‘SpongeBob’ Universe Expands With Three Paramount+ Spinoff Movies, New Theatrical Film

Three new SpongeBob SquarePants character spinoff movies for Paramount+ are in the works at Nickelodeon Studios, in addition to a new theatrical release about the porous resident who lives in a Pineapple-under-the-sea. The news was announced today by Brian Robbins, Chief Content Officer, Movies and Kids & Family for Paramount+ at the ViacomCBS Investor Event.

The first of Paramount+’s SpongeBob character spinoff movies, which focus on different Bikini Bottom residents, will drop in 2023.

The expansion of the SpongeBob franchise follows the recent success of SpongeBob series offshoots Kamp Koral on Paramount+ and The Patrick Star Show on Nickelodeon, the first season of which will be available soon to stream on Paramount+.

Paramount has made three SpongeBob feature movies, the first in 2004, which altogether have grossed close to $471M worldwide. The highest grossing installment was 2015’s The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water which grossed over $325M WW. However, because of the pandemic, Paramount was forced to pull The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run from U.S. release in 2020. The sequel received a Canadian theatrical release in August of that year, making $4.8M, while the film in the states served as the branded launch for Paramount+ in 2021. The pic’s foreign rights, except for China, were sold to Netflix.

“As we’ve known with Nickelodeon’s long-standing success, the kids and family audience is incredibly loyal, and we see that on Paramount+ as well, with kids and family ranking as one of the strongest genres on the service in terms of both engagement and subscriber acquisition,” said Robbins. “So as they stay for our shows and look for even more of them, we’re doubling down on giving them what they want by expanding the universes of the characters they love the best.”

Paramount Confirms Merger Plans For Their Streaming Service

For many months now, Hollywood insiders and industry commentators have been talking about Paramount+ — at least the service as it currently exists — as a dead streamer walking. This week, however, the obituary notices started coming from within the building.

During a shareholder presentation Tuesday, the three execs currently running Paramount Global (at least for now; the company may be on the verge of being sold) announced that they had a plan to “transform” the company’s streaming strategy, which currently focuses on the stand-alone streamer Paramount+ (and, to a lesser degree, free streamer Pluto TV). Toward this end, the trio said they had begun actively exploring the formation of a joint venture with either a rival streamer or a tech company — and that they’d already received interest from possible partners. While they didn’t go into any details of what such a joint venture would entail, both history and common sense suggest an outcome where Paramount+ either becomes a tile on another service, or its content gets folded into a new or existing platform featuring content from multiple companies, similar to how Hulu at one time existed as a partnership among ABC, NBC, and Fox’s corporate owners.

The execs went out of their way to stress that they’re not thinking small here. “Let me clear: I’m not talking about marketing bundles,” like the one Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery are planning, said Chris McCarthy, president/CEO of Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios and Paramount Media Networks, and part of Par’s three-headed exec branch. Instead, the company is looking to form “a deep and expansive relationship, one that would make the most of our hit content while improving the customer offering.” McCarthy said Par wants a new paradigm that both reduces subscriber churn and, perhaps most importantly, controls cost.

It’s not that Par execs think their programming isn’t popular enough to work in a subscription universe. Quite the opposite: The exec trio talked up the populist appeal of its content and noted Paramount+’s ability to become a top-five streamer just a couple of years after launch, with over 70 million global subscribers. But Paramount has decided the costs of running its own streaming service — marketing dozens of shows, finding a user interface that actually works, etc. — are too high. Instead, it wants to create a new blueprint where Paramount content (CBS shows, MTV reality series, the Yellowstone universe, Paramount Pictures movies) has a guaranteed home, but not in an expensive, self-contained luxury island where Par shareholders pay the full mortgage. Think of it this way: Paramount wants to move its streaming offering from the ritzy mountaintop mansion where it’s lived the past few years and relocate it to a still very nice duplex condo where another owner (or owners) helps pay for building upkeep.

To underscore just how serious they were about moving on from the current Paramount+ status quo, McCarthy said the company has “already had a great deal of an inbound interest” in the idea and that there would be more details “soon.” It’s worth noting here that back in February, The Wall Street Journal reported that Paramount had engaged in conversations with Peacock owner Comcast about a Peacock–Paramount+ merger “through a partnership or joint venture” — the exact same wording McCarthy used this week. The paper has also reported Warner Bros. Discovery’s interest in a team-up. Nothing has happened publicly on this front, in part because of the aforementioned potential sale to David Ellison’s Skydance Media, producer (with Par) of the recent Mission: Impossible and Top Gun movies and TV shows like Reacher and Jack Ryan. Per multiple published reports, the Skydance-Paramount deal is both all but done and possibly in doubt, given some supposed last-minute doubts from Shari Redstone, the media mogul who basically controls Paramount through her family’s movie-theater chain National Amusements.

It’s this uncertainty that may explain why Tuesday’s admission by Paramount’s current leadership that Paramount+ as a stand-alone business no longer makes sense hasn’t generated a ton of headlines. Fact is, as long as there’s a strong chance that new ownership could be taking over, any plans from the current “office of the CEO” of Paramount Global come with a major asterisk attached. It’s hard to imagine any potential Paramount+ partner would sign a deal without knowing for sure that either the people executing said deal will be around to see it through or that the new owners are onboard with the idea. And then there’s this: Many in the media and Wall Street have been operating under the assumption that Paramount+ as it is now isn’t long for this world, and that any new owner, including Skydance, would look to make a meaningful change in streaming. (In fact, I continue to hear rumblings from very good sources that a Peacock–Paramount+ team-up of some sort is more likely than not, however the current ownership drama gets resolved.) So the fact that the current management officially signed on shaking things up might not read as worthy of a breaking-news alert.

But if Redstone’s supposed waffling ends with the Skydance bid being called off and Paramount Global moving forward with one or all of its current leaders, then this week will go down as a very important milestone in the streaming wars. Five years after Apple and Disney officially kicked off hostilities versus Netflix in the race to win SVOD share, a major combatant could be getting ready to sue for peace.

Source: Vultures 

Paramount And Amazon Reportedly Enter Talks For New Streaming Bundle

Recently Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery announced a deal that would see Max, Hulu, and Disney+ bundle. After that Comcast announced a bundle of Peacock, Netflix, and Apple TV+. Now Bloomberg is reporting that Amazon and Paramount are in talks about a possible streaming bundle.

According to the report, Paramount and Amazon are in early talks to offer a bundled version of their streaming service. Paramount already owns multiple streaming services, including Paramount+ and BET+. They could be bundled on their own through Amazon channels or possibly bundled with Amazon’s own streaming services like Amazon Prime Video or MGM+.

The talks are not a done deal, and Bloomberg says it is possible nothing may come from them. Paramount has also reportedly been in talks with Peacock about a bundle option, but no deal has been reached at this time.

Bundles have widely been seen as a quick way for services to gain subscribers. They are also seen as a way to lock in subscribers for longer. Increasingly streaming services are fighting a growing trend of cord cutters rotating streaming services in 2024. This impacts profit, and customers binge everything they want in a month or two instead of keeping a subscription long term. Bundles could tempt customers to be locked in for longer by offering more content.

