The Sternberg Report

ESPN Brings Slamball Back to TV - by Jared Sternberg (in for his dad)

Yes!  Slamball is coming back.

Slamball is basically full contact basketball with trampolines.  It is such an exciting game.  From the first time I saw it on Cartoon Network I was hooked.  I loved it so much, I went online and found episodes from a long time ago.

It started out on Spike in 2002 (I was 3 years old at the time, and was still watching Blues Clues and Rolie Polie Olie).  After Spike, it went to Versus, and then a couple of years later aired on weekends on Cartoon Network (where I discovered it).

I was really mad because it was on Cartoon Network for a year and then it just disappeared.

The other day I got an email from the creator of Slamball, Mason Gordon, saying that Slamball was coming back.  I was so excited.

Stay tuned for more blogs on Slamball over the next few months.  During the summer, I'll be filling in for my dad, writing about a number of things relating to TV, pop culture, and entertainment.

The History Of Slamball by ESPN 

Adventure Time Once Again (notes from the Cartoon Network Upfront) - by Jared Sternberg, in for his dad

I went to the Cartoon Network Upfront with my dad on Wednesday.  It was so much fun.  We sat right up front in the second row.

My dad recently wrote a blog about how this is his last year in the 25-54 demo (I'm Not My Father, but TV Networks and Marketers Think I Am).  He always told me that I was Cartoon Network's main target, a boy between 6 and 11.  I realized this is my last year in that demo.  But at the presentation they kept talking about how strong their programming was with boys 6-14.  So I guess I'll still be in their target next year.

I got to interview Jeffrey Katzenberg.  When I told my mom, she asked why the CEO of DreamWorks was at the Cartoon Network Upfront.  I told her because the Cartoon Network is turning How to Train Your Dragon into a TV series.

I told Mr. Katzenberg that I thought it was a really good movie, and asked why he thought it would work as a series.  He said, "Because we've done that with several of our movies, like the penguins of Madagascar."  He also said they were doing a Kung Fu Panda series.  Neither of those are on, or going to be on Cartoon, but I think How to Train Your Dragon is going to be a great show, and really popular among 6-14 year-olds.

I also asked Mr. Katzenberg what his kids watch, but he said they were 28 and he wasn't sure.

At the start of the presentation, they showed clips of the first annual Hall of Game Awards.  It looked great.  I asked my dad if I could report from backstage at the awards, and he gave me a look like he was trying to say "don't push your luck."

There were a couple of things that really caught my eye.  The first was DC Nation.  Cartoon Network, Warner Bros., and DC are coming together to become the exclusive home of everything DC (I did not know they were all part of the same big company).  It will be on television and online, and should be an experience like no other.  The goal is to get DC everywhere, hence the name, DC Nation.  Their press release called it a multi-platform franchise. 

Cartoon Network also has a new Green Lantern series - I'm not sure if it is part of DC Nation, but it is part of DC, and it looks really cool and full of action.  There will also be a Young Justice Invasion mini-series, which looks good too.

A new original movie called Level Up is coming to Cartoon Network this fall.  It's about three teenagers, Wyatt, Lyle, and Dante, who are great videogamers.  Everything is fun until something goes wrong and a portal opens that allows characters from the game of dragons, trolls, and demons to come to Earth.  It looks really funny, and if you ask me it will make a great series in the spring.

There are a few shows that I mentioned last year that have really taken off.  Adventure Time is a worldwide phenomenon, and this is only the beginning.  The Regular Show is a quarter-hour show, but that doesn't make it less funny.  And last, but not least, MAD. This show is so funny that when I watch it I wish it was an hour not a quarter-hour show.  Joining these hits on Monday will be two new series that look pretty good - The Problem Solverz and Secret Mountain Fort Awesome. In the summer, they will have The Amazing World of Gumball.

Wednesday's unscripted shows, Dude, What Would Happen, Destroy Build Destroy, and Hole in the Wall are still going strong and I still like them.

Friday action includes Ben 10, Generator Rex, Batman Brave and Bold, Clone Wars, and the new Thundercats.

I've been watching Cartoon Network for half my life, and I do have one suggestion.  When I come home from school, I usually have a snack and turn on the TV.  Battle Force 5 and Garfield are on.  These shows I feel are geared toward a younger audience.  Most kids my age (11) get home around 3:00.  I don't think that's when they should be putting on shows aimed at the 6 in the 6-14.

Well, these are my suggestions and opinions.  Let me know what you think.  I can't wait 'til next year.

Jared Sternberg 

Dude, This Was Awesome - Notes from the Cartoon Network Upfront

by Jared Sternberg, age 10 (guest authoring for his dad)

I just got back from the Cartoon Network upfront presentation.  Lots of people knew my dad, and they were very nice to me (dad says that can't influence what I write).  We got good seats in the third row.

Actually, I didn't start writing this as soon as I got home, because I wanted to watch Adventure Time, which is now one of my top favorite shows,  I record all the episodes on our DVR. 

My dad came in and tried to get me to speed up and asked me why I was watching the commercial. Even though my parents like to zoom past the commercials, I like watching the show and the commercials in kids programs.    I don't like watching commercials in other kinds of shows,

They started the presentation talking about things I really don't understand - activation, broadening the brand, custom integrated solutions, evolving the network, bold new content, franchises, and aspirational destination for boys (my dad took notes that had these phrases).  But I was told a lot of advertising people were in the crowd, and they seemed happy to hear those things.

