Nickelodeon Expands The Universe Of SpongeBob SquarePants With Season 15

Nickelodeon continues to grow its most popular global franchise with the season 15 pickup of number-one animated series SpongeBob SquarePants. The announcement made today by Ramsey Naito, President, Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation, comes ahead of SpongeBob SquarePants' milestone 25th anniversary next year. SpongeBob SquarePants is produced by Nickelodeon in Burbank.

In season 15 (26 episodes) of SpongeBob SquarePants, incurable optimist SpongeBob, Patrick, Sandy, Mr. Krabs, Plankton and Squidward will uncover even bigger nautical adventures. The pickup marks 345 total episodes of the series since its July 1999 launch and counting.

All-new episodes continue to debut on Nickelodeon and feature the characters embarking on a range of situations, including SpongeBob thinking he has developed an allergy to Krabby Patties, Plankton learning self-defense from Sandy, Mr. Krabs stepping into the gym and more. Fans can also check out seasons 1 – 12 on Paramount+, the home for SpongeBob SquarePants Universe content.

SpongeBob SquarePants voice cast members include Tom Kenny (SpongeBob SquarePants), Bill Fagerbakke (Patrick Star), Rodger Bumpass (Squidward), Clancy Brown (Mr. Krabs), Carolyn Lawrence (Sandy Cheeks) and Mr. Lawrence (Plankton).

Marc Ceccarelli and Vincent Waller are executive producers of SpongeBob SquarePants, The Patrick Star Show and Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years. Production is overseen by Claudia Spinelli, Senior Vice President, Animation for Big Kids, Nickelodeon, and Kelley Gardner, Vice President, Current Series, Animation, Nickelodeon.

The greenlight is part of Nickelodeon's strategy to be the home of the biggest franchises kids and families love, and it expands its growing portfolio of influential properties that already includes SpongeBob SquarePants, PAW Patrol, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Dora, along with The Smurfs partnership and Transformers and Monster High co-productions.

Since its launch July 17, 1999, SpongeBob SquarePants has reigned as the most-watched animated series for 21 consecutive years, while generating a universe of beloved characters, pop culture catchphrases and memes, theatrical releases, consumer products, a Tony award-winning Broadway musical and a global fan base. SpongeBob SquarePants is one of the most widely distributed properties in Paramount Global history, seen in more than 170 countries, translated in 29+ languages, and averaging more than 100 million total viewers every quarter. SpongeBob SquarePants was created by Stephen Hillenburg and produced by Nickelodeon in Burbank, Calif.  The character-driven cartoon chronicles the nautical and sometimes nonsensical adventures of SpongeBob, an incurable optimist and earnest sea sponge, and his undersea friends.

Nickelodeon, now in its 44th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The brand includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, digital, location-based experiences, publishing and feature films. 

How SABC Could Save 7de Laan From Complete Extinction

During the year, it was reported that the public broadcaster had axed 7de Laan after 24 years with the last episode set to be broadcast on Day Of Goodwill (26 December). Since news of its cancellation surfaced the SABC has faced severe backlash from fans.

As a petition is being drawn up for SABC at change.org to reconsider, several fans are looking to strike at Campus Square Auckland Park in Johannesburg this coming Thursday which is where the show had been filmed.

The public broadcaster view their current financial state as one of the reasons 7de Laan is being booted and another having to deal with the fact that the viewership of the Afrikaans soap has dropped in the past years with etv's Afrikaans offering at 5pm able to double it's audience.

It's unlikely that 7de Laan's viewership will get better overnight with Sentech cancelling several analogue feeds for their channels and also Eskom's blackouts. Striking is probably the only way consumers will ever get across to the public broadcaster and if possible find an outcome.

Despite having more viewers than M-Net and Mzansi Magic, SABC has seen their ratings drop in recent years with SABC 3 taking the most punches following the cancellation/removals of Days Of Our Lives and Isidingo SABC 2 likely to suffer the same fate with 7de Laan.

7de Laan ranks as the most watched Afrikaans soap and second watched soap on SABC 2 behind Muvhango. Overall, most of the public broadcaster's local productions can't surpass the viewership of Uzalo, Generations: The Legacy, Skeem Saam and Muvhango.

The only way SABC 2's viewership would probably remain intact would be if the public broadcaster was looking to replace 7de Laan with a follow-up show similar to Generations: The Legacy or if some if not majority of the cast were to be seen on the replacement soap.

Recap To The Decade: eToonz Remains As The Only Source To Kids Entertainment On Openview

eToonz is currently South Africa's only children entertainment channel operated by eMedia Investments which feature a mixture of animation like Peppa Pig, SpongeBob SquarePants and Voltron alongside live-action like Victorious and Power Rangers.

Since it's inception, the channel has remained the only source to kids entertainment on Openview and also the least mentioned brand amongst eMedia Investments' stable with a lineup bombarded with repeats as other brands continue to boost their offering.

While others such as eExtra and eMovies got additional channels based on their content. eToonz on the other hand was left as a singular brand with content sharing happening across eMedia's linear platforms.