Development Alert: Dora Renewed For Season 2 On Nick Jr. And Paramount+

Paramount+ has renewed the animated preschool series Dora for a second season. The iconic Latina heroine returned this month in the CG-animated revival series produced by Nickelodeon Animation. 

Dora, based on the original series Dora the Explorer, follows everyone’s favorite bilingual explorer, Dora (Diana Zermeño), and her best monkey friend, Boots (Asher Colton Spence) as they embark on epic adventures in a fantastical rainforest. Guided by trustworthy Map (Anairis Quiñones), Dora and her friends must work together to overcome many obstacles while being challenged by the sneakiest fox, Swiper (Marc Weiner). Kathleen Herles, the original voice of Dora the Explorer, voices Mami.

“Kids and family programming is consistently one of the most popular genres on Paramount+ and we’re thrilled that our audience has already embraced Dora,” said Jeff Grossman, Executive Vice President, Programming, Paramount+. “It’s an incredible opportunity to introduce this beloved character and iconic franchise to a whole new generation.” 

Dora is currently available to stream exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria, and also on Nick Jr. internationally.

Dora is produced by Nickelodeon Animation in Burbank, California, and created by Chris Gifford and Valerie Walsh Valdes. Chris Gifford, Valerie Walsh Valdes and Rich Magallanes serve as executive producers. Henry Lenardin-Madden serves as co-executive producer, and Alejandro Bien-Willner serves as story editor. Marielle Kaar is Nickelodeon’s Executive in Charge of Production for the series. Dora the Explorer was created by Chris Gifford, Valerie Walsh Valdes and Eric Weiner.

“Our audiences have embraced the new Dora series with open arms, and it’s incredible how she continues to capture the imaginations of preschoolers around the world with her extraordinary rainforest adventures,“ said Ramsey Naito, President, Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation. “We can’t wait for kids to discover all of the new fantastical places and colorful characters in the second season while learning and playing along with their good friend Dora.”

Paramount+ Removes 10 Nickelodeon Titles Including ‘Blue’s Clues & You!’ & ‘Rugrats’ Series

Paramount+ has purged 10 Nickelodeon original series, following the removal of other Nick titles from the platform over the past several months.

The list includes Are You Afraid of the Dark? (2019-2022), Blue’s Clues & You! (2019), It’s Pony (2020-2022), Middlemost Post (2021-2022), Ollie’s Pack (2020), Ryan’s Mystery Playdate (2019-2023), Santiago of the Seas (2020), That Girl Lay Lay (2021-2024) as well as the made-for-Paramount+ Big Nate (2022)and Rugrats (2021).

This is said to be part of content removal addressed in the most recent Q4 earnings call on February 28. Targeting Nick titles is a little surprising as, according to parent Paramount Global, the network’s Kids & Family content consistently ranks among the most watched and re-watched programming on Paramount+.

“In connection with our continued review of our international content strategy, during the first quarter of 2024 we made a strategic decision to focus on content with mass global appeal,” the company said in its 10-K filing. “As part of this, we are rationalizing original content on Paramount+, especially internationally, and improving the efficiency of our linear network programming. As a result, we have reviewed our expansive global content portfolio and are removing select content from our platforms.”

Paramount expects “to recognize additional programming charges that we currently expect to be in the range of approximately $700 million to $900 million during the first quarter of 2024.”

New Series Alert: ‘Ark: The Animated Series,’ Based On ‘Survival Evolved’ Game, Surprise Drops on Paramount+

The animated series based on Studio WildCard’s “Ark: Survival Evolved” video game finally has a platform attached. The first six episodes of Season 1 surprise dropped on Paramount+ on Thursday, with the remaining seven episodes set for a later date.

Spanning eons of human history, “Ark: The Animated Series” follows 21st century paleontologist Helena Walker (voiced by Madeleine Madden), who finds herself resurrected on a mysterious primeval island populated by prehistoric beasts. There, she must learn to survive with new allies from throughout time while trying to uncover the true nature of their strange new world.

Along with Madden, the voice cast includes Michelle Yeoh, Russell Crowe, Gerard Butler, David Tennant, Jeffrey Wright, Elliot Page, Vin Diesel, Karl Urban, Zahn McClarnon, Devery Jacobs, Elliot Page, Deborah Mailman, Ragga Ragnars, Malcolm McDowell, Monica Bellucci and Alan Tudyk.

Jeremy Stieglitz and Jesse Rapczak executive produce “Ark: The Animated Series” alongside Marc Diana; Doug Kennedy; Jay Oliva; James Baldanzi; Vin Diesel and Samantha Vincent for One Race Films; Gerard Butler and Alan Siegel for G-Base Entertainment; and Russell Crowe. Stieglitz, Oliva, David Hartman and Sebastian Montes serve as directors, and Marguerite Bennett and Kendall Deacon Davis serve as co-writers. The series is a production of Lost Continent Entertainment and Lex + Otis.

Studio WildCard officially released “Ark: Survival Evolved” in 2017 after an early access release on Steam in 2015. “Ark: The Animated Series” was first announced with a trailer during the 2020 Video Game Awards, with another trailer released in 2022, still without a platform attached.

Could Paramount Plus Have Halted Production Of Original Kids Programming As Further Content Move To Nickelodeon Channels?

During the year, it was reported that Danger Force would end with a season 3 on Nickelodeon leaving only two live-action shows on the network. On top of that, several content from Paramount+ such as Rugrats and Big Nate have new episodes on Nicktoons.

Nicktoons serves as a secondary network filtered on reruns meaning less consumption. In a turn of events, Paramount Global had opted to divert these shows away from Nickelodeon where the latter would get more exposure and burn it off to Nicktoons.

This comes prior to the time when Monsters At Work being a Disney+ exclusive following its rollout in 2021 moved to Disney Channel for a second season. Unlike Disney Channel, this could be worrisome as most shows to have entered Nicktoons are usually axed.

On top of a possible sale, Paramount Global has undergone a restructure laying off 800 employees as part of streamlining attempts. The idea of original kids programming from Paramount+ being purged in this possible shake-up wouldn't seem far fetched. 

Paramount+ hasn't been profitable in the United States due to high level of competition from Netflix and Disney+. It had led them to change their distribution strategy internationally with most markets in Europe and Africa opting on a third party for the content. 

Netflix has been building up Nickelodeon's content slate with the live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender based on the animated series of the same name. They even acquired exclusive rights to The Fairly OddParents: Make A Wish and The Casagrandes Movie.

With the lack of new kids content coming as Paramount+ exclusive it wouldn't seem far fetched if Paramount Global had opted to move this to Netflix while other content is accessible on linear platforms.

Development Alert (Rumour): Rugrats (2021 Reboot) Likely Cancelled On Nickelodeon And Paramount+ As Further Episodes Are Burned Off To Nicktoons

Rugrats is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain. Based on the series of the same name, it featured the voices of Nancy Cartwright, E.G. Daily, Kath Soucie, Cheryl Chase, Tony Hale and Cree Summers.

