MUMBAI: US kids broadcaster Nickelodeon will kick off ?Tickety Toc?, a new CG-animated preschool series that follows the comedic adventures of twins, Tommy and Tallulah.

The half-hour 26 episodes series, premiering 10 September, teaches kids about friendship, problem-solving and teamwork.

Tickety Toc is created and directed by FunnyFlux Entertainment founder and president, Gil Hoon Jung and executive-produced by Nigel Pickard and Vanessa Hill for The Foundation.

The series is produced by the Zodiak Kids production company, The Foundation, and FunnyFlux Entertainment. Tickety Toc will regularly air weekdays at 9 am (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon.

Nickelodeon Preschool executive VP of production, development Teri Weiss said, "Tickety Toc allows viewers to enter an imaginative world of eccentric characters and slapstick surprises while being introduced to the concept of time in a fun and engaging way. The series allows preschoolers to join in the action-packed adventures, laughing and learning along the way."

Zodiak MEAA/UK Family, Kids CEO Nigel Pickard said, "We are delighted Tickety Toc will be joining the brilliant line-up on Nickelodeon. It is is a new and unique series for preschoolers who will enjoy following Tommy and Tallulah as they set off on their latest adventure."

On the wall of an old clock shop hangs a very special clock -- Tickety Toc clock. Every hour, on the hour, it chimes and out pop twins Tommy and Tallulah. Inside the clock is a fantastical and funny place inhabited by puppy-dog trains, hare-brained rabbits, cooking cows and weather-obsessed chickens. Each action-packed adventure centers on inseparable heroes, Tommy and Tallulah, as they race against time to save the day, return life to normal, and keep the clock ticking.

MUMBAI: Russell Hicks, a 14-year Nickelodeon veteran and its Chief Creative Officer since 2008, has been named to the new position of President, Content Development and Production for the Nickelodeon Group. He will report to Nickelodeon Group President Cyma Zarghami.

In this new role, Hicks will be based at Nickelodeon?s Burbank and Santa Monica, California, offices, where he will lead the company?s live-action, animation development and production teams for all of Nickelodeon?s content platforms.

"Russell has been one of the driving forces behind the Nickelodeon brand," said Zarghami. "As we continue our ambitious evolution of Nickelodeon, Russell will ensure that our rich and diversified development slate, as well as our new and established producing partners, will all serve our creative vision for the network and deliver for our audiences. As the new development season begins, this is the perfect moment for Russell to take the helm."

Reporting to Hicks will be: Margie Cohn, who will serve in the new role of President, Content Development, Nickelodeon, working across live-action, animation and digital; Paula Kaplan, who will now serve as Executive Vice President of Current Series; Teri Weiss, Executive Vice President of Nickelodeon Preschool Development and Production; Alison Dexter, Executive Vice President, Nickelodeon Productions; Rich Magallanes, Senior Vice President, Animation, Current Series; and Keith Dawkins, Senior Vice President and General Manager for Nickelodeon?s Nick Jr., Nicktoons and TeenNick channels.

Nickelodeon?s recently announced development slate includes more than a dozen new live-action, animation and TV movie projects as part of the network?s deep commitment to new content.

These projects include: two Nick spin-off comedy pilots, Sam & Cat and Gibby, featuring beloved characters from hit series iCarly and Victorious; new series Wendell and Vinnie starring Jerry Trainor and the pilot Instant Mom, both for Nick at Nite; You Gotta? See This, highlighting must-see video clips; and two original TV movies, Swindle and Nicky Deuce.

Also included are the CG-animated series Monsters vs. Aliens and the 2D Sanjay & Craig; the highly anticipated return of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in September; and the 4Q launch of Nick at Nite?s Scott Baio family comedy, See Dad Run. For preschool, the network is adding the curriculum-based animated series, Monty and Norville, and a pilot for Blaze and the Monster Machines.

Brown Johnson, who has served as the President of Animation since 2008, will be leaving her role to pursue her own creative endeavors.

Prior to working at Nickelodeon, Hicks was Vice President of Marketing, Cartoon Network/Turner brands for Warner Brothers, where he was responsible for the marketing and creative that turned Scooby Doo and the Power Puff Girls into cultural icons.

MUMBAI: Viacom18 will soon launch Rishtey in UK, a new mass entertainment Hindi entertainment channel that will complement its existing flagship channel Colors.

Rishtey will be launched in UK first by IndiaCast, showcasing content from a spectrum of genres including format shows, fiction, music and news.

The free-to-air (FTA) channel will be available on Sky Digital, it is learnt. Test signals are on and the launch is expected next month.

Rishtey will air re-run shows of Colors and also have original content.

Viacom18 operates a bouquet of channels including MTV, Nickelodeon, Vh1, Colors, Sonic and Comedy Central. It is also engaged in the film business through Viacom18 Motion Pictures.

Says Viacom18 group CEO Sudhanshu Vats, ?While we have a horizontal presence across television entertainment, with the launch of Rishtey, we now begin the phase of strengthening our presence in each vertical as well.?

Colors CEO Raj Nayak adds, ?With ?Rishtey?, we intend to create a new category within the general entertainment space, and given the rich mine of content within the Viacom18 Group, we?re confident of ?Rishtey? resonating well with both ? viewers as well as advertisers.?

IndiaCast COO Gaurav Gandhi states, ?Rishtey offers a wide range of variety entertainment programming that will engage, entertain and delight the South Asian audiences in the UK. As a free-to-air service, Rishtey perfectly complements our flagship brand Colors, by reaching out to a much wider audience base and giving them a taste of our much loved programming."

