Hey Arnold! Original TV Movie in Development under
Viscardi with Series Creator Craig Bartlett on Board as Executive
Producer
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Nickelodeon has named Chris Viscardi, co-creator of the kids' classic The
Adventures of Pete and Pete, to the newly created role of Senior
Vice President, Content Development, Nickelodeon Franchise Properties.
Viscardi will oversee the creative strategies for the network's key
franchises, including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, SpongeBob
SquarePants and Dora the Explorer; and mine the network's
rich library of original series to reimagine and develop select shows
for today's audiences. Additionally, he will work closely with other
Viacom divisions like Paramount Pictures to explore partnership
opportunities for Nick. Viscardi will be based in Nickelodeon's Burbank,
Calif. headquarters, reporting to Russell Hicks, President, Content
Development and Production, Nickelodeon Group.
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Chris Viscardi named Senior Vice President, Content Development, Nickelodeon Franchise Properties (Photo: Business Wire)
First up for Viscardi is the development of a Hey Arnold!
original TV movie, with the beloved series' original creator Craig
Bartlett returning as writer and executive producer. The new TV movie
will feature a storyline that picks up from where the original series
ended in 2004 and will resolve unanswered questions and
plotlines--including Arnold finally getting answers about the
whereabouts of his missing parents.
"Chris is a creator who innately understands the Nickelodeon DNA and our
audience because of his long history with us," said Hicks. "As someone
who has worked on two generations of Nickelodeon hit shows, Chris is the
perfect person to manage our most important franchises and reimagine
stories and characters from our library for today's kids and for the
Millennial generation who grew up on them. It's also incredibly exciting
to pair Chris with another master storyteller, Craig Bartlett, to bring
our iconic Hey Arnold! back to life in a new, modern way."
Currently, Viscardi serves as one of the executive producers on
Nickelodeon's Emmy-nominated animated series Sanjay and Craig,
where he plays an integral role in mentoring the show's first-time
creators and co-executive producers Jim Dirschberger and Jay Howell.
Under his guidance, the show launched to almost 4 million viewers, and
it is now in its third season, attracting a bevy of celebrity guest
stars including Anthony Bourdain, Snoop Dogg and John Leguizamo, among
others.
Viscardi began his career at Nickelodeon, where he and Will McRobb
created the award-winning series The Adventures of Pete & Pete,
along with the groundbreaking alternative animation series Kablam!
Noteworthy writing and producing credits include Ed, Necessary
Roughness, Bravest Warriors and Brutally Normal. He
also co-wrote the films Alvin and The Chipmunks and The Tale
of Despereaux, as well as the Nickelodeon/Paramount films Angus,
Thongs and Perfect Snogging and Snow Day.
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/20151123005948/en/
Nick Press Contact:
Jean Yoo, 310-752-8824
jean.yoo@nick.com
Source: Nickelodeon
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