NEW YORK – A bevy of young stars are scheduled to entertain advertisers at Nickelodeon’s upfront presentation at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Hall on Thursday.
Victoria Justice, star of the net’s Victorious, will debut her new single “Beggin’ on Your Knees” to open the upfront. iCarly stars including Miranda Cosgrove and Jerry Trainor and Nickelodeon alum Kenan Thompson (formerly of Kenan & Kel and now a cast member on Saturday Night Live) will also be on hand.
And Jennifer Hudson and Raphael Saadiq will close the event with a duet of the Motown classic “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing,” as well as performances of Hudson’s latest single, “Where You At,” and Saadiq’s latest, “Radio.”
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The network is set to announce a slew of new content aimed at its various viewer demographics including an iCarly/Victorious movie – set for June 10 – called iParty with Victorious and guest starring Thompson as himself.
Nick at Nite, the net’s adult programming block of comedy reruns, will add the complete libraries of Friends (236 episodes) and Yes, Dear (122 episodes) beginning in 2012.
And this fall, TeenNick will launch a new nighttime block (midnight to 2 a.m.) called “The ‘90s Are All That!” featuring a rotating roster of Nickelodeon live-action classics such as All That, Clarissa Explains it All, The Adventures of Pete & Pete, Rugrats, Rocket Power, Salute Your Shorts, The Amanda Show and Kenan & Kel.
The top-rated kids network – which is still the ratings leader in an increasingly crowded kids market that now includes Discovery/Hasbro joint venture The Hub, PBS Kids Sprout and Disney Junior – will also feature a preview of the its upcoming CG-animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot introduced by actor Jason Biggs, who voices Leonardo.
Nickelodeon is adding four new animated series to its preschool roster including a new edition of the Beatrix Potter classic Peter Rabbit. The net has ordered 26-episodes of The Tales if Peter Rabbit – which is targeted for a 2012 debut. Nickelodeon will produce the series in conjunction with Chorion and Potter publisher Frederick Warne & Co.
In fact, the net is doubling down on animation, rolling out 450 episodes of animation programming over the next three years with nearly 200 episodes slated for Saturday mornings next year.
The animation initiative includes more episodes of SpongeBob SquarePants, The Penguins of Madagascar, Fanboy and Chum Chum and T.U.F.F. Puppy.
New series include: Italian import Winx Club; The Last Airbender: Legend of Korra; the aforementioned Ninja Turtles, which is set to bow in fourth quarter 2012; and Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness, Nick’s latest partnership with DreamWorks Animation.
Live action tween-targeted series include new seasons of iCarly and Victorious as well as Big Time Rush, True Jackson VIP, House of Anubis, afternoon game show BraineSurge and Nick News with Linda Ellerbee.
Later this year, the net will bow new live-action series Supah Ninjas, about three unsuspecting kids who are drafted into the secret world of crime fighting, and Bucket & Skinner’s Epic Adventures, a multi-camera buddy comedy about a surfer dude.
