Nickelodeon combines the roles of Princess & Knight in new animated television series "Nella"

Nickelodeon often sends some really intricate and detailed press kits to A Geek Daddy when it is promoting a new television series for the children's cable network and I received one of the best ones yet recently promoting Nella the Princess Knight which will be debuting in February.  Inside a cardboard case that folds out showcasing vibrant illustrations of the show's key characters was a necklace with a usb fob hidden inside containing videos of the first few episodes of the series plus screenshot images and written materials providing behind-the-scenes information about Nella the Princess Knight.

With all the detail they put into this publicity piece it really was something I want to share with all our A Geek Daddy followers.  The best part though of it all was this great hologram that shows both the Knight and Princess sides of Nella. First she's in a princess gown than with a flip Nella's in a suit of armor holding a sword and shield.



Nella thePrincess Knight follows Nella, an unconventional 8-year-old, who happens to be the same age as my daughter, who possesses the royal qualities of a princess, like compassion and grace, while also embodying the courage and determination of a brave knight.Whenever a problem arises, Nella embarks on daring quests to save her kingdom through her unique ability to transform from a princess into Nella the Princess Knight.  The first season of Nella the Princess Knight will consist of 40 half-hour episodes features a social-emotional curriculum aimed for preschool audiences, but from our family's experience will probably also be entertaining for elementary school aged kids as well, that promotes self-confidence, inclusiveness and compassion for others.  Following its U.S. cable television launch, Nella the Princess Knight will debut internationally later in the spring of 2017.

As a confident 8-year-old princess, Nella likes dancing at extravagant balls but that doesn't mean she's afraid to confront fire-breathing dragons.She transcends traditional roles and expectations through her ability to transform into Nella the Princess Knight, protecting her kingdom with the help of her friends: Trinket, Nella’s glamorous unicorn and best friend; Sir Garrett, a loyal and adventurous knight; and Clod, Garrett’s trusty steed.

Akira Golz, 12, is the voice of Nella in Nella the Princess Knight. The New York City-based actress has been performing and modeling since the age of five. In addition to lending her voice to Nickelodeon series Dora the Explorer and Peter Rabbit, she has appeared in print and television ads for Lilly Pulitzer, Cole Haan, Honda and Olive Garden.

Samantha Hahn, is the voice of Trinket.  As Nella’s unicorn and best friend, Trinket is always by Nella’s side for all her adventures.Hahn is currently studying musical theatre at Manhattan School of Music.She recently made her professional debut originating the role of Marigold in Nancy Holson's Nutcracker! The Musical.  Hahn is also a newly published author and illustrator of the children's book, Goofsville.

 
Micah Gursoy, 9, is the voice of Sir Garrett.  This is Gursoy's first professional acting gig.  Must be nice to start out as a kid actor as a lead character on a children's television series. Good luck Micah!

Matt Gumley is the voice of Clod, Sir Garrett’s trusty steed.  Gumley has been entertaining since he landed the role of Chip in Beauty and the Beast on Broadway at 7 years old.  In addition to voicing Benny the Bull on Nickelodeon’s Dora the Explorer, he spent most of the next decade performing on Broadway with roles in Elf, The Addams Family and Mary Poppins.

In the series premiere, “Sir Clod/Up All Knight,” Clod loses his invitation to the Royal Cafe Breakfast Buffet and must find it by lunchtime or everyone misses out.  Under Nella’s leadership, they brave Gotcha Falls, dodge through a field of poppleberries and traverse the bubbly Sudsycano in order to find it.  Also in the episode, a luminous phoenix shines brightly across the kingdom causing Blaine and the rest of Castlehaven to lose sleep. After the phoenix is locked up in the knight brigade tower, Nella must use her knightly skills to free the bird and convince everyone to come together as a group to solve their problem.

Tune into Nickelodeon with the youngsters in your life to see the February debut of Nella the Princess Knight then share your thoughts with us about what you think about this new show by tweeting @Geekdad248 or visiting our A GEEK DADDY Facebook page.

