ViacomCBS’s Kids & Family division announced is decision to consolidate all of its live-action production under one team, set to oversee development, current series, and studio content for both the Nickelodeon and Awesomeness brands. Shauna Phelan and Zack Olin will oversee the production of all live-action programming for the group, including the output of ViacomCBS-owned youth-skewing studio Awesomeness.
The move to streamline the division’s live-action operations comes as Shelley Zimmerman, executive vice president of live-action for Awesomeness, will step down from her position and departure from the company after nearly six years. Syrinthia Studer will continue in her role overseeing the combined live-action film studio. Phelan, Olin, and Studer all report to ViacomCBS Kids & Family President Brian Robbins. "As our content grows in demand from both our own audiences and from third-party platforms, consolidating all scripted live-action under Shauna and Zack streamlines our process to make the biggest creative impact possible," Robbins said.
Zimmerman, previously executive VP of live-action at Awesomeness and Nickelodeon, left ViacomCBS recently to join "The Morning Show" showrunner Kerry Ehrin’s Bad Attitude Entertainment, which has an overall deal with Apple TV+, as president of TV. Syrinthia Studer, who joined Awesomeness and Nickelodeon’s kids and family studio last year, will continue to head the combined entity’s live-action film studio. Rebecca Glashow, who previously served as co-head of Awesomeness alongside Zimmerman, left ViacomCBS last year to join BBC Studios in the US.
Some of the current live-action series on behalf of Nick include the “All That” revival, the “Henry Danger” spinoff “Danger Force” and Tyler Perry’s “Young Dylan,” among others. Recent live-action series from Awesomeness includes “PEN15” and “Light as a Feather” at Hulu and the two-season drama “Trinkets” at Netflix.
Nickelodeon will also premiere the CG-animated series “Deer Squad” in the US on 25th January. The series is a result of a partnership between Chinese streamer iQiyi, Nickelodeon International, and VIS KIDS, a division of ViacomCBS International Studios.