NickALive!: 02/01/21

Monday, February 01, 2021

Nickelodeon UK Ratings for Week of Monday 18th - Sunday 24th January 2021

Nickelodeon UK Network Ratings for week of Monday 18th - Sunday 24th January 2021.

Ratings were down across the Nickelodeon UK Network this week compared to the previous week (Jan. 11-17), according to BARB data, with only Nick Jr. Too reporting a slight decrease in viewership.

Nickelodeon Total:

1. HORRID HENRY (TUE 16:15) - 78,400

2. HORRID HENRY (THU 15:59) - 59,600

3. HORRID HENRY (WED 16:16) - 58,700

4. HORRID HENRY (THU 16:15) - 55,300

5. THE THUNDERMANS (FRI 12:30) - 51,600

6. HORRID HENRY (TUE 15:59) - 46,900

7. THE THUNDERMANS (TUE 16:28) - 42,600

8. HENRY DANGER (THU 18:00) - 39,900

9. THE THUNDERMANS (MON 16:29) - 39,300

10. HORRID HENRY (MON 16:00) - 39,000

11. VICTORIOUS (TUE 18:59) - 38,200

12. THE THUNDERMANS (WED 12:31) - 36,500

13. THE THUNDERMANS (MON 07:59) - 35,600

14. ZOEY 101 (TUE 21:31) - 35,300

15. ZOEY 101 (TUE 22:00) - 33,800

NickToons Total:

1. HORRID HENRY (WED 18:15) - 72,000

2. HORRID HENRY (SAT 22:14) - 69,900

3. HORRID HENRY (MON 18:30) - 66,500

4. HORRID HENRY (WED 29:48) - 65,099

5. HORRID HENRY (WED 29:15) - 63,500

6. HORRID HENRY (SAT 12:00) - 62,800

7. HORRID HENRY (WED 18:29) - 59,500

8. HORRID HENRY (MON 18:44) - 57,200

9. SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS (FRI 12:59) - 55,400

10. HORRID HENRY (THU 13:30) - 54,500

11. SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS (FRI 13:19) - 53,000

12. HORRID HENRY (THU 14:45) - 49,400

13. THE LOUD HOUSE (SAT 17:44) - 47,900

14. HORRID HENRY (MON 18:14) - 47,500

15. SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS (FRI 12:45) - 47,400

Nick Jr Total:

1. BLAZE AND THE MONSTER MACHINES (SAT 09:00) - 175,900

2. PEPPA PIG (FRI 14:30) - 160,000

3. BLAZE AND THE MONSTER MACHINES (FRI 18:30) - 145,200

4. PEPPA PIG (FRI 14:15) - 132,800

5. PEPPA PIG (MON 13:29) - 106,200

6. PEPPA PIG (MON 14:35) - 106,000

7. PEPPA PIG (FRI 14:05) - 101,400

8. PEPPA PIG (MON 13:19) - 100,900

9. PEPPA PIG (WED 13:05) - 100,900

10. PEPPA PIG (FRI 10:50) - 93,200

11. PEPPA PIG (FRI 14:20) - 90,400

12. PEPPA PIG (MON 11:00) - 88,500

13. PEPPA PIG (SUN 13:34) - 86,500

14. PEPPA PIG (TUE 21:04) - 82,700

15. PEPPA PIG (WED 13:50) - 82,000

Nick Jr. Too:

1. PEPPA PIG (THU 20:00) - 127,300

2. PAW PATROL (SAT 10:45) - 119,100

3. PEPPA PIG (WED 17:45) - 114,200

4. PEPPA PIG (FRI 20:00) - 105,700

5. PEPPA PIG (FRI 20:15) - 105,500

6. PEPPA PIG (THU 10:00) - 100,400

7. PEPPA PIG (FRI 22:15) - 99,400

8. PAW PATROL (SAT 11:00) - 96,600

9. PAW PATROL (SAT 11:15) - 90,700

10. PEPPA PIG (SAT 09:55) - 89,500

11. PEPPA PIG (SUN 22:55) - 87,500

12. PEPPA PIG (SUN 10:00) - 86,000

13. PEPPA PIG (THU 10:20) - 85,900

14. PEPPA PIG (TUE 09:55) - 85,500

15. PEPPA PIG (SAT 10:20) - 85,100

Notes: Nick Jr. Too is listed as Nick Jr 2 on BARB.

