Nick presents new series, movie at upfronts

Hollywood Reporter - United States - At its 2008 upfront presentation Thursday, Nickelodeon announced its first original primetime family movie, called "Gym Teacher," starring "Law & Order: SVU's" Christopher Meloni, as well as the development of a music-based sitcom about a boy band called "One 4 All," produced in partnership with Sony/BMG Music Entertainment.

"Right now I feel that Nickelodeon has unbelievable momentum both as a business and as a brand," Nickelodeon & MTVN Kids and Family Group president Cyma Zarghami told the advertisers at the Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan. "As a first generation of Nickelodeon families connect with Nick, we are on the eve of some really exciting initiatives, initiatives that I think are about being creatively inspiring and transformational to our business. All of them are built on great talent and great relationships and all of them will live on every platform, even those we haven't invented yet."

Among the talent Nickelodeon brought in to sell its shows to advertisers for the 2008-09 season were Meloni, tween stars Miranda Cosgrove and Jennette McCurdy of Nick's new series "iCarly" and Amy Poehler, who pitched her new animated sitcom "The Mighty B!" -- described as a girl-power show about the "world's most dedicated Honeybee scout." The show premieres April 26.

" 'The Mighty B! celebrates Bessie (the show's main character, voiced by Poehler) as one girl taking on the world," said the "Saturday Night Live" star. " 'Mighty B!' is truly a dream come true, so come advertisers, won't you share this delicious dreamsicle with me?"

Also appearing at the upfronts was Quddus Philippe of MTV's "TRL," who is hosting Nick's new tweens series "Dance on Sunset," who attempted to get the advertising and marketing execs in the audience to learn a new dance step.

Sony artist Natasha Bedingfield, who will make a guest appearance on "Dance on Sunset," performed two of her hit songs.

"Gym Teacher," directed by Paul Dinello, is about Dave Stewie, a failed-gold-medal-contender-turned-gym-teacher who vies for the gym teacher of the year award. But standing in his way is a new uncoordinated, very unathletic transfer student who is the son of an English teacher that Stewie falls for. Nathan Kress, Amy Sedaris and David Alan Grier also star in the movie, produced in association with Dolphin Entertainment. The movie will premiere in August. It is part of Nick's strategy to create programming that kids and parents will want to watch together, Zarghami said