Regular Nick Shorts: Nickelodeon Rebrands Their Remaining Linear Offering To The Splat, Pretty Freekin Scary Launches On Disney Channel Across Europe, Middle East And Africa And Mickey Mouse-Inspired Horror Game 'Infestation 88' Announced

Nicktoons and TeenNick enter the Splat Zone

After teasing their new logos over the past few months, Nickelodeon today (Jan. 1, 2024) kick-started the New Year by rebranding its Nicktoons and TeenNick channels! The rebrand features the new Nicktoons and TeenNick logos unveiled last year, based on Nickelodeon's recently introduced Splat logo the network introduced early last year, and includes new on-air graphics, such as lower-thirds, updated BUG/DOG, bumpers, idents, promo endboards, and Curriculum Boards.

Both channels use bumpers from Nickelodeon's 2023 rebrand, with TeenNick also using a mix of new bumpers featuring older kids as well as repurposed bumpers from their 2019 rebrand.

Credits: NickAndMore and NickALive!

Disney Channel to rollout a new series

14 year-old Frankie Ripp has a great life until she suddenly gets killed in a freak accident where she fell into a manhole. In the Underworld, she has a heated debate with the Grim Reaper who lets her return home as long as her Underworld guardians Pretty and Scary accompany her. Frankie tries to keep the Grim Reaper a secret from everyone, while at the same time she must work for the Grim Reaper by completing a series of given tasks should she wish to keep her life.

Pretty Freekin Scary launches on Disney Channel across Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) from 23 January.

New Mickey Mouse game is in development

Nightmare Forge games has announced Infestation 88, a new 1-4 player survival horror co-op game that aims to infuse nostalgia with terror (in the vein of Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey) by twisting the now-in-the-public-domain Steamboat Willie into something much scarier. It's in development for PC.

The developers describe it as such: "In the year 1988, what was thought to be an outbreak of rodents in various locations morphed into something far more sinister." Sometimes you'll need to fight, sometimes you'll need to run, and sometimes you'll need to hide in a locker. You can set traps and utilize CCTV cameras to try and stay one step ahead of the infestation, and item layouts are randomized in order to help keep matches fresh. 

DStv Without Disney Channel??? Wouldn't Seem Like A Far Fetched Idea At This Point

During the week, it was reported various channels from The Walt Disney Company including Disney Channel, Disney Junior, National Geographic and National Geographic Wild had exited the OSN platform in the Middle East and North Africa.

When asked by OSN for comment in regards to the cancellation for these channels:

We periodically review and update our channel lineup based on customer feedback and viewing trends to ensure we meet your entertainment needs. The result of the latest analysis carried out is that it is time to update the channel list and improve the entertainment viewing experience.

These channels are still viewable in the affected regions but on much smaller platforms like YahSat, STCtv and Jawwy TV. On OSN, the provider had replaced them with Cartoon Network and Animal Planet with plans to source more entertainment for the affected channels.

Prior to Disney Channel's reduction, OSN had helped Disney in regards to the distribution of their streaming service, Disney+. On top of that content such as Marvel's Moon Girl And Devil Dinosaur shows produced for Disney Channel were folded under Disney+.

MultiChoice currently package both Disney Channel and Disney Junior in a seperate agreement with Disney. Similar to OSN, they too had seen a reduction in programming and investment toward these channels so it's only a matter of time till these channels cease to exist.

Most parts of Europe mainly package National Geographic and ESPN with a few exceptions such as Turkey, Poland and Germany. Honestly, it wouldn't seem far fetched if Disney opted to discontinue the Disney Channels and focused their remaining efforts on ESPN and National Geographic.

Their PR development hasn't been as productive in recent years and all of this could be pertaining to the current state of the linear offering. Disney Channel's viewership had dropped as more consumers opt to streaming and also the last carriage deals had seen companies walk out with less channels.

The only challenge pertaining to Disney right now would be high data prices as a majority of households in Africa can't afford or offer Disney+. But if you've learnt anything from the closure of DW News, some businesses are more eager to handle risks at this point.

Sony Pictures Television once offered channels like Sony Entertainment Television and POP to consumers in Africa as well as a number of linear channels globally. It could have gone bankrupt or possible gotten sold but instead happen to be one of the leading entertainment brands.

In recent conversations with Disney's CEO, he was open to the idea of excluding if not closing Disney+ in countries that aren't profitable. Would it seem far fetched if Disney were to do the same with their linear offering I mean there's still regions that don't offer Disney+.

