Friday, September 04, 2020

Kellogg's Partners with Nickelodeon for Baby Shark Froot Loops in South Africa

ViacomCBS Networks Africa (VCNA) kid's channel Nickelodeon has partnered with Kellogg's to bring magical moments to breakfast with new Kellogg's Baby Shark Froot Loops cereal!


Kellogg's is one of the leading and well-loved food brands in South Africa, testament to this, Kellogg's was voted the coolest breakfast cereal at the 2020 Sunday Times Generation Next awards.

Nickelodeon in partnership with Kellogg's to bring fun and excitement to breakfast with the newly launched Kellogg's Baby Shark Froot Loops cereal

There is an old saying that goes, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Nickelodeon and Kellogg’s aim to make breakfast time the most important time of the day by bonding with the family, having fun and providing families with nutritious breakfasts that lead to better days.


“Together with Nickelodeon, we aim to partner with moms to bring magical moments to breakfast through characters that kids absolutely love, along with on-trend berry fin-tastic flavours and multi coloured food that will nourish kids as they kickstart their day. The new Kellogg’s Baby Shark Froot Loops cereal box also comes with fun-filled activities to keep the kids busy, which is especially important in times like these. It will transform dull moments, into fun-filled ones for the whole family," commented Avik Sarkar, Marketing Director for Kellogg South Africa.

This exciting collaboration follows an announcement by the kids' channel that the Baby Shark franchise will be coming to Nickelodeon. Tasania Parsadh, Channel Director for Nickelodeon Africa at (VCNA) commented, “Our mission is to make the world a more playful place and the new Kellogg’s Baby Shark Froot Loops cereal box allows for that. Kids, together with their parents can cut out characters to play with while singing along to the popular Baby Shark song making breakfast extra special and fin-tastic for the entire family."

Through arts and craft, Kellogg's Baby Shark Froot Loops and Nickelodeon Africa want to make the world a more playful place by creating magical moments during breakfast time. An exciting collaboration that’s one of a kind! New Kellogg's Baby Shark Froot Loops are now making waves in stores. Grab a box and dive into the deliciousness of berry fin-tastic flavour. Yup, they’re just that FIN-TASTIC.

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.

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

Original source: Bizcommunity.
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Classic Rugrats Comic Strip for Friday, September 4, 2020 | NickRewind

Classic Rugrats Comic Strip for Friday, September 4, 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.

Read more Rugrats comic strips!: https://www.creators.com/features/rugrats

More Nick: Nickelodeon and Paramount to Bring 'Rugrats' Back for the Next Generation of Kids!
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'Ren & Stimpy' Creator's Accuser Urges ViacomCBS To Cancel Planned Reboot

'Ren & Stimpy' Creator's Accuser Urges ViacomCBS To Cancel Planned Reboot

A online Change.org petition to halt the planned reboot of Nickelodeon's iconic '90s series The Ren & Stimpy Show has been launched by one of the individuals who has alleged sexual misconduct by the show's creator, John Kricfalusi.


Update (9/4) - The petition has now garnered just over 12,000 signatures.

Robyn Byrd publicly accused Kricfalusi of having a relationship with her during the 1990s, during the original run of Ren & Stimpy. Byrd and Kricfalusi began communicating when Byrd was 14 years old. When she was 16, she moved in with Kricfalusi while working as an intern at Kricfalusi's animation studio, Spumco. According to Byrd, Kricfalusi touched her inappropriately while she was still a minor.

Byrd's petition claims that ViacomCBS's reboot of Ren & Stimpy, expected to be aired on Comedy Central, will bring back bad memories for both fans of the show and individuals who used to work for Kricfalusi.


Kricfalusi and a 15-year-old Byrd in 1996. Credit: Byrd.

Byrd wrote that Kricfalusi, also known as John K., may reenter the public spotlight if the reboot becomes successful. "This man used Ren & Stimpy to lure young people to his studio and into his confidence, only to abuse them, stunt their careers, and molest young girls," Byrd's petition read. "He WILL DO IT AGAIN. Not only that, but seeing his characters come back to life will re-traumatize many of his victims."

"Bringing back original crew to work on the film would be difficult and contentious," Byrd added. "Even if they wanted to come back, again Viacom would only be recycling [intellectual property]."

Newsweek reached out to ViacomCBS for comment.

