Penguins of Madagascar Premiere January 12th

Nick Inches Closer to 'Penguins of Madagascar' Premiere
January 12th, 2009 1:17 PM by Aaron H. Bynum

Penguins Take Over Nickelodeon This March

On schedule in their preparation of springtime programming, Nickelodeon is eager to get the word out concerning their newest computer animated television series, The Penguins of Madagascar. Just as the penguin brothers of Madagascar (2005/2008) fame pull no punches as an elite strike force based in Central Park Zoo, Nickelodeon is holding no secrets about the new television series it hopes will contribute to a growing list of CG titles now available to its young viewers.

The Penguins of Madagascar will premiere after this year's Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards program, on Saturday March 28th 2009, at 9:30pm (ET). The new series, previously greenlit for a full production of twenty-six episodes from more than a year ago, now finds itself in the convenient spot of having its order doubled as Nickelodeon approves of a second season even though the show has yet to air. Of course, whether or not a group of penguins, whose headquarters is located in New York City, can really use their top notch commando skills for all of the right reasons, remains to be answered.

Cyma Zarghami, President, Nickelodeon and MTVN Kids and Family Group, commented on the computer animated TV series' potential: "Our partnership with DreamWorks Animation has yielded a true gem in The Penguins of Madagascar," Zarghami stated.

"We're excited to be bringing these characters to our audience with the same level of excellence they have come to expect from the hit Madagascar feature films."

The Thanksgiving Day Weekend sneak peek of the new title garnered remarkable attention, according to Nickelodeon, averaging an impressive audience of 14 million Total viewers, and an equally strong 7.2 million viewers from the Kids 2-11 demographic.

Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley are serving as executive producers of the cartoon; two individuals perhaps most familiar to animation fans for their long-running adventure-comedy Kim Possible, for Disney Channel.

As the series' synopsis goes, Skipper, Kowalski, Rico, and Private know anything and everything that's going on in the Central Park Zoo. They settle disputes and keep others in check, with the ultimate goal of making sure every animal is satisfied to one degree or another.

Things aren't always under control for these four penguins, but they usually are. But when Julien, "King of the Lemurs," rolls into town, the penguins find themselves in a dispute over territory and animal rights (of a different kind). While the party-animal lemur likes things his way, the penguins, understandably, want to keep things in order.

And although the brothers venture to keep the Zoo a safe home for everyone day-in and day-out, their greater mission of keeping the city itself in check often beckons them beyond the Zoo gates and into the subways and sewers of the Big Apple.

Nickelodeon has announced that The Penguins of Madagascar is now slated for production of 52 episodes; good news for fans of the characters, and good news for animators seeking reliable work. As it currently stands the first season will have new animals being introduced as well as old friends from the theatrical films dropping by. After the series' premiere, following the KCA's, it will then move to its regular timeslot on Saturdays at 10:00am (ET) beginning April 4th.

on Nickelodeon: Nickelodeon, now in its 30th 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, magazines and feature films.

Story courtesy of Animation Insider @
http://www.animationinsider.net/article.php?articleID=1951