Nickandmore!

via Nickelodeon press release:

POP CULTURE PHENOM SPEED RACER ACCELERATES THE ACTION

IN NICKELODEON’S FUN-FUELED “SLAM” BLOCK PREMIERING AUGUST 25 ANIMATED SERIES BASED ON JAPANESE CULT CLASSIC SLIPS INTO HIGH-OCTANE SUNDAY PROGRAMMING BLOCK (4-6 P.M.) WITH BUTT-UGLY MARTIANS, ROBOT WARS AND INVADER ZIM

Acquired from DIC Entertainment, 13 Episodes of Speed Racer
Make American Debut on Nickelodeon

Santa Monica, Calif. — Aug. 14, 2002— The continent-spanning pop culture phenomenon/TV series Speed Racer slips into SLAM, Nickelodeon’s new high-velocity Sunday programming block set to premiere August 25 (4-6 p.m. ET/PT). Based on the original Japanese cult classic that debuted in 1967, this Japanese-produced, English-language adaptation centering on the global racing adventures of the teenaged driver of the super-powered Mach 5 makes its American TV debut on Nickelodeon. Slated for telecast on Sundays at 5 p.m. (all times ET/PT), Speed Racer packs extra action into the SLAM block that also features Robot Wars (5:30 p.m.) and the hip, humorous alien escapades of Butt-Ugly Martians (4 p.m.) and Invader Zim (4:30 p.m.).

“Nickelodeon SLAM will get the adrenaline pumping with this new version of the ever-popular Speed Racer that first captivated millions of kids in the Sixties and Seventies,” said Cyma Zarghami, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Nickelodeon. “Along with a kid-friendly version of Robot Wars, Nickelodeon SLAM block will also give action lovers some good laughs through the light-hearted, science-fiction misadventures of Invader Zim and Butt-Ugly Martians.”

A young Lancelot of the raceways, Speed Racer returns with his legendary Mach 5, a vehicle with no equal, racing into a brave but dangerous world filled with exciting new technologies, in this rendition of the classic series. In the suspense-filled, search-and-destroy dramas, the 16-year-old, who aimed to become the world’s best race car driver after losing his brother in the Earth Grand Prix, encounters spies and counter-spies in a web of subterfuge, conspiracy and espionage while trying to uncover the truth behind his brother’s disappearance. He battles evil forces with his friends, aspiring camerawoman Trixie Fontaine and her little brother Spritle.

The newly produced, kid-friendly version of Robot Wars, based on the original high-octane robotic action series produced by Mentorn Entertainment, features amateur teams who design and build radio-controlled fighting machines to battle it out in gladiatorial style. Slime Time Live’s Dave Aizer and Nick Games and Sports’ Vivianne Collins host the show, which puts kids in the driver seat to showcase their robot design ingenuity and strategies for the competition.

In addition, Nickelodeon SLAM encompasses the international hit series Butt-Ugly Martians, an irreverent 3-D, CGI-animated action/adventure/comedy series created and produced by Just Entertainment and Mike Young Productions. It’s joined in Nickelodeon SLAM by another quirky little alien, as the original Nicktoon Invader Zim, created by comic book writer/artist Jhonen Vasquez, tells the silly, twisted tale of alien Zim who’s spying on earth by attending grade school.

Nickelodeon, now in its 23rd year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, magazines and feature films. Nickelodeon’s U.S. television network is seen in more than 85 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic-cable network for six consecutive years. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.