SECRETS, LIES AND DRAMA UNFOLD IN TEENNICK'S BRAND-NEW LIVE-ACTION MYSTERY SERIES, "OPEN HEART," PREMIERING TUESDAY, JAN. 20, AT 9 P.M. (ET)

Series From the Producers of Degrassi Stars Newcomer Karis Cameron and Degrassi Alums Cristine Prosperi and Justin Kelly

NEW YORK - Dec. 9, 2014 - TeenNick combines suspense with relatable teen drama in the brand-new live-action mystery series, Open Heart, debuting Tuesday, Jan. 20, at 9 p.m. (ET). Produced by Epitome Pictures, a DHX Media company, in association with marblemedia, Open Heart follows 16-year-old Dylan Blake (Karis Cameron), the rebellious daughter of a fractured family of doctors, as she uses her stint as a youth hospital volunteer to secretly investigate the disappearance of her father. Open Heart will air regularly on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. (ET) on TeenNick.

In the wake of her father's disappearance, 16-year-old Dylan Blake falls in with the wrong crowd, gets arrested, and earns court-ordered community service volunteering at Open Heart Memorial, the hospital where her mother and sister are doctors and where her grandparents are board members and benefactors. All Dylan has to do is follow the rules. The hospital is the last place her father was seen alive and while most people think it's a straightforward case of abandonment, Dylan doesn't believe that and sets out to prove something bad happened to her father. Putting her old delinquent skills back into service, Dylan and her new friends--the bright and gossipy Mikayla (Cristine Prosperi) and the handsome charmer Wes (Justin Kelly) - start looking into her dad's disappearance, unearthing a trail of clues that lead them to some very unexpected places.

In the hour-long series premiere, "Last Things First," Dylan starts community service at Open Heart Memorial. She begins a covert investigation into her dad's disappearance and tries to get her hands on hospital security footage from the day he disappeared. Meanwhile, Dylan's sister London struggles with the pressure her mother, Dr. Jane Blake, puts on her at work.

Open Heart reunites Degrassi stars and introduces a crop of newcomers with a cast that includes: Karis Cameron as Dylan Blake, Tori Anderson as Dr. London Blake, Justin Kelly as Wes Silver, Cristine Prosperi as Mikayla Walker, Kevin McGarry as Dr. Timothy "Hud" Hudson, Patrick Kwok-Choon as Seth Park, Jenny Cooper as Dr. Jane Blake, Demore Barnes as Dr. Dominic Karamichaelidis, Elena Juatco as Scarlet, Mena Massoud as Jared, Dylan Everett as Teddy and Jeff Douglas as Richard Blake.

Viewers can immerse themselves in the narrative with a unique digital component that extends their on-air involvement with immediate and exclusive content that places them in the center of the mystery. The Open Heart: Unlocked! app, launching January 2015 on iOS and Android, allows fans to join the plot during and in between episodes to keep up with Dylan's ongoing investigation. The app unlocks Dylan's phone so viewers can scour her text messages, photo gallery and social media accounts to learn more about her private life and study the clues she collects. The Open Heart website (www.open-heart.com) continues the journey with exclusive character confessions and episodic bonus features. Viewers can also visit TeenNick.com, TeenNick's Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr for additional Open Heart content.

TeenNick, Nickelodeon's 24-hour TV network exclusively for and about teens and tweens, is available in almost 73 million households via cable, digital cable and satellite. Featuring a roster of ever-popular Nick favorites, original programming and award-winning series, the brand presents an authentic teen experience, with all its emotional intensity, energy and humor, across multiple platforms and integrated social media. TeenNick and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB).