Viacom's 'New Nickelodeon' charting a new course to serve all kids with a wide-range of new content, including Lego City, SpongeBob spin-offs, and a scripted boarding school music series.

Viacom's "New Nickelodeon" (DStv 305) says the children's channel is charting a new course to serve all kids - who are now "their own programmers" in a connected world - with its biggest and most wide-ranging new content slate ever, including a SpongeBob SquarePants spin-off.

Brian Robbins, Nickelodeon president, says in a statement that Nickelodeon is unveiling a new content slate created for "today's kids who are multicultural, family-focused, and in control of their entertainment choices across platforms"

"With a foundation of supercharging its globally powerful original franchises like SpongeBob SquarePants, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and PAW Patrol, and welcoming new, acquired properties into its ecosystem, Nickelodeon's new slate represents a renewing of its commitment to serve all kids, through a multicultural lens; bringing in talent kids love from other platforms and formats; and opening up its demo to capture kid and parent co-viewing, to satisfy this generation's demand for shared family time."

"We have a laser focus on who kids are today, and what they want, so we are making a wider variety of shows and series for them, and we're working with brand-new kinds of talent and producers," says Brian Robbins.

"We have a new creative team in place and a renewed energy that we're harnessing to bring the buzz back to Nick."

Nickelodeon's new direction was developed against the network's defining research insights into today's kids, who, according to Nickelodeon "are the most diverse generation ever", who cite shared experiences with their parents and family as their top priority; and who are "in near-total control of their entertainment choices, enabled by any one of the 12 connected devices found in today's average household"

"Kids today are their own programmers, so we have been working very fast to transfer our expertise as television content makers to all the new places and platforms kids are going to," says Brian Robbins. 

"Our vision for a new Nickelodeon is to fill up every screen, of every size, to make an impact on as many consumers as we can and to be at the forefront of conversation for today's kids and families."

"Everything we're making will have different formats, for all platforms, so we can travel the audience back and forth from one to the other while being home base for all the shows, the biggest franchises, the characters and talent they love."

Some of Nickelodeon's new content slate includes The Casagrandes, the spin-off from the animation series, The Loud House that will follow 11-year-old Ronnie Anne after she moves to the city with her older brother Bobby and her mom, where they now live with their big, loving and chaotic multigenerational Mexican-American family, the Casagrandes.

Santiago of the Seas (formerly The Swashbuckling Adventures of Capitán Calavera) is an animated series follows the adventures of 8-year-old Santiago Montes, a brave and kind-hearted pirate.

Nickelodeon is also working on an as-yet-untitled Simon Fuller and Ryan Tedder produced scripted music series set in a boarding performing arts high school, with original music in every episode. 

Nickelodeon is commemorating the 20th anniversary of SpongeBob Squarepants with the "Best Year Ever," a tribute that will include an original one-hour special, SpongeBob's Big Birthday Blowout, that will premiere later in 2019.

Additionally, plans are in place to expand the SpongeBob SquarePants universe with spinoffs focused on the core characters into formats such as new series, specials and feature-length movies. The anniversary will culminate with the release of the new SpongeBob film, It's A Wonderful Sponge, from Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Movies. 

The second season of Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will start on Nickelodeon later this year, and follow the Turtles as they continue to hone their ninja skills, uncover new, powerful weapons and encounter a world beneath the streets of New York City.

The franchise is also being expanded with an original, feature-length animated movie being produced by Nickelodeon Studios for Netflix. 

Paddington (working title) with actor Ben Whishaw is coming to Nickelodeon as a new animation series, following a younger Paddington and his adventures in London with the Brown family and their friends.

Lego City is a new animated comedy, created and produced by LEGO Group, that depicts the funny, smart, and dynamic slices of life within the sprawling and diverse LEGO CITY community. 

Lego City will start later in 2019 and will follow the intertwining paths of the city's everyday heroes as they work together to stop a mysterious master criminal who begins to wreak havoc on their town. 

Viacom's Nickelodeon commissions new Paddington animation series for preschoolers to broadcast from 2020.

Viacom's Nickelodeon (DStv 305), in conjunction with StudioCanal and producer David Heyman commissioned a brand-new Paddington (working title) TV series for preschoolers that will be broadcast on Nickelodeon worldwide from 2020.

Actor Ben Whishaw who did the voice of the Paddington bear in the first two movies, will reprise his role as the beloved voice of the title character in the new CG-animated series, which follows the adventures of a younger Paddington.

Fully animated in 3D, the new Paddington series will revolve around a younger Paddington writing to Aunt Lucy from Windsor Gardens.

Each episode will open and close with Paddington's letters as he tells Aunt Lucy what he has learned about life through the day's new exciting adventure. The series will invite a new generation of fans into Paddington's world full of heart, kindness, slapstick humour, fun and generosity.

Paddington, currently in production, is a Heyday Films and StudioCanal production in association with Copyrights.

David Heyman, executive producer, says "It is a joy to bring this uniquely life-enhancing bear to a whole new audience of younger children. We are thrilled that the inimitably brilliant Ben Whishaw will continue to voice Paddington."

"And we are excited to be collaborating with the vibrant and dynamic animation team at Blue Zoo, working from scripts by the wonderfully talented screenwriting team Foster and Lamont. With producers Karen Davidsen and Simon Quinn, we're all set for a glorious new chapter for Paddington."

Didier Lupfer, StudioCanal CEO, says "Paddington is such a beloved character for all of us at StudioCanal. We are incredibly happy to be back in his world introducing new generations to his kindness, generosity and spirit".

"We are inspired by the talented animation team at Blue Zoo partnering once again with our friends at Heyday. Foster and Lamont's writing is so beautifully crafted we can't wait for Nickelodeon and our local broadcast partners to premiere the series."

Layla Lewis, the senior vice president for global acquisitions and content partnerships at Nickelodeon, says "We can't wait to welcome Paddington, one of the world's most beloved characters, to our global Nickelodeon family with a series that will take him on fun and exciting new adventures, while staying true to his original heartfelt charm and spirit".