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{{For|the 24/7 television network|Nick Jr.}} {{Short description|Programming block on the Nickelodeon television channel}}
{{Other uses|Nick Jr. (disambiguation)}}
{{Multiple issues| {{Multiple issues|
{{one source|date=January 2014}} {{Lead too short|date=July 2023}}
{{original research|date=January 2014}} {{More citations needed|date=January 2025}}
}} }}
{{pp|small=yes}}
{{About|the American morning block on Nickelodeon|the 24/7 channel|Nick Jr. Channel|other uses|Nick Jr. (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox programming block
| name = Nick Jr.
| image = Nick Jr. logo 2023 (outline).svg
| caption = Logo used since July 5, 2023{{efn|The logo's wordmark has been in use since September 2009. Additionally, this logo is a variant meant to be used for white backgrounds; the main variant has a white (for Nick) and blue (for Jr.) wordmark in conjunction with a fully orange splat.}}
| image_size =
| premiered = {{Start date and age|1988|1|4}}
| channel = ]
| parent = ] (])
| country = ]
| language = {{Unbulleted list|English|Spanish (via ] audio track)}}
| broadcast area = Nationwide
| headquarters = ]
| formerly_known = {{Plainlist|
* Nick Junior (1988)
* Nick Jr. Play Date (2007–09)
* Nickelodeon's Play Date/Nickelodeon Play Date (February-September 2009)
* Play Date (2009–12)
* Weekday Mornings on Nick: The Smart Place to Play (2012–14)
}}
| website = {{URL|https://web.archive.org/web/20240729053942/http://www.nickjr.com/|www.nickjr.com}}
| runtime = 7:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
}}
'''Nick Jr.''' (sometimes disambiguated as '''Nick Jr. on Nickelodeon''' or '''Nick Jr. on Nick''', and sometimes referred to as '''Nick, Jr.''') is an American morning programming block that airs on ] every weekday. It was launched on January 4, 1988. Nick Jr. features a lineup of shows aimed at children aged 2 through 8.


In 2009, Nickelodeon launched a separate channel named after the Nick Jr. block as a replacement for the original ] cable channel. The channel is known on air as the "]" to differentiate the two services.
{{pp-move-indef}}
{{Infobox TV channel
| name = Nick Jr.
| logofile = Old Nick Jr logo.png
| logosize = 300px
| logoalt =
| launch = {{Start date|1988|1|4}}
| closed = {{End date|2009|2|2}}
| network =
| picture format =
| share =
| share as of =
| share source =
| owner = ] (through ] and ])
| slogan = ''Play With Us!''
| country = United States
| language = English
| broadcast area =
| affiliates =
| headquarters = ]
| followed by = ]<br>]
| replaced by names = ]
| sister names = ], ], ], ]
| timeshift names =
| web =


{{Evolution of Nickelodeon}}
}}


==History==
'''Nick Jr.''' was a programming block on the ] television channel, seen on Nickelodeon weekday mornings. It was aimed at kids ages 2 to 7 years. On September 28, 2009, ''Nick Jr.'' was launched as a full channel, being moved out of ]. It is owned by ], a division of ].
===Early years (1988–93)===
Since its launch on April 1, 1979, and throughout the 1980s, Nickelodeon aired programs for preschoolers (most prominently '']'' and '']'') on weekdays from 8:00 am – 2:00 pm and weekend mornings. After Nickelodeon's preschool block premiered a slew of new shows in 1987, it began using the '''Nick Junior''' branding on {{Start date|1988|1|4}}, coinciding with the premiere of the Spanish program '']''. A new rebrand for the block that abbreviated its name to ''Nick Jr.'' was gradually rolled out from September 5, 1988 to summer 1989.<ref name="Nick Jr. Premieres">{{cite web|title=The Rugrats Timeline -- Through 1989 |url=http://www.rugratonline.com/timepr90.htm |date=2012-06-16 |access-date=2015-07-29 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120616133929/http://www.rugratonline.com/timepr90.htm |archive-date=June 16, 2012}}</ref> Nick Jr.'s new logo was orange for 'Nick' and blue for 'Jr.', and it varied in the shape or species (e.g.: two gears, trains, robots, planets, insects, comets, or elephants). Like with Nickelodeon, Nick Jr.'s ] featured the block's logo in different shapes and styles. At launch, the block aired from 8:30 am – 2:30 pm. On weekends, preschool programs aired at earlier hours of the day, and in the case of ''Eureeka's Castle'' went unbranded.


