Nickelodeon today presented its upcoming programming slate with The Nickelodeon Virtual Upfront Show: Bring Your Kids!, which included such announcements as the Rugrats cast, renewals and new shows. Read on for all the big announcements, starting with Rugrats, below.
RUGRATS
Nickelodeon has tapped an all-star roster of voice talent to round out the cast of its new upcoming Rugrats series, a reimagining of the classic ‘90s hit. Joining the original voice cast of the adventurous toddlers are: Ashley Rae Spillers (Vice Principals) and Tommy Dewey (The Mindy Project), as Tommy’s parents; Tony Hale (Arrested Development), as Chuckie’s father; Natalie Morales (Dead to Me), as Phil and Lil’s mother; Anna Chlumsky (Veep) and Timothy Simons (Veep), as Angelica’s parents; Nicole Byer (Nailed It!) and Omar Miller (Ballers), as Susie’s parents; and Michael McKean (Better Call Saul), as Grandpa Lou Pickles. Produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio, the all-new Rugrats, a Paramount+ Original Series, is set to debut on the streaming service this spring.
“This incredibly talented group of actors provides a fresh and very funny take on these iconic roles, combining humor with heart to bring the characters to life in a whole new way,” said Liz Paulson, Senior Vice President, Talent and Casting, Nickelodeon.
“The all-new Rugrats is packed with comedy, music and adventures that only babies can embark upon, and the role of the grown-ups is an essential piece of the series,” added Ramsey Naito, President, Nickelodeon Animation.
Rugrats features: Spillers and Dewey as Tommy’s parents, Didi, a passionate artisan and blogger, and Stu, an optimistic inventor; Hale as Chuckie’s father, Chas, a neurotic musician; Morales as Phil and Lil’s mother, Betty, Didi’s best friend and coffeehouse owner; Chlumsky and Simons as Angelica’s parents, Charlotte, a busy city councilperson, and Drew, a successful pharmaceutical representative; Byer and Miller as Susie’s parents, Lucy, a fun and generous physician, and Randy, an affable and good-natured science teacher; and McKean as Grandpa Lou Pickles, an active senior who enjoys yoga.
The new voice actors join previously-announced cast members E.G. Daily (Tommy), Nancy Cartwright (Chuckie), Cheryl Chase (Angelica), Cree Summer (Susie) and Kath Soucie (Phil and Lil), who are all reprising their iconic roles.
The all-new Rugrats is based on the series created by Arlene Klasky, Gabor Csupo and Paul Germain. Eryk Casemiro (Rugrats) and Kate Boutilier (Rugrats) are executive producers and Dave Pressler (Robot and Monster) and Casey Leonard (Breadwinners) serve as co-executive producers, with Rachel Lipman (Rugrats) as co-producer and Kellie Smith (The Fairly OddParents) as line producer. Production of Rugrats is overseen by Mollie Freilich, Senior Manager, Current Series Animation, Nickelodeon. Casting is overseen by Paulson.
The original Rugrats series launched in August of 1991 and instantly became a groundbreaking phenomenon, spawning consumer products and three hit theatrical releases, and cementing its place in pop culture history through its iconic characters, storytelling and unique visual style. Rugrats was in production for nine seasons over the course of 13 years. The series earned four Daytime Emmy Awards, six Kids’ Choice Awards and its own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
DANGER FORCE, DYLAN & SIDE HUSTLE
In an expansion of its live-action portfolio, Nickelodeon has renewed Danger Force, TV’s number-one live-action kids’ show with Kids 6-11, and hit series Tyler Perry’s Young Dylan, for second seasons. The net has also ordered six additional episodes of live-action buddy comedy Side Hustle, bringing the first season to 26 total episodes.
In the second season of Danger Force (26 episodes), the students of Swellview Academy for the Gifted (SW.A.G. for short), a school conceived by Captain Man (Cooper Barnes) and brought to life by Schwoz (Michael D. Cohen), continue to master their superpowers as they battle even bigger villains than ever before to protect the citizens of Swellview. Chapa (Havan Flores), Miles (Terrence Little Gardenhigh), Mika (Dana Heath) and Bose (Luca Luhan) must also keep their real identities a secret from both from their families and the villains who are out to destroy them. Danger Force is developed and executive produced by Christopher J. Nowak (Henry Danger, Sam & Cat) and was created by Dan Schneider & Dana Olsen. Cooper Barnes serves as executive producer and Jace Norman (Henry Danger) serves as producer.