Nickelodeon Network:

1. BLAZE AND THE MONSTER MACHINES (SAT 09:00) - Nick Jr Total - 175,900

2. PEPPA PIG (FRI 14:30) - Nick Jr Total - 160,000

3. BLAZE AND THE MONSTER MACHINES (FRI 18:30) - Nick Jr Total - 145,200

4. PEPPA PIG (FRI 14:15) - Nick Jr Total - 132,800

5. PEPPA PIG (THU 20:00) - Nick Jr 2 - 127,300

6. PAW PATROL (SAT 10:45) - Nick Jr 2 - 119,100

7. PEPPA PIG (WED 17:45) - Nick Jr 2 - 114,200

8. PEPPA PIG (MON 13:29) - Nick Jr Total - 106,200

9. PEPPA PIG (MON 14:35) - Nick Jr Total - 106,000

10. PEPPA PIG (FRI 20:00) - Nick Jr 2 - 105,700

11. PEPPA PIG (FRI 20:15) - Nick Jr 2 - 105,500

12. PEPPA PIG (FRI 14:05) - Nick Jr Total - 101,400

13. PEPPA PIG (MON 13:19) - Nick Jr Total - 100,900

14. PEPPA PIG (WED 13:05) - Nick Jr Total - 100,900

15. PEPPA PIG (THU 10:00) - Nick Jr 2 - 100,400

Ratings data provided by BARB.

Programmes of less than 5 minutes duration are excluded from these reports.

Linear TV viewing only; Data for viewing programming on PC/laptops, Tablets and Smartphones is currently unavailable.

More Nick: 'Baby Shark’s Big Show!' to Swim onto Nick Jr. UK in May 2021!

Originally published: Monday, February 01, 2021

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Classic Rugrats Comic Strip for February 1, 2021 | Nickelodeon

Classic Rugrats Comic Strip for February 1, 2021 | Nickelodeon

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 Unveils First Look at CG-Animated 'Rugrats' and 'Big Nate'!

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Nickelodeon is Watching You

You watch Nickelodeon, but is Nickelodeon watching YOU?! *evil computerized laugh*

More Nick: 2021 on Nickelodeon | New Shows, Specials, Podcasts, Events, Movies, Episodes, and More!

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ViacomCBS Acquires 'Brave Bunnies' for Nick Jr. UK and Milkshake!

INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTERS ACQUIRE BRAVE BUNNIES

13th October, 2020

Aardman and Ukranian creative production company Glowberry have announced deals with a number of international broadcasters to acquire the first season of Brave Bunnies – a 52 x 7 minute 2D pre-school series created by Olga Cherepanova, currently in production with Spanish animation studio Anima and distributed globally by Aardman.

Brave Bunnies premieres Saturday 6th February 2021 at 8:55am on Milkshake! Following launch, new episodes will hop onto Milkshake weekends at 8:55am.

Deals have been secured with Nick Jr. (UK), Super RTL (Germany), ABC (Australia), YLE (Finland), HOP! (Israel), PlusPlus (Ukraine), Daekyo (South Korea) and Channel 5's Milkshake! (UK).

Brave Bunnies follows a family of courageous and curious Bunnies as they seek adventure and exploration, travelling on the Bunny Bus. Every episode in the series, directed by Tim Fehrenbach starts with a Bunny Bus-ride. On each stop, brother and sister Bunnies, Bop and Boo discover different animals, creating new games to help build new friendships. Series tagline – ‘We might seem different at first, but we’ll find a way to be friends and play together!’

Brave Bunnies shows children the diversity of the world, encouraging viewers to accept differences, no matter how big or small.

