December 15, 2015
By Kate Stanhope
The Viacom-owned cable network has greenlight a new series from the animation veteran, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
Additionally, Nickelodeon has ordered seven more episodes of The Fairly OddParents, bringing its upcoming tenth season episode count to 20. The series, which returns in January, is Nickelodeon’s third-longest-running animated hit, behind only SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer.
Bunsen Is a Beast! centers on the adventures of Bunsen, the first beast to attend a human grade school. On his first day, Bunsen befriends a classmate name Mikey, who comes to guide him through the ups and downs of life as a human. Bunsen also introduces Mikey to the wild and wacky world of monsters, which turns out to be a lot more fun and a lot less scary than expected. Twenty episodes of the new series have been ordered.
“Butch Hartman has been making kids laugh for decades by creating some of the most memorable characters and comedy situations that have stood the test of time,” Russell Hicks, Nickelodeon’s president of content development and production, said in a statement. “The greenlight of Bunsen Is a Beast! plus the pickup of more episodes of The Fairly OddParents extends our relationship with Butch to reach almost 20 years. We look forward to another terrific run from Butch, who creates funny and relatable content like no other.”
Said Hartman: “I’ve always wanted to create a show like Bunsen, because a monster as a main character is the perfect opportunity for endless creative opportunities and absolutely no rules. I think kids are going to really relate to the range of emotions and adventures that Bunsen experiences at his new school and how his friendship with Mikey develops.”
A writer and director on Dexter’s Laboratory and Johnny Bravo, Hartman joined Nickelodeon in 1998, where he created shorts for the Oh Yeah! Cartoons series, including The Fairly OddParents. He also created Nickelodeon animated series Danny Phantom and T.U.F.F. Puppy.
Bunsen Is a Beast! joins an animated slate that also includes Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Sanjay and Craig, Rabbids Invasion, Breadwinners, Harvey Beaks and Pig Goat Banana Cricket, as well as forthcoming animated mockumentary series Pinky Malinky.
The new season of The Fairly OddParents premieres Friday, Jan. 15, at 7:30 p.m