The second season of Tyler Perry’s Young Dylan (20 episodes) sees the Wilson family household getting into even more hilarious hijinks. Hip-hop mogul-in-training Dylan (Dylan Gilmer) continues his pursuit of stardom, while acclimating to suburban life with uncle Myles (Carl Anthony Payne II), aunt Yasmine (Mieko Hillman), grandmother Viola (Aloma Lesley Wright), cousins Rebecca (Celina Smith) and Charlie (Hero Hunter) and Rebecca’s best friend Bethany (Jet Miller). Tyler Perry’s Young Dylan is executive produced and created by Tyler Perry with Michelle Sneed as executive producer, and Will Areu and Mark E. Swinton serving as producers.
Side Hustle follows best friends, smart and sarcastic Lex (Jules LeBlanc) and confident and tough Presley (Jayden Bartels), as they devise a plan to make money when fireworks accidentally destroy a boat belonging to the dad of their quirky friend and neighbor, Munchy (Isaiah Crews). Forced to come up with creative ways to earn money to pay for the damages, Lex, Presley and Munchy enlist the help of Presley’s tech-savvy younger brother, Fisher (Mitchell Berg), who creates an app that connects them to people looking for help with odd and unusual jobs, as Munchy’s bossy older brother Jaget (Jacques Chevelle) makes sure they keep up with the payments. Side Hustle is created and executive produced by Dave Malkoff (Henry Danger, Sam & Cat, Victorious) with John Beck & Ron Hart (Fuller House, Liv and Maddie) serving as executive producers and showrunners.
Production of Danger Force, Tyler Perry’s Young Dylan and Side Hustle is overseen for Nickelodeon 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 Tyler Perry’s Young Dylan. Omar Camacho serves as Nickelodeon’s Executive in Charge of Production for Danger Force and Side Hustle.
ICARLY
Nickelodeon Studios and Awesomeness have started production on a new original series based on the hit sitcom, iCarly, for Paramount+. The 13-episode season picks up nearly 10 years after the original show ended, and finds Carly Shay, the original influencer, and her friends navigating work, love and their family in their twenties. Production on the new iCarly series has commenced in Los Angeles and is slated to premiere on the service this summer.
“Being on the iCarly set has always felt like a second home to me and it’s so awesome to be back with my pals Jerry and Nathan,” said Miranda Cosgrove. “We served up spaghetti tacos over 10 years ago, and I can’t wait to show you what we’re cooking up next with Nickelodeon for Paramount+!”
The new iCarly series will feature two new cast members: Laci Mosley (Florida Girls) as Harper, Carly’s roommate and best friend; and Jaidyn Triplett (The Affair, See) as Millicent, Freddie’s snarky and social media-savvy stepdaughter. Mosley and Triplett will appear alongside returning original series stars, Miranda Cosgrove (Carly), Jerry Trainor (Spencer) and Nathan Kress (Freddie).
Nickelodeon’s original iCarly series, which ran from 2007-2012, followed a group of best friends as they created a webcast for and about kids their age while grappling with everyday problems and adventures. During its initial run, iCarly became a pop-culture staple and regularly broke viewership records among audiences of all ages. The original iCarly series was created by Dan Schneider.
The new iCarly series is produced by Nickelodeon Studios and Awesomeness (To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Trinkets, PEN15). The pilot is written by Ali Schouten (Diary of a Future President, Champions, Merry Happy Whatever), who also serves as executive producer, and Jay Kogen (Nickelodeon’s School of Rock, The Simpsons, Frasier). Miranda Cosgrove also serves as executive producer, with Jerry Trainor and Alissa Vradenburg serving as producers. The pilot is directed and executive produced by Phill Lewis (One Day at a Time, The Neighborhood).
Production of the new iCarly series for Nickelodeon Studios and Awesomeness is overseen by Shauna Phelan, Senior Vice President, Live-Action Scripted Content, and Zack Olin, Senior Vice President, Live Action.
THE LOUD HOUSE: A VERY LOUD CHRISTMAS!
