Nickelodeon Greenlights Multi-Camera Comedy Bucket & Skinner's Epic Adventures, Plans Packed First Quarter of New Series Premieres

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 16, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Nickelodeon has picked up the new multi-camera comedy series Bucket & Skinner's Epic Adventures to add to its full slate of brand-new programming coming in 1Q 2011, it was announced today by Marjorie Cohn, President, Original Programming and Development, Nickelodeon.  A multi-camera buddy comedy about two best friends on a never-ending quest for awesomeness, Bucket & Skinner's Epic Adventures is from executive producer Tom Lynch (The Troop, South of Nowhere), creators/executive producers Boyce Bugliari and Jamie McLaughlin (Quintuplets, Kid Notorious) and executive producer Jonathan Stark (According to Jim) under The Tom Lynch Company banner. The series begins production this month in Los Angeles for a February 2011 premiere in the U.S. and globally on Nick channels around the world.

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Bucket & Skinner's Epic Adventures is one of five new series joining the top-rated network's line-up in early 2011.  Other series premieres include Power Rangers Samurai, the much-anticipated new generation of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers; House of Anubis, a comedy-mystery series adapted from the international TV hit; Bubble Guppies, a new interactive CG-animated preschool series; and Supah Ninjas, a comic book-style action comedy series.

"We're excited to be kicking off the new year with a vibrant slate of homegrown and proven acquired properties," said Cohn.  "The variety of these new series will super-serve our audience with something new for everyone."

Bucket & Skinner's Epic Adventures is a buddy comedy about two surfer dudes navigating the small trials of everyday life. When Bucket (Taylor Gray) attempts to win over the affection of classmate Kelly (Ashley Argota), his best bud Skinner (Dillon Lane) decides to nominate him as class President, inadvertently causing him to run against the super-popular athlete Aloe (Glenn McCuen). Unqualified and totally unfit for student council, Bucket is forced to team up with the Kelly's younger sister, the precocious Piper (Tiffany Espensen), in order to save face and try to win the heart of his dream girl.

Nickelodeon continues to be the number one basic cable network in total day–for the 16th straight year --  closing 2010 in first place among total viewers (P2+) and all kid demos, for the year to date (12/28/09-12/14/10) according to Nielsen Media Research. Nick's first place position was driven by a power house live-action line up including iCarly, with the special "iSaved Your Life" (Jan. 18) ranking as basic cable's top-rated entertainment telecast with total viewers (12.4 million) and the number-one telecast with all kid and tween demos in 2010; freshman series Big Time Rush, setting a new record for a Nick series as the highest-rated and most-watched live-action premiere with kids, tweens and total viewers (7.1 million) and Victorious, starring Victoria Justice, which has been the number-one program in its timeslot (Friday, 8:30 p.m.) on all TV with tweens 9-14 and teens 12-17, reaching 15.1 million tweens and 11.4 million teens each quarter.

Power Rangers Samurai, an all-new action- packed comedy, follows a new generation of Rangers who must battle the dark forces of the Netherworld to save the earth from destruction.  Created by Haim Saban, who produced the original "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" series in 1993, Samurai is produced by SCG Power Rangers LLC, an affiliate of Saban Brands.  The series is Executive Produced by Jonathan Tzachor, also from the original series.

House of Anubis, already an established Nickelodeon hit in Europe, is the first-ever Nickelodeon U.S. live-action show produced in the U.K. Combining mystery, comedy and drama, House of Anubis follows eight students who stumble upon and try to solve a hidden mystery at an English boarding school, while dealing with the highs and lows of their teenage years.

Bubble Guppies, Nickelodeon's new interactive CG-animated preschool series, is created and executive-produced by Jonny Belt and Robert Scull and co-executive produced by Janice Burgess, the Emmy Award-winning team behind the hit Nickelodeon series' The Backyardigans and Little Bill.  Focusing on a wide-range of topics and everyday experiences kids can relate to – from dinosaurs to dentists, rock n' roll to recycling, and colors to cowboys, this musical comedy set in a vibrant 3D underwater environment follows a group of diverse preschoolers with guppy tails who go on adventures discovering their world.

Supah Ninjas, which is comic-book in tone and cinematic in style, follows three unsuspecting kids who are drafted into the secret world of ninjas. Created by Eric Garcia and Leo Chu (Afro Samurai), the series is helmed by executive producers Garcia, Chu, Nat Bernstein, Mitch Katlin,  Brian Robbins and Sharla Sumpter Bridgett (Fred: The Movie) under the Varsity Pictures production banner.

Bucket & Skinner's Epic Adventures creators Boyce Bugliari and Jamie McLaughlin previously served as writers on Comedy Central's The Showbiz Show with David Spade and Kid Notorious and writers/producers on Fox's Quintuplets starring Andy Richter.  Jonathan Stark previously co-created and served as executive producer/writer on ABC's hit series According to Jim.  Prior to that, he served as writer/producer on hit series The Drew Carey Show and Ellen and was also part of the writing team for Bob and Cheers.

Tom Lynch, founder and CEO of The Tom Lynch Company, began his career as a rock-n-roll producer on Don Kirschner's Rock Concert and as creator-writer-producer of Night Tracks.  With an extensive roster of creating television hits to his credit—including Nickelodeon series The Troop, South of Nowhere, Romeo!, Secret World of Alex Mack, Caitlin's Way and The Journey of Allen Strange.  Lynch's other series include Just Deal, Skate, Galidor: Defenders of the Outer Dimension, and the Emmy-nominated Scout's Safari, which was set and filmed on location in South Africa.  He rediscovered his musical roots with the hip-hop sitcom Romeo!, starring rap artist Master P and his real-life son, Romeo and Class of 3000, co-created with Andre Benjamin of OutKast.

Nickelodeon, now in its 31st 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 more than 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 16 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B).

SOURCE Nickelodeon