Until June 29, 1990, '']'' was featured, originally for three hours (two in the morning and one at noon), then for one hour starting in spring 1989. When Nick Jr.'s original series '']'' premiered in September, ''Pinwheel'' was split into two separate half hours in the morning and afternoon, where it remained until June 29, 1990, after which the block was truncated to run from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm on July 2, 1990, another solidified timing from 9:30 am to 2:00 pm on June 15, 1992, and lastly from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm on October 5. Much of Nick Jr.'s other programs at the time were of Japanese or foreign origin (including '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', and '']'').
== History ==


===Grow, Learn, and Play (1993–94)===
===1988–1994===
On {{Start date|1993|4|5}}, Nick Jr. premiered a new series, '']'', and received a new rebrand which prominently featured a new logo consisting of an orange parent and a blue child, and the slogan ''Grow, Learn, and Play''. Several Nick Jr. bumpers featured kids playing near a Nick Jr. logo and a theme song with the slogan sung to the melody of ], and interstitials were created featuring ''Cappelli & Company'' host ] on the set. Nick Jr. also started using a female announcer (who was replaced by a different one in 1995, 1998 and 2003) in its promos and bumpers. Nick Jr. began to invest more into producing original interstitial series (including 1994's ''Muppet Time'', forty two-minute shorts from ]) in order to stay within a self-imposed limit of five minutes of commercials per hour.


On April 4, 1994, the "Jim Henson's Muppet Hour" sub-block was created by pairing '']'' reruns with the new acquisition '']''. Due to Nick Jr.'s declining ratings as well as competition from ]' ] and ]'s Ready Set Learn block, Nickelodeon spent $30 million revamping the Nick Jr. block over the next three years.<ref> from Broadcasting & Cable</ref> On June 13, older-skewing Nickelodeon series '']'', '']'', '']'', and '']'' joined Nick Jr.'s lineup, as the block's branding was temporarily de-emphasized in favor of regular Nickelodeon branding until October 21.
From the morning of January 4, 1988, onwards, the ''Nick Jr.'' brand was in place and in use, with an approximate six-hour portion of the Nickelodeon broadcast day, at 9:00am – 3:00pm every weekday.<ref name="Nick Jr. Premieres"></ref> The logo for the new Nick Jr. brand became a distinctive feature for the block. At first, the Nick. Jr. logo was orange for "Nick" and blue for "Jr.". The logo varied in the shape or species (e.g. two stars, two trains, two trees, two robots, two balls, two castles, two pigs, two cows, two horses, two brothers, two cats, two dogs). Until July 1990, a former staple of the Nickelodeon lineup, '']'' was featured, originally for three hours (two at the beginning and one at noon), then for one hour during spring-summer 1989. When '']'' premiered in September 1989, ''Pinwheel'' was split into two separate half hours in the morning and afternoon, where it remained until July 1990. Much of the remaining time in the lineup, particularly early in this time period, was devoted to animated series, many of which were of foreign origin ('']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']''). Programming of both live action and puppeted preschool programming also appeared during this time. Many of the Nick Jr. ] were produced at '''VideoWorks Inc.''' with ], ] and ]. In 1993, Nick Jr. introduced its first rebrand in five years, with idents, promos, and bumpers featuring an orange figure with the word "NICK" it resembling a parent and a blue figure with the word "JR." in it resembling a child doing activities. The promos and bumpers featured a female announcer and some promos and bumpers featured kids holding hands and walking around the Nick Jr. logo. Several Nick Jr. promos and bumpers carried the slogan "Grow, Learn, and Play". This rebrand was short-lived, as it lasted until Face was introduced in the autumn of the following year.


===Just for Me/Play to Learn (1994–2003)===
===1994–2004===
On {{Start date|1994|10|24}}, the Nick Jr. block returned with new on-air branding and premiered two new original series, '']'' and '']'', resulting in 50% rating gains for the block. Nick Jr. also introduced Face, an animated mascot that introduced shows and interstitials and led into commercial breaks. In the context of his segments, Face was capable of materializing objects such as an astronaut, a robot, a clown, a window, a traffic light, stars, and even wood. He was also capable of creating a number of ] sound effects and voices including an iconic signature three-note ] noise usually following the name "Nick Jr." at the end of almost every bumper. Also, he changed colors, moods, and feelings. Face was voiced by ], who also narrated several Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. promos.