February 2024 On Nickelodeon, Nick Jr. And Nicktoons Across South Africa | New Series Alert: Rock, Paper, Scissors | Returning Shows Including Danger Force And The Adventures Of Paddington | More

Nickelodeon

ALL STARS STUNT

Premier: 1/01/2023-9/02/2023

Slot: Monday-Friday

Time: 17:00

DANGER FORCE 

Episodes: #306, #308-#311

Premier: 19/02/2024-23/02/2024

Slot: Monday-Friday

Time: 18:30

Marathon Stunt

Premier: 25/02/2024

Slot: Sunday

Time: 16:00

Inc. new eps: 312-331

Other shows on the stunt include Tyler Perry's Young Dylan, The Really Loud House, The Thundermans and Henry Danger.

AFTERTOONSSTUNT

29/01/2024-8/03/2024

Monday-Friday

15:20

BIG NATE

Episodes: #201, #202, #205, #209, #210

Premiere: 10/02/2024-24/02/2024

Slot: Saturday-Sunday

Time: 15:00

ROCK PAPER SCISSORS 

Episodes: #101-#110

Premiere: 19/02/2023-01/03/2024

Slot: Monday-Friday

Time: 16:00

Other shows on the stunt include Monster High, The Loud House, SpongeBob SquarePants and The Casagrandes.

Nicktoons

SUNNY SIDE UP STUNT

Premiere: 22/01/2024-09/02/2024

Slot: Monday-Friday

Time: 17:00

BIG NATE

Episodes: #201-#210

Date: 10/02/2024-24/02/2024

Slot: Saturday-Sunday

Time: 10:00

SQUEEZE THAT SPONGE STUNT

Premiere: 19/02/2024-15/03/2024

Slot: Monday-Friday

Time: 17:00

Including the newest episodes of SpongeBob SquarePants: 278, 280-283.

Other shows include ALVINNN!!! And The Chipmunks, The Casagrandes, The Patrick Star Show and The Twisted Timeline Of Sammy And Raj.

Nick Jr.

THE ADVENTURES OF PADDINGTON

Episodes: #313-#316A, 317-318

Premiere: 8/01/2024-19/01/2024

Slot: Monday-Friday

Time: 08:10am/pm, 02:25am/pm

BOSSY BEAR

Episodes: #126-#128, #130

Premiere: 12/02/2024-23/02/2024

Slot: Monday-Friday

Time: 09:30am/pm, 04:45am/pm

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.

Everyday Novelas Shorts: eExtra Acquires Broadcasting Rights To 90s Sitcom Vetkoekpaleis And A Rebroadcast Of Winter Son And Nurses Launches On e.tv And Telemundo Respectively

More oldies for eExtra

Last year, SABC cancelled 7de Laan after 23 years on the air filling primetime with a rebroadcast to 90s sitcom Vetkoekpaleis. The public broadcaster is going on through financial constraints so as such a replacement would take much longer to be commissioned.

The public broadcaster was looking to produce cheaper long-form drama series and failed to keep up to their target. Now consumers have fled to eExtra's Kuiertyd to keep up with their Turkwood stories and to embrace for more local flavour on kykNET.

As seen through media outlets, eMedia Investments had acquired rights to SABC 2's Vetkoekpaleis. Now what is worrisome here for SABC 2 is the implications, consumers will most likely just flee to eExtra when it airs therefore creating division with their viewership.

Nurses makes a quick comeback

Nurses was acquired on Telemundo back in 2022 and serves as one of the longest time productions viewed on the channel by Colombia's RCN who also produced shows like The Chosen Granddaughter and slated to also a return in the coming weeks, The Scent Of Passion.

It was quietly scrubbed from the line-up forcing Telemundo to halt primetime due to a change in legislation imposed in Cameroon and Uganda which prohibited broadcasters from promoting gay content. Punishments range from a revoke of TV licence to possible jail sentence.

A portion of the third season was censored and with the channel airing Nurses from the beginning. It's likely that they've cut out some scenes consumers within those surrounding regions find offensive affecting the whole of Africa.

Winter Son also makes an early debut

The rebroadcast of Die Vertroueling came to end in December 2022 and e.tv flooded the timeslot with movies. With the festive season past us, e.tv resumes their weekday offering by reviving the weeknight repeats slot with Winter Son from January 15.

Taking to account, this was allocated at the 19:30 timeslot and as such they'd often be placed at 8:30 which is currently being occupied by #DisComplicated. If we had to guess, they're probably trying to give Ramo time to wrap up as it not cause friction between channels as seen with Annekan Die Swa Kry.

Die Put season 3 will most likely replace Winter Son once it ends followed by Ramo.