Alison Taylor, Director of Distribution and Business Development at Aardman says: “We secured some key licenses on Brave Bunnies following Aardman’s first outing representing the series at Kidscreen Summit in February, which was good timing as this has been the only “in person” event we’ve been able to present the series at all year. We’re delighted with the response the property has had from international buyers and we hope to announce further sales following MIPCOM.”

Martin Gradl, Chief Content Officer at Super RTL added: “We are very excited to have acquired ‘Brave Bunnies’ and to add it to our pre-school portfolio as it is the perfect fit. The series offers the right balance between entertainment for young children, an educational approach as well as the diversity factor. These different elements make ‘Brave Bunnies’ a great show for our young audience”.

Sergii Molchanov, CEO at Glowberry added: “Brave Bunnies takes over the world at an incredible pace. We are very proud of our international team, which creates a top-grade product, and are fortunate to get such impressive support from our global partners. We are fully equipped for the global launch of Brave Bunnies broadcasting in autumn 2020.”

Angel Molinero, Executive Producer at Ánima added: “Brave Bunnies is such a great show and having these big broadcasters along proves it. We are very pleased with the incredible work done by our exceptional partners and our own team, who made this truly unique project come to life. We can’t wait to see the Bunny family hopping alongside kids all over the world.”

Brave Bunnies is due to launch in autumn 2020. Milkshake! is slated to premiere the series in 2021.

For more information, visit https://bravebunnies.com.

Brave Bunnies Trailer | Milkshake!

This weekend the Brave Bunnies begin new experiences and adventures here on Milkshake!

Get ready to meet Boo, Bop, their family and the new friends they meet on their amazing adventures. ⁠

Brave Bunnies airs weekends at 8:55am on Milkshake! 🐰🗺️🌏⁠

More Nick: Milkshake! Goes Green with New Show 'Go Green with the Grimwades'!

Originally published: Wednesday, October 14, 2020.

H/T: TVKIDS.

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JONY to Voice DJ Khaled in Russian Dub of 'Tyler Perry's Young Dylan' | Nickelodeon Russia

JONY озвучил роль в новом шоу "Янг Дилан Тайлера Перри" | Nickelodeon Россия

Смотри шоу "Янг Дилан Тайлера Перри" с 6 февраля по выходным в 16:05 и 21:40 МСК на Nickelodeon!

Выпуск с JONY 13 февраля!

Больше Nick: ViacomCBS Launches Awesomeness on Okko in Russia!

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Dustin Diamond, ‘Screech’ on ‘Saved by the Bell,’ Passes Away, Aged 44

“He was diagnosed with this brutal, relentless form of malignant cancer only three weeks ago,” actor’s agent says

Dustin Diamond. Chris Haston/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal/Getty Images.

Dustin Diamond, the actor who portrayed lovable nerd Samuel “Screech” Powers across four incarnations of Saved by the Bell from 1988 to 2000, died Monday, February 1 after a three-week battle with carcinoma. He was 44. Diamond’s agent, Roger Paul, confirmed the actor’s death to Rolling Stone.

“He was diagnosed with this brutal, relentless form of malignant cancer only three weeks ago,” Paul said in a statement. “In that time, it managed to spread rapidly throughout his system; the only mercy it exhibited was its sharp and swift execution. Dustin did not suffer. He did not have to lie submerged in pain. For that, we are grateful.

“Dustin Diamond was a character in and of himself: an unpredictable spitfire who always left us shocked, but never left us bored,” Paul added. “We please ask that you give room for privacy to our team and Mr. Diamond’s family during this tragic time, as we grieve and remember the memories spent together. This loss is as much stinging as it is sudden.”

At age 11, Diamond landed the role of Screech on the pilot of Good Morning, Miss Bliss in 1988. In a unique twist, the character was both a hopeless dork and the best friend of the coolest kid in school, Zack Morris (Mark-Paul Gosselaar). Good Morning, Miss Bliss lasted just one season before it was re-tooled as Saved by the Bell in 1989. Half the cast was let go, but Screech survived the transition and soon became a favorite of the young Saturday morning audience that quickly turned the show into a generational touchstone.