Nickelodeon is set to begin production this April on The Loud House: A Very Loud Christmas! (working title), an original live-action holiday TV movie based on the Emmy Award-winning animated series, The Loud House. Casting is currently underway, with Wolfgang Schaeffer (Criminal Minds) tapped to play 11-year-old Lincoln Loud and Jahzir Bruno (The Witches) as Clyde McBride, Lincoln’s best friend. Additional casting news will be announced soon. The feature-length TV movie will film in Atlanta, with a premiere slated for November on Nickelodeon.
In The Loud House: A Very Loud Christmas!, Lincoln is gearing up for the ultimate Christmas, until he finds out that most of his sisters have plans to be elsewhere for the big day. Determined to remind his family that they all need to be together, Lincoln and his best friend Clyde embark on a mission to preserve the family’s holiday traditions.
The live-action TV movie is written by Liz Maccie (Make It or Break It) and directed by Jonathan Judge (All That, Punky Brewster, The Thundermans), who also serves as executive producer. Michael Rubiner (The Loud House) and Matt Bierman (Christmas with the Darlings) serve as executive producers. Darlene Caamaño Loquet, Senior Vice President of Nickelodeon Movies, serves as producer. Production of The Loud House: A Very Loud Christmas! for Nickelodeon is overseen by Shauna Phelan, Senior Vice President, Live-Action Scripted Content, and Zack Olin, Senior Vice President, Live Action.
The Loud House, which was recently greenlit for a sixth season, debuted on Nickelodeon in May 2016 and centers on 11-year-old Lincoln Loud and his 10 sisters as he gives an inside look at what it takes to survive the chaos of a huge family. As one of the longest-running animated series on Nickelodeon with 156 episodes, the property has also been translated into: a comic book series, which continues to roll out new stories; chapter books; a digital album; and a podcast, Listen Out Loud. The series is executive produced by Michael Rubiner. Kyle Marshall serves as co-executive producer and Ashley Kliment-Baker is art director.
ZJ SPARKLETON AND THE HAMSTER SHOW
Nickelodeon is continuing to fuel its ever-expanding content slate with the greenlight of two new creator-driven 2D-animated series – ZJ Sparkleton (working title) for Kids 6-11 and The Hamster Show (working title) for preschoolers. Buddy comedy ZJ Sparkleton (26 half-hour episodes) follows creative vlogger Ruby and her goofy alien best friend ZJ Sparkleton as they film their daily mishaps and adventures around their town. The Hamster Show (26 half-hour episodes) centers on a motley crew of hamsters that work together to protect their owner, who they mistake as their King and beloved ruler of their elaborate tubed kingdom. Both ZJ Sparkleton and The Hamster Show are produced by Nelvana, a world-leading international producer, distributor and licensor of children’s animated and live-action content, and slated to premiere on Nickelodeon in the U.S. in 2022, with international markets to follow.
“ZJ Sparkleton and The Hamster Show are great additions to Nickelodeon’s growing slate of new content because friendship, humor and relatable characters are at the core,” said Ramsey Naito, President, Nickelodeon Animation. “The series creators, Brian Morante and Zach Smith, have a history of bringing unique stories to life at Nickelodeon and we can’t wait to dive in with our production partners at Nelvana on these originals.”
“Nelvana is excited to build upon our partnership with Nickelodeon and contribute to their massive animation pipeline with new IP for a global audience,” Pam Westman, President, Nelvana. “With lovable characters and hilarious storylines, ZJ Sparkleton and The Hamster Show are two titles that we look forward to adding to our production slate.”
In ZJ Sparkleton, quirky 10-year-old vlogger Ruby discovers her only video channel follower is a tail-zapping space alien from the planet Pudge named ZJ Sparkleton, and they quickly become best friends. Along with their friend Earl, a talking con-man squirrel, Ruby teaches ZJ about her version of Earth, while ZJ learns to control his unpredictable powers.
In The Hamster Show, 8-year-old Harry is the proud owner of a crew of hamsters and the builder of their detailed and expansive tubed home. Little does Harry know that his furry friends are constantly watching him, believing that Harry is their King and they are his heroic protectors. Together, the hamsters explore their kingdom, comedically misunderstanding the human world and braving “royal missions,” such as saving King Harry from daily doom, granting his wishes and keeping his life running smoothly.