Then it got more fun, as stuff happened on stage and they showed previews of new shows,  That's what I was waiting for.  I'm glad my favorite Cartoon Network shows, Dude, What Would Happen, Destroy Build Destroy, Flapjack, 6Teen, and Stoked are coming back and they said Adventure Time has been renewed for a second season).  I used to like Ben 10, but as he got older the show got more boring.

Cartoon Network use to be all animation, but I also started liking live-action.  SInce they started expanding, I don't switch channels as much, and watch Cartoon more than I used to.  Shows like Dude, What Would Happen keep them from getting boring.

New shows I'm really looking forward to watching are, Unnatural History (Live-action mystery series), Tower Prep(Live-action.  Teen wakes up trapped in mysterious prep school, forms secret group with others in same boat.), Sym-Bionic Titan (Animated - from creator of Samurai Jack and Dexter. Combines giant robot battles and high-school comedy.), MAD (based on MAD Magazine), The Amazing Spiez (Animated.  Four siblings juggle their family life with international spy missions.), and BEYBLADE(Fresh take on the animated hit from the early 2000s.).  NBA Basketball is my favorite sport, and I'm also looking forward to Run it Back Sunday, which takes The NBA on TNT's game of the week and remixes it for a fun hour.

I think the 3 new quarter-hour comedies (Robotomy, Regular Show, and Secret Mountain Fort Awesome) could be hits because when people want to watch something funny but don't have a lot of time, this would be perfect.  Sometimes I'm waiting to leave the house with my parents and have to wait for 15 minutes.  If they do well, Cartoon should make more quarter-hour comedies.

I'm really wondering if Slamball is coming back.  I loved that show, but they didn't mention it.

I had a lot of fun today.

Jared Sternberg

 

 

Nickelodeon's Got the Goods - Notes From the Upfront

I've been going to network and cable upfront presentations for more than 20 years, and Nickelodeon is invariably one of the best.

That's because they don't need to spend an hour or two spinning the facts - they actually have the goods.  And when you don't have to sell, sell, sell, you can finish your presentation in just an hour, even if you have some of your stars talk to and perform for the crowd.

After touting that this 2nd Quarter has been the most watched in Nickelodeon's history, and that Kevin James will be hosting the 2010 Kids Choice Awards, we heard about Nick's 5 key strategies.

1 - Supercharge Key Franchises:  Nickelodeon has basically had four major franchises - Blues Clues, Rugrats, Spongebob (in its 11th year at #1 in ratings among kids), and Dora the Explorer (which is turning 10, and will be celebrated all year).

2 - Expand the Brand:  Nick is partnering with Paramount to expand further into the movie business.  Director M. Night Shyamalan was at the presentation to talk about his upcoming movie, The Last Airbender.  He also brought along the new trailer.  It has an excellent cast, and looks like a winner.  It opens on July 4th weekend.  My family will be there.

3 - Family:  It is no coincidence that Nick-At-Nite is regularly near or at the top of the primetime cable rankings among adults 18-49, tweens, teens, and kids.  I've been pointing out for several years that roughly 80% of homes only have one TV set turned on during primetime.  Families are indeed searching for shows they can watch together,  Nick is one of the few networks that seems to understand this. 

Today's generation of kids actually want to watch TV with their parents - I know my 10-year-old son is always asking me to come into the other room and watch something with him.  And anyone with kids/tweens between 8 and 14 knows how popular George Lopez, Everybody Hates Chris, Malcolm in the Middle, and Glen Martin DDS are.

4 - Tweens:  Nick knows tweens.  My fifth-grader son and virtually all of his friends (male and female), love iCarly.  Ordinarily, I wouldn't say that sample is representative of the country.  But when it comed to this show it is.  Its star, Miranda Cosgrove, was at the upfront and spoke to the crowd.  Two new half-hour series will be going after the same audience, and I think will succeed in getting many of them.

VicTORIous is set in a modern-day Hollywood school for the performing arts.  It's cast will sing, dance, and perform original music.  Its lead, Victoria Justice, was at the upfront.  Clips of the show looked promising.  It will premiere on March 27th, right after the Kids Choice Awards. 

The other new show, Big Time Rush, centers around four male friends from Minnesota, who get the chance to be part of the L.A. music scene.  They were also at the upfront and performed (not bad).

5 - Lead in Animation:  While Cartoon Network has traditionally had strength among boys, and DIsney among girls (although lately going for boys as well), Nickelodeon's success has long been based on its dual-audience appeal.  The two highest rated kids animated series, Spongebob Squarepants and The Penguins of Madagascar, will be back, along with the still strong Fairly Odd Parents.

Pop sensation Justin Bieber also performed at the Nickelodeon Upfront, and was quite good (couldn't tell if he was lip-synching).  He will perform with Rihanna at this year's Kids Choice Awards.

I've dealt with Nickelodeon for years, and a few things are for sure.  They do their research, they know who they want to reach, and they listen to their audience (even if the results surprise them).  These are all the keys Nickelodeon's success.