Saved by the Bell was never a show that strived for realism, and Screech was the most cartoon-like character. A typical Screech plot involved the character becoming psychic after being struck by lightning or creating a robot of incredible intelligence.

**FILE PHOTO** Dustin Diamond Has Passed Away at 44 From Stage 4 Lung Cancer. FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – JUNE 04 : Dustin “Screech” Diamond attend Celebrity Boxing Match Featuring Michael Lohan and Frank Sorrentino at The Ocean Manor on June 4, 2011 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (photo by: MPI10/MediaPunch Inc.) /IPX. MPI10/MediaPunch Inc./IPX/AP

The character Screech was close friends with the entire Saved by the Bell gang on the show, but Diamond was a couple years younger than the others and said they rarely socialized when the cameras were off. Looking back as an adult, Diamond said they were very difficult years. “The hardest thing about being a child star giving up your childhood,” he told Oprah Winfrey in 2013. “You don’t get a childhood. You’re a professional and you need to learn your lines and practice. It was making sure you were the funniest and the best you can be because if you weren’t funny, you could be replaced.”

Diamond stayed with the show through the short-lived Saved by the Bell: The College Years show in 1993/94 and then revived the Screech character on Saved by the Bell: The New Class from 1994 to 2000 where he played a special assistant to Principal Belding.

Saved by the Bell and Saved by the Bell: The College Years received a resurgence in popularity when Nickelodeon UK aired both series in the mid-2000s.

Like many child stars, Diamond faced difficult times in adulthood. Typecast as Screech, he found it nearly impossible to find work. “I didn’t know what to do [when the show ended],” he said in 2013. “It was hard to get work that wasn’t Screech-clone stuff.”

To make money, he resorted to reality shows like Celebrity Fit Club and Celebrity Boxing 2 where he battled Ron “Horshack” Palillo from Welcome Back, Kotter. He also released a mature tape in 2006, though he later claimed a “stunt double” was used for the sex scenes. He later called it “the thing I’m most embarrassed about” in the Winfrey interview.

In 2009, Diamond released the tell-all book Behind the Bell where he portrayed his castmates in unflattering ways, though he later claimed the book was ghostwritten and the most salacious stories were completely untrue. Six years later, he served three months in jail after getting into a bar fight where a man was stabbed.

He wasn’t invited to take place in any of the Saved by the Bell reunions that have taken place in recent years, including the recent reboot on Peacock, but in 2016 he did sit down with Mario Lopez for an interview on Extra where they made peace.

“I want to put the tomfoolery and malarkey behind me… for that clean slate,” Diamond said. “Time for a change.”

R.I.P. Dustin Diamond, January 7, 1977 - February 1, 2021.

Kenan Thompson to Host Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards 2021

Kenan Thompson has announced that he'll be hosting the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards 2021!

The Nickelodeon legend, best known for his roles on beloved Nickelodeon comedies All That, Good Burger and Kenan & Kel, as well as for being the longest serving cast member on Saturday Night Live) made the announcement on the You Already Know podcast, which you check out below! (The video does contain swearing, so viewer discretion is advised; Kenan makes the announcement at around the 1:34 mark):

Kenan is currently executive producing Nickelodeon's All That revival, along with his former Nick co-star Kel Mitchell, and is about to launch he brand new NBC, Kenan, premiering at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 16.

Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Awards 2021, is set to air mid-March on Nickelodeon.

Not much is currently known about Nickelodeon's 2021 Kids' Choice Awards, including how Nickelodeon will be hosting this year's awards ceremony.

In March 2020, due to the global COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, Nickelodeon was forced to postpone Kids’ Choice Awards 2020, which, set to be hosted by Chance the Rapper, was set to take place on Sunday, March 22, at the Forum in Inglewood, California. Rather than canceling the network's tentpole event, Nickelodeon opted for a virtually-produced filmed-at-home special, Kids' Choice Awards 2020: Celebrate Together, which was hosted by Nickelodeon alum Victoria Justice (Zoey 101, Victorious, Fun Size), and saw winners receive their blimps at home.