In 1995, Nick Jr. acquired broadcast rights to '']'' from sister network ], and later premiered '']'' on September 11 and '']'' on November 6 (both were produced by the Canadian animation studio ]).
The final pre-Face program aired on Friday, December 31, 1993 and it was '']'' right before the closing ID of Nick Jr and a handover to Friday's Nickelodeon program schedule. After that, they had an advertisement for Nick Jr.'s upcoming rebrand, also mentioning Face, the block's mascot. On Monday, January 4, 1994, proceeding the first network ID, Nick Jr. introduced ''Face'', the animated host that introduced, and wrapped up shows, and smaller variety pieces. More than 400 Face promos were created and produced by Nick Digital (]'s in-house animation studio), and later at Data Motion Arts from 1996 to 1999, and then at ] from 1999–2003, and finally at Tonic in New York from 2003–2004. From this point forward, he changed colors, moods, and feelings, also on that day a slew of new shows and shorts premiered, including ''Nick Jr. Little Big Room'', ''Muppet Time'', '']'', '']'', '']'', and ''Winky Love''. Nick Jr also moved its sign off time to 2:00 pm starting that day. Programming during this period included (but wasn't limited to) ''Allegra's Window'', '']'', ''Gullah Gullah Island'', ''The Busy World of Richard Scarry'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'' (re-runs, also aired as part of the original Nickelodeon), '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', and '']''. Face, in the context of its segments, was capable of materializing objects such as an astronaut, a robot, a clown, a window, a traffic light, stars, even wood, and of creating any number of foley sound effects including a signature three note "trumpet" noise used to lead up to the slogan ''Just for me'', followed by a ]. Face was voiced by Chris Phillips who also voices Roger Klotz on Disney's ] and various promos & bumpers for the MTV networks (including Nickelodeon's Next bumpers and promos from 1993 to the 2000s). Original ''Face'' was removed from the lineup on Friday, August 29, 2003. On Monday, September 1, 2003, Face was given a new look, which added eyebrows and a chin and straightened the eyes by inverting their colors from white dots on black eyes to black, larger dots on white eyes. Also, his voice turned into a D.J. rapper-like voice. Also, a new series of segments called ''Nick Jr. Play Along'' debuted, and the new segments were hosted by two fun, live-action hosts – Robin (played by actress ] <ref></ref>) and Zack (played by actor Travis Guba <ref></ref>). Alongside Robin and Zack were four ]s called the Feetbeats. New ''Face'' and the Play Along segments were removed from the lineup on Friday, October 8, 2004.


On {{Start date|1996|9|8}}, the first episode of '']'' premiered in primetime on ], then aired on Nick Jr. the next day. Nick Jr. also received a new rebrand produced by Pittard Sullivan. ''Blue's Clues'' quickly deposed '']'' as Nick Jr.'s most popular series. ''Rugrats'' was pushed out of Nick Jr.'s lineup after May 2, 1997, to make room for second showings of ''Little Bear'' and ''Blue's Clues''. '']'' replaced '']'' on October 7, 1997, after a series of occasional airings on the block from October 21, 1996, to February 1997. On March 16, 1998, the "nickjr.com" website was launched. Later that year, Nick Jr. rebranded again and introduced the "Just for Me" slogan. A sign-on and sign-off bumper featuring the "Just for Me" slogan was used on Nick Jr. video releases from 2000–04.
===2004–2007===


In the first quarter of 1999, Nick Jr. premiered three new series based on books, '']'' on January 11, and '']'' and '']'' in February, which helped increase the block's ratings. Later in 1999, '']'' premiered on November 28; the series' first episodes premiered on Nickelodeon Sunday nights before airing on Nick Jr. the next day. Nick Jr. briefly aired reruns of '']'' beginning June 5, 2000 ('']'' premiered on the same day) to promote the film '']'', before replacing it with '']'' on August 14, which became one of Nick Jr.'s most successful series.
On Monday, October 11, 2004, Nick Jr. introduced a new mascot named ''Piper O'Possum'', and also was branded by a new slogan, "Nick Jr! We Love to Play!". Piper O'Possum's last appearance was Friday, September 7, 2007. The last program that aired with this look was '']''.


