Number-One Nickelodeon Brings Upfront Presentation to Los Angeles for First Time Ever

Number-One Nickelodeon Brings Upfront Presentation to Los Angeles for First Time Ever

Following NY Presentation, Nick Announces Three New Original TV Movies to Join Six New Shows, New Seasons of 16 Returning Hit Series for 2010-11, along with Five New Series Launching Across Nick's Digital Nets -- TeenNick, Nicktoons and Nick Jr. My Wife and Kids to Join Nick at Nite's Programming Roster this Fall Nick's L.A. Upfront Highlighted with a Special Performance by Nickelodeon's Own Big Time Rush; and Appearances by Josh Duhamel, Catherine O'Hara and Victoria Justice

LOS ANGELES, March 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Nickelodeon brought its annual Upfront presentation to Los Angeles for the first time ever, where it announced new additions to its robust 2010-11 programming slate originally unveiled during its March 11 presentation in New York. Joining six new series and new seasons of 16 returning hits such as top-ranked iCarly, SpongeBob SquarePants and Team Umizoomi, Nickelodeon also will premiere three new TV movies, including: Fred: The Movie, starring Lucas Cruikshank as online sensation Fred Figglehorn; Boy Who Cried Werewolf, starring Victoria Justice and Brooke Shields; and Best Player starring iCarly's Jerry Trainor and Jennette McCurdy. Nickelodeon also has acquired My Wife and Kids (123 episodes), starring Damon Wayans (In Living Color, Major Payne), which will debut on Nick at Nite this fall.

Also, as previously announced, five brand-new series will bow across Nick's digital nets, which include TeenNick, Nick Jr. and Nicktoons, during the 2010-11 season. Nickelodeon, the top-ranked basic cable network in total day for almost 16 years, is poised to close 1Q10 as its most-watched quarter ever in its 30-year history.

Held this morning at The Music Box in Los Angeles, Nick's presentation featured special guest appearances and contributions from: Josh Duhamel, star of Nick's hit animated series Fanboy and Chum Chum; Catherine O'Hara, star of Nick at Nite's Glenn Martin DDS; and Victoria Justice, star of the upcoming Nickelodeon live-action series Victorious. The event was capped by a musical performance from Nick's Big Time Rush, the band featured in the network's newest live-action hit series of the same name.

Three new television movies will be added to Nickelodeon's programming line-up this season, including:

-- Fred: The Movie -- Inspired by the Fred Figglehorn character created
by Lucas Cruikshank and featured on the record-breaking Fred Channel
on YouTube, the film stars Cruikshank as Fred, iCarly's Jennette
McCurdy as Bertha, WWE's John Cena as Fred's dad and British teen
sensation Pixie Lott as Fred's long-time crush, Judy. The movie
focuses on Fred as he finally succeeds in making it to Judy's house,
only to discover she has moved. He embarks on a journey to find her
and hatches a grand scheme that makes him cooler than his classmates
could ever imagine. Fred: The Movie is written by David A. Goodman
(Family Guy), directed by Clay Weiner and produced by Brian Robbins
and Sharla Sumpter Bridgett of Varsity Pictures and Gary Binkow and
Evan Weiss of The Collective.

-- Boy Who Cried Werewolf, stars Victoria Justice (Victorious, Zoey 101)
and Brooke Shields (Lipstick Jungle). The TV movie follows Jordan
Sands (Justice), who along with her younger brother is relocated to
Wolfsberg, Romania, by her father David, who hopes to sell the castle
their Great Uncle Dragomir Vucovic left them. However, things in
Wolfsberg are a bit strange, especially the steely caretaker, Madam
Varcolac (Shields), who discourages the family from selling the manor.
When an accident in the castle's secret lab causes Jordan to transform
into a werewolf, they discover just how strange Wolfsburg is. Boy Who
Cried Werewolf is written and executive produced by Doug Sloan and Art
Brown. Executive Producers also include Lauren Levine and Marjorie
Cohn. Eric Bross directs and Scott McAboy is producer.