The series premiered on May 27, 2021, on Paramount+; it is the second Nickelodeon-based series created for the streaming service. As with previous incarnations of the franchise, the series is produced by Klasky Csupo.

Just like the original series, Rugrats focuses on the experiences of a courageous, adventurous one-year-old baby named Tommy Pickles and his group of playmates and other infants. It does come with some minor variations specifically for the character, Betty DeVille.

During the year, Disney made numerous headlines after axing several shows including Bunk'd and The Ghost And Molly McGee. With the future of Hailey's On It, The Villains Of Valley View and Raven's Home still in doubt as their current seasons wrap production. 

Nickelodeon serving as a rival brand to the company had allocated new episodes of That Girl Lay Lay on Nicktoons with reports going around that Rugrats would follow soon. Often, when shows are axed by the network they would fold under secondary networks.

Not long ago, Danger Force wrapped production on Nickelodeon after 3 seasons leaving The Really Loud House and Young Dylan as the only live-action. With a wider line-up of animated shows like Big Nate, SpongeBob SquarePants, The Patrick Star Show. 

News Shorts: Sky News Named News Channel Of The Year At RTS, BET Announces New Series In Bloom + Release Date And NCIS Spinoff Greenlight By Paramount Plus

Sky scores big in the UK

Sky News has been named News Channel of the Year for the seventh consecutive year at the Royal Television Society Journalism Awards. 

Responding to Sky News winning the award, David Rhodes, Executive Chairman for Sky News Group said:

“It’s been a momentous year for news and I couldn’t be more proud that Sky News has been recognised by winning News Channel of the Year for a phenomenal seventh year in a row. To provide audiences with the full story first, our 800 journalists around the world have told

compelling human-interest stories, held those in power to account, have gone deep into the data and delivered powerful eyewitness reports from around the globe”.

The BBC, which similar to Sky News is based from the UK and made substantial changes to its news output in the last year walked away almost empty-handed. The broadcaster did secure a win for its coverage of the Ukraine conflict and for a BBC Wales investigation into Welsh Rugby.

BET launches new local drama

In Bloom has been produced by MTV Staying Alive Foundation with continued support of Paramount and grant support by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The thought-provoking collection tells unheard stories addressing a range of crucial issues including period poverty, child marriage, gender-based violence, HIV self-stigma, family planning and women’s economic empowerment. 

The anthology comes from five female filmmakers from Nigeria, Kenya, India, the US and Brazil, creatively championing new voices and enabling insightful conversations to dismantle systemic injustices.

In Bloom will also premiere on BET, DStv Channel 129 on March 8 at 20:00 CAT

NCIS spinoff in development 

CBS Studios is expanding its ever growing NCIS franchise by bringing back two fan favorite characters from the mothership series, Tony DiNozzo, played by Michael Weatherly, and Ziva David, portrayed by Cote de Pablo, who will reunite on screen for the first time in 10 years. Paramount+ has given a 10-episode series order to the untitled spinoff headlined by Weatherly and de Pablo and written by John McNamara (Trumbo, The Magicians). All three executive produce.

Nicknamed NCIS: Europe, the new action-packed spinoff, set to start production later this year, will follow Tony (Weatherly) and Ziva (de Pablo) as they find themselves on the run across the continent.

NCIS is one of CBS Studios’ most valuable franchises and its expansion has been a goal for the studio. This is one of two new NCIS offshoots greenlighted this year, along with the Young Gibbs prequel series for CBS, NCIS: Origins. It is also the second extension of the NCIS franchise beyond the U.S., following NCIS: Sydney, which has been airing on CBS in the U.S.

Development Alert: Paramount+ And Peacock Are Reportedly In Discussion For A Potential Merger

Paramount+ and Peacock have reportedly started talks to merge into a single streaming according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.

According to that report, Comcast and Paramount recently met to look at options to possibly merge their streaming services into a single streaming service, among other options. This would bring Paramount’s and NBCUniversal’s content under a single streaming app.

Details are still thin. No pricing, naming, or other details have been decided at this time. At this time, neither company has made any formal announcement about the talks.

Paramount+ had 63 million subscribers at the end of the 3rd quarter of 2023. Peacock recently announced that it hit 31 million subscribers paying for the service. Some subscribers pay for both but merging together will help the services compete with larger services like Max and Disney+.

Both services are still struggling to turn a profit. Paramount+ is expected to become profitable by the end of 2025. No timeline is known for when Peacock will become profitable. Merging the services could also help them reach profitability sooner.

Nick Shorts: Erin & Aaron Cancelled After One Season On Netflix, Nick Jr. Enters The Splat Zone Globally And The Thundermans Return To Nickelodeon Africa With A New Movie

Another one bites the dust

Nickelodeon has unfortunately decided to cancel Erin & Aaron and not renew the network's live-action comedy series for a second season. It follows teenage stepsiblings Erin and Aaron as they navigate their new lives after their parents’ marriage, and find strength in their shared passion for music. 

The show's cancellation was announced by Jensen Gering, who played Aaron on the series, on the actor's official Instagram page.

Erin & Aaron premiered on Nickelodeon in the U.S. on Thursday, April 20, with season one featuring 13 episodes. It was available exclusively on Netflix internationally by November 2023. 

Nick Jr. finally goes Splat

Nick Jr.'s finally rebranded after failing to do so in 2023, aside from Africa it also includes Europe, the the Americas (Latin America and Brazil), Middle East, Asia, and New Zealand. The rebrand was also launched on the Nickelodeon Junior channel in France.

Based on Nickelodeon's recently introduced Splat logo, the rebrand includes new on-air graphics, such as lower-thirds, updated BUG/DOG, bumpers, idents, promo endboards, and Curriculum Boards. This only leaves secondary brands like Nicktoons which is also slated for 2024.

The Thundermans return to Nickelodeon

The Thundermans are back! Nickelodeon will premiere The Thundermans Return, a brand new movie based on Nickelodeon‘s hit live-action superhero comedy series, The Thundermans, across Africa on Sunday 31st March 2024!

After three years of fighting crime in their new city of Metroburg, The Thundermans are suddenly stripped of their assignment and sent back to Hiddenville. While Hank and Barb look forward to their return ‘home’, Chloe develops new friend groups, Billy and Nora enjoy a normal school life, and Max and Phoebe are determined to regain their superhero status.”

The film will also airing on various Nickelodeon channels across the world within March.

New Series Alert: Dora To Premiere On Nick Jr. Channels Globally By April 2024

Nickelodeon's beloved Latina heroine Dora the Explorer is set to make a spectacular return in Dora, an all-new CG-animated preschool series set to premiere on Nick Jr. Global in April 2024!

Nick Jr. Global is available in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), Germany (Deutschland), New Zealand, Africa, Poland (Polska), Flanders (Vlaanderen), Wallonia (Wallonie), Denmark (Danmark), Sweden (Sverige), Norway (Norge), Arabia (جَزِيرَةُ الْعَرَب), Turkey (Türkiye), the Czech Republic (Česká republika), the Netherlands (Nederland), the Middle East, Latin America (Latinoamérica) and Brazil (Brasil). 

