


Mall of America Experience Designer Chris Grap explains to Fox 9 viewers what reopening at Nickelodeon Universe will look like as the park works to ensure safety during the pandemic.

More Nick: Nickelodeon Upfront 2020 Roundup!

Originally published: Tuesday, August 4, 2020.

Sources: Patch, Business Journal, TCB, Bring Me The News, KSTP, Theme Park Insider, weareiowa.com, Fox 47, KSTP.com.
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Keke Palmer, Vanessa Hudgens and Andre Jamal Kinney Almost Starred on a Disney Channel Show Together

Keke Palmer may have started her career off as True Jackson on Nickelodeon's True Jackson, VP, but there was a second there where she almost become a star thanks to Disney Channel. The actor shared on Monday (August 10) that when she was just 10 years old, she actually filmed a pilot for a Disney Channel show alongside Vanessa Hudgens!


Photo credit: C Flanigan for Getty Images

"When I first moved to California I was introduced to Ralph Farquhar (one of the creators of The Proud Family, Moesha, The Parker’s etc)," Keke shared on Instagram. "He took a chance on me and he landed me this pilot with Disney Channel that didn’t get picked up called Keke & Jamal."

View this post on Instagram

Omg my big bro @andrejamalkinney pulled this out of the archives. When I first moved to California I was introduced to Ralph Farquhar (one of the creators of The Proud Family, Moesha, The Parker’s etc) he took a chance on me and he landed me this pilot with Disney Channel that didn’t get picked up called Keke & Jamal lol it was loosely based on my life. A little girl named Keke with big dreams of being an entertainer and her tight nit family. I was ten years old and I can remember it like it was yesterday 😭. We filmed this on the old That’s So Raven set and that was when I first met Raven Symone. True dream come true for me and like a fairytale. I hope it makes you laugh like it has mad me hahaha whew

A post shared by BIG BOSS 🔑🔑 (@keke) on


The 26-year-old revealed that the show was "loosely based" on her life. "A little girl named Keke with big dreams of being an entertainer and her tight nit family," she explained.

Keke then shared some clips from the show, including the title sequence. If the house set looks familiar, that's because it was recycled from That's So Raven. "That was when I first met Raven Symone," Keke wrote. "True dream come true for me and like a fairytale."

Along with Keke, Keke & Jamal starred Vanessa Hudgens pre-High School Musical as well as Andre Jamal Kinney, who went on to star in Hannah Montana. Andre shared some clips from the pilot as well. In his post, he revealed that around the same time he had also shot a pilot for Disney with Zac Efron.

View this post on Instagram

Fun Fact: A year before joining the Hannah Montana cast, @keke and I shot a pilot together called Keke and Jamal. Our chemistry was tooooooo good 😂. (And yes, that’s @vanessahudgens pre HSM.) At this time, I’d already shot another Disney pilot with Zac Efron that didn’t make it to series, and I was playing various characters on The Proud Family. A LOT was happening at that time, but I wanted sooo badly to go to series with this show and wave my little Disney wand around and say “Hey, I’m Andre Jamal Kinney, and you’re watching Disney Channel.” 😂. It hurt like hell when we didn’t get picked up, but I eventually accepted that my path was not for me to decide (which isn’t easy to do at 14 years old). On the slick, God probably knew I was too much for Disney and did us all a favor 😂😂

A post shared by Andre' Jamal Kinney (@andrejamalkinney) on


Of course, Keke & Jamal never got picked up, but Keke, Andre, and Vanessa all seemed to have done more than OK for themselves nonetheless.

It seems like things have come around full circle for Palmer, as the actor will be voicing a new character for its upcoming Disney+ reboot, The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, based on the original Disney Channel series. In fact, similar to Palmer's story, The Proud Family was very nearly a Nickelodeon series! Palmer will also be hosting the 2020 MTV VMAs!

More Nick: Jamie Lynn Spears Wants Daughter Maddie to Play Younger 'Zoey 101' Character in Potential Reboot!

Original source: Seventeen.
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