Kids
Nickelodeon Preschool unifies Nick Jr. & Noggin creative & management teams
MUMBAI: Nickelodeon Television executive VP/GM Tom Ascheim has announced that Nick Jr. and Noggin will blend their creative and management teams to live as one unified group — Nickelodeon Preschool.
The new preschool team will be led by Brown Johnson who has been named Nickelodeon Preschool executive vice president, executive creative director and Noggin general manager. Additionally, it was announced that Teri Weiss has been promoted to senior vice president, development and production for Nickelodeon Preschool and Angela Leaney has been named senior vice president, creative director, Nickelodeon Preschool.
Johnson, a 19-year veteran of Nickelodeon, has been the driving force behind Nick Jr. and its preschool properties including Blue’s Clues, Dora the Explorer, Go, Diego, Go!, The Wonder Pets!, The Backyardigans, among others. In her new role, Johnson will oversee development and production for all preschool programming across Nickelodeon networks, including Nick Jr., Nickelodeon’s programming block dedicated to preschoolers and Noggin, Nickelodeon’s commercial-free digital educational network for preschoolers, states an official release.
“Brown has pioneered genuinely interactive TV and created a place where parents and kids will find the most diverse, unique programs and characters around,” said Ascheim. “Under her leadership, Nickelodeon Preschool will continue these traditions and invent new ways for the audience to play along, new ways for parents to feel great about our brands.”
Weiss will report to Johnson and expand her role to develop and produce the next generation of series.
In addition, Leaney will also report to Johnson and will bring her branding experience and creative eye to Nick Jr. and Noggin. In addition, Leaney will partner with Nickelodeon marketing and Nickelodeon digital to continue to build both brands.
Kids
Mukta Arts and Green Gold ink MOU to animate iconic film IPs
Kalicharan, Karz, Hero, Karma, Ram Lakhan to spawn animated shows plus features.
MUMBAI: When classic hindi movie meets animation, the result is a fresh reel of nostalgia with a cartoon twist. Mukta Arts Ltd. and Green Gold Animation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on animated shows and feature films drawn from Mukta Arts’ four-decade treasure trove of iconic IPs. The partnership taps Mukta’s SGM Animation Studio launched in 2025 as its dedicated animation and games arm and Green Gold’s proven track record in building scalable, homegrown franchises. Creative teams from both sides have already kicked off discussions, with the first project currently in development.
The slate will draw inspiration from landmark Mukta films including Kalicharan, Karz, Hero, Karma, Ram Lakhan, Khalnayak, Saudagar and Iqbal, plus character-led spin-offs from those universes. The aim is to reimagine these stories for today’s young, global audiences while preserving their emotional core.
Green Gold Animation (home of Chhota Bheem) founder and CEO Rajiv Chilaka said, “This partnership with SGM Studios allows us to apply our experience in building long-lasting animation IPs to a truly iconic film catalogue. Together, we aim to create animated worlds that are rooted in these legendary stories, yet designed to connect with today’s young, global audiences.”
Mukta Arts Ltd. filmmaker and founder Subhash Ghai added, “Mukta Arts has always believed in creating stories with lasting emotional value. Through animation, we are extending our IP into a new medium for the next generation.”
In an industry where timeless tales never go out of fashion, this collaboration promises to bring beloved characters back to life with a modern, animated glow proving that some stories are too good to stay in live-action. Stay tuned for the first animated frame to drop.