The US dub of '']'' premiered on Nickelodeon on January 13, 2001, before airing on Nick Jr. two days later. '']'' premiered on August 20. On {{Start date|2001|9|24}}, Nick Jr. received a new rebrand produced by AdamsMorioka (who had previously rebranded Nickelodeon and ]) and Editional Effects, intended to have a greater appeal towards parents. In the spring of 2002, Nick Jr. altered the format of its commercial breaks, resulting in the removal of older network IDs dating back to 1994. Beginning on January 10, 2003, '']'' and '']'' were placed in Nick Jr.'s "Play Along Time" sub-block. On April 7, the day that sister network ] rebranded and introduced ], Nick Jr. aired some of Noggin's new original series ('']'', '']'', and '']'') as a cross-promotion. Nick Jr. continued to air ''Tweenies'' from July to September 25.
===2007–2009===


On August 29, 2003, the original Face interstitials ended their almost 9-year run.
On Monday, September 10, 2007, Nick Jr. was updated and introduced new graphics and music. The Nick Jr. logo's shapes resembled plushies now. The plushies seen in the logos included robots, bunnies, and monkeys. This saw the new look, which indicates preschoolers to play and learn with ''Nick Jr.'' characters. The first program aired with this look was '']''.


===2009–present=== ===Play Along (2003–04)===
On {{Start date|2003|9|1}}, Nick Jr. received a rebrand that introduced more than a dozen new logos; British program '']'' premiered the next day. A new interstitial series called ''Nick Jr. Play Along'' was introduced, hosted by two live-action hosts: Robin (played by actress ]<ref>{{cite web|title = Hillary Hawkins|url = http://www.hillaryhawkins.com|website = Hillary Hawkins|access-date = 2015-07-29}}</ref>) and Zack (played by actor Travis Guba<ref>{{cite web|title = About|url = http://www.travisguba.com/about.html|website = www.travisguba.com|access-date = 2015-07-29}}</ref>). Along with Robin and Zack were two ]s called the Feetbeats. Face was given a brand new look which added eyebrows and a chin and straightened his eyes by inverting their colors from white dots on black eyes to actual-looking eyes, and was voiced by ] announcer Babi Floyd. The new Face promos were produced by Vee-Pee Cartoons.
{{main|Nick Jr.}}
On January 30, 2009, ] removed the ''Nick Jr.'' branding from its lineup. ''Nick Jr.'' shows continued airing on the slot, but with the ] branding, replacing the ''Nick Jr.'' branding, and the addition of more frequent commercial advertising. The final program was '']''. On September 28, 2009, ''Nick Jr.'' replaced ] as a 24/7 TV channel.


Nick Jr. removed the ''Play Along'' interstitials aside from a re-edited block opening in February 2004. Starting in September 2004, Nick Jr. used a new on-screen bug to promote its website until March 3, 2006.
Despite this, original Nick Jr. programs continue to air under the Nickelodeon brand.


On October 8, 2004, the new Face interstitials ended their 1-year run alongside most of Nick Jr.'s older interstitial series.<ref>{{cite press release|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nickelodeons-90s-mascot-face-returns-in-faces-music-party-brand-new-music-variety-show-premiering-monday-june-6-at-11-am-etpt-301541082.html|title=Nickelodeon's '90s Mascot Face Returns in ''Face's Music Party'', Brand-New Music Variety Show Premiering Monday, June 6, at 11 A.M. (ET/PT)|publisher=]|via=]|date=May 5, 2022}}</ref>
==Cross programming with other networks==
Cross programming is a term used in ]. From 2000 to 2002 and from 2005 to 2006, Nick Jr. also ran a Saturday morning children's block for ] entitled '']'', featuring shows from the programming block. Between 2002 and 2005, it was part of the general ''Nick on CBS'' block, which also included programming from the main Nickelodeon channel. The block was replaced September 16, 2006, when ] (now ]) started the '']'' on ].


===Love to Play! (2004–07)===
Until the fall of 2006, Spanish language US network ] offered Nick Jr. programming in Spanish on Saturday and Sunday mornings, as part of the ''Nickelodeon en Telemundo'' block, which featured such shows as '']'' and '']''. In the fall of 2006, after the sale of Telemundo to NBC and the CBS/Viacom split, Nick programming was replaced with a Spanish-language version of ]/]'s '']'' block.
On {{Start date|2004|10|11}}, Nick Jr. received another rebrand containing interstitials co-produced with ] featuring the block's new mascot Piper O'Possum (voiced by ] and created by ]), and the new slogan "Love to Play!". Nick Jr.'s female announcer was replaced with Kobie Powell and Chris Phillips. '']'', '']'', '']'', and '']'' (the latter of which premiering alongside the rebrand) premiered on Nick Jr. in 2004. Between 2004 and 2007, Nick Jr. reduced its reliance on interstitial series and increased the amount of commercials it aired.


