Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Make a Triumphant Return to TV – Nick Announces Season 2 Pick Up
Series Premiere Scores Cable’s Top Spot for the Week with Kids Across All TV; Nearly 4 Million Total Viewers; and Nick’s Highest Boys 2-11 Rating for 2012
Nickelodeon Renews Series for Second Season with 26 New Episodes Ordered
Consumer Products Line Named to Holiday Season ‘Hot Toy’ Lists
NEW YORK–Oct. 2, 2012– Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo and Donatello – aka the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – made a triumphant return to television in their new Nickelodeon series premiere this weekend (Saturday, Sept. 29, at 11 a.m., ET/PT), ranking as the week’s top telecast with kids 2-11 (6.2/2.1 million) and boys 6-11 (8.2/837,000) across broadcast and cable TV, and the number-one kids program on basic cable with total viewers (drawing 3.9 million) for the week. Additionally, the new CG-animated version of the series hit a ratings high for Nickelodeon with boys 2-11 (7.5/1.3 million), and was the network’s top-rated premiere for an animated series since 2009. During its premiere weekend the series reached nearly 12 million total viewers.
Following its launch success, Nickelodeon has ordered 26 additional episodes of the series, which will begin airing next year. Additionally, the reintroduction of this storied franchise has already ignited excitement in the licensing community, with the new line of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles consumer products from Playmates Toys being named ‘Hot Toys for the Holidays’ on the prestigious Toys R’ Us and Time to Play lists.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is set in present day New York City, from the glittering towers of Manhattan to the dark depths of the sewers, and follows the adventures of four humanoid turtles and a six-foot-tall rat, Master Splinter. One day, while living a life in seclusion with his four pet turtles, the once human, Splinter, encountered a mysterious green ooze that covered him and his pets. Overcome by the mutagen, he was transformed into a rat and his four pets became humanoid turtles. Fearing persecution from humans, he brought the Turtles underground and raised them, training them to become ninjas. Years have passed since that point and the four turtles, Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo, are now headstrong teenagers, filled with the confidence of youth and a burning desire to see the world.
The series stars Jason Biggs (Leonardo), Sean Astin (Raphael), Rob Paulsen (Donatello), Greg Cipes (Michelangelo), Mae Whitman (April O’Neil), Hoon Lee (Master Splinter) and Kevin Michael Richardson (Shredder). The executive producers for the series are Ciro Nieli, Joshua Sternin & J.R. Ventimilia and Peter Hastings. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is premiering globally across Nickelodeon’s channels around the world.