ZJ Sparkleton is created by Brian Morante (Penguins of Madagascar, Breadwinners, SpongeBob SquarePants). Mike Geiger (3 Amigonauts, Winston Steinburger and Sir Dudley Ding Dong) is the director and Lynne Warner (Corn & Peg, The Most Magnificent Thing) is the supervising producer for Nelvana. Kari Kim, Vice President, Animation Development, Nickelodeon; Claudia Spinelli, Senior Vice President, Animation Development, Nickelodeon; and Conrad Montgomery, Vice President, Current Series Animation, Nickelodeon, are overseeing production of the series for Nickelodeon.
The Hamster Show is created by Zach Smith (Baby Shark’s Big Show!). Jason Groh (Go Away, Unicorn!, Wishfart) is the director and Lynne Warner (Corn & Peg, The Most Magnificent Thing) is the supervising producer for Nelvana. Eryk Casemiro, Senior Vice President, Nickelodeon Preschool, is overseeing production of the series for Nickelodeon.
THAT GIRL LAY LAY
Nickelodeon today announced the greenlight of That Girl Lay Lay (working title), a new comedy series starring teen sensation and hip-hop artist Alaya “That Girl Lay Lay” High. The series (13 episodes) marks Nickelodeon’s first project under an overall deal with That Girl Lay Lay to develop original multiform programming and music initiatives, and build a cross-category consumer products business. Produced by record-breaking producer Will Packer (Little, Ride Along) and Will Packer Media (Bigger), the series is set to begin production this spring, with a premiere slated for this summer on Nickelodeon.
Created by David A. Arnold (Side Hustle, Fuller House, Bigger), That Girl Lay Lay follows Lay Lay (That Girl Lay Lay), an avatar from a personal affirmation app that magically comes to life, and her best friend Sadie as they navigate life as teenagers and discover who they truly are.
“We’re so excited to have That Girl Lay Lay star in a series that’s just as fierce and funny as she is,” said Zack Olin, Senior Vice President, Live Action. “At its heart, the show David A. Arnold created is about staying true to yourself, and with the immensely talented Will Packer producing, we just know that viewers are going to immediately fall in love with this series.”
“That Girl Lay Lay is a multitalented force of nature destined for mega stardom. I’m so excited about what she represents as a talented African-American girl with her own platform to showcase her unique abilities,” said Will Packer. “David A. Arnold has crafted the right show at the right time and Nickelodeon is the perfect partner.”
In That Girl Lay Lay, phone avatar Lay Lay is the perfect hype girl and best friend that anyone could ever want from their personal affirmation app. Struggling to make her mark at school and needing a best friend to talk to, Sadie wishes upon a star that Lay Lay was real and could help teach her how to stand out. When her wish comes true and Lay Lay is magically brought to life, the two friends learn that when they are together, they can accomplish anything.
In addition to her new comedy series, Nickelodeon’s comprehensive strategy for That Girl Lay Lay includes supporting her music career and an exclusive line of consumer products, with merchandising agreements spanning categories such as fashion, accessories, publishing and more.
That Girl Lay Lay is a social media star and hip-hop prodigy who has taken the world by storm with her infectious energy and sharp rhymes. She has been writing, producing, rapping and singing since the age of five, and at age 11 became the youngest female rapper to sign a recording deal and create her own imprint, Fresh Rebel Muzik/EMPIRE. Her music videos garner millions of views, with her smash hits “Mama” and “Supersize XL” having amassed close to 90 million views on YouTube to date between the two.
That Girl Lay Lay is produced by Will Packer Media (Bigger), with Will Packer (Little, Ride Along) and Carolyn Newman serving as executive producers and Toy Monique Hawkins overseeing. The series is created and executive produced by David A. Arnold (Side Hustle, Fuller House, Bigger), who also serves as showrunner. John Beck & Ron Hart (Side Hustle, Fuller House, Liv and Maddie) serve as executive producers. Production of That Girl Lay Lay for Nickelodeon is overseen by Zack Olin, Senior Vice President, Live Action, and Shauna Phelan, Senior Vice President, Live-Action Scripted Content.