-- Best Player, starring Jerry Trainor and Jennette McCurdy (stars of
Nickelodeon's hit live-action series iCarly), follows thirty-something
Quincy (Trainor) who delivers Chinese food by day and is an online
video game master (known simply as "Q") by night. Quincy is perfectly
happy to live in his parents' tricked-out basement and dedicate his
life to being the best cyber multi-player athlete online, until his
world gets turned upside down when his parents decide to move to
Florida. His only chance to maintain his "perfect" life is to enter a
gaming tournament and win the prize money to buy his parents' house.
As the current multi-player champion, Quincy thinks it's a done deal,
until he encounters "Prodigy" (McCurdy), who threatens to annihilate
him. Best Player is executive produced by Jessica Horowitz, Lauren
Levine and Marjorie Cohn. Damon Santostefano directs from Rich
Amberg's screenplay, which includes a rewrite from Justin Ware. Scott
McAboy serves as Producer. Executive Producers also include Sandy
Climan and Christine Foy.

Six new series will be added to Nickelodeon's programming line-up this season, including:

-- House of Anubis (working title) will debut in fall 2010. From
Nickelodeon, in partnership with Belgium-based Studio 100, House of
Anubis is a long-form mystery series and the first-ever Nickelodeon
live-action show produced in Europe. Originally made for Nickelodeon
in Holland, this new global version follows eight students trying to
solve a hidden mystery at an English boarding school while dealing
with the highs and lows of their teenage years. House of Anubis is
produced in the UK by Lime Pictures.

-- Victorious, starring Victoria Justice (Zoey 101), co-produced by Sony
Music and created and executive produced by television hit-maker Dan
Schneider, follows Tori Vega (Justice) as she unexpectedly finds
herself navigating life at an elite performing arts high school.
Featuring an ensemble cast of teens who act, sing, dance and perform
to original music, Victorious will premiere on Nickelodeon on
Saturday, March 27, right after the 23rd annual Nickelodeon's Kids
Choice Awards.

-- Kung Fu Panda: The Series, Nickelodeon's second collaboration with
DreamWorks Animation, chronicles the further adventures of Po, the
energetic, enthusiastic, always hungry martial arts panda as he
protects the Valley of Peace from threats of all kind. Based on
DreamWorks Animation's hit feature film Kung Fu Panda, the Nick
animated series is executive produced by Cheryl Holliday (King of the
Hill, Still Standing, Father of the Pride) and produced at
Nickelodeon's Burbank, Calif. Animation Studios.

-- Planet Sheen, executive produced by Steve Oedekerk, Keith Alcorn (The
Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius) and Jim Hope (The George
Lopez Show), is the intergalactic tale of Sheen Guevera Estevez -- the
hyperactive, attention span-challenged kid from Nickelodeon's hit
Jimmy Neutron -- who crash lands on Zeenu and deals with bizarre
customs and strange-looking creatures as he tries to return home.
Planet Sheen is produced by O Entertainment for Nickelodeon.

-- T.U.F.F. Puppy, created and executive produced by Nickelodeon
hit-maker Butch Hartman, follows the gung-ho, dim-witted dog named
Dudley Puppy who is thrust into the role of "hero" when recruited by
the super secret crime fighting organization, T.U.F.F. (Turbo
Undercover Fighting Force) to protect his hometown against the evil
animal organization, D.O.O.M. (Diabolical Order of Mayhem). T.U.F.F.
Puppy is produced at the Nickelodeon Animation Studios in Burbank,
Calif.

-- Bubble Guppies is a new interactive, animated variety show for
preschoolers set in a vibrant 3D, CG-animated underwater classroom.
Bubble Guppies--created by Robert Scull and Jonny Belt (The
Backyardigans)--has an emergent curriculum: ideas that emerge from
preschoolers' own discoveries. Each episode will delve into a
preschool topic from a variety of angles as the cast and viewers
explore the swaying kelp forests, coral reefs and undersea gardens of
their aquarium-inspired surroundings.

Brand-new seasons of 16 hit blockbuster series will be featured in Nick's 2010-11 schedule:

Live action:

-- iCarly, basic cable's top kid series; True Jackson, VP; BrainSurge;
and the award-winning Nick News with Linda Ellerbee. Big Time Rush,
Nick's newest live-action, record-setting series; and The Troop, which
have been picked up for second seasons.

