Nickelodeon Reviving Iconic ’90s Character for New Show

Anyone who grew up watching Nickelodeon during the 1990s should remember Face, the character who hosted the Nick Jr. blocks. Like so many other pieces of the 1990s, Face is making a comeback. The character will be hosting his own show, with Cedric Williams voicing the character.

Face will host Face’s Music Party, a music variety series combining live-action and animation, Nickelodeon announced during its upfront presentation in New York City on March 24. The show mixes modern pop hits and nursery school classics to provide preschoolers with an at-home music party. The series will debut this summer and runs 13 episodes.

“Face is the OG emoji and has always embodied positivity, inclusivity, and music appreciation, engaging with kids in a uniquely personal way,” Ramsey Naito, president of Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation, said in a statement. “With Face’s Music Party, Nickelodeon will continue to carry on its legacy of generation-defining entertainment and introduce the iconic Face to a whole new audience of preschoolers.”

The episodes will focus on songs with themes like friendship, transportation, confidence, and even pirates. There will be four segments in each episode, including a kid-friendly music video from today’s artists. Next, children will get to sing along with iconic nursery rhymes before exploring Face’s music box. The finale is a dance-along finale featuring live-action kid dancers showing their best moves. Nickelodeon Animation produces Face’s Music Party.

Face made his debut on Nick Jr. in September 1994 to introduce viewers to preschool programs. He added some fun between shows with musical introductions and shorts. Each segment included Face’s memorable “brr brr brr” trumpet imitation. Face left Nick Jr. just after his 10th birthday.

Nickelodeon announced several other new projects on March 24. David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim (UglyDolls) oversee the first-ever television adaptation of Horvath’s Bossy Bear books. The first season runs 30 episodes. HexVet is based on Sam Davies’ graphic novels and follows magical veterinarian apprentices Nan and Clarion.

Big Nate, Blaze and the Monster Machines, Middlemost Post, and Are You Afraid of the Dark?: Ghost Island are all coming back for new seasons. SpongeBob SquarePants is getting a new season, a fourth theatrical movie, three Paramount+ movies, and more seasons of the spinoffs The Patrick Star Show and SpongeBob’s Under Years. PAW Patrol was renewed for a 10th season, while Baby Shark is getting a movie. Blue’s Clues & You! was renewed for a fourth season and will be accompanied by the Paramount+ movie Blue’s Big City Adventure.