To get fans excited for the return of Dora, many regional Nick Jr. YouTube channels have released full episodes and short-form videos from the new series, many of which can be found here. Nickelodeon also gave fans a first look with the release of Dora and the Fantastical Creatures, which debuted in cinemas, playing alongside PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie.

Dora is set to stream exclusively on Paramount+ in spring 2024 in the U.S. Internationally, Dora will stream day-and-date on Paramount+ and air on Nickelodeon channels in all markets where available. Leading up to its premiere, additional Dora content will also be available across Nickelodeon platforms, Paramount+ and Noggin.

The new Dora series features the voices of Diana Zermeño as Dora; Asher Spence as Boots; Marc Weiner as Swiper; Anairis Quiñones as Map and The Fiesta Trio's armadillo; Maria Canals-Barrera as Abuela; Danny Burstein as Grumpy Old Troll, and The Fiesta Trio's frog and marmoset; Katarina Sky as Backpack; Donovan Monzon-Sanders as Tico; Tandi Fomukong as Isa; Quintún Muñoz as Benny; and Chris Gifford as Big Red Chicken.

2024 On Regular Nick (Upcoming Kids And Family/Animated Series) | Cartoon Network | Disney Channel | Nickelodeon | More Brands Including DreamWorks, Netflix, eToonz And Play Room

Cartoon Network/Max/Cartoonito

• Ijanu: Child Of Wonder: A teenage orphan girl with no recollection of her past who suddenly discovers that she has hidden powers that rival the Divine Ones themselves. 

• Hero Inside: The adventure begins after Scott, a cartoonist and free spirit, mysteriously vanishes after drawing 100 superheroes across 100 comic books, without ever publishing. His proofread books scattered across San Francisco, triggering odd occurrences.

• Totally Spies!: The anime-inspired toon about three female teens balancing spy missions and high school drama

• Invincible Fight Girl: The series follows Andy, a young girl who dreams of becoming the greatest pro wrestler of all time.

• Tiny Toons Looniversity: Babs, Buster and friends enroll at Acme Looniversity, the premier institution of higher hijinx learning.

• Jessica's Big Little World: Jessica navigates her way through a world where everything seems much bigger than she is; inspired by the grown-ups around her, she persists in conquering monumental children's tasks.

• Barney's World: Set in a local playground, Barney is joined by dinos Billy and Baby Bop and their three kid best friends. Throughout silly and imaginative adventures together, Barney helps kids explore big preschool emotions and shows them how to love themselves and other.

• Silly Sundays: A feel-good comedy series, full of heart and deeply rooted in familial themes, everything centers around Sonia, Hugo, Mel, Mom, Dad and Granny as they create unforgettable memories together during their weekend gatherings. • Spookies: Set in Castle Ravenrock, Spookies stars three wee ghosts who discover something new behind every cobwebbed corner and dusty stairwell.

• Lana Longbeard: Lana is a super-feisty, forward thinking and passionate 11-year-old girl, who is also the heir to her father's adventuring ship, the Mighty Windbreaker.

• New Tom And Jerry Shorts: the first ever Asian produced Tom And Jerry series, featuring the famous cat and mouse duo as they take their rivalry to Singapore.

• Karters: Set in a fantastical island world, the game lets players collect and tame mystical creatures called Temtem, which can be used for battling, trading with friends and breeding to create offspring with new powers.

• Kite Man: Hell-Yeah!: Kite Man and Golden Glider take their relationship to the next level by opening a bar in the shadow of Lex Luthor’s Legion of Doom. 

Disney Channel/Disney Junior/Disney+

• Pretty Freakin Scary: After her sudden demise, Frankie Ripp, a 14-year-old girl, agrees to a deal with the Grim Reaper that she would go back home but accompanied by her underground parents.

• Ariel: It follows eight-year-old mermaid princess Ariel as she and her friends embark on fun-filled, action-packed underwater adventures throughout their Caribbean-inspired fairytale kingdom of Atlantica and beyond.

• Marvel Zombies: Re-imagines the marvel universe as a new generation of heroes battle against an ever spreading zombie scourge.

• StuGo: an original animated series about six overambitious middle schoolers who are tricked into attending a fake academic summer camp by a mad scientist. 

• Dragon Strikers: When the world’s most popular sport combines with magic, awesomeness escalates quicker than a dragon-powered strike! 

• Doomies: When best friends Bobby and Romy mistakenly open a gateway to another world, they turn their sleepy coastal town into a hotspot for terrifying creatures of doom. 

• Cars On The Road: Lightning McQueen and his best friend Mater head east from Radiator Springs on a cross-country road trip to meet up with Mater's sister.

• Princess Sam: this CG-animated show stars a girl who travels to a magical planet to learn how to control her powers and defeat evil villains.

• X-Men' 97:  It serves as a revival of X-Men: The Animated Series (1992–97), and the plot will continue where the original series left off. 

• Tiana: Tiana continues to explore New Orleans in a musical series.

• Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man: will be a unique take on one of Marvel’s most famous superheroes, with surprising connections to the MCU. 

• Princess Sam: this CG-animated show stars a girl who travels to a magical planet to learn how to control her powers and defeat evil villains.

• Moana: The Series: Moana and her friends continue to explore the South Pacific in this musical animated series.

• Playdate with Winnie the Pooh follows a young Pooh Bear as he enjoys playdates with his friends. Set in the exciting outdoors of the Hundred Acre Wood, these musical shorts emphasize collaborative play and the joy of spending time with others. 

Nickelodeon/Nick Jr/Paramount+

• Erin & Aaron: Teenage stepsiblings navigate their new lives after their parents' marriage, and find strength in their shared passion for music.

• Hamsters of Hamsterdale: This series, produced by Nelvana, follows a motley crew of hamsters, the heroic protectors of their 8-year-old owner Harry, who they mistake as their King and beloved ruler of their elaborate colorful-tubed kingdom.

• HexVet And Magic Pets: follows unlikely best friends Nan and Clarion as they navigate life's weird and wacky challenges, while apprenticing to be magical veterinarians for fantastical creatures.

• Super Duper Bunny League: centers on a diverse group of bunny friends who must battle danger as they defend their city and the world from their archnemesis. 

• Avatar: The Last Airbender: The series will be an authentic adaptation of the award-winning and beloved Nickelodeon animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender reimagined as a live-action adventure.

• Rock, Paper & Scissors: Follows 3 roommates on their hijinks, ridiculous adventures and shared love of wacky nonsense.

• Dora: The series, tentatively titled ¡Dora!, is described as a reimagining of the classic animated show which “promises to strike the perfect balance between the comfort of the familiar and the excitement of the fresh.” 

• Live-Action Dora Series: Nickelodeon's beloved Latina heroine is returning with a brand new live-action series! Not much is currently known about the show, however, it'll be aimed at kids 6-11, and will be in the vein of the 2019 live-action feature film Dora and the Lost City of Gold, which follows an older Dora!.

