Preschoolers, to the Starting Line! Superstar Race Car Drivers Danica Patrick, Jimmie Johnson, Chase Elliott and Kasey Kahne Guest Star in Nickelodeon’s Blaze and the Monster Machines
First of Six Brand-New Race Car-Themed Specials to Premiere Monday,
May 30
*High-res art available at www.nickpress.com
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Nickelodeon
shifts into high gear with a series of six all-new race car-themed
episodes of the hit animated preschool series Blaze
and the Monster Machines, featuring Blaze as a high-octane race
car and guest voice appearances from superstar race car drivers Danica
Patrick, Jimmie Johnson, Chase Elliott and Kasey Kahne. The first
special, “Race Car Superstar,” premieres Monday, May 30, at 1:30 p.m.
(ET/PT), followed by “Race to Eagle Rock” on Thursday, June 2, at 1:30
p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon. The remaining four race car episodes will
roll out this fall. Blaze and the Monster Machines, which
currently ranks as the number-one preschool show in its time period on
all TV, follows the adventures of the amazing monster truck Blaze and
his eight-year-old driver AJ. It’s also the first preschool show on TV
to comprehensively cover all areas of STEM (Science, Technology,
Engineering, Math) in every episode. Blaze and the Monster Machines
airs regularly at 1:30 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon, the top network for
preschoolers and kids 2-11.
In the specials, Blaze visits the racing town of VelocityVille, where
all the cars love to go fast, and meets four new race cars: Rally
(Patrick), a race car who is always first to the track and never misses
a chance to hit the raceway; Dash (Johnson), a car that is fun,
friendly, fast and the ultimate racing buddy for Blaze; Mark Set-Go
(Elliott), VelocityVille’s sensational starter who kicks off each racing
adventure with rock-star style and a signature rhyme; and Fender
(Kahne), a car that rules the raceway, but is excited to share the track
with Blaze.
In “Race Car Superstar,” a car named Speedrick puts locks on the tires
of other cars so they are stopped in their tracks, forcing Blaze to
transform into a sleek and aerodynamic race car to free his new friends.
Then, in “Race to Eagle Rock,” Blaze brings all of his monster truck
pals to VelocityVille for a wild race to the top of Eagle Rock. After
they all transform into race cars with supercharged engines, they have
to find a way to avoid Crusher’s attempts to slow them down.
Beginning today, the Blaze and the Monster Machines App will
feature a brand-new VelocityVille location, an update with 15 new levels
that focus on the STEM concept of velocity. Users can help Blaze and AJ
compete against other monster trucks–Starla, Darington, Crusher,
Stripes and Zeg–in one of six locations (The Badlands, Top of the
World, Dragon Island, The Snowy Slopes, The Monster Dome or
VelocityVille) and use blazing speed and problem-solving to overcome
obstacles along the way. The update is available today on iOS
and Google
Play, with Amazon coming soon. Leading up to the Blaze and the
Monster Machines race car specials, NickJr.com and the Nick Jr. App
will feature an exclusive first-look at the race-inspired episodes
starting Monday, May 23.
Nickelodeon and Fisher-Price®, a leader in early childhood
development and one of Mattel, Inc.’s iconic brands, will launch a new
toy line based on the Blaze and the Monster Machines race car
episodes. Available nationwide in August, the collection includes: a
Flip & Race vehicles assortment, Monster Copter Swoops, Flip and & Race
Speedway and Transforming Race Car R/C Blaze. The complete Blaze and
the Monster Machines™ product line includes die-cast, mid-scale and
feature vehicles, playsets, games and puzzles and outdoor sports and
party goods. Blaze toy sales exceeded expectations last year,
making it the #1 new preschool property of 2015.
In Blaze and the Monster Machines, the amazing monster truck
Blaze and his eight-year-old driver AJ have adventures that explore the
physics of how things move; tackle problems through scientific inquiry
and mathematics; and discover the parts needed to make everyday
technologies work. Each action-packed episode is filled with monster
trucks, physical humor and upbeat original songs with lyrics that
highlight a STEM concept such as adhesion, friction, force, trajectory
and magnetism. Blaze and the Monster Machines is created by Jeff
Borkin (Team
Umizoomi head writer) and Ellen Martin (Bubble
Guppies supervising producer).
Nickelodeon, now in its 37th 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 and feature
films. Nickelodeon’s U.S. television network is seen in more than
90 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable
network for 20 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com.
Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks
of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB).
Contacts
Nickelodeon
Leslie Byxbee, 212-846-6914
Leslie.Byxbee@nick.com
