Village Gamer

Fall gets an early start in August on Corus Entertainment’s YTV with a jam-packed line-up of brand new series, home-grown originals and returning favourites. Viewers will be treated to new animated and live action series that add even more laughs and wacky comedy to YTV’s 2013 fall schedule. iCarly and Victorious fans will rejoice when three of their favourite stars return to the screen in the highly anticipated August premieres of Nickelodeon’s Sam & Cat, a crossover spin-off series starring Nickelodeon’s funny gals Jennette McCurdy (iCarly) and Ariana Grande (Victorious), and Wendell & Vinnie featuring iCarly’s hilariously funny Jerry Trainor on Monday nights.

New Canadian original series added to the programming slate include: Japanizi Going Going Gong!, a high-energy family game show with zany, larger-than-life challenges; the animated Nelvana comedy series OH NO! It’s an Alien Invasion; and a second season of the popular hit prank series Extreme Babysitting hosted by YTV’s popular on-air host Andy Chapman. And in November, after three successful seasons, Mr. Young takes its final bow on YTV with a five-episode arc that will keep fans on the edge of their seats as they tune in for the final hijinks between the series’ boy genius, Adam Young, his best friend and his high school crush.

“YTV has had a tremendous year as the #1 co-view channel for families and we’re excited to offer one of the strongest fall line-ups ever,” said Ted Ellis, Vice President, Kids and Family Programming, Corus Television. “This season, viewers can look forward to big stars, big stunts and big surprises, as well as a jam-packed schedule with even more hit shows and blockbuster movies.”

In addition to Sam & Cat and Wendell & Vinnie, YTV will be launching several other hit Nickelodeon series, including animated comedy Sanjay & Craig, about a boy and his best friend, who happens to be a talking snake, and the live action sitcom See Dad Run starring Scott Baio (Charles in Charge, Happy Days). Other Nickelodeon series slated to air in 2013/2014 include The Haunted Hathaways and The Thundermans. The Haunted Hathaways, created by veteran comedy writer-producer Robert Peacock (Reba, The Jeff Foxworthy Show) is about a family who moves into a house in New Orleans that is already occupied by a family of ghosts. The Thundermans, from Jed Spingarn, co-executive producer of Big Time Rush, follows the sibling rivalry between twins in a family of superheroes.

The network will also roll out new episodes of returning hit series Big Time Rush, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, BEYBLADE, SpongeBob SquarePants, Monsters vs. Aliens, Kung Fu Panda, Legend of Korra, T.U.F.F. Puppy and The Fairly OddParents.

YTV’s movie block Big Fun Movies, continues to be the #1 movie destination for families, airing feature films on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. Fall movie premieres include blockbuster hits Rio, Mr. Popper’s Penguin, Megamind and more.

NEW SERIES

Sam & Cat (20 x 30) – Canadian Premiere
Premieres: Mondays at 6 p.m. ET/PT beginning August 12

Sam & Cat is a brand new spin-off comedy from award-winning creator and executive producer Dan Schneider (iCarly, Victorious, Drake & Josh, Zoey 101). Starring Jennette McCurdy (iCarly’s Sam Puckett) and Ariana Grande (Victorious’ Cat Valentine) reprising their roles from their respective hit shows. The live-action series features the pair as unlikely roommates who become teen entrepreneurs by starting their own after-school babysitting business.

Wendell & Vinnie (20 x 30) – Canadian Premiere
Premieres: Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT beginning August 12

Wendell & Vinnie is new live-action family comedy featuring iCarly’s Jerry Trainor in his first starring and producing role. This multi-camera scripted half-hour show, follows 30-year-old Vinnie Bassett (Trainor) living the life of a carefree bachelor, when he suddenly becomes the legal guardian of his precocious, wise-beyond-his-years nephew, Wendell (Buddy Handleson, Shake It Up) forming a hysterical odd-couple family dynamic. Nicole Sullivan (Rita Rocks, MadTV) also stars as Vinnie’s older unlucky-in-love sister, Wilma, with Haley Strode (Gangster Squad) as Vinnie’s newly divorced neighbour and love interest, Taryn.