• Zokie of Planet Ruby: This buddy comedy, produced by Nelvana, follows quirky 10-year-old vlogger Ruby and her space alien best friend ZJ Sparkleton.

• Tales Of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Turtles, as teenagers, deal with their new life as heroes while also dealing with the pressures of going to high school in New York City.

Other

• Lyla in the Loop (PBS Kids): is a funny and engaging new animated series for kids ages 4-8 about Lyla Loops and her fantastical blue sidekick, Stu, who use creative and strategic problem-solving and critical thinking skills to help their family, friends, and community!

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (eToonz, Play Room): After getting exposed to a mutant substance, four turtles become giants and start speaking and walking upright. They are trained by a wise rat, Splinter, in order to defeat an evil man, Shredder.

• Power Rangers (Play Room): It revolves around a team of youths recruited and trained by a mentor to morph into the eponymous Power Rangers, able to use special powers and pilot immense assault machines, called Zords, to overcome the periodic antagonists. 

• Pokémon Horizons: The Series (Cartoon Network, eToonz): This series introduces two new protagonists, Liko and Roy, who team up with the Rising Volt Tacklers, a group of adventurers that explore the Pokémon world and visit various regions, including the Paldea region.

• Dragon Ball: Daima (Cartoon Network, SABC 2): new canonical mainline anime set around the same time as when Super takes place. Fans also get a look at the apparent upcoming antagonists for the anime, who’ve seemingly been watching the Z Fighters and all their past struggles this entire time.

• Masters of the Universe: Revolution (Netflix): Skeletor's final assault on Castle Grayskull caused his own demise, put an end to He-Man , and damaged the source of all magic in existence. After their battle fractured Eternia, Teela must solve the mystery of the missing Sword of Power to prevent the end of the Universe. 

• Carl The Collector (PBS Kids): follows the everyday adventures of Carl, a warm-hearted autistic raccoon who loves collecting things. His talents – a laser-focus pursuit of his goals, attention to detail, and a distinctive way of looking at and experiencing the world around him.

• Hazbin Hotel (Amazon Prime Video): The series follows Charlie Morningstar (Erika Henningsen), the princess of Hell, as she sets about fulfilling her seemingly impossible dream of opening a hotel called the "Happy Hotel," which aims to rehabilitate sinners.

• PeekeeBoo (Moonbug): The preschool project, featuring 2D animation with CG-animated backgrounds, will star three tiny creatures (Pea, Kee and Boo) who are enthralled by all of the sights and sounds of nature.

• Moonrise (Netflix): A young man from Earth enlists in the army to attack rebels on the Moon, only to find that his former best friend has become his enemy.

• Noah's Park (Play Room): The little animals have left Noah's Ark and find each other sharing fun and adventure, and a few life lessons in NOAH'S PARK.

• Game Shakers (eToonz): Babe and Kenzie create a popular application named Sky Whale. However, rapper Double G threatens to ruin their business because he finds out they have been using his song without permission.

• Time Patrol Bon (Netflix): The story focuses on Bon Namihira, a teenager who becomes part of a team of time-traveling agents tasked with saving people's lives during major historical events that happen across different eras and locations around the globe.

• Tomb Raider: The Legend Of Lara Croft

Asterix (Netflix): The series will be adapted from one of the classic volumes, Asterix and the Big Fight, where the Romans, after being constantly embarrassed by Asterix and his village cohorts, organize a brawl between rival Gaulish chiefs and try to fix the result by kidnapping a druid along with his much-needed magic potion. I’m not giving anything away when I tell you, it doesn’t go as planned.

• Dee & Friends In Oz: A young girl named Dee discovers a wonderful magical land of Oz, where she meets new friends and is challenged to save the day, and save Oz!.

• Hot Wheels Let's Races (Netflix): Follows the newest generation of racers as they experience mind-blowing races, extreme stunt contests, and thrill-seeking challenges.

• Megamind's Guide To Defending Your City (DreamWorks): The series will chronicle the new hero's quest to become a social media influencer and a true superhero. 

• Jurassic World: Chaos Theory (DreamWorks): Tells the story of dinosaur fanatic Darius Bowman, who visits Camp Cretaceous and, as per all prior Jurassic movies, the dinosaurs manage to get loose and cause untold chaos and destruction.

• Mighty MonsterWheelies (DreamWorks): Which reimagines classic characters as half-monster, half-truck vehicle heroes who team up to use their special powers to serve and protect the all-vehicle city of Motorvania from troublemakers like Phantom Freeze and Invisible Van.

• Exploding Kittens (Netflix): An eternal conflict reaches epic proportions when both, God and the Devil, are sent to Earth in the bodies of chunky house cats.

• Devil May Cry (Netflix): is an upcoming American adult animated dark fantasy action streaming television series based on the video game franchise of the same name by Capcom and part of Adi Shankar's Bootleg Multiverse.

• Monsters: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation (Netflix): Monsters follows Ryuma, a samurai from Wano, a country also featured in the One Piece universe. In a world disrupted by a menacing force, Ryuma must navigate the chaos caused by a powerful dragon with the ability to bring catastrophic havoc.

Transformers: Earthspark Inked To More International Broadcasters

Hasbro has locked in ABC Australia as a new broadcast partner for its CG-animated adventure series Transformers: EarthSpark (26 x 22 minutes).

The first 10 episodes of this family-friendly show from eOne and Paramount will debut in December on linear channel ABC ME and the ABC iview streamer. The remaining 16 episodes will air next year. 

The show will join several other eOne series already in ABC’s lineup, including Peppa Pig and PJ Masks .

Hasbro has been paving the way for EarthSpark‘s Australian expansion this month, launching toys related to the show at mass retailers throughout the country.

The series premiered globally on Paramount+ in 2022, and eOne inked deals for the toon earlier this year with several international broadcasters, including Gulli (France), Channel 5 (Singapore), TV Cultura (Brazil) and Super! (Italy). In July, the

BBC picked it up for CBBC and BBC iPlayer, where it’s among the top-10 most-watched shows on the app, according to a release.

iCarly Revival Cancelled After 3 Seasons On Paramount+

"iCarly will not be returning for a fourth season on Paramount+," a spokesperson for the streamer told sources in a statement. "The series had a great three-season run and delivered on what fans really wanted to see with Carly and Freddie finally getting together. We want to thank the entire cast, the writers, directors and producers along with the whole crew for their dedication, creativity, and talent."

The first iteration of iCarly aired on Nickelodeon from 2007-2012 and starred Miranda Cosgrove as an early internet influencer whose titular web show becomes very popular. Jennette McCurdy played her best friend Sam, and Nathan Kress played her friend/love interest Freddie, while Jerry Trainer portrayed Carly's older brother Spencer.

Miranda Cosgrove on 'iCarly.' | CREDIT: LISA ROSE/PARAMOUNT+

All of those principals (except for McCurdy, whose recent memoir I'm Glad My Mom Died explains her retirement from acting) returned for the Paramount+ reboot in 2021, which further explored the romance between Carly and Freddie.

