or


[08/28/19 - 11:13 AM]
Nickelodeon Greenlights Unscripted Holiday Series "Top Elf"; Orders Full Series Pickup of "The Substitute"
"Top Elf," which begins production in September on five one-hour episodes, features kid contestants with extraordinary building and design skills competing for the coveted title of Top Elf.

[via press release from Nickelodeon]

NICKELODEON GREENLIGHTS UNSCRIPTED HOLIDAY SERIES "TOP ELF"; ORDERS FULL SERIES PICKUP OF "THE SUBSTITUTE"

Holiday-Themed Competition Show Top Elf Premieres December; Series Debut of The Substitute Premieres October

BURBANK, Calif. - Aug. 28, 2019 - Nickelodeon has greenlit a new high-stakes competition series, Top Elf, and ordered a full series pickup of The Substitute, it was announced today by Rob Bagshaw, Executive Vice President, Unscripted Content. Top Elf, which begins production in September on five one-hour episodes, features kid contestants with extraordinary building and design skills competing for the coveted title of Top Elf.

Hidden camera prank show The Substitute has been picked up for a full 10-episode series order, following the strong performance of two specials which aired earlier this year. Production on The Substitute is underway, with the series premiere airing this October.

Said Bagshaw, "Giving our audience a range of unscripted content in different formats is one of our top priorities. Top Elf is an irresistible opportunity to celebrate the holidays with a uniquely comedic approach to a high-stakes competition. Our first new format from this division earned high marks from our audience, so we're very pleased to order The Substitute for a full series."

In Top Elf, Santa has invited seven civilian "Elf-testants" to the North Pole in a competition that tests their skills in a series of holiday-themed challenges. Demonstrating the true spirit of the holidays, the Elf-testants compete to have their wish lists granted--not for themselves, but for someone in their community.

The Substitute features stars who are transformed by a team of Hollywood special effects artists to go undercover as professionals in various fields, surprising unsuspecting kids in schools, camps and other locations. During the reveal at the end of the day, each organization receives a $25,000 donation. The Substitute's first special debuted in April with guest star Jace Norman (Henry Danger), and the second special premiered in May, guest starring multitalented comedian Lilly Singh.

Top Elf is created by Mike Duffy and Tim Duffy of Ugly Brother Studios, who will executive produce the series along with Jimmy Fox at Main Event Media, an All3Media America company. Bob Schermerhorn (Project Runway All Stars, America's Next Top Model) and Lisa Fletcher (The Titan Games) are executive producers, with Fletcher also serving as the showrunner. Nickelodeon's Vice Presidents of Unscripted Content Paul J Medford and Mandel Ilagan also serve as executive producers. Michael Pearlman (Chopped, Project Runway All Stars) will direct the series.

The Substitute is produced by Industrial Media's The Intellectual Property Corporation. Eli Holzman, Aaron Saidman and Todd Hurvitz (Punk'd), serve as executive producers, with Hurvitz also serving as the showrunner. Jessica Brown, Nickelodeon's executive in charge of production and Vice President of Current Series, also serves as an executive producer.

Production of The Substitute and Top Elf for Nickelodeon is overseen by Rob Bagshaw, Executive Vice President, Unscripted Content.

About Ugly Brother Studios

Ugly Brother Studios is the Emmy-winning production company founded by twin brothers Mike Duffy and Tim Duffy. Ugly Brother creates and produces premium content themed around comedy, music, food and family including Ron Funches: Giggle Fit, The Funny Dance Show and the multi-Emmy-winning and James Beard Award-nominated Eat the World with Emeril Lagasse, among others.

About All3Media America

All3Media America is the U.S. arm of global independent television, film and digital production group All3Media. With teams in Los Angeles and New York, All3Media America's portfolio companies are responsible for hits that include the Emmy Award-winning Undercover Boss for CBS, the Emmy Award-winning United Shades of America for CNN, Chrisley Knows Best for USA, 24 Hours to Hell and Back with Gordon Ramsay for FOX, the Emmy Award-winning Cash Cab for Discovery, Worst Cooks in America for Food Network and Betrayed for Investigation Discovery. All3Media's unique federal structure, a model followed in both the U.S. and U.K., encourages the creative and strategic independence of its growing roster of production companies. Today comprised of 30 global production companies and counting, All3Media is one of the largest production houses in the world. All3Media is owned jointly between Discovery Communications and Liberty Global.

About Main Event Media

Main Event Media, an All3Media America company, is an Emmy-winning production company based in Los Angeles. Founded by producer Jimmy Fox, the company creates content across multiple genres including scripted, documentary, reality and original podcast production. Main Event is known for the multi-time Emmy-winning CNN series United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell and Investigation Discovery's Breaking Homicide. Additional works include the E! drama series The Arrangement, Snapchat's original series While Black, multiple specials for Discovery Channel's Shark Week, Amazon Prime's docuseries Inside Jokes, the comedy series Hollywood Darlings for POP Network, Is OJ Innocent: The Missing Evidence for Investigation Discovery, It Was Him: The Many Murders of Ed Edwards for Paramount Network and Make Me a Millionaire Inventor for CNBC. Main Event has been recognized for its work garnering TCA, NAACP and International Documentary Association (IDA) nominations.

