[10/09/20 - 11:00 AM] Nickelodeon Suits Up for "The Astronauts" Hour-Long Premiere Event, Friday, Nov. 13, at 7 P.M. (ET/PT) The brand-new live-action series follows a group of kids who embark on the adventure of a lifetime when they are mistakenly launched into space.
[via press release from Nickelodeon]
NICKELODEON SUITS UP FOR "THE ASTRONAUTS" HOUR-LONG PREMIERE EVENT, FRIDAY, NOV. 13, AT 7 P.M. (ET/PT)
The Astronauts Marks the First Production From Brian Grazer and Ron Howard's Imagine Kids+Family Division
HOLLYWOOD, Calif.--Oct. 9, 2020--Nickelodeon enters orbit for an epic hour-long premiere event of The Astronauts, the network's first co-production with Imagine Kids+Family. The brand-new live-action series follows a group of kids who embark on the adventure of a lifetime when they are mistakenly launched into space. The Astronauts is executive produced by Imagine Entertainment Executive Chairmen Brian Grazer and Ron Howard, and Imagine Kids+Family President Stephanie Sperber. The series is created by Daniel Knauf (Carnivàle, The Blacklist), who also serves as writer and executive producer. The first two episodes of The Astronauts premiere back-to-back on Friday, Nov. 13, at 7 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon.
In the hour-long premiere of The Astronauts, the spacecraft Odyssey II is set to launch on a mission to retrieve a foreign object that could potentially save mankind. The plan quickly goes awry when five untrained kids use their parents' security clearances to sneak onto the empty ship. Soon after they board, the onboard AI system triggers the launch sequence. Unable to stop the ship from blasting off, the kids must assume their new role as astronauts and brave harrowing tasks, as their parents rush to find a way to take control of the situation.
The group traveling together through space are: Samantha "Samy" Sawyer-Wei, played by Miya Cech (Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Always Be My Maybe); Elliott Combs, played by Bryce Gheisar (Wonder, A Dog's Purpose); Martin Taylor, played by Keith L. Williams (Good Boys, The Last Man on Earth); Doria Taylor, played by Kayden Grace Swan (A Black Lady Sketch Show); and Will Rivers, played by Ben Daon (Child's Play). Matilda, the ship's onboard AI system, is voiced by Paige Howard (The Employer, Adventureland).
The premiere episodes of The Astronauts are directed by DGA Award nominee Dean Israelite (Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Power Rangers movie, Project Almanac), who also serves as executive producer. The series is also directed by Jonathan Frakes (Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, The Orville), and Marcus Stokes (Criminal Minds, The Flash, 911). Will Davis served as creative executive for Imagine Kids+Family.
Production of The Astronauts for Nickelodeon is overseen by Shauna Phelan, Senior Vice President, Live Action Scripted Content; and Zack Olin, Senior Vice President, Live Action. Brian Banks serves as Nickelodeon's Executive in Charge of Production for the series.
The Astronauts is the first production to hail from Imagine Kids+Family. Imagine has a rich history telling stories rooted in space adventure, including the multiple Academy Award-winning film Apollo 13 (celebrating its 25th anniversary this year), the hybrid docuseries Mars for NatGeo, and the Emmy Award-winning series From The Earth To The Moon for HBO.
About Imagine Kids+Family
Imagine Kids+Family was formed in 2019 by Imagine Entertainment Chairmen Brian Grazer and Ron Howard with a focus on developing and producing premium kids and family entertainment with capabilities in consumer products and franchise building. Imagine Kids+Family is run by President Stephanie Sperber, a veteran kids entertainment executive with a successful career in building kids and family businesses, IP, and franchises. IKF recently acquired an equity stake in popular The Tiny Chef Show to develop the original short-form stop-motion animation Tiny Chef character across all platforms including short-form, tv series, and digital, and is part of a strategic global franchise plan. Currently, IKF is producing its first live-action series The Astronauts for Nickelodeon; Kalamata's Kitchen; Breyer Hollow; The Trail; and Going Vintage to name a few. IKF is also producing Max Einstein under its partnership with James Patterson's' kid imprint Jimmy Books, and has a first-look partnership with Academy Award-winning animation company Lion Forge (Hair Love) around its existing IP of both licensed and original ideas, starting with Chippy Hood, Bug Tron, Puerto Rico Strong, and Unt. Black Comic Anthology.
www.imagine-entertainment.com
About Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon, now in its 41st 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 brand includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, digital, location-based experiences, publishing and feature films. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of ViacomCBS Inc. (Nasdaq: VIACA, VIAC).
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