The Directors Guild of America (DGA) has announced the exciting news that Dean Israelite has been nominated for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children’s Programs for 2020 category of the 73rd Annual DGA Awards for his directorial work on the first episode of Nickelodeon's hit space-themed series The Astronauts, "Countdown"!
The winners of the 73rd Annual DGA Awards will be announced will be announced during a private virtual event for DGA members on Saturday, April 10, 2021. A full list of 2021 DGA Awards nominees can be found here.
A huge congratulations and good luck to Bret Calvert, Seth Harrington, Rosemarie DiSalvo and Nickelodeon!
The Astronauts is a live-action series follows a group of kids who embark on the adventure of a lifetime when they are mistakenly launched into space. The series is executive produced by Imagine Entertainment Executive Chairmen Brian Grazer and Ron Howard, and Imagine Kids+Family President Stephanie Sperber. The series is created by Daniel Knauf (Carnivàle, The Blacklist), who also serves as writer and executive producer.
In the hour-long premiere of The Astronauts, the spacecraft Odyssey II is set to launch on a mission to retrieve a foreign object that could potentially save mankind. The plan quickly goes awry when five untrained kids use their parents’ security clearances to sneak onto the empty ship. Soon after they board, the onboard AI system triggers the launch sequence. Unable to stop the ship from blasting off, the kids must assume their new role as astronauts and brave harrowing tasks, as their parents rush to find a way to take control of the situation.
The group traveling together through space are: Samantha “Samy” Sawyer-Wei, played by Miya Cech (Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Always Be My Maybe); Elliott Combs, played by Bryce Gheisar (Wonder, A Dog’s Purpose); Martin Taylor, played by Keith L. Williams (Good Boys, The Last Man on Earth); Doria Taylor, played by Kayden Grace Swan (A Black Lady Sketch Show); and Will Rivers, played by Ben Daon (Child’s Play). Matilda, the ship’s onboard AI system, is voiced by Paige Howard (The Employer, Adventureland).
The premiere episodes of The Astronauts are directed by DGA Award nominee Dean Israelite (Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Power Rangers movie, Project Almanac), who also serves as executive producer. The series is also directed by Jonathan Frakes (Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, The Orville), and Marcus Stokes (Criminal Minds, The Flash, 911). Will Davis served as creative executive for Imagine Kids+Family.
Production of The Astronauts for Nickelodeon is overseen by Shauna Phelan, Senior Vice President, Live Action Scripted Content; and Zack Olin, Senior Vice President, Live Action. Brian Banks serves as Nickelodeon’s Executive in Charge of Production for the series.
The Astronauts is the first production to hail from Imagine Kids+Family. Imagine has a rich history telling stories rooted in space adventure, including the multiple Academy Award-winning film Apollo 13 (celebrating its 25th anniversary this year), the hybrid docuseries Mars for NatGeo, and the Emmy Award-winning series From The Earth To The Moon for HBO.
The Astronauts made its world premiere on Nickelodeon USA on Friday, November 13, winning the day with Kids 6-11 across all TV for L+SD and L+3. The premiere posted a +31% increase with Kids 6-11, up from 1.3 (L+SD) to 1.7 (L+3). It also saw a double digit increase in L+3 ratings (+55%) year over year. Additionally, The Astronauts delivered a strong co-viewing audience with 40% of Adults 18-49 watching the series premiere with a Kid 6-11.
Dean previously received a nomination in the 72nd Annual DGA Awards for his directorial work on the first part of the first season of Nickelodeon's Are You Afraid of the Dark? revival, “Part One: Submitted for Your Approval”!
Congratulations and good luck to Dean, Nickelodeon, and to everyone who worked on The Astronauts!
Originally published: Friday, March 12, 2021.
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