BIG HERO 6 animated television series coming to DisneyXD cable channel in 2017

I can honestly say that Walt Disney Animation Studio's 2014 animated motion picture BIG HERO 6 is one of my son's favorite movies and he has anxiously been awaiting news about a possible sequel ever since we went to see it at the theater.  He has all the action figure toys representing the film's cast, has spent numerous hours playing as BIG HERO 6's primary characters Baymax and Hiro characters on the Disney Infinity video game, and has watched the movie over and over again more times than I can count on the dvd we've added to our home video library.  So I find myself with mixed news to share with the boy after receiving an announcement from Gary Marsh, president and chief creative officer at Disney Channels Worldwide regarding the future of Big Hero 6 which has a bit of bad news but also plenty of good news for fans of the movie and its characters.

Starting with the bad news first -- it appears there won't be a sequel arriving in movie theaters for BIG HERO 6 in the foreseeable future and maybe not at all.  The good news though is that the adventures of Baymax, Hiro and their aspiring superhero team as the cable channel Disney XD has begun production on a BIG HERO 6 animated television series for kids, tweens and families based upon the Academy Award-winning movie which was based upon a Marvel comic book of the same name.

"Our colleagues at Walt Disney Animation Studios have created a brilliant world, inspired  by Marvel, with vivid, unique characters," Gary Marsh said in his announcement. "We are thrilled to have the opportunity to further develop these characters into a world class animated series -- full of fun, action and the kind of endearing storytelling that only Mark McCorkle, Bob Schooley  -- and Baymax -- can deliver."

Emmy Award-winning producers McCorkle and Schooley, creators and executive producers for the Disney Channel's globally successful "Kim Possible" series hope to create another popular hit as executive producers for the BIG HERO 6 animated series on DisneyXD.  Produced by Disney Television Animation, this new series picks up immediately following the events in the feature film, and continues the adventures and friendship of 14-year-old tech genius Hiro and his compassionate, cutting-edge robot Baymax. Alongside Hiro and Baymax on their journey are control freak Wasabi, scientist Honey Lemon, fanboy Fred and no-nonsense Go Go, who together form the legendary superhero team, Big Hero 6. As the new prodigy at San Fransokyo Institute of Technology, Hiro now faces daunting academic challenges and the social trials of being the little man on campus. Off campus, the stakes are raised for the high-tech heroes as they must protect their city from an array of scientifically enhanced villains.

While my son is going to be bummed that there isn't a sequel coming to the movie theater, I'm pretty sure he is going to be delighted by this new television series and looking forward to being able to enjoy continuing adventures of the Big Hero 6 team.

Care Bears & Cousins returns to Netflx for a second season

Those cuddly multi-colored bears that project love and good cheer from their tummies are returning for a second 6-episode season exclusively on Netflix beginning February 5, 2016. "Care Bears & Cousins" which also includes other animals featured in the same style as the charming bears who join together with their cousins for adventures in the imaginary land of Care-a-Lot is a delightful show that will project care and joy into the hearts of the children who view it.

Visit netflix.com/carebears to tune in to the brand new adventures of this huggable gang as they bring tales of caring and sharing to a new generation. "Care Bears & Cousins" is rated TV-Y.  Check out their 6 all new episodes exclusively on Netflix beginning February 5th.

If you'd like a Care Bear of your own for your kids to hug while enjoying the show check out the Tenderheart and Cheer Bears available through Build-A-Bear at Build-a-Bear.com/Care-Bears

Stay up to date on all the latest news about the #CareBears by visiting www.CareBears.com, following @CareBearsFriend on Twitter or liking the Care Bears Facebook page.

A Geek Daddy is a Care Bears #ShareYourCare Brand Ambassador.  As part of that blogger program, I occasionally receive Care Bears promotional information and products to review and share with blog readers.  A Geek Daddy does not receive any financial compensation for its participation in this brand ambassador program.