See Dad Run (20 x 30) – Canadian Premiere
Premieres: Mondays at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT beginning September 2

See Dad Run is a new live action comedy executive produced by and starring Scott Baio. The series follows David Hobbs (Baio), an actor who after 10 years of starring as America’s favourite TV dad, becomes a stay-at-home father to honour the deal he made with his soap star wife (Alanna Ubach, Meet the Fockers) so that she can return to the limelight. Mark Curry (Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper) also joins the series as David’s friend, Marcus. The series was filmed on the former Happy Days stage in Los Angeles.

OH NO! It’s an Alien Invasion (26 x 30) – World Premiere
Premieres: Saturdays at 8:30 a.m. ET/PT beginning August 3

OH NO! It’s an Alien Invasion is a hilarious Home Alone meets War of the Worlds style series for kids, in which a crazy band of partying aliens have invaded earth and hidden all of the planet’s grownups! This would make most kids uneasy, but not Nate; he’s been training for this moment his whole life. He and his Super Wicked Extreme Emergency Team (S.W.E.E.T.) are on the case to take back the world. Operating from their secret headquarters at the Swell-Mart, they must wage a resistance against the zany Brainlings (the Aliens), and find their parents. The animated series is produced by Nelvana Studio and written and developed by Philippe Ivanusic-Vallee and Peter Ricq, part of the creative team behind League of Super Evil.

SANJAY & CRAIG (20 x 30) – Canadian Premiere
Premieres: Saturdays at 10 a.m. ET/PT beginning August 17

Sanjay & Craig centres on two best friends, one of whom happens to be a talking snake, seeking maximum awesomeness in this brand-new animated series. The series follows the misadventures of Sanjay, an excitable and irreverent 12-year-old boy (Maulik Pancholy, 30 Rock) and Craig, a smooth-talking snake and master of disguise (Chris Hardwick, Nerdist, Back at the Barnyard). Together, they embark on epic kid-inspired quests that are at times totally ridiculous, absolutely gross and weirdly sweet.

Japanizi Going Going Gong!(40 x 30) – World Premiere
Premieres: November

Japanizi Going Going Gong! is a Japanese-style family game show adapted from the popular reality show I Survived a Japanese Game Show. Audiences will experience the madcap world of Japanese game show culture complete with conveyor belts, dizzy chairs, giant fans and Velcro walls. Each episode features four teams of two contestants who, unbeknownst to them, are dropped into a Japanese themed world filled with crazy costumes, physical gags, over-the-top stunts and a cast of zany characters, including Host Yoshi, Judge Masa, a ninja named Shinobi and his four sidekick ninjas who all add to the excitement as players battle it out through three elimination rounds to be the final winner.

NEW EPISODES & RETURNING SEASONS

The Next Star Season 6 – Season Finale
New episodes: Mondays at 7 p.m. ET/PT
Season finale: Sunday, September 22 at 7 p.m. ET/PT

It’s down to the wire as September brings three brand new episodes of The Next Star to the screen, leading up to the 90-minute grand finale broadcast live from Canada’s Wonderland on September 22.  Watch as the Top 6 finalists give it their all in a last-ditch effort to secure votes and become Canada’s next star.

Monsters vs. Aliens (26 x 30)
New episodes: Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. ET/PT beginning July 20

Monsters vs. Aliens is inspired by DreamWorks Animation’s 2009 blockbuster feature film and follows the further adventures of the beloved monsters — B.O.B., the gelatinous blob without a brain; Link, the prehistoric fish-man; Dr. Cockroach, the half-man/half-insect mad scientist; and Susan (aka Ginormica), the incredible growing woman – as they learn to adapt to a new world filled with bizarre aliens.

Extreme Babysitting Season 2 (13 x 30) – Canadian Premiere
New season: November

Hosted by YTV’s Andy Chapman this half-hour hidden camera prank show takes teenagers, who think they know everything about looking after kids, and puts them to the ultimate babysitting test – one that they will never see coming. Extreme Babysitting sets out to push the ridiculous meter on the usually mundane world of babysitting, without letting the babysitter know that they are actually on TV.

Mr. Young – Series Finale
New episodes: November

The final five episodes see Adam (Brendan Meyer) reflect on his experiences at Finnegan High School as his students get ready to graduate. And when a new teacher threatens everything he has achieved, Adam must work hard to try and turn the tables on him. But that’s not the only problem. Dang (Raugi Yu) has been called back to Vietnam to take over for Master Ki (Vincent Tong) as guardian of his village, prompting the Finnegan gang to follow and convince him to return to Finnegan for graduation.