Kress mourned the cancellation on Twitter, writing that the crew "had a lot of story left to tell." He said, "Maybe somehow, someday, we'll find out how to story ends."

"The best people I've ever worked with in the business," Laci Mosley, who joined the reboot cast as Carly's roommate Harper, wrote on Twitter. "Thank you for tuning in to the reboot. Everyone put their deeply kind talented souls into this."

 

New Series Alert: Digman! Coming Soon To Comedy Central And Paramount+ Africa

Anticipated to rollout in the market later in the year, Paramount+ is set to join existing streamers such as Netflix, Showmax, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+ featuring a lineup of exclusive original content from MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon.

Although a date has yet to be announced, Paramount+ and Comedy Central have begun marketing the animated sitcom, Digman! featuring Andy Samberg of The Lonely Island. Of course, Paramount+ isn't present in the press release released by MultiChoice Africa.

Taking the timeframe to account, Paramount+ is likely to rollout in the coming months as pictured above. On top of that, it's likely going to rollout on a region by region basis as seen with BritBox and Disney+ as mentioned Paramount+ is absent from the press release.

Paramount+ is likely to be made available on MultiChoice's DStv Explora Ultra joining streamers such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Universal+ (through the DStv App) and Disney+.

Press release

Comedy Central announces guest line-up for Andy Samberg-led adult animated series starring Maya Rudolph, Jason Schwartzman, Daniel Radcliffe and more.

The series will premiere in on Saturday, 17 June, at 22:00 CAT.

Digman! is the first series written and produced by Emmy® and Golden Globe® winning actor and producer Andy Samberg (Palm Springs), along with co-creator and showrunner Neil Campbell (Brooklyn Nine-Nine).

“We are thrilled to be adding Digman! to the Comedy Central line-up. Andy Samberg has a unique way of delivering comedy that resonates with all audiences of all types of humour. It’s one we have long had our eyes on, and we know it will not disappoint in the market,” says Dillon Khan, Vice President Comedy Central Africa.

The half-hour animated episodes are set in a world where archaeologists are massive celebrities and the coolest people on the planet, with Samberg providing the voice of the protagonist, Rip Digman. In addition to the previously announced principal cast, the show will feature guest performances from Clancy Brown, Andy Daly, Cole Escola, Harvey Guillén, Kirby, Marc Evan Jackson, Rachel Kaly, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Lauren Lapkus, Jane Lynch, Mike Mitchell, Kyle Mooney, Claudia O’Doherty, Lennon Parham, Daniel Radcliffe, Maya Rudolph, Paul Rust, Jason Schwartzman, Carl Tart, Joe Lo Truglio, and Edgar Wright.

The impressive guest lineup will join Samberg and the principal cast which includes Mitra Jouhari (Three Busy Debras), Tim Robinson (I Think You Should Leave), Dale Soules (Orange Is The New Black), Guz Khan (Our Flag Means Death), Melissa Fumero (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) and Tim Meadows (The Goldbergs).

The series is created by Andy Samberg and Neil Campbell and produced by CBS Studios alongside Ali Bell and The Lonely Island’s Party Over Here banner. Titmouse will Executive Produce, with their own Chris Prynoski, Shannon Prynoski, Antonio Canobbio and Ben Kalina.

Digman! joins MTV Entertainment’s growing arsenal of adult animation, including Everybody Still Hates Chris, a reimagined animated version of superstar Chris Rock's popular award-winning family show Everybody Hates Chris; Jodie, a film spin-off of MTV’s iconic Daria franchise with Tracee Ellis Ross in the titular role along with the award-winning South Park franchise, and the critically lauded Mike Judge's Beavis and Butt-Head series and film Beavis & Butt-Head Do the Universe.

Be the first to catch this hilarious show and tune into Comedy Central (DStv channel 122) on Saturday, 17 June, at 22:00 CAT.

Paramount+ Updates: Sylvester Stallone To Make His Reality TV Debut, Paramount+ Removes Several Content From The Platform Following Showtime Merger And Paramount+ To Rollout In South Africa Later In The Year

Sylvester's Stallone’s Family To Star In Docuseries For Paramount+

Sylvester Stallone is expanding his footprint at Paramount+. The streamer has picked up The Family Stallone, a new docuseries featuring the star of Tulsa King, along with his real-life wife Jennifer Flavin Stallone and their daughters Sophia, Sistine and Scarlet.

The eight-part series will premiere exclusively on the service later in the year. In the new series, Paramount+ promises to “offer a seat at the table of one of Hollywood’s most famous families” by showing how the Oscar-winning actor is simply Dad at home.

The Family Stallone is produced by MTV Entertainment Studios, with Benjamin Hurvitz, Jessica Zalkind and Nadim Amiry as executive producers. Julie Pizzi, Farnaz Farjam and Jonathan Singer serve as executive producers for Bunim-Murray Productions, with Lauren Goldstein, Valana Hunn, Chris Ray and Jason Williams as co-executive producers.

Video Entertainment:
- Rumour: SuperSport Schools to get a dedicated channel on the DStv platform
- Disney Junior and Disney+ to debut new Star Wars series in May
- Paramount+ set to merge with Showtime
- eVOD has yet to offer linear channels as promised in 2021

The Warner Bros. effect reigns on another company

During the month, Paramount+ became the latest streaming service to remove original titles from its platform. The streamer has removed a raft of titles including Real World: Homecoming.

Other titles include Jordan Peele’s reboot of The Twilight Zone, which ran for two seasons between 2019 and 2020, Peter Sarsgaard-fronted true-crime drama Interrogation, Michael Chiklis’ Coyote, comedy series No Activity, Kate Beckinsale’s dark comedy Guilty Party and animated series The Harper House.

It comes days after sister company Showtime, which is in the process of being rebranded and merged with Paramount+, removed a slew of titles including Kidding, Super Pumped, On Becoming A God In Central Florida and American Rust.

It joins with streamers such as HBO Max, which removed titles such as FBoy Island and Westworld.

Paramount+ might miss their early debut in South Africa

Paramount+ will join the existing streaming services already present in South Africa, all battling to grow their market share and to scale their subscribers bases like Disney+, Netflix SA, Amazon Prime Video, MultiChoice's Showmax, Apple TV+, eMedia's eVOD, SABC+, VIU  and Britbox.

The South African launch of Paramount+ will be as a stand-alone app and through connected TV sets, but will very likely also be in partnership with the MultiChoice Group, which has existing deals to carry Netflix and Amazon Prime Video as apps on its DStv Explora Ultra decoder.

Paramount, already has so-called "hard bundle" deals in place with pay-TV operators like Comcast's Sky in the United Kingdom carrying Paramount+, and Sky Showtime as a joint venture in Europe with Comcast and Vivendi's Canal+.

Paramount+ made several consumers sign up through email for more updates on the streamer in South Africa and as we're close to the end of the first quarter of 2023. There hasn't been any updates not even a glimpse of what we already know about the platform.