Although the show was a lot more intimate than viewers were used to, the show still managed to feature special guests and lots of slime.

Although we are slowly but surely returning to "normal", we still have a long way to go before we can attend events like we used to, with most tours and events not scheduled to start up again until the middle of next year. Taking most things into consideration, below are three ways that Nickelodeon could host Kids' Choice Awards 2021.

The Studio Option: In the past few months, Nickelodeon in Brazil and Mexico have held localised versions of Kids' Choice Awards. Like the U.S./Global version, Nick's localised KCA events are usually held in big arenas in front of thousands of fans. However, this year, Nickelodeon Brazil and Nickelodeon Mexico drastically scaled down their KCAs, hosting them in a studio rather than arena with much smaller sets and with no audience. To make sure only a limited number of people were in close contact with each other, each show featured a mix of winners accepting their blimps in person and via the internet. Although much smaller, each event still managed to feature celebrity guests - in person and virtually - as well as big slime stunts. I would say that, the way things are going, this is probably the best option for the 2021 Kids' Choice Awards if Nickelodeon still wants to host them in March/April 2021. The only thing missing from the studio versions of the Kids' Choice Awards were live audiences. However, this could be remedied by Nickelodeon running a contest to allow viewers to attend the awards virtually - Britain's Got Talent recently featured 'virtual audiences', and yes, whilst looking like something from Black Mirror, it did sort of bring some normalcy back.

The Virtual Option: As previously mentioned, Nickelodeon postponed their annual slimefest, shifting it to a 'filmed-at-home' special instead, based on Nickelodeon in Germany, Switzerland and Austria's Nickelodeon Kids‘ Choice Awards 2020: Deutschland, Österreich, Schweiz. This was a ratings success for Nickelodeon, and whilst we are still slowly getting back to normal, could be the option that Nick goes with.

The Postponement Option: Like I mentioned above, a lot of events aren't planning to start up again until mid-2021. If Nickelodeon wants to have a big show with a large live audience, the network could be planning to postpone the event until later in the year. However, at the moment, there is no certainly of how things will be next year. With the virus coming back in waves, it's hard to pin-point a perfect date to have it. There are a few vaccines coming onto market which hopefully will help, but this all depends on how long their efficiently lasts, how widely available they are and how many people take them.

In my opinion, we probably won't be seeing a "normal" Kids' Choice Awards ceremony until 2022, so there's either a good chance we'll either see the studio option or virtual option for KCA 2021.

All three options also apply to Nickelodeon SlimeFest. Like KCA 2020, SlimeFest 2020 was also canceled. There are plans to host SlimeFest again in 2021, however, this all depends on how safe it is to do so. This could see Nickelodeon follow in Nickelodeon Italy's footsteps by hosting an in-studio SlimeFest festival, which would then air on Nickelodeon.

These are just my thoughts. The finalized version of Kids’ Choice Awards 2021 could look totally different than the options I've listed above. Tell me what you think in the comments below or let me know on social media!

More Nick: 2021 on Nickelodeon | New Shows, Specials, Podcasts, Events, Movies, Episodes, and More!

Originally published: Monday, February 01, 2021 at 01:31 GMT.

H/T: Special thanks to @StalgiaTheDuck for the news!

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Nickelodeon USA to Premiere New 'The Loud House' Episode 'School of Shock/Electshunned' on Friday, February 5

Nickelodeon will premiere the brand new The Loud House episode "School of Shock/Electshunned" on Friday, February 5, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT!

In "School of Shock," Lisa takes over her first-grade classroom and learns that there’s more to teaching than just knowing facts. Then later in "Electshunned," Leni goes toe-to-toe with the Mayor in a city-wide Royal Woods election. Special guest star Yvette Nicole Brown (Helen in Drake & Josh, Victorious, Game Shakers)

Promo:

"Electshunned" sneak peek:

Leni’s running for mayor of Royal Woods! Will you be voting for her this Friday?