When allegations against Kricfalusi became public in 2018, an attorney for Kricfalusi said in a statement to BuzzFeed News that the 1990s were "a time of mental and emotional fragility" for Kricfalusi.

"Over the years John struggled with what were eventually diagnosed mental illnesses in 2008," the statement continued. "To that point, for nearly three decades he had relied primarily on alcohol to self-medicate."

Kricfalusi is not expected to be involved with the new production, nor is he slated to receive any money from the show's relaunch.

Ren & Stimpy originally aired from 1991-1995 on the Nickelodeon network. Displaying a surprisingly adult sense of humor for a program shown on a children's television network, Ren & Stimpy became a hit. Kricfalusi was fired from the program in 1993 by Nickelodeon executives who chalked Kricfalusi's release up to creative differences.

The series followed the adventures of title characters Ren, an emotionally unstable Chihuahua, and Stimpy, a good-natured yet dimwitted cat often referred to by his pal as "EEEDIOT". (Their proper names are Ren Hoek and Stimpson J. Cat.) It aired for nearly 100 episodes over five seasons on Nickelodeon. The following year, the series had a run on MTV.

Kricfalusi rebooted the program as Ren & Stimpy’s Adult Cartoon Party in 2003 on the Spike TV network. Amping up the adult themes, the show received a TV-MA rating. Terrible reviews and adverse fan reaction caused the cancellation of the show after only three of the six planned episodes were aired.

Allegations of misconduct have been leveled against others in the animation businesses. In 2017, then-head of Pixar John Lasseter was forced to step down after being named by multiple individuals as making unwanted sexual advances. In 2019, Lasseter was named the head of Skydance Animation.

Lasseter's appointment caused actor Emma Thompson to pull out of a role in an upcoming Skydance Animation production. "If a man has been touching women inappropriately for decades," Thompson wrote in a letter released in February 2019, "why would a woman want to work for him if the only reason he's not touching them inappropriately now is that it says in his contract that he must behave 'professionally?'"

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

Originally published: Thursday, August 20, 2020.

Additional source: Toonado.
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Annie and Pony Find Principal Ramiro a Valentine ❤️ IT'S PONY New Episode | Nickelodeon

Annie and Pony Find Principal Ramiro a Valentine ❤️ IT'S PONY New Episode | Nickelodeon


Annie and Pony are really dreading the Valentine's Day school dance, so they hatch a scheme to get Principal Ramior a date so she's too busy to plan anything! Check out this full scene from the new episode of It's Pony "School Dance"!

What did you think of the all new It's Pony episode "School Dance"? Vote in the poll here!: http://nickalive.blogspot.com/2020/08/what-did-you-think-of-new-its-pony_26.html

More Nick: Nickelodeon Greenlights 'It’s Pony' Season Two!
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OLLIE'S PACK | The Chosen One Stinks Clip | YTV

OLLIE'S PACK | The Chosen One Stinks Clip | YTV


Ollie’s stinky sweat is a hot commodity in the Monsterverse, and makes a deal in exchange for it.

Ollie’s Pack premieres Saturday, September 5 at 8 a.m. (ET/PT) on YTV! Info: https://www.ytv.com/shows/ollies-pack/

More YTV: YTV, TELETOON, and Treehouse Announce Unbeleafable Fall Line-Ups!
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PAW Patrol: Jet to the Rescue | Official Trailer | Paramount Pictures Australia

PAW Patrol: Jet to the Rescue | Official Trailer | Paramount Pictures Australia


Our favourite pups are back and they’re flying high in the brand-new PAW Patrol movie launching into cinemas across Australia from Thursday, September 10, 2020 and New Zealand from Thursday, September 24, 2020!

Get Ready to zoom back to Barkingburg with the pups in this all-new movie! When the scheming Duke of Flappington steals a powerful levitation gem from the royal castle and uses its magical powers to raise Barkingburg into the clouds, Skye will need to overcome her biggest fears and lead the team in their biggest aerial rescue yet! Can PAW Patrol JET TO THE RESCUE and save the town before it is lost in the sky forever?

Discover more at www.PawPatrolMovie.com.au

In the U.S.? Paw Patrol: Jet To The Rescue releases on DVD on Tuesday, September 8, 2020! http://nickalive.blogspot.com/2020/07/paw-patrol-to-jet-to-rescue-in-new-made.html

Sneak Peeks:

PAW Patrol: Jet to the Rescue | Clip | Birthday Present



Our favourite pups are back and they’re flying high in the brand-new PAW Patrol movie launching into cinemas from SEPTEMBER 10! Get tickets and more at www.PawPatrolMovie.com.au

PAW Patrol: Jet to the Rescue | Clip | Let's Jet to the Rescue



Check out these pawsome flight suits and high-speed jets from the BRAND NEW #PawPatrol #JetToTheRescue movie, coming to cinemas SEPTEMBER 10! Tickets on sale now.