Video Entertainment:
- BBC to close linear channels and focus on digital future
- HBO Max no longer produces live-action programs for kids and family
- Triggerfish working with Disney+ on a Star Wars project
- Virtual reality opportunities for African filmmakers

Roundups #139: Hello Sunshine Another Division From Moonbug Kids' Candle Media Closes Down, Idols SA Cancelled After 19 Seasons On M-Net And Mzansi Magic, And Paramount+ Set To Merge With Showtime Network

Another division ceases to exist

Hello Sunshine is shuttering its kids and animation business as part of a strategic decision to focus Candle Media’s kids and animation efforts under Moonbug, the family production studio the corp snapped up for a near $3 billion in November 2021. 

Hello Sunshine will collaborate with Moonbug on future kids and animation projects.

As a result, a few individuals will be departing Hello Sunshine over the coming weeks.

The Blackstone-backed Candle Media, which is also co-run and co-founded by Tom Staggs, acquired Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine in August 2021 for $900M.

Regular Nick:
- Cartoonito to get a dedicated channel in France
- Da Vinci Kids plans co-viewing future
- PBS Kids has yet to rollout the new logo in other countries
- Disney renews 3 adult animated series through 2025

Another show bites the dust

M-Net has cancelled the long-running Idols with the upcoming 19th season on its Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) channel which will be the last for the [SIC] Entertainment-produced reality singing competition show following viewership fatigue and a massive plunge in ratings.

The cancellation of the South African version of the Fremantle format follows after a dramatic ratings plunge for Idols in season 17 that coincided with a relationship scandal involving Idols judge Somizi Mhlongo after his ex Mohale Motaung made serious allegations of emotional and physical abuse.

While Idols started off its 17th season in South Africa in July 2021 with 1 018 607 viewers as the 4th most-watched show on all of DStv for the month, it suddenly plunged to 10th place on DStv's most-watched list with 693 760 viewers at most in August 2021, shedding 32% of its viewers.

After the very large drop in viewers and in an effort to revitalise Idols, M-Net's general entertainment channels division and [SIC] Entertainment decided to retain Somizi Mhlongo for 2022's18th season and axed judges Randall Abrahams and Unathi Nkayi whose contracts were not renewed and were replaced with artists Thembi Seete and rapper-producer JR Bogopa.

DStv Flex:
- The River cancelled after 6 seasons on 1Magic
- Virtual Reality offers a new opportunity for African filmmakers
- Ratings for DStv from December 2022
- Big Cat Sunday this February on National Geographic Wild

Another merger is on the horizon

Paramount’s merging its Paramount Plus streaming service and premium Showtime channel, as first reported by The Hollywood Reporter. In an internal memo, CEO Bob Bakish announced the company’s rebranding its Showtime channel as Paramount Plus with Showtime.

Paramount confirmed the change in a post on Twitter, noting that the merger is “the natural next step in our evolution.” The company’s also planning to carry over “select” original content from Paramount Plus to the TV network, which could include shows like Halo and Yellowstone spinoff 1923.

Bakish says the move “brings uncertainty for the teams working on these brands and businesses” and that he’ll share more details in “the coming weeks.”

In addition to the possibility of layoffs, Deadline reports that some shows like Three Women (which was never aired), Let the Right One In, and American Gigolo could get axed as part of the consolidation. The specifics of what will happen to existing episodes of each series are unclear, but the report says that titles pulled from Showtime will be made available to take elsewhere.

Escaping Gibby: A Look Into The Life Of Noah Munck From The Comfort Of His Sadworld

When he appeared on set you knew something funny or strange or downright uncomfortable was about to happen.

Gibby was a chubby, outlandish yet lover character casted on Nickelodeon's most popular live-action series in history, iCarly. Noah Munck is the actor behind the Gibby character. He was originally suppose to be on 1 or 2 episodes but he provided so much comedic value that the producers kept him on as a regular.

Overtime, Gibby got tired of the corny, childish humour and constantly being the butt of the joke brought a lot of ramifications in his real life including people shutting his name out loud to take his shirt off and dance. You'll probably be surprised to find out what Noah's career looks like today which consists of cryptic and esoteric videos alongside an underground music career.

Today, we're gonna look at how Noah's life was impacted by iCarly and how he managed to escape his identity as Gibby.

Noah Munck was a typical Orange County teenager who played football and went to public school. He knew he was interested in arts so he got into acting classes which led to him doing plays and performances. His acting classes would have talent agent auditions where agents would come and look for the next big star.

At 10 years old, he got an agent who got him his first audition which was for the show iCarly. The audition was just for an episode or 2 but the production team realised how valuable he'd be as a goofy side character so he became a regular for 57 episodes.

iCarly was about a young girl who ran a internet blog with millions of viewers. Her best friend Sam is her co host, her friend Freddy is their filmer/tech support and it is all filmed in the upstairs of her brother's apartment.

Regular Nick:
- February on Disney Channel and Junior
- The Twisted Timeline Of Sammy And Raj to rollout on Nicktoons in Africa
- Moonbug Kids To Distribute New STEAM Focused Series, Ocean Explorers
- New Bear Grylls series is coming soon to Da Vinci Kids

Gibby is just a kid that goes to school with them, he's an easy target for jokes and he is someone they can pick on. By the end of season 1, he became more of a friend to them a wacky friend but he has a lot of endearing qualities to him. He's sweet, very friendly, pretty stupid but he isn't someone you want to bully.

He was totally unrelatable consistently doing ridiculous things that you're totally excited for the unpredictability that he would bring next. He was mostly famous for saying his character name as a catchphrase and taking his shirt off frequently that it became a normal thing.

At the time, Noah didn't this as iCarly was his first acting job ever so he was basically willing to do anything. However, Noah was aware of what people were saying about him online. iCarly was a TV show about a web show that actually had a website with blog posts and trivia. Viewers could also leave comments on the website.

Noah said at the age of 10/1 he was reading rude comments about his appearance which made him feel bad. His parents discovered a website for people with fat boy fetishes that he was posted all over. Needless to say, Noah had mixed emotions about the whole taking his shirt off thing.

His parents never forced him to continue acting because it was his passion. They were always around and kept a close eye on him. Noah speaks nothing but the highest of praise for his parents.

In a tweet, it was revealed that Noah and his iCarly co-star Nathan had a love for dubstep. Noah said when he was around 13, one of the iCarly crew members Daniel Gonzalez gave him MF Doom and Dayla Soul mixtapes which drove his love for music and led him to become a music producer/DJ.

The last iCarly episode was filmed later in 2011 and by season 4 and 5, Gibby was the main character, his success and evolution was popular in iCarly that series creator Dan Schneider felt his character deserved his own spinoff TV show of the same name which remains a mystery.

There was a pilot episode filmed and edited according to Dan but never aired or leaked onto the internet. All that was available was the title card and logo for the show alongside the script for the very first episode, photos of the cast and set it was filmed. No one knows what happened, all that we know is Gibby never got his own show and 2012 marked the official end of iCarly.

