ViacomCBS spotlight

Blue’s Clues, Star Trek and The J Team....

Nickelodeon is commemorating 25 years of its groundbreaking animated series Blue’s Clues with the greenlight of a brand-new, original movie and an array of anniversary initiatives across multiple platforms. Celebrating one of the most iconic preschool series of all time, which launched on Sept. 8, 1996, the milestone anniversary will also be marked by a multitiered partnership with global nonprofit organization Save the Children, a TV tentpole event, a one-of-a-kind nostalgia-driven music video, exclu-

sive consumer products programs and more, kicking off this summer. As part of the anniversary celebration, Nickelodeon has greenlit a Blue’s Clues & You! movie that will follow Josh and Blue as they head to New York City to audition for a big Broadway musical. Matt Stawski (Side Effects) is onboard as director of the original as-yet-untitled movie, with writing by Angela C. Santomero (Blue’s Clues franchise, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood) and Liz Maccie (Siren, Foxglove). Darlene Caamaño Loquet, Senior Vice President of Nickelodeon Movies, will oversee the production on the film. Nickelodeon Animation Studio will commence production on the movie this summer, with additional details to be announced later. “Blue’s Clues is hands down one of the most successful and critically acclaimed preschool TV shows in history, and we’re so proud that Nickelodeon has been its home for the last 25 years,” said Ramsey Naito, President, Nickelodeon Animation. “The series’ creativity, interactivity and inclusivity has stood the test of time and we are continuing to empower, challenge, and build the self-esteem of a new generation of preschoolers with a brand-new Blue’s Clues & You! movie and multiple upcoming seasons of the series in our Animation Studio pipeline.” Nickelodeon has also expanded its partnership with Save the Children, the national leader in helping children prepare for and succeed in school across rural America. Blue’s Clues & You! is featured in Save the Children’s 100 Days of Reading Campaign this summer, with content integration across platforms and onthe-ground activations through the 100 Days of Reading Bus Tour and essential education resources to 20,000 children and families. Additional Blue’s Clues 25th anniversary highlights include two special TV events this fall: Blue’s Clues & You! “It’s YOUR birthday!” tentpole premiering Friday, Sept. 17. A further highlight is Blue’s Clues & You! Our New Neighbor, premiering Friday, Oct. 1 and featuring the return of classic fan-favorite character Periwinkle. Josh and Blue play Blue’s Clues to figure out how they can help Periwinkle feel welcome and learn more about their new kitten neighbor along the way. Over and above these will be an original 25th anniversary nostalgia-driven music video featuring Blue’s Clues & You! star Josh Dela Cruz and former Blue’s Clues hosts, Donovan Patton and Steve Burns and a limitedtime, dedicated “Bluetique” at FAO Schwarz’s NYC flagship location in Rockefeller Plaza. For August, the exclusive shop will feature the latest products while showcasing archival Blues Clue’s memorabilia. September will see the launch of the first half of season one (12 episodes) of Blues Clues & You! and the fifth and sixth seasons (40 episodes) of Blue’s Clues on Paramount+ joining the first four seasons of Blue’s Clues and seasons one and two of the live-action spin-off Blue’s Room. Over 20 original learning games, ebooks, and interactive episodes will be made available on Noggin, Nickelodeon’s interactive learning service for preschoolers, where kids can learn and play along with Josh and Blue. In addition, an all-day Blue’s Clues marathon on September 8, on the Nick Jr. Pluto TV channel and there will be a new assortment of consumer products inspired by Blue’s Clues & You!, spanning toy, home goods, accessories, DVD and party goods will be available beginning this summer, including a brand-new line of educational toys from Melissa & Doug.

In terms of Paramount brands, Playmates Toys and ViacomCBS Consumer Products today announced that ViacomCBS has awarded the global toy company with the licensing rights for action figures, vehicles and ships, role play and other toy categories for all Star Trek properties. Playmates will launch its new Star Trek toy line in 2022, following Star Trek’s entry into kids’ content with the premiere of Star Trek: Prodigy, the first Star Trek series aimed at younger audiences. Among the qualities Playmates will bring to the Star Trek Universe are its attention to brand detail, authentic

portrait sculpting, and new product innovations it plans to introduce to its forthcoming Star Trek collections. Fans can look forward to a new lineup of action figures and accessories from Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Lower Decks, Star Trek: Picard, and other Star Trek series throughout the universe coming soon, and future selections from the expansive Star Trek Universe of series and motion pictures, including the Paramount+ CG-animated series Star Trek: Prodigy produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio and CBS Studios. Details on forthcoming product lines from Playmates will be announced at a future date. “As Star Trek readies to beam into the kids’ space for the first time with Star Trek: Prodigy on Paramount+, we are thrilled to also enter the toy aisle with Playmates, offering a new generation of fans out of this world toys that will allow them to embark on their own Star Trek adventures at home,” Dion Vlachos, Executive Vice President, Hardlines and Retail, ViacomCBS Consumer Products. “Playmates Toys has deep experience in developing Star Trek figures and playsets. The expertise and ingenuity they plan to bring to figures, ships and more will elevate the play experience for kids and collectors alike.” “We’re excited to be transported back into the Star Trek Universe, a brand and world that we know very well,” said Karl Aaronian, senior vice president, Playmates Toys. “Our product team includes some lifelong super fans, like me, and we are honored to join with ViacomCBS again to help further engage fans with the wealth of new content coming as well as captivate a new generation of kids with the positive values that Gene Roddenberry introduced in his Trek world.” Playmates was the master toy licensee for Star Trek from 1992–1999, launching award-winning collections of action figures and innovative accessories from Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and classic Star Trek. In 2009, the company also released the official figures and accessories based on the J.J. Abrams Star Trek motion picture.

Finally, in up to date news, Paramount+, the streaming service from ViacomCBS, have announced that The J Team, a new live-action musical starring and executive produced by JoJo Siwa, will be available to stream exclusively on the service beginning Friday, September 3. In addition to Siwa, cast members of The J Team include NAACP Image Awards nominee Tisha CampbellMartin, Laura Soltis, Julia Marley, Kerrynton Jones and Kiara T. Romero. The J Team is a 90-minute featurelength film that follows a young girl named JoJo (Siwa) whose life is turned upside down when her beloved dance coach Val decides to retire and is replaced by a sparkle-hating instructor named Poppy. Wanting to stay in the running for an upcoming dance competition, JoJo and her best friends, The Rubies (Jones, Romero), must try their hardest to abide by Poppy’s new, harsh rules. Realizing she cannot hide her sparkle or bow anymore, JoJo is kicked out of her dance troupe and must rediscover what dancing means to her. Produced by Nickelodeon and Awesomeness, The J Team marked the first production under Awesomeness and Nickelodeon Live-Action Film Studio head Syrinthia Studer. An original soundtrack featuring six new songs from Siwa and more is set to release on Friday, August 27.