About The Intellectual Property Corporation

The Intellectual Property Corporation (IPC) is an Emmy-winning IP creation and production studio based in Van Nuys, California. Founded in 2016, IPC develops and produces a wide range of television, film, documentary, and interactive mobile content. The company currently has series in production or development with a wide range of US broadcast, cable networks, and streamers including "Free Meek" for Amazon and the company's first scripted project, "Dirty Thirty", for HBO. In 2017, the company was awarded an Emmy and in 2018 a Producers Guild Award for its series "Leah Remini: Scientology & the Aftermath" which was nominated for another Emmy this year. IPC was acquired by Industrial Media in 2018.

About Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon, now in its 40th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The brand includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, digital, location based experiences, publishing and feature films. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB).





  [august 2019]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
    


· SUBSTITUTE, THE (NICKELODEON)
· TOP ELF (NICKELODEON)





[06/13/25 - 08:28 AM]
Peacock Reveals New All-Star Cast for Season 4 of Emmy Award-Winning Reality Competition Series "The Traitors"
Peacock's Emmy Award-winning competition reality series The Traitors will return for a fourth season with an all-new lineup of pop-culture powerhouses, hosted once again by the devastatingly witty Emmy Award winner Alan Cumming who also serves as executive producer.

[06/13/25 - 08:16 AM]
Prime Video Announces Jay Baruchel, Sydelle Noel, AGNEZ MO, Anggun, Kevin Weisman, Marc Blucas, Kevin Corrigan, and Kathleen Robertson Will Join Star Alan Ritchson for "Reacher" Season Four
The fourth season of the action-packed drama series starring Alan Ritchson is based on the 13th book in Lee Child's global best-selling series, "Gone Tomorrow."

[06/13/25 - 07:49 AM]
Starz Greenlights Propulsive Crime Drama "Fightland"
The high-octane scripted drama is set in the cutthroat, high-stakes, cash-rich, world of British boxing.

[06/13/25 - 06:00 AM]
"Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League" Streams Exclusively on Max on July 3
A sequel to the globally celebrated 2018 anime film "Batman Ninja," this original feature once again reimagines DC's legendary Dark Knight through the lens of Japanese anime, blending iconic characters with bold storytelling and visually stunning animation.

[06/13/25 - 06:00 AM]
Video: Prime Video Unveils Teaser Trailer for "Hotel Costiera," the New Original Series Starring Jesse Williams, Launching September 24
Filmed in Italy, "Hotel Costiera" is a clever action-drama directed by Emmy Award winner Adam Bernstein and by Giacomo Martelli.

[06/12/25 - 03:50 PM]
CBS Program Advisory: "A Grammy Salute to The Beach Boys"
To honor the life of Brian Wilson, the late visionary leader of the Beach Boys, the two-hour special will rebroadcast this Sunday, June 15 at 9:00/8:00c.

[06/12/25 - 02:00 PM]
Adult Swim Reveals New and Returning Series and a Forthcoming Special Featuring Top Industry Creators at Annecy International Animation Film Festival
Adult Swim also announced that the new quarter-hour comedy "Women Wearing Shoulder Pads" will premiere globally beginning Sunday, August 17 at midnight ET/PT.

[06/12/25 - 12:43 PM]
Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe Developing "Hit Squad" Animated Series Based on Gerry Anderson's Imaginative and Groundbreaking World
Set in 1990s London, the series follows an international team of talented spies hellbent on putting death before dishonour as they battle the murky world of hidden foes and dangerous villains.

[06/12/25 - 12:01 PM]
The History Channel and A+E Factual Studios Announce a Sweeping Nonfiction Event Series Building on the Legacy of History's Blockbuster Hit with "The Bible Revealed" (wt)
The 10-hour series represents a bold return to one of the network's most successful and influential properties, "The Bible," which remains one of the highest-rated titles ever for The History Channel.

[06/12/25 - 12:00 PM]
We TV Unveils All-Star Lineup of Celebrity Guest Judges for Season 2 of "Deb's House"
This season, Ms. Deb will be backed by an all-star lineup of famed artists who know what it takes to make it to the top.

[06/12/25 - 11:45 AM]
Prime Video Renews "Surf Girls" for Second Season
The five-part second season - titled "Surf Girls: International" - will premiere later this summer on Prime Video.

[06/12/25 - 11:31 AM]
Video: Peacock Debuts Trailer for New Original Series "Nelly and Ashanti: We Belong Together"
The eight-episode unscripted series is led by Nelly and Ashanti Haynes, who not only star in the show but also serve as executive producers, bringing their real-life chemistry and creative vision to the screen.

[06/12/25 - 11:01 AM]
ESPN Showcases the 2025 UFL Championship Game Presented by Underdog on Saturday in Primetime
This Saturday, the XFL Champion DC Defenders take on the USFL Champion Michigan Panthers from The Dome at the America's Center in St. Louis, both competing for a chance to hoist the trophy for the first time.

[06/12/25 - 10:31 AM]
Video: "Almost Cops" - Official Trailer - Netflix
When an overeager community officer and a reckless ex-detective are forced to team up, plenty of chaos ensues on the streets of Rotterdam.

[06/12/25 - 10:15 AM]
NBC Commemorates the 50th Anniversary of "Jaws" in Three-Hour Airing with a Special Introduction from Director Steven Spielberg on Friday, June 20 at 8 P.M. ET/PT
Plus: beginning June 15, "Jaws" will start streaming exclusively on Peacock through July 14.