Calvin Millan and Cesar Millan Star in Live-Action Series
Created by Sid and Marty Krofft
*High-res art available at www.nickpress.com
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Nickelodeon is expanding its hit preschool roster with the launch of the
inventive Mutt
& Stuff, a live-action preschool series created by TV
legends Sid and Marty Krofft. Set in a unique school for dogs, the series
stars Calvin Millan and his dad, Cesar, star of Cesar 911 and
former star of Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan, interacting with
a cast of both real dogs and puppets at a canine school called Mutt &
Stuff. In addition to adorable puppies and unbelievable dog tricks, the
series balances moments of heart and comedy with a social-emotional
curriculum that helps preschoolers with identifying and managing
emotions, building interpersonal awareness and developing social skills.
The show also carries a message of pet adoption and responsible pet care
based on Cesar Millan's philosophies.
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Cesar Millan, Calvin Millan and Stuff, stars of Nickelodeon's live-action preschool series, Mutt & Stuff. (Photo: Business Wire)
Mutt & Stuff will premiere Friday, July 10, at 10 a.m.
(ET/PT), joining Nick's number-one lineup of preschool content that
features the top-rated PAW
Patrol and Blaze
and the Monster Machines. Mutt & Stuff is created and
executive produced by Sid and Marty Krofft (H.R. Pufnstuf, Land
Of The Lost), along with Bradley Zweig. Cesar Millan also serves as
executive producer.
"Mutt & Stuff will capture the hearts and imaginations of
preschoolers everywhere with its upbeat energy, heartwarming friendships
and valuable lessons," said Russell Hicks, President, Content
Development and Production, Nickelodeon Group. "Sid and Marty Krofft
have been entertaining kids for decades with shows that expertly blend
fantasy and reality, and Mutt & Stuff truly embodies their
colorful signature style."
Added Marty Krofft, "From the moment we met with the Millans it was
clear that partnering with them was going to lead to something
extraordinary. Mixing their dynamic talent with the unmatched appeal of
puppies and the quirkiness of puppets, we knew that Mutt & Stuff
would be a one-of-a-kind show that would pique the interest of
preschoolers and enable us to connect with a new generation of kids."
The series follows Calvin Millan and his best friend Stuff, a
larger-than-life dog with a personality to match, as they take
preschoolers inside the doors of Mutt & Stuff, a school for dogs, to
explore the daily lives of these canine companions. Each episode
features incredible tricks, training lessons and high-spirited humor.
With the help of 15 playful puppies and charismatic puppets, Calvin
educates preschoolers on how to train and guide their dogs, as well as
showcase the friendship and loyalty that puppies can provide. Mutt &
Stuff airs regularly Fridays at 10 a.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon.
In Mutt & Stuff's series premiere, "Hip Hop Dogs," Calvin
helps one of his canine students cope with missing his owner. In
addition to helping his pup pal, Calvin helps the dog's owner when she
needs back-up dancers for her dance performance. Cue the Mutt & Stuff
hip hop dog dancers!
Nickelodeon's award-winning NickJr.com
and the Nick Jr. App will feature Mutt & Stuff content
including episodic clips, series trailer and theme song. The series
premiere of Mutt & Stuff will be available on NickJr.com, the
Nick Jr. App, Nick VOD and DTO beginning July 11.
Calvin Millan, 16, is the son of Cesar Millan, star of Nat Geo WILD's Cesar
911 and former host of the Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan.
Calvin began his acting career at the age of eight when he appeared as a
guest on the Dog Whisperer helping to train small dogs. In 2012,
he traveled with his father appearing in CESAR MILLAN LIVE touring shows
in Asia and Canada. Calvin has one dog named Coco and actively works
with the Cesar Millan Foundation in support of the Mutt-i-grees
elementary school program that teaches children empathy and compassion
for animals. The program has been taught in over 1,200 school districts
in the United States and Canada.
Cesar Millan is a best-selling author, a much-in-demand public speaker,
a branded pet care product designer/entrepreneur, international star of
Nat Geo WILD's Cesar 911 and original host of the Dog Whisperer.
Cesar has co-authored several books as well as generated numerous
instructional DVDs and CDs. In 2007, Cesar officially launched The Cesar
Millan Foundation, a national nonprofit organization designed to
champion worldwide animal advocacy for animals through the support of
community education and awareness programs.
Many of the most colorful and fondly remembered children's series of the
1970s and 1980s sprang from the imaginations of Sid and Marty Krofft.
The Kroffts made their television debut in 1969 with NBC's H.R.
Pufnstuf and introduced the brothers' innovative mix of live-action
and puppetry. For the next two decades, the Kroffts developed several
hit shows including The Bugaloo, Lidsville, Sigmund and
the Sea Monsters and Land Of The Lost. The Kroffts also found
success as producers of popular primetime variety series such as The
Donny and Marie Show, The Brady Bunch Variety Hour and the top-rated Barbara
Mandrell & the Mandrell Sisters. In 2009, the Kroffts produced a
feature film version of their classic TV program Land of the Lost, which
was distributed by Universal Pictures. The Kroffts recently signed a
development deal with Amazon Studios to develop a reimagined pilot based
on Sigmund and the Sea Monsters. They are also producing a reboot
of Electra Woman & Dyna Girl, consisting of a series of eight
11-minute episodes that can also be released as an 88-minute movie, at
Legendary Entertainment.
Bradley Zweig is an Emmy-nominated executive producer and writer who has
worked on numerous live-action and animated preschool shows
for Nickelodeon including Yo Gabba Gabba, Wallykazam!,
Zack and Quack and The Fresh Beat Band. He has
also written and produced projects for The Jim Henson Company and Cirque
Du Soleil. In addition to his television work, Zweig has written several
live touring shows including Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey
Circus, and multiple touring musical productions for Disney Jr.
Nickelodeon, now in its 36th 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 company includes
television programming and production in the United States and around
the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books and feature
films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in almost
100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable
network for 20 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com.
Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks
of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB).
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150615005420/en/
Nickelodeon
Maggie Wang, 212-846-6381
maggie.wang@nick.com
Source: Nickelodeon
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