I've been raving for months to the folks at Nickelodeon about "Yo Gabba Gabba," and pushed for the exclusive when they finally picked up season two. Monday, it finally happened -- and I got the scoop.
"Yo Gabba Gabba" -- just named one of Time magazine's top ten new TV series of 2007 -- returns next year with 20 new episodes. I spoke to "YGG!" creators (and Aquabats members) Christian Jacobs and Scott Schultz on Monday to get the scoop:
The producers have also drawn up a list of potential guest stars to approach, while many more have contacted them about appearing.
"Yo Gabba Gabba!" will then start shooting the segs in April and wrap by the start of summer -- with an airdate soon thereafter.
"We always believed that the show would be amazing, but all the accolades and the great press have been pretty unbelievable," Jacobs said. "The motivation has been to do make a show that we thought would be fun for our kids."
Jacobs and Schultz (members of ska-rock cult fave the Aquabats) originally shot the "Yo Gabba Gabba!" pilot with their own money. After scenes were uploaded to the Internet, "Gabba" clips became an online phenom. The duo then partnered with production outfit Wildbrain ("Higglytown Heroes") and brought the show to Nick Jr.
For season two, Jacobs and Schultz plan to lengthen some of the music numbers, as well as spend more time showcasing each character's personality. Johnson said the channel is also doing focus group research with kids to get their take on what works on the show.
Meanwhile, merchandising will kick into high gear next year. Wildbrain has already released some "Yo Gabba Gabba!" apparel and figurines via its limited-edition toy and apparel subsid Kidrobot, but those higher-priced items were targeted more toward collectors.
The new batch includes 40 licenses in a wide range of categories, including homevideo (via Paramount), music (with Columbia Records), publishing (Simon & Schuster) and a master toy license (Spinmaster). Rivkin said items as diverse as bedding and home furnishings should hit stores by next Christmas.
Now, as a bonus, here's a sneak preview of this Friday's winter/Christmas episode. Click here if you're a PC user, and here for Mac users.
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