Nickelodeon makes telenovela grab with ‘Reach for a Star’

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Viacom Inc.’s Nickelodeon has struck a deal for 80 episodes of a prime-time soap opera for its Nick-at-Nite programming block that will debut later this year.

Based on the Mexican telenovela ‘Alcanzar una Estrella,’ ‘Reach for a Star’ is part of Nickelodeon’s ongoing strategy to bring young parents and kids to its Nick-at-Nite prime-time lineup. Once the home of old sitcom reruns, Nickelodeon’s Nick-at-Nite has been programming more original shows in prime time over the last few years -- a better counterpart to its daytime schedule of kid and teen series it hopes will attract more family viewing.

Nickelodeon has had some success with the telenovela format, which typically runs new episodes five nights a week, as opposed to once a week, with Nick-at-Nite’s mystery series ‘House of Anibus’ and the high school drama ‘DeGrassi: The Next Generation’ on the Teen Nick cable channel.

The single-camera ‘Reach for a Star’ follows the life of a teenage girl who becomes a star overnight and has her life turned upside down. Nickelodeon is partnering with Spanish programming giant Grupo Televisa and Sony Television on the show, which will be executive produced by former ‘General Hospital’ executive producer Jill Farren Phelps.

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-- Joe Flint