About PAW Patrol™
PAW Patrol follows the adventures of a tech-savvy boy named Ryder and his team of pups who are ready to save the day. Whenever there’s trouble, pups Chase, Marshall, Rubble, Zuma, Rocky and Skye are ready for action, no matter what comes their way. With a mission to work together to keep Adventure Bay safe, no job is too big, and no pup is too small.

Airing in over 160 countries, in 30 languages, PAW Patrol is the number one entertainment franchise for preschoolers. Currently entering its seventh season on Nickelodeon, PAW Patrol’s universal messaging resonates with children around the world and since its launch in 2013, the franchise has won countless awards.

About Spin Master
Spin Master Corp. (TSX:TOY) is a leading global children's entertainment company creating exceptional play experiences through a diverse portfolio of innovative toys, entertainment franchises and digital toys and games. Spin Master is best known for award-winning brands PAW Patrol®, Bakugan®, Kinetic Sand®, Air Hogs®, Hatchimals® and GUND®, and is the toy licensee for other popular properties. Spin Master Entertainment creates and produces compelling multiplatform content, stories and endearing characters through its in-house studio and partnerships with outside creators, including the preschool success PAW Patrol and 10 other television series, which are distributed in more than 160 countries. The Company has an established digital presence anchored by the Toca Boca® and Sago Mini® brands, which combined have more than 25 million monthly active users. With over 1,800 employees in 28 offices globally, Spin Master distributes products in more than 100 countries. For more information visit spinmaster.com or follow on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @spinmaster.

About Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon, now in its 41st year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The brand includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, digital, location-based experiences, publishing and feature films. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of ViacomCBS Inc. (Nasdaq: VIACA, VIAC).

About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of ViacomCBS (NASDAQ: VIAC; VIACA), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. Paramount controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Television, and Paramount Players. PPC operations also include Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.

More Nick: 'Paw Patrol' Movie from Spin Master and Nickelodeon Movies, with Paramount Pictures Distributing, Set for August 2021 Release!

Originally published: Wednesday, August 26, 2020.
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Nicktoons Global to Host Best of Sandy Cheeks Marathon, September 5-6, 2020

Best of Sandy Marathon Promo September 5+6 2020 (NickToons Global)


Das Beste von Sandy Marathon Vorschau für den 05.09+06.09.2020 (NickToons Deutschland)


More Nick: Nicktoons Global to Premiere 'Dorg Van Dango' on Sunday 13th September 2020!
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Viral TikTok Videos Give 'Avatar The Last Airbender' a 'Hamilton' Makeover

Hamilton has long been one of the most popular Broadway shows, recently arriving on Disney+ with a movie that taped one of the performances, and one fan has been able to cleverly combine one of the most famous songs from the stage play with the beloved animated series of Avatar: The Last Airbender. With the stage play following the life of Alexander Hamilton and the birth of the nation that is the United States of America, this particular song is belted out by King George in the show while the TikTok video places the Fire Lord Ozai into the king's shoes!


Avatar: The Last Airbender might have a live action adaptation in the books with the feature length film that was received to a very critical reception, but Netflix is once again attempting to mine the idea by creating a live action television series. While there hasn't been an official musical created revolving around the adventures of Aang and his gang of friends, one of the funniest episodes of the series revolved around the Ember Island Players, who attempts to capture the series of Avatar into a stage play that hilariously got a number of events wrong.

Tik Tok Creator Lauren Hiilani shared this amazing fusion between Avatar: The Last Airbender and Hamilton that is able to take the events from the series focusing on Aang and the gang and perfectly matching them with the catchy tune belted out by King George in Hamilton:

@laurenhiilani

Part 4: Ozai’s personal diary ##atla ##hamilton ##avatar ##avatarthelastairbender ##jonathangroff ##zuko ##broadway ##musicaltheatre ##kinggeorge ##ozai ##azula

♬ original sound - laurenhiilani

The Fire Lord Ozai was easily one of the most evil characters in Avatar: The Last Airbender, shoving his people and his country toward a path of world domination in which the Fire Nation wasn't afraid to destroy anyone that got in their path. Of course, the Fire Nation's rampage came to a head during the finale of the Nickelodeon produced animated series when Aang decided to face Ozai head on. With the previous Avatars telling Aang that he needed to kill Ozai in order to save the world, the current Avatar decided to take a different route and instead stole Ozai's ability to bend.

