Nickelodeon has ordered an additional 26 episodes of the upcoming CG-animated comedy series The Penguins of Madagascar, a co-production of DreamWorks Animation SKG. The pick-up brings the total order to 52 installments of the show, which will premiere on Nickelodeon following the network’s 22nd Annual Kids’ Choice Awards on Saturday, March 28 at 9:30 p.m. (ET/PT). The series will then move to its regular timeslot on Saturdays at 10 a.m. beginning April 4.
Based on characters form the hit DreamWorks Animation feature film Madagascar, The Penguins of Madagascar follows the adventures of Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private, four penguins who fancy themselves an elite commando strike force operating from their Central Park Zoo headquarters. While the brothers have their flippers full keeping their multi-species zoo neighborhood happy, their secret missions sometimes lead them to venture out to New York City’s busy subways and sewer systems. Just when they think they have things under control, they get a new neighbor in Julien, a party animal and self-proclaimed ‘King of the Lemurs.’ Throughout the season, the show will introduce new animals while bringing back old friends from the theatrical films.
‘Our partnership with DreamWorks Animation has yielded a true gem in The Penguins of Madagascar,’ says Cyma Zarghami, president of Nickelodeon and MTVN Kids and Family Group. ‘We’re excited to be bringing these characters to our audience with the same level of excellence they have come to expect from the hit Madagascar feature films.’
Produced at the Nickelodeon Animation Studios in Burbank, Calif, the series is exec produced by Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley, (Disney’s Kim Possible, Hercules, Sky High) and features the voices of Tom McGrath as Skipper and Andy Richter as Mort. Additional voices include Jeff Bennett (Enchanted) as Kowalski, James Patrick Stuart (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation) as Private, John DiMaggio (Futurama) as Rico, Nicole Sullivan (Mad TV) as Marlene and Danny Jacobs (Futurama) as Julien, King of the Lemurs. Sneak peeks at the show premiered on Nickelodeon over Thanksgiving weekend, drawing an average of 14 million viewers.