Watch Electshunned, a new episode of #TheLoudHouse guest starring @YNB as Mayor Davis! pic.twitter.com/FMKWfu8uja
— Kevin Nguyen (@littlekev811) January 31, 2021

"School of Shock" sneak peek:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Nickelodeon (@nickelodeon)

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More Nick: Netflix Reveals 'The Loud House Movie' Plot, First Look!

Originally published: Tuesday, January 26, 2021.

H/T: @AXTLHLATAM1, @FanpageOfTLH.

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Avatar: The Last Airbender: Why There Are Only 4 Elements, and Not 5

Avatar: The Last Airbender was partly inspired by ancient Chinese culture, which had a five-element philosophy - so why does Avatar only have four?

The premise of Avatar: The Last Airbender is based on the existence of four natural elements, but why only four? In Avatar, the world is divided into four separate nations based on four elements: earth, water, fire, and air. Within each of these nations, some unique people have supernatural bending abilities that allow them to manipulate their respective elements. The pilot episode of the series lays this premise outright from the beginning, but the reason that there are only four elements is not explained within the show.

Of course, in Avatar, there are other elements that benders can control, but they all fall under the category of one of the four main elements. For example, earthbenders can learn metalbending, waterbenders can learn bloodbending, and firebenders can learn lightning bending. But what’s interesting is that one of these subskill elements exists as part of Wuxing (also written Wu-Hsing), an ancient Chinese philosophy – while air does not. The common English translation of Wuxing is Five Phases, referring to five natural elements: wood (mu), fire (huo), earth (tu), metal (jin), water (shui). Since so many other parts of Avatar were inspired by Chinese culture, why weren’t these five elements used in the show?

According to Bryan Konietzko in the book Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Art of the Animated Series, it was mostly due to simplicity, and the fact that the Five Phases philosophy is not the only element-based philosophy that exists in ancient Chinese culture. As Konietzko notes:

"People often assume the "four-element theory"... we brought to bending is exclusive to ancient Greece, and that in ancient China only a "five-element theory was used"… in our research we found the four-element theory was prevalent in ancient cultures all over the world, including ancient Buddhist teachings. While the five-element theory is interesting in its own right, we were attracted to the universality of the four simple elements."

Elemental theories indeed exist around the world – and have for thousands of years. While each culture has its own beliefs and history behind the elements (and slight variations as well as additions), the four elements featured in Avatar are frequently included in element-based philosophies. It’s also worth noting that Wuxing does not approach the five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, water) with the same fixedness as Avatar. Wuxing represents ever-changing materials, thus it’s translated to English as Five Phases rather than Five Elements.

In the end, it makes a lot of sense that the showrunners made the choice they did. For one, including the element of air obviously changes the premise of the show dramatically. And including a fifth element would have meant including a fifth nation and respective bending ability, which (while certainly intriguing) might have overcomplicated a show directed at young children. Using only four elements allowed Avatar: The Last Airbender plenty of time to explore the intricacies of each culture and bending style within the show while honoring the real-life cultures that inspired them.

The pilot of Avatar: The Last Airbender can be watched here, and the recently released second printing of Avatar: The Last Airbender — The Art of the Animated Series is now available from Dark Horse. The follow up, The Legend of Korra: The Art of the Animated Series-Book One: Air, will receive a second reprint in February 2021, also from Dark Horse.

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

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More Nick: Nickelodeon to Release 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' Cookbook in August 2021!

Originally source: ScreenRant.

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Avatar: The Last Airbender's Core Philosophy Perfectly Explains Its Complex Characters

Avatar: The Last Airbender was guided by a core philosophy that people aren't "good" or "evil," but are either "in balance" or "out of balance."

Avatar: The Last Airbender is well known for its complex characters, which are perfectly explained by a core philosophy of the show. Avatar, which originally aired on Nickelodeon, is surprisingly complex and covers mature themes. Despite the fact that Avatar is rated TV-Y7-FV, war, death, and genocide are integral elements of the plot. But it’s the characters that are the real heart of Avatar. The main cast of Avatar is introduced early on in season 1, episode 1, “The Boy In The Iceberg.” Katara, Sokka, Aang, Zuko, and Iroh are all established by the end of the pilot. At least three other characters who are introduced after the pilot could also be considered part of the main cast: Toph, Azula, and Suki.