Animation:

-- SpongeBob SquarePants and The Penguins of Madagascar, the top two
programs with kids 2-11 on television; and The Fairly OddParents.
Additionally, Nick at Nite will premiere the second season of the
family favorite Glenn Martin, DDS, on Father's Day, June 20, 2010.
Fanboy and Chum Chum, which has been picked up for a second season.

Preschool:

-- Team Umizoomi, the number-one preschool show on all of television in
February; Go, Diego, Go!; The Wonder Pets; and The Backyardigans.
-- Dora the Explorer, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year
with four prime-time specials; an original documentary produced by
Academy Award®-nominated Brett Morgen (The Kid Stays in the Picture);
new online Dora content; and the "Beyond the Backpack" pro-social
campaign championing overall school readiness for preschoolers.

Nick's digital nets -- TeenNick, Nicktoons and Nick Jr. -- will also add a total of five new shows:

-- Gigantic, coming this season to TeenNick, is the network's second
collaboration with award-winning production company Reveille. The
half-hour series takes a fictional look at the glitzy, chaotic and
often outrageous life of being a Hollywood "it" kid. Shot at various
locations around Los Angeles, Gigantic features an ensemble cast that
includes Grace Gummer and Gia Mantegna as two of the lead characters.

-- Voltron Panthera Force will premiere on Nicktoons this season. The
series follows the exploits of a group of five young cadets brought
together under trying circumstances to form a newly appointed Voltron
Lion Squad dubbed the "Panthera Force." Voltron Panthera Force is a
World Events Production in conjunction with Kick Start Production.

-- Dragon Ball Z Kai, premiering on Nicktoons in May 2010, follows the
last descendants of an evil race of warriors, known as the Saiyans, on
their collision course with Earth. Goku--the strongest fighter on the
planet--is all that stands between humanity and extinction and must
face the villainous Saiyan warlord. Dragon Ball Z Kai is developed by
Funimation Entertainment.

-- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, debuting this season on Nicktoons, is
based on four mutant turtles--trained in the art of Ninjitsu--who
battle evil from the New York sewers. The animated series was
recently acquired by Nickelodeon and is jointly produced by 4Kids
Entertainment and Mirage Studios. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is
considered one of the most popular kids' television programs and was
created in 1984 by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird as a successful comic
book series.

-- Dino Dan will premiere fall 2010 on Nick Jr. The new original series
combines live-action with CG-animation to create an adventure-filled
modern day world where dinosaurs roam freely. Developed and produced
by Sinking Ship Entertainment and directed by J.J. Johnson, Dino Dan
will deal with relatable kids' issues and teach preschoolers
scientific information from new species to dinosaur vocabulary. Dino
Dan was co-developed by real life palaeontologist-in-training,
11-year-old Daniel Cook.

Nickelodeon is approaching its 16th straight year as basic cable's top network in total day with kids 2-11, 6-11 and total viewers. Its 1Q 2010 to date performance will mark Nick's 60th consecutive quarter as basic cable's top total day network for kids 2-11, 6-11 and total viewers--the longest run of its kind. Nickelodeon also leads its direct competition with boys 2-11, 6-11 and 9-14 by double-digit percentages. For the quarter to date, Nickelodeon boasts six of the top 10 programs for kids 2-11, four of the top 10 programs for kids 6-11 and tweens 9-14, and the top five preschool programs on broadcast and basic cable television (source: NMR, Live+7 Blended with Live +SD 12/28/09-2/28/10, Live + Same Day data 3/1/10-3/14/10).

Nickelodeon, now in its 30th 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 and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in almost 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 15 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com/. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE:VIA)(NYSE:VIA.B).

*Art Available Upon Request

Source: Nickelodeon

CONTACT: Marianne Romano, +1-310-752-8208, Marianne.Romano@nick.com, or
David Bittler, +1-212-846-5263, David.Bittler@Nick.com, both of Nickelodeon

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

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