ViacomCBS International Media Networks (Milkshake! and Nickelodeon)

Looking For

When it comes to Milkshake!, the most important thing producers should remember is that they are pitching shows for a morning preschool block on Channel 5 in the UK, says Louise Bucknole, the VP of kids programming for ViacomCBS International Media Networks.

“You’d be surprised the amount of people that have come to us with bedtime shows,” says Bucknole. “We bring a vibrancy and energy, a playfulness and happiness to the preschool viewers that we have."

In this case, preschool refers to content for two to fives, and Bucknole likes to hear very specific ranges when someone pitches to her. For example, she wants to know why a producer’s show is the perfect fit for a two- to three-year-old, which is quite different from a three to four-year-old—and she wants to make sure you know that.

Ideal formats are five, seven and 11 minutes, and content should have dialogue. But from there, there’s a lot of wiggle room. Milkshake! picks up animated content across mediums, including 2D, 3D, CG and stop frame. It’s also looking for live-action nonfiction and factual content. None of what Milkshake! picks up should be explicitly educational. Instead, Bucknole and her team look to celebrate and reflect the lives and culture of British kids.

“We can’t do that on every single show, obviously, [like] if it’s an animation about animals—but there should be an underlying potential humor or writing that has a British view or tang to it,” says Bucknole. She points to the current Milkshake! slate for a sense of what she’s likely to yay or nay. It's worth noting, if it’s already on air, why would she pick up more? For example, she’s not looking for content about dogs, pigs, monkeys, trucks, trains, or planes and absolutely no grandparents, as the channel really has these topics and categories covered. It also doesn’t need anything to do with jobs, hobbies, history, geography, recycling or water.

Milkshake! also has UK guidelines to follow, so Bucknole and her team look for shows that are at least 51% produced in the UK.

On the older kid side, the majority of content are international shows commissioned or acquired out of the US. But, with four channels to fill—Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Nick Jr. Too, and Nick Toons—Bucknole has a bit of space to play in original commissions. Series for these channels, broadly, should be relatable to the audience—whatever the age range—and should be playful, emotional, simple and diverse.

“We are pretty sassy on Nick,” says Bucknole. Aimed at at six to 12s, all content for Nickelodeon in the region should be live-action comedy in repeatable formats.

With so many different types of humor, Bucknole suggests writers place themselves in the shoes of the channels’ core demo of nine-year-olds, and ask themselves, “what would make them laugh?” A dry wit can work, but typically for that age group it’s a laugh-out-loud style of silliness (in the ever-popular vein of fart jokes and full-body humor) that’s required.

An issue that Nickelodeon hasn’t quite cracked: live-action. A lot of live-action shows are aspirational, and hit a bit better for the 10 to 12s. Bucknole wants to see live-action, serialized pitches for a slightly younger set.

For Nick Toons, pitches should be rooted in comedy, preferably slapstick, for boys and girls ages six to nine.

Both Nick Jrs channels are all about going on an adventure or journey, and letting kids learn about the things around them while on that journey, but still make sure it’s funny. The core target for both of the Nick Jr. channels in the UK is that upper preschool, four to seven range. Those animated shows can be 2D or 3D, but they don’t tend to look at stop-motion. For all of the Nick channels a 22-minute format with two 11-minute eps tends to work best.

Team

Louise Bucknole
General Manager Kids & Family

Demographic

Milkshake!: two- to five-year-olds; Nickelodeon: six- to 12-year-olds; Nick Toons: six- to nine-year-olds; Nick Jr. & Nick Jr. Too: four- to seven-year-olds