This is the second fan-made Avatar: The Last Airbender musical.

In case you missed it, Hamilton star once performed the Blaze and the Monster Machines theme song for his son, Sebastian!

What do you think of this catch fusion between Avatar and Hamilton? Feel free to let me know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @DailyNickNews to talk all things Nickelodeon and the world of bending!

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

Watch Avatar: The Last Airbender on Netflix & CBS All Access and The Legend of Korra on CBS All Access!

More Nick: Toph Beifong to Feature in Her Own Standalone 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' Graphic Novel!

Original source: ComicBook.com.
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Foxtel in Australia to Host 'SpongeBob SquarePants' Pop-Up Channel, Thursday, 17 September to Tuesday, 6 October

Nickelodeon Australia has announced the spongeriffic news that Nickelodeon's beloved animated series SpongeBob SquarePants will have its own pop-up TV channel on Foxtel channel 700 for the September school holidays!


The announcement:

To celebrate the September school holidays, SpongeBob SquarePants will be popping-up on Foxtel with his very own dedicated channel from Thursday, 17 September to Tuesday, October 6.

Kids and big kids at heart are invited to hang out with SpongeBob and his friends from Bikini Bottom, absorbing all the nautical nonsense from the laugh-out-loud, globally-acclaimed series as part of a 20-day mega marathon featuring 480 hours of nautical nonsense. Are ya’ ready?!

Sharing is caring, which is why SpongeBob has opted to sharing his screen time with two talented young Aussies, Ash Magic, an 18-year-old magician from Sydney, and Morgan Hipworth, a 19-year-old culinary mastermind from Melbourne.

While Ash dazzles with his magic tricks that will see everyone’s favourite yellow sponge ‘pop-up’ in some unusual places, Morgan will tantalise tastebuds with his delicious SpongeBob inspired dishes sure to delight young and old.

SpongeBob SquarePants will pop-up on Foxtel (#700) from Thursday, 17 September to Tuesday, 6 October.



Source: ViacomCBS media release

Foxtel previously held a SpongeBob SquarePants Pop-Up Channel in September 2019.

More Nick: Nickelodeon Australia and New Zealand to Premiere 'Ollie's Pack' on Monday, September 21!

Original source: Mumbrella.
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'Made by Maddie' Producers Deny Copying ‘Hair Love’ Family (and Cat) for New Nick Jr. Show

Update (9/4) - Nickelodeon is pulling its preschool animated show Made by Maddie off its schedule until further notice in response to a controversy about similarities between its characters and those in the Oscar-winning short Hair Love.


The show had been set to premiere Sept. 13 on Nick Jr., the ViacomCBS network's preschool channel. After Nickelodeon released a teaser for the show earlier in the week, the show drew criticism on social media for its characters' resemblance to those in Hair Love, the short written and co-directed by Matthew A. Cherry that won the Oscar for best animated short earlier this year.

"Made by Maddie is a show we acquired several years ago from Silvergate Media, a renowned production company we have previously worked with on other series. Since announcing the show's premiere date this week, we have been listening closely to the commentary, criticism and concern coming from both viewers and members of the creative community," Nickelodeon said in a statement.

"In response, and out of respect to all voices in the conversation, we are removing the show from our schedule as we garner further insight into the creative journey of the show. We are grateful to Silvergate Media for all of their work. And we hold Matthew A. Cherry and the wonderful and inspiring Hair Love in the highest regard."

Made by Maddie centers on an 8-year-old Black girl who uses her fashion sense and design skills to solve problems, along with the help of some friends and her parents, Dee and Rashad. Maddie frequently wears a pink headband in her hair, while Dee is depicted with natural hair and Rashad with locs.

The parents in Hair Love also have natural hair and locs, respectively, and the little girl, Zuri, also wears a pink headband. The similarities sparked a wave of criticism on social media, with users accusing Silvergate Media and Nickelodeon of copying Cherry's work. Cherry hasn't spoken on the matter but did retweet or reply to several posts calling out the resemblance.

