Two stalwarts of Nickelodeon's animated programming are being revived for live-action adaptations on Paramount+. Dora the Explorer will have a new series, as well as The Fairly OddParents.
The news about the two shows came as part of an investor presentation for the Paramount+ streaming service, according to THR. ViacomCBS Kids & Family president Brian Robbins announced the child-targeted projects amid a variety of upcoming shows for audiences of all kinds, as the former CBS All Access is rebranded as Paramount+ and prepares for its March 4 launch.
Dora the Explorer premiered in 2000, featuring a curious girl and her pet monkey. The animated show was aimed at preschool-aged children, with simple puzzles and educational messages for its audience. It became a highly successful franchise, and in 2019 a live-action film was made titled Dora and the Lost City of Gold. The movie, starring Isabela Moner and directed by James Bobin, was a critical and commercial success.
The Fairly OddParents, which centered on a boy named Timmy who has a pair of zany fairy godparents, began as a series of Nickelodeon shorts which was picked up as a series in 2001. It ran for five seasons before being cancelled, but was popular enough for a revival in 2008 and remained in production until 2018. The series has also had its live-action adaptations, such as 2011's A Fairly Odd Movie: Grow Up, Timmy Turner!, which was released to celebrate the cartoon's tenth anniversary.
Robbins described the upcoming Dora and Fairly OddParents shows as being "in the vein" of Lost City of Gold, although few other details have been revealed.
In addition to new programming for its adult audience, such as a Frasier reboot and a return of Beavis and Butt-Head for a feature-length film, Paramount+ is planning a wide selection of new content for young viewers. Nickelodeon's celebrated animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender is getting its own division of the studio to accommodate more original content in its universe, beginning with a movie for theatrical release.
The new Avatar Studios, according to the company's press release, will be led by co-chief creative officers Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, the original series' creators and executive producers. The team will report to Nickelodeon Animation's President, Ramsey Naito.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter