Neil Patrick Harris Returns to Nick in New “The Penguins of Madagascar” Special Sept. 9
NEW YORK, NY — August 31, 2011 — Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother) returns as the title characters’ sinister nemesis, Dr. Blowhole, in Nickelodeon’s brand-new Penguins of Madagascar special, Blowhole Strikes Back, premiering Friday, Sept. 9, at 8:00 p.m. (ET/PT). The hour-long special features Harris performing in four original musical numbers, two of which he is singing alongside The Penguins of Madagascar characters. The series recently garnered six Daytime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Children’s Animated Program, Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program (Danny Jacobs) and Outstanding Writing in Animation. Year to date, The Penguins of Madagascar ranks as one of the top five animated series on all TV with kids 2-11.*
“Our viewers loved Dr. Blowhole in the first special, so we were excited to bring the character back and work with the very talented Neil Patrick Harris again,” said Brown Johnson, President, Animation, Nickelodeon. “In this second special, he has expanded his role with unforgettable vocal performances, including a stand-out power ballad.”
In the special, Skipper arrives in Shanghai on a super secret solo mission that leads him waddling right into a Dr. Blowhole trap. Without his men, who are back at the zoo, he is helpless and his memory gets wiped away by Blowhole’s “Mind-Jacker.” Blowhole’s despicable plan uses Skipper’s memories to locate Kowalski, Private and Rico, blast them with his “Diabologizer,” and render them evil monsters who destroy their headquarters. The lyrics from the special–which includes six original songs–were written by series executive producers Robert Schooley and Mark McCorkle and composed by Adam Berry, who recently won a Daytime Emmy Award for his work on the series.
Leading up to the premiere, Nick.com will help get fans ready for Dr. Blowhole’s return with training games and top secret videos. On September 1, fans can play Menace of the Mind-Jacker, a brand-new puzzle game based on the special, where Dr. Blowhole is stealing Skipper’s memories and players must match memory bubbles in order to fill Dr. Blowhole’s memory trap. Additionally, Nick.com and Nick’s social media channels will roll out songs from the episode and there will be a dedicated Penguins category on Nick’s video-on-demand. Following the premiere, Nickelodeon will air an encore of the special on Saturday, Sept. 10 at 10:00 a.m. (ET/PT).