Nickelodeon Brings Children's Publishing Phenomenon OLIVIA to Life With TV Series Launch, Monday, Jan. 26, at 11:30 A.M. (ET/PT)

Nickelodeon Brings Children's Publishing Phenomenon OLIVIA to Life With TV Series Launch, Monday, Jan. 26, at 11:30 A.M. (ET/PT)

Ian Falconer's Best-Selling, Award-Winning Books Transformed Into CG Animation for First-Time Ever on TV

NEW YORK, Jan. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Nickelodeon welcomes one of the world's most beloved literary characters to its preschool line-up with the launch of OLIVIA on Monday, Jan. 26, at 11:30 a.m. (ET/PT), followed by a week of brand-new episodes. Presented in conjunction with media content company Chorion and animated by Brown Bag Films, the new half-hour series invites children into the life -- both real and fantasy -- of an adventurous, can-do 6-and-3/4-year-old girl named Olivia. Based on acclaimed author/illustrator Ian Falconer's award-winning titles, OLIVIA captures the book series' trademark humor and the irrepressible personality of its heroine with its gorgeous CG animation. OLIVIA will air regularly weekdays at 11:30 a.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090106/NY55884 )

"Children already know and love Olivia from Ian Falconer's beautifully illustrated books, and we're honored to have her join the Nickelodeon family," said Brown Johnson, President, Animation, Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group. "Olivia is a role model for all preschoolers who will be inspired by her imagination and keen sense of humor."

"OLIVIA is a show where the ordinary meets the extraordinary, and we've worked closely with the team at Nickelodeon to bring Olivia's world to life," said Megan Laughton, Supervising Producer for the OLIVIA series at Chorion. "Olivia's imagination takes her all over the world, but her daily interactions with family and friends will resonate with children everywhere."

Olivia believes she can do anything and sees every day as an opportunity to try new things. Olivia's real life revolves around her friends, family and school, while her vivid imagination takes her everywhere from Egypt, the Wild West and outer space, to a pirate adventure and a concert hall. She is a pillar of self-confidence and enthusiasm promoting independent thinking, ingenuity and persistence.

   The premiere episode of OLIVIA will feature the following stories:   --  "Olivia Measures Up" - After Olivia teases her younger brother Ian for       being too short for a ride, Father mentions that some day Ian may be       the taller sibling.  Olivia employs a variety of comical methods to       stop Ian from growing.  She eventually comes to terms with her own       height -- with the help of a great pair of shoes.   --  "Olivia Plays Hotel" - When school is let out early due to snow,       Julian and Francine come over to Olivia's house.  Olivia has the       perfect game for them -- Hotel!  She transforms her house into a       make-believe hotel, but then some strange things start to happen.        Does the hotel have ghosts, or is Ian just playing tricks on them?   

Nickelodeon will roll out content from OLIVIA across the following platforms:

   --  Beginning Friday, Jan. 16, Nick Jr. Video, Nick Jr.'s broadband video       service available on Nickjr.com, will begin streaming a two-minute       'sneak peek' from the premiere episode plus instant replays of all       OLIVIA episodes after their on-air premieres.   --  Beginning Friday, Jan. 16, a two-minute sneak peek from the premiere       episode will be available on various wireless carriers.  Additional       premiere episodes will be simulcast on Nickelodeon Mobile.   --  Beginning Tuesday, Jan. 27, OLIVIA episodes will be available via       Nickelodeon on Demand.   

Olivia is today's girl. She is a 6-and-3/4-year-old dynamo who believes she can do anything and sees every day as an opportunity to try new things. Her vivid imagination takes her on grand adventures, both real and fantasy, and like all children, her antics occasionally result in endearing misadventures. Olivia's confidence and positive nature inspires kids everywhere to think boldly and follow their dreams.

Although Olivia's adventures in her imagination are bigger than life, the challenges in her day-to-day life are preschool size. Olivia's unique ways of dealing with these challenges provide moments of fun and drama. She demonstrates how kids can use their imagination to work out what's happening in their own world. Kids can relate to Olivia because she experiences the same daily trials and triumphs as they do. Every day is a "Big Day" for Olivia; her exuberance is contagious as she takes viewers along for the ride!

The first OLIVIA picture book by Falconer was published in 2000 to rave reviews. Since that time, Falconer has been the recipient of numerous awards and the Simon & Shuster book series has sold an impressive six million copies worldwide in 20 languages.

Chorion is a leading provider of quality family entertainment for the global marketplace. Chorion brings a combination of brand management savvy and creative vision to the development of literary copyrights across all media. Chorion's portfolio includes classic children's brands such as Mr. Men and Little Miss, Beatrix Potter, Paddington, Noddy, OLIVIA and The World of Eric Carle as well as art and lifestyle brands. Chorion also owns and manages the literary works of Agatha Christie, Raymond Chandler and Georges Simenon, among others.

Chorion's new animated television productions include The Mr. Men Show; Famous Five: On the Case, co-produced with Marathon Media; and OLIVIA, destined for Nickelodeon (US) and Five's Milkshake! (UK) in early 2009. Chorion's hit Noddy series continues to air on leading broadcasters around the world. Perennial favorite drama series Agatha Christie's Marple and Poirot were co-produced with ITV in the UK and PBS in the US.

Chorion acquired The Copyrights Group Ltd, a leading independent licensing business, in November 2007. Chorion has offices in London, New York, Tokyo and Sydney. For more information, please visit www.chorion.co.uk.

Nickelodeon, now in its 29th 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 company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, magazines and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in more than 96 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 14 consecutive years. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA) (NYSE:VIA.B) .

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090106/NY55884
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN15
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

Source: Nickelodeon

CONTACT: Maggie Wang, +1-212-846-6381, Maggie.wang@nick.com, or Heather
Brown, +1-212-846-6240, Heather.brown@nick.com, both of Nickelodeon

Web Site: http://www.nickjr.com/

NOTE TO EDITORS: *DVDs and art available upon request

---

Profile: International Entertainment