Looking to slow its ratings decline, top-rated kids network Nickelodeon announced a broad slate of programming for 2020 and 2021 that includes new live action and animated series, plus extensions of its current popular shows.
Highlights include The Astronauts, an action-adventure series co-produced with Imagine Kids+Family, a live-action Henry Danger spinoff called Danger Force, Big Nate based on the book series, Young Dylan from Tyler Perry and The Loud House: A Very Loud Christmas!, a live action TV movie to debut in December.
Nick also renewed All That, The Casagrandes, Blue’s Clues & You!, PAW Patrol, Blaze and the Monster Machines, Bubble Guppies, Are You Afraid of the Dark? and Top Elf.
The slate announcement comes a day before Nick parent company ViacomCBS is set to release its quarterly earnings on Thursday. ViacomCBS is expected the expand its streaming operations in the face of falling linear viewership and cord-cutting.
Kids networks in particular have been impacted and as a group have been down more than 20% for 10 consecutive weeks. So far during this quarter, Nickelodeon's ratings are down among kids 2-11 are down more than 30%.
Nickelodeon said its programming slate is designed to create shows with co-viewing potential, reflect the diversity of today’s kids, mine talent from social media and expand its popular franchises.
Here are descriptions of some of Nickelodeon’s upcoming shows:
The Astronauts (working title; 10 episodes) – Nickelodeon’s first co-production with Imagine Kids+Family, is a single-camera action-adventure series follows a group of kids ware mistakenly launched into space. The Astronauts is executive produced by Imagine Entertainment chairmen Brian Grazer and Ron Howard, Imagine Kids+Family president Stephanie Sperber and Daniel Knauf, who also serves as writer and showrunner. The series is slated to premiere this summer.
Big Nate (26 episodes) – The misadventures of Big Nate goes from page to screen in an all-new animated series based on HarperCollins’ best-selling children’s book title by Lincoln Peirce.
Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years (13 episodes) – The original SpongeBobSquarePants voice cast has been tapped to reprise their roles in this CG-animated prequel. Premiering July, Kamp Koral follows a 10-year-old SpongeBob at sleepaway camp.
Tyler Perry’s Young Dylan (14 episodes) – Executive produced, directed and written by Perry, the live-action series follows a family whose world is turned upside down when their nephew, Young Dylan (Dylan Gilmer), an aspiring hip-hop star, moves in unannounced. The series is currently in production at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta and will premiere, Feb. 29.
Danger Force (13 episodes) —This spinoff of Henry Danger stars “Ray/Captain Man” (Cooper Barnes) and “Schwoz” (Michael D. Cohen), and introduces four new superheroes-in-training as they team up to fight crime in their town of Swellview. Danger Force premieres, March 28.