Silvergate Media (Peter Rabbit, Sunny Day, Octonauts) maintains it has been working on the show (formerly called Fashion Ally) since before Cherry began a Kickstarter campaign in 2017 to fund Hair Love.

"Silvergate Media has been working on the series for the last five years and throughout the production has taken steps to ensure a diverse production team and an appropriate voice cast lending their expertise and talent," CEO Waheed Alli said. "As creators ourselves, we have the utmost respect and admiration for Matthew A. Cherry and Hair Love, and our hope is that when people watch our show, they will see it is its own story with its own adventures."

Original post:

The production company behind Nick Jr.’s upcoming series Made by Maddie has issued a statement denying that the preschool series is copying Matthew A. Cherry’s Hair Love, following criticisms made by social media users who called out the similarities between the preschool cartoon and the 2019 Oscar-winning short film.

Made by Maddie is a preschool show about an 8-year-old girl who uses her fashion sense and design ingenuity to solve problems,” Silvergate Media CEO Waheed Alli said in a statement provided to TheWrap on Wednesday, which was accompanied by date-stamped images of Made by Maddie that were created between 2017-2018, before Hair Love was released in August 2019.

“Silvergate Media has been working on the series for the last five years and throughout the production has taken steps to ensure a diverse production team and an appropriate voice cast lending their expertise and talent. As creators ourselves, we have the utmost respect and admiration for Matthew A. Cherry and Hair Love, and our hope is that when people watch our show, they will see it is its own story with its own adventures.”

Hair Love, which was created and directed by Cherry, a Black man, centers on seven-year-old Zuri and her father Stephen as they attempt to style the little girl’s hair by following an instructional video narrated by her mother (voiced by Issa Rae). Cherry funded the film in part via a Kickstarter campaign that raised $300,000. In July, HBO Max ordered an animated series from Cherry inspired by Hair Love.

Created by Paula Rosenthal, a white woman, Made by Maddie, is set to premiere Sept. 13 on Nick Jr. Here is the official description for the show:

"Made by Maddie centers on Maddie (Alyssa Cheatham), a quick-thinking little girl with a big personality and a huge heart, who has a passion for fashion. Maddie finds design inspiration around every corner and her big ideas couldn’t become a reality without the love and support of her aspirational and talented fashion designer mom Dee (Patina Miller), and her super cool and upbeat musician dad, Rashad (James Monroe Iglehart), along with the assistance of friends and neighbors, including kind, animal-loving best friend, Jada (Sophia Torres), and the twins–rule-following Harper (Amanda Dressel) and fearless Hudson (Ames McNamara)–who are always up for adventure. Maddie’s creative thinking and dazzling designs are a reflection of the bustling, colorful city of New York and its residents. Maddie confidently embraces her own unique style, celebrates individuality, treats everyone with kindness, and encourages others to take risks and be themselves."

Early this week, several Twitter users began tweeting side-by-side screenshots of Made by Maddie and Hair Love, and listing off similarities they saw between the two, including the physical appearances of the animated families (and their gray cats).

Cherry himself joined the conversation by retweeting and commenting on some of those comparisons, including this one, in which he added an inquisitive-looking emoji (see below).


In response to one Twitter user, who wrote, “@MatthewACherry, PLEASE tell me you’re going to do something about this. I legitimately thought Hair Love was getting an animated series. That alone should tell you enough,” Cherry said, “We are getting a series and this wasn’t it.”

A representative for Cherry declined to comment to TheWrap Wednesday and Hair Love studios Sony Pictures Animation and Lion Forge Animation did not immediately respond to the request.

Earlier today, Nickelodeon removed the network's Made by Maddie page from NickJr.com. It's currently unknown whether Nick Jr. is still planing to premiere the show on Sept. 13.

From the Los Angeles Times:

A new kids’ show was accused of copying ‘Hair Love.’ Here’s what you need to know

“It’s time to dream it, draw it, make it,” the tiny heroine of Nickelodeon’s new animated preschool series “Made by Maddie” says in its trailer. But the program, scheduled to premiere later this month, is already attracting scrutiny online over its own creative process.

When Nickelodeon shared the series’ trailer and first-look images on Tuesday, social media users were quick to point out that the central character and her parents bear a striking resemblance to the main characters in “Hair Love,” Matthew A. Cherry’s Oscar-winning short about a Black millennial father attempting to style his young daughter’s hair.