Of these eight characters, each has a clear arc and journey. More importantly, their arcs make sense because the characters have clear goals guided by their complex personalities. Even Azula, who grows more unhinged and violent as the show continues, has a clearly defined arc. Azula changes dramatically from her first appearance to her last. Azula becomes more and more paranoid and isolated from her family, and eventually, Mei and Ty-Lee also leave when they realize Azula would not hesitate to kill them. This confirms Azula's hidden fear of abandonment and drives her into deeper paranoia. Yet, all of Avatar's characters are at times unpredictable in very human ways, including Azula. This is because of the show’s core philosophy.

In Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Art of the Animated Series, showrunners Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino write that a “core philosophy of the series” is that “people aren’t good or evil, but are either in balance or out of balance.” Each of Avatar's characters perfectly embodies this philosophy because the “good” characters don’t always do the “right” thing and the “evil” characters don’t always do the “wrong” thing. Every character can be seen in varying degrees of "balance."

As the Avatar, Aang most clearly symbolizes the importance of balance. To master all four elements and bring balance to the world, Aang is first required to achieve balance within himself. However, Aang is still a flawed human. Aang is deeply spiritual, a devout pacifist, and a naturally “balanced” character, but even Aang kills a buzzard wasp in an act of revenge. At the time, Aang was likely ‘out of balance’ because he was overcome with emotion and reacted without first reflecting. Aang has several other experiences throughout the series that show his tendency to react with emotion. However, in the Avatar finale, Aang becomes a fully realized Avatar after achieving balance. Because of this, Aang restrains himself from killing Fire Lord Ozai and uses energybending to take away Ozai’s firebending instead.

Ozai’s own brother, Iroh, is likely the most balanced character from Avatar’s beginning to end, but Zuko is widely regarded as the most compelling character in Avatar because of his redemption arc. At the beginning of the series, Zuko is hellbent on destroying the Avatar to restore his honor and please his father. But, as Zuko learns and grows, he begins to make outward choices that reflect his inner change. This is illustrated even more clearly when Zuko loses his firebending abilities and learns that life and energy must exist to balance fire’s destructive and violent potential. Zuko was completely out of balance when his sole purpose was domination and revenge, but then Zuko began to see the Fire Nation for what it was and realized that he needed the Avatar to help him restore balance.

When viewing Avatar’s characters through the lens of “in balance” or “out of balance,” they become even more relatable and realistic. Many children’s shows, or rather film and television in general, feature characters who neatly fit into a label of “good” or “evil,” but Avatar’s characters contain multitudes. From its very beginning, Avatar has spoken to viewers in a way that few other shows have because, underneath the mythical setting and characters’ supernatural abilities, Avatar: The Last Airbender teaches deeply poignant lessons about the complexities, contradictions, and balance within every person.

Originally source: ScreenRant.

Candyrific, Jelly Belly Unveil ‘Baby Shark’ Fans

CandyRific has announced its new Pinkfong “Baby Shark” Fanimation Fans, filled with Jelly Belly organic jellybeans!

CandyRific recently announced its Baby Shark Light & Sound Wands, which was its first release in collaboration with The Jelly Belly Candy Company and their Jelly Belly organic jellybeans. Wand’s are filled with Jelly Belly jellybeans, including Baby Shark, Mommy Shark and Daddy Shark versions. At the push of a button, each unit plays the Baby Shark song while lights flash on and off, CandyRific reports, noting more items bearing the licenses are in the works.

Around the same time, the new animated series, Baby Shark’s Big Show!, kicked-off with a 30-minute holiday special, “Baby Shark’s Big Fishmas Special” ("All I want for Fishmas") on Dec. 11 on Nickelodeon. The series will fully premiere on Nickelodeon in March 2021, followed by a global rollout.

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.

The display cases with the new fans are set to ship Sunday, February 21, 2021.

More Nick: 'Baby Shark’s Big Show!' to Swim onto Nickelodeon in March 2021!

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