MUMBAI: US kids broadcaster Nickelodeon has greenlit over a dozen new live-action, animation and TV movie projects ? featuring top creative talent in front of and behind the camera, iconic characters from its most popular series and an animated talking snake ? that will begin rolling out this fall and into 2013.

The slate includes a new Nick at Nite series Wendell and Vinnie and two Nick spin-off comedy pilots, ?Sam And Cat? and ?Gibby?, featuring beloved characters from hit series iCarly and Victorious.

The network has also greenlit the pilot Instant Mom for Nick at Nite, while Nick TV movies Swindle and Nicky Deuce will be commencing production later this year. The CG-animated series Monsters vs. Aliens and 2D-series Sanjay & Craig have also been greenlit with both productions based at Nickelodeon?s Animation Studio in Burbank, Calif.

In addition, Nick preschool has added a new animated series, Monty and Norville, and a pilot, Blaze and the Monster Machines.

In ?Wendell and Vinnie?, Jerry Trainor stars as Vinnie, a lovable, goofball uncle who becomes the guardian to his buttoned-up 12-year-old nephew Wendell. Nicole Sullivan also stars as Vinnie?s high-strung older sister Wilma.

?You Gotta See This? combines web, behind-the-scenes footage, celebrity interviews, pranks and bloopers, The half-hour series rolls clips of the week into one package. Nickelodeon is currently in production on this 20-episode series in Los Angeles.

?Swindle?, meanwhile, is an original TV movie featuring an impressive ensemble cast of Nickelodeon stars. When an evil collector cons Griffin out of a million dollar baseball card that could have saved his best friend?s home, he unites a ragtag group of his classmates who need to work as a team to take down the swindler. Swindle is based on a popular children?s book by Gordon Korman. Production will commence later this year in Vancouver, Canada.

?Nicky Deuce? is based on a children?s book by Steve Schirripa and Charles Fleming, Nicky Deuce stars iCarly?s Noah Munck as Nicholas Borelli II, a nerdy, over-protected teen who transforms into the title character. Nicholas gets caught in the adventure of a lifetime when he spends the summer with an uncle he never knew he had. Production on this original TV movie will commence this summer in Montreal, Canada.

In ?The Haunted Hathaways? life in The Big Easy gets a little more complicated and way more spirited when the Hathaway siblings move into a house occupied by a family of ghosts. The pilot is written by Robert Peacock, who served as writer/producer on several series over the last decade including Reba, The Jeff Foxworthy Show and Coupling.

?The Thundermans? follows 13-year-old Phoebe Thunderman, who just wants to be normal, but that?s impossible when she comes from a family of superheroes. While most superheroes are lucky to have one power, Phoebe happens to have 12.

?Sanjay And Craig? is a tale of boy meets snake. This 20-episode, 2D-animated series follows two best buds who dedicate their lives to becoming the coolest, most rebellious dudes in the neighborhood.

?Monsters vs. Aliens? is an extension of the animated movie. The CG-animated television series features the lovable monsters and a whole new group of nefarious aliens living and working together at Area 50-something. It has been greenlit for 26 episodes, the company said.

MUMBAI: Viacom, the owner of Paramount Pictures, MTV and Nickelodeon, has reported consolidated revenues of $3.33 billion for the fiscal second quarter ending 31 March driven primarily by higher Media Networks affiliate revenues.

Quarterly operating income increased 23 per cent to $932 million in the quarter. Media Networks adjusted operating income increased 11 per cent to $893 million, principally reflecting the increase in affiliate revenues. Adjusted operating income in the Filmed Entertainment segment increased 195 per cent to $115 million, driven principally by lower distribution costs, which more than offset lower revenues.

Quarterly adjusted net earnings from continuing operations attributable to Viacom rose $105 million to $535 million, a gain of 24 per cent over the same period last year.

The increase is principally due to the growth in operating income across the company. Adjusted net earnings from continuing operations attributable to Viacom rose 24 per cent in the quarter to $535 million.

Viacom executive chairman Sumner M. Redstone said, "Viacom continues its strong track record of growth and innovation, creating the world?s best entertainment content and operating more efficiently every day. Throughout the Company, our leaders tirelessly build Viacom?s
outstanding global properties in order to drive superior value for shareholders."

Media Networks revenue growth of five per cent was driven by an increase in affiliate fee revenues, partially offset by a decrease in ancillary revenues. Domestic affiliate revenues increased 15 per cent and worldwide affiliate revenues grew 17 per cent in the quarter, in each case reflecting higher revenues from digital distribution agreements, as well as rate increases.

Domestic advertising revenues increased one per cent, while worldwide advertising revenues remained flat at $1.07 billion for the quarter.

Filmed Entertainment revenues decreased five per cent, to $1.17 billion, reflecting lower theatrical and television license fee revenues, partially offset by higher ancillary revenues. Worldwide theatrical revenues decreased 19 per cent in the quarter, as the mix of films, which generally were less widely distributed, did not match the performance of releases in the same period last year.

The current quarter releases were The Devil Inside, A Thousand Words, and Jeff, Who Lives at Home, and the year prior featured significant hits Rango, No Strings Attached and Justin Bieber: Never Say Never. Worldwide Filmed Entertainment ancillary revenues increased 41 per cent to $111 million in the quarter, principally driven by higher digital revenues. Home Entertainment revenues were up slightly.

At the end of the current quarter, the total debt outstanding, including capital lease obligations, was $7.78 billion, compared with$7.37 billion at 30 September 2011. The company?s cash balances were $1.14 billion at 31 March 2012, an increase from $1.02 billion at 30 September 2011.