Nickelodeon Kicks Off Upfront Season; Is SpongeBob SquarePants Headed for Broadway?

NickelodeonVenue Skylight at Moynihan Station the wide open space around the corner from the US Post Office39s big branch on 8th Ave Used sparingly as a Digital Content NewFronts site the last two years AOL in 2013 and Microsoft for its nowdefunct XBox Entertainment Services unit last April After several years at Jazz at Lincoln Center Nick shifted its presentation here A wide stage and screen with orange shadow graphics welcomed visitors to the main presentation room connected to a second room for the aftershow reception Early on new Viacom Kids ampamp Family Group President Cyma Zarghami invited audience members to give the screen itself a round of applause and they did The onscreen graphics were colorful throughout including patchworktype murals of Nick39s cartoon personalities A similar mural was posted outside on W 33rd St in front of construction for Moynihan39s underground extension of Penn Station opening in 201617amp160One onstage miscue A clip for a new series ran twice the second time in place of another new series clip That other clip never ran Grade 45 JacksPresentation The focus went back and forth from what new series Nick and its sister services Nick JrNicktoonsTeenNick will offer to how those new series will live online and other ways beyond the TV screen For example Game Makers a forthcoming series from iCarlyVictoriousSam ampamp Cat creator Dan Schneider about two girls who launch a new games venture will turn whatever games get created by this scripted pair into online destinations and smartphonetablet apps Suggestion Don39t forget smart TVs and devices that make TVs smart such as Roku Google Chromecast etc Other series will be positioned for merchandisingadvertiser tieins through a new InsideOut Solutions unit Meantime Nick perennial SpongeBob SquarePants may be headed for Broadway in musical form If the opening number showcased directed by Tina Landau is a barometer parent Viacom may have just the thing to break into the familyfriendly musical scene dominated by Disney Solid pace and plenty of clips to view supported by a wry appearance from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles costar Will Arnett Echosmith continued Nick39s string of solid Upfront event musical wrapups Grade 45 JacksNews Of more than 600 newreturning series episodes promised for the 201516 season about 100 will turn Nick39s experimental efforts in daily scripted serials the last two years House of Anubis and lately Every Witch Way into a yearround staple At least three new series will play Make It Pop three girls form K short for Koreanpop band Talia39s Kitchen girl moves in with grandma and creates magic in her family39s restaurant and Every Witch Way offshoot The WIT Academy Every Witch will return with new episodes this summer Other Nick premieres include Roll Call middle school life shot in mockumentaryModern Familystyle fashion School of Rock based on the hit Jack Black movie and Pig Goat Banana Cricket originally announced last February in which four animated characters get their own adventure each episode then unite in the final segment The Nick Jr newbies include Mutt ampamp Stuff marking the return of kidvid creators Sid ampamp Marty Krofft dog school goes wild and geniesintraining cartoon Shimmer and Shine another 2014announced series Nick left out info on when most of these series will launch or in the case of Pig and Shimmer launch at last Grade 4 JacksHosts Spread among Zarghami Content Development President Russell Hicks Chief Marketing Officer Pam Kaufman Sales chief Jim Perry and Chief Operating Officer Sarah Levy All did the trick Grade 4 JacksOverall Grade 45 Jacks Nick has mastered the art of upfront taletelling in an hour or less More notable doing so in an engaging versatile mannerNext up Spike TV another Viacom channel steps up after a long absence from the sceneOther notes from the TV passing paradeAdd Nuvo TV and The Weather Channel to the growing list of event absentees Nuvo and Fuse acquired by them last year will do a conference call with reporters next week Meantime no word yet from AMC FX Networks and other key programmers on whether they39ll do something soon or back off Same with new nets that entered the scene last year such as El Rey and RevoltSocial Media Week NY put on a great afternoon session devoted to local startups February 24 Six of the 10 companies presenting have smartphonetablet apps that should strongly look at adapting their work to smart TVsdevices They are Alfred household chore service Dots game studio Beautified healthfitness appointment bookings One Month online video learning service Shyp merchandise shipping and Spring shopping mall for womenEvery new TV content or technology venture based in the Big Apple or looking to settle in there should consider participation in DigitalNYC the new online display of the local digital scene In very watchable fashion this site lists startups and local financial resources from venture capital angel investors and incubators to meetup groups and trade associations Extremely comprehensive and watchable This could lead to breakthroughs by TV startups from new networks to interactive TV apps in landing investment Every TV organization up and down the chain trade associations included should have a listing on Digital NYC This format should be copied all over the nation Bravo to its organizers and design teamUntil the next time stay well and stay tunedThe opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaBizBloggerscom management or associated bloggers MediaBizBloggers is an open thought leadership platform and readers may share their comments and opinions in response to all commentaries

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Nickelodeon Kicks Off Upfront Season; Is SpongeBob SquarePants Headed for Broadway?

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Nickelodeon Kicks Off Upfront Season; Is SpongeBob SquarePants Headed for Broadway?

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