The Sony Animation project, which debuted in 2017 as a Kickstarter campaign, has since led to a children’s book and an animated series, currently in development at HBO Max. It spoke both to the lack of inclusive representation in children’s programming and the fact that, in Hollywood and beyond, Black people have historically been pressured to alter their natural hair in order to align with Eurocentric beauty standards.

Among the similarities observers noted were, well, the hair: In both “Made by Maddie” and “Hair Love,” the fathers have shoulder-length locs, the mothers have natural curls, and the little girls wear bright pink bows atop their updos. One Twitter user noted that even the AI-powered image search tool Google Lens was baffled.

Cherry himself commented on another: the family cat. “It’s wild. Coulda been a dog, fish, anything,” he tweeted, while also correcting fans’ congratulations on the unrelated Nick project. (Cherry declined to comment on the matter to The Times.)

Silvergate Media, the production company behind “Made by Maddie,” asserts that its creation is its own. “Silvergate Media has been working on the series for the last five years,” Waheed Alli, CEO of Silvergate Media, said in a statement, “and throughout the production has taken steps to ensure a diverse production team and an appropriate voice cast lending their expertise and talent.

“As creators ourselves, we have the utmost respect and admiration for Matthew A. Cherry and ‘Hair Love,’ and our hope is that when people watch our show, they will see it is its own story with its own adventures.”

“Made by Maddie” was created by children’s programming veteran Paula Rosenthal and is the third Nickelodeon project from Silvergate, after “Sunny Day” and “Peter Rabbit.” A representative for the studio emphasized that Rosenthal, who is white, worked on the series alongside multiple Black creatives, including its story editor, fashion consultant, curriculum and educational consultant and songwriting supervisor, as well as a diversity consultant.

First announced at Nickelodeon’s 2018 Upfronts as “Fashion Ally,” work on “Made by Maddie” was already underway, with a Black family at its center, by September 2017, according to a script excerpt and a detailed description of additional characters that Silvergate provided to The Times. (In the latter, the look of the young girl’s father is modeled on the Black List founder Franklin Leonard, replete with a photo collage of Leonard in gray suits with his signature locs.)

The studio also provided sketches of the girl, her parents and the family cat, dated September, October and November 2018. (Silvergate shared another image of the girl from “Fashion Ally"/"Made by Maddie,” this one without a timestamp, which the studio’s representative claims is from 2015. The Times has been unable to verify the timing of the image’s creation.)

“Hair Love” did not begin production until January 2018, but the Kickstarter campaign to fund the endeavor was launched in July 2017, complete with character illustrations by Vashti Harrison. It went viral on social media and received support from the likes of “Proud Family” creator Bruce W. Smith, “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” co-director Peter Ramsey, and then-Pixar animator Frank Abney, all of whom boarded the project. It was fully funded, at three times its original goal, by Aug. 9 — one month before the earliest dated material provided by the producers of “Made by Maddie.”

Nickelodeon, which declined to comment on the matter to The Times, described the premise of “Made by Maddie” as one that “follows 8-year-old Maddie in New York City, as she uses her imagination and design ingenuity to turn every problem into a positive with the perfect fashion fix.”

It shares fewer similarities with “Young Love,” the upcoming HBO Max series based on Cherry’s short. Upon its announcement, the platform described that project as “an honest look into the world of the Young family — including millennial parents Stephen and Angela, their daughter Zuri and her pet cat Rocky — as they juggle their careers, marriage, parenthood, social issues, and multi-generational dynamics all while striving to make a better life for themselves.”

The controversy over resemblances between “Made by Maddie” and “Hair Love” comes as the animation industry, like much of Hollywood, reckons with discrimination against Black creatives in the wake of the nationwide movement for Black lives. In June, a number of animated programs announced that their nonwhite characters would no longer be voiced by white actors, and an open letter asked that studios conduct investigations into internal incidents of racism and commit to the hiring, training and advancement of Black staff.

And as in many other industries, the public now regularly comments on Hollywood’s actions when it comes to the issue of diversity and representation, and is no longer afraid to levy criticism against the parties in question on social media.

“You didn’t dream this or draw it,” said one Twitter user in response to a Nick Jr. tweet about the series. “There’s nothing new [about] stealing Black labor to turn a profit.”

###

Originally published: Thursday, September 03, 2020 at 02:12 BST.

Sources: @TVShowsFan, Nickandmore!; Anime Superhero Forum /@superkeegan9100..
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