As mentioned in a previous article, adults dominate cable TV and unlike DStv there's not a lot of households on Openview with children or in particular ones that would view the content especially if a selected portion can be viewed on the main channel.

So the idea of an eToonz Extra wouldn't really have been the best implementation strategy for eMedia Investments. As seen already, eToonz doesn't have enough content to carry onto a second channel and should eMedia opt for one it would probably need to be a random channel.

In this case, something like Da Vinci or SABC Education would help fill that gap at this point. As it doesn't clash with the existing offering seen on eToonz but gives consumers more content to browse that is if eMedia Investments chooses to revisit this section.

Could NBCU's Universal Kids Or Sky UK's Sky Kids Expand To Africa??? Perhaps As A Future Replacement To Disney Channel On DStv

Sky Kids is a children's channel operated by Sky Group a subsidiary of Comcast which features live-action shows like My Friend Misty, The Brilliant World Of Tom Gates and Dino Club alongside animation like Where's Wally?, Clifford and Trollstopia.

Internationally, it is known as DreamWorks Channel and a local variation known as Universal Kids residing in the United States both of which are operated by NBCUniversal also a subsidiary of Comcast.

Disney is looking to consolidate their content to streaming as linear TV is no longer viewed as the core of their business as mentioned earlier. This has led to the cancellation of several Disney Channels in the United Kingdom, Asia, Italy, Australia and New Zealand.

In Africa, these channels had extended through 2024 on DStv and are expected to go dark at some point. Thereafter, MultiChoice would need to sought replacement channels in order to keep viewers onboard their platforms and fill the void left by Disney.

With the lack of children channels across the world, MultiChoice would most likely need to curate a customary channel similar to AMC International and Paramount Global's CBS Justice and JimJam or Ngwato Nkosi Group Movie Room and Play Room channels.

Sky Kids wouldn't seem like a far fetched brand to incorporate within the DStv platform despite the pay-tv platform already packaging DreamWorks. Some content is very much viewed on Showmax prior to the announcement that NBCUniversal had acquired a 30% stake to streamer.

NBCUniversal also supply Universal, E! Entertainment, Studio Universal and Telemundo to DStv.

This kids channel likely titled Universal Kids would see MultiChoice and NBCUniversal join forces supplying content that is not only viewable on Sky Kids in the UK but also shows streaming on Showmax or in other words a follow-up to the defunct K-TV kids brand.

News Shorts: Cbeebies Acquired Broadcasting Rights To Big Lizards, Dumisa TV To Debut A Gender Based Talk Show And Supernatural Comedy Love In 40 Days Makes A Landing On Novela E Plus

CBeebies is set to go on a comedic adventure

CBeebies and France Télévisions have teamed up to co-commission Big Lizard, a CG-animated co-pro for preschoolers from Beakus in the UK and France’s Watch Next Media and Je Suis Bien Content.

The 52 x seven-minute toon will premiere on both public broadcasters’ linear channels in fall 2024, and Aardman is handling global distribution.

The comedy-adventure sees Big Lizard and his best friend Cosima (a young female astronaut) exploring an alien planet while teaching kids about science and prehistoric Earth.

Beakus founder Steve Smith co-created Big Lizard with French animation designer and illustrator Amaël Isnard. Smith will produce the preschool show with Je Suis Bien Content’s Franck Ekinci (April and the Extraordinary World), and Isnard is on board to direct.

Dumisa to debut a gender neutral program

Set your reminders. Gender Space is the Commission for Gender Equality’s own TV talk show that will focus on thorny societal gender issues affecting men and women in South Africa. The talk show will divide the gender topics in twelve episodes wherein our CGE’s Commissioners, Legal Officers and other officials will share information on the Commission’s impactful gender-related programmes and interventions. Hosted by well-known TV and radio personality, Seipati “Twasa” Seoke, and CGE’s own officials, the talk show will tackle topics such as challenges faced by widows; the changing laws that govern marriage; gender-based violence and femicide; human trafficking; the compensation of domestic workers; teenage pregnancy challenges faced the LGBTQI community and women with disabilities. Watch the first episode on 05 October at 18:00 on DUMISA TV, channel 340 on DSTV. The show will air every Thursday at the same time from 05 October – 21 December 2023.

StarTimes to debut a new supernatural romcom

After getting involved in a fatal car crash, a competitive career woman arrives in an uncanny purgatory. While settling her unfinished businesses as a lingering spirit, she meets and finds her soulmate in a rebellious scion with a third eye.

The series starred Loisa Andalio as Jane Marasigan, Ronnie Alonte as Edward B. Montemayor / Nathaniel Rosal, Leo Martinez as Patricio Guzman and Janice de Belen as Ofelia Abanilla / Jocelyn "Josie" Rosal.

Since the series debut, a total of 110 episodes had been produced each with a duration of 18 - 30 minute duration. The Filipino drama also conceived a soundtrack featuring the talents of Jeremy G and Sam Milby.

Be sure to tune in 25 September on Novelas E Plus at 20:40.

Spider-Man: Return of the Sinister Six (NES)

Doctor Octopus is setting his master plan into action to take over the world with the help of the Sinister Six. Spider-Man manages to defeat all of them and save the world.

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