5 seasons of what people consider to be the best live-action show of all time, Noah stayed busy trying to get roles in other projects. Later in 2012, he got a lead role in Nicky Deuce which is meant to the reboot of The Sopranos which has some of the original cast members.

The film didn't go to theatres and it isn't highly praised or anything but acting alongside those legends was an absolute accomplishment. After this film, Noah was sick of children's TV and the corny humour that he knew it was time to leave that behind.

In 2013, he went back to high school for his senior year, he doesn't consider himself a social outcast but had a difficult time mixing with kids who knew each other their whole lives. He would spend most of his free time on Ableton learning how to make music.

Insidus Games:
- Bugs Bunny & Lola Bunny: Operation Carrot Patch
- Buzz Lightyear Star Command
- Fix It Fun! Bob The Builder
- Daffy Duck: Fowl Play

He produced dubstep under the name nobsik then moved on to EDM trap and even experimented with rapping a little bit. It didn't take him long to want to get back into acting luckily he landed a role as Naked Rob in the 1980s based sitcom, The Goldbergs.

Noah acts as a side character that is a best friend to one of the main characters, he's starred in several episodes across 9 seasons and somehow managed to bag shows that managed to last him an average amount of seasons.

However it seemed as if Noah had the ghost of Gibby lurking around him. His new passions were not met up with the utmost praise from fans, he was 18 at the time and a few years removed from Nickelodeon.

Whenever he would post about his new projects or anything he was interested in, he'd be flooded with troll and hate comments, accompanied by people who would make him feel insecure about his appearance. He abandoned the Noah Munck Twitter and Instagram because of trolls and people calling him Gibby.

Gibby was kind of a punching bag in the show so he feels that the fans do it back to him. Not figuring out how to seperate Gibby the character and Noah Munck in real life. Noah doesn't take it too personally but it gets tiring when you want to move on your life and talk about your interests and everyone wants you to remain that thing as you were at the age of 13.

He did also deal with people demanding him to take his shirt off literally yelling across a restaurant while he is eating with his family. One time, a random girl just jumped on his back while he was walking across the street. He started to resent the Gibby character a little bit.

Noah is truly a sweet and wholesome guy, he didn't want to resent his past, it led to an angsty face for him. He really leaned to his passion of SoundCloud rap and producing. He started an obscure YouTube channel called Sadworld Online

Then 20 year old started posting his material which included poorly scripted shitpost comedy that quickly developed a cold fanbase. All the music in the YouTube series was produced by him which helped fans get interested in his music. The raunchy side of humour is something we all needed, the TVMA rated Gibby that no one could make fun of Noah anymore because he embraced his appearance and leaned to it for comedy.

He genuinely built a fanbase of his new art, at one point it bothered him that his embarassing moments were on the internet forever now he looks back at the Gibby character fondly.

Sadly, Gibby did not make a return for the iCarly reboot in 2021 or make an appearance in season 2. A fan asked Jake Hogan, a writer on the iCarly reboot about Noah's absence and replied "we approached him".

This means that they had reached out to him but he denied it could have been a couple of things. He was probably busy working hard on another show and side projects. Another reason similar to how anyone would feel about reboots he wants to leave Gibby in the past.

Only in the past few years did he come to terms with the Gibby character before that he did mixed emotions. He knew that if he had to return for the reboot he had to relive the struggles of Gibby where people will flood social media about his appearance, his acting career would hit the mercy of one character. A lot of actors want to outlive their roles plus we all know that they'd want him to take his shirt off at least once which as a grown man some people may not be interested in.

Noah managed to remove the box of Gibby and now he can look at it as a positive experience all from the comfort of his Sadworld.

Roundups #130: Iwayu Created By Set To Debut On Cartoon Network In 2024, Zoey 101 Is Getting A Feature Film On Paramount+ And Conspiracy Theory Surrounding kykNET Lekker's Availability Finally Revealed

New Nigerian animated series loading on Cartoon Network

Based on the graphic novel series from writer Roye Okupe and artist Godwin Akpan, HBO Max and Cartoon Network's upcoming Iyanu: Child of Wonder will be heavily influenced by the Yoruba people of Nigeria.

Financed and overseen by Lion Forge Animation, the 2024 animated TV series chronicles the tale of Iyanu, an orphaned teenage girl with no memories of her upbringing who yearns for a simple, normal life. Those dreams get shattered when a set of circumstances triggers Iyanu's dormant divine abilities. Teaming up with two other teenagers, Iyanu embarks on a quest to confront the Corrupt, a great evil rising in their homeland that threatens humanity. Along the way, Iyanu will slowly uncover the truth about her past, parents, powers, and destiny as the Chosen One.

The epic superhero adventure promises to draw from Nigerian culture, music, and lore. In addition, creator Okupe has written and directed multiple episodes. Lion Forge's head of production Saxton Moore, who serves as supervising director, and executive producer David Steward II recently spoke about adapting the graphic novel, cultural representation, Iyanu's quest, and anime influences.

Regular Nick:
- Kartoon Channel expands to Africa
- Could Universal Kids be the next channel to close down from NBCUniversal?
- Here are other ways to view PBS Kids
- The Twisted Timeline Of Sammy And Raj coming soon to Nickelodeon

Another Nickelodeon revival gets the greenlit for Paramount+

Zoey 101 star Jamie Lynn Spears announced on Instagram a reboot of the Nickelodeon series, titled Zoey 102, is coming to Paramount+.

“IT’S OFFICIAL! 🎬 Are you ready…. @paramountplus @nickelodeon,” Spears wrote in her Instagram caption on Thursday, teasing the show’s iconic theme song, which she sang.

The film was written by Monica Sherer and Madeline Whitby, according to the script shown in the Instagram post. Variety reported on Thursday that production has begun on the movie, and it is expected to be released later this year.

The Instagram post shows a photo featuring the names of some of the original characters, including Chase (Sean Flynn), Logan (Matthew Underwood), Michael (Christopher Massey), Quinn (Erin Sanders), and Stacey (Abby Wilde).

Paramount:
- Conspiracy Theory: The introduction to Nick Jr. Global
- The Smithsonian Channel is closing down in the UK
- VH1 is being redirected to BET
- MTV Hits no longer available in South Africa

kykNET Lekker is part of a mysterious open window

In December 2022, MultiChoice opened up kykNET Lekker (DStv 148) which was exclusive to only Access customers to their DStv Premium, Compact+, Compact and Family with not much info available as it occurred prior to the festive holidays.

As school's reopened and consumers reverted back to their daily lives, a source at kykNET was able to confirm that kykNET Lekker is in fact an open window but couldn't provide any more details other than what you already heard.

Basically, the kykNET Lekker's open window is what has been seen from 2022 - a mystery. The channel isn't listed on other packages compared to when channels like Nickelodeon have open windows and them listed on that package and the other having to be the lack of info regarding the channel.

DStv:
- MultiChoice might lose yet another two channels
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- eMedia's 4 channels to go dark on the DStv platform