On April 5, 2008, competing Spanish network ] added Spanish dubbed versions of '']'' and '']'' to their Saturday morning '']'' line-up. ''Dora the Explorer'' spin-off '']'' premiered in 2005, whilst '']'' and '']'' debuted the following year.


On November 10, 2006, the '']'' "Best Day Ever" marathon on Nickelodeon pre-empted the Nick Jr. block.
For a brief time in summer 2010, ] (a sister network to Nickelodeon) aired a daily block of Spanish-dubbed Nick Jr. programs under the name ''Tr3s Jr.''. ''Pistas de Blue'' (episodes from the ] era of '']'') and '']'' were featured in the block.


On {{Start date|2007|8|20}}, '']'' debuted, and was the only Nick Jr. series to premiere that year ('']'' was set to premiere in late-2007, but was later delayed to premiere on {{Start date|2008|2|7}}).
Face made an appearance during the 2012 New Year edition of '']'', ]'s 1990s-oriented late night block. Face's appearances consisted of out-of-context clips that make him appear to be drunk or making adult comments (e.g. ''Yeah, grow a pear!'').

On September 7, 2007, the Piper O'Possum interstitials ended their almost 3-year run.

===Play Date (2007–09)===
On {{Start date|2007|9|10}}, Nick Jr. received yet another rebrand nicknamed ''Nick Jr.'s Play Date'' or ''Nick Jr. Play Date''. A new slogan, ''Play with Us!'', was also included. The bumpers encouraged preschoolers to play along and featured the Nick Jr. logo in the form of two stop-motion plushies. Starting in February 2008, Nick Jr.'s on-screen bugs were changed to match the branding. This marked the first time that Nick Jr. had no mascot since 1994. Starting on {{Start date|2008|2|25}}, Nick Jr. began its broadcast at 8:30 am.

===Nickelodeon rebranding (2009–14)===
]
On {{Start date|2009|2|2}}, the Nick Jr. block rebranded as ''Nickelodeon's Play Date'', as part of an effort to unite the Nickelodeon channel's programs under a single brand. NickJr.com continued to use the Nick Jr. brand name to categorize all of Nickelodeon's preschool programming. The block's new branding was designed by Melinda Beck, and many bumpers featured drawings, finger puppets or cupcakes. The bumpers' music was a choir of kids vocalizing, and ] was the announcer of each bumper. The Nickelodeon splat logo was edited onto the block's split-screen credits design and interstitials predating the rebrand. Starting on June 29 of that year, the split-screen credits were changed to match the branding. On September 28 of that year, the Nick Jr. channel was launched, replacing Noggin. That same day, the block became simply known as ''Nick's Play Date'' or just ''Play Date''. Starting in the summer of 2010, ''Nick's Play Date'' began its broadcast at 7:00 am.

In 2011, ''Nick's Play Date'' received a new rebrand featuring characters from the block's shows. That same year, ''Nick’s Play Date'' stopped using the branding’s split-screen credits, and started using Nickelodeon’s split-screen credits design. The following year, the ''Play Date'' branding was replaced with a modified version of the Nick Jr. channel's new branding known as ''Weekday Mornings on Nick: The Smart Place to Play''. Despite Nickelodeon displaying its shows' credits during the last 30 seconds before it since 2012, the branding retained the split-screen credits for Nick Jr. shows airing on the block until {{Start date|2014|5|2}}.

===Return of Nick Jr. branding (2014–23)===
]
On {{Start date|2014|5|5}}, ''Weekday Mornings on Nick: The Smart Place to Play'' rebranded back to Nick Jr. and began calling itself "Nick Jr. on Nickelodeon" or "Nick Jr. on Nick" while still using a Nickelodeon screen bug. When aired on the Nick Jr. channel, commercials for programs broadcast on Nickelodeon's Nick Jr. block usually end with "Over on Nick" or "Over on Nickelodeon" to differentiate the titles. On the same day, the Nick Jr. block also began to use Nickelodeon's on-screen credits to include more commercials (now 12 minutes per hour). On {{Start date|2015|6|10}}, the Nick Jr. website was fully redesigned to match up with the Nick Jr. app.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kidscreen.com/2015/06/10/nick-jr-site-gets-a-redesign-debuts-new-preschool-series/|title=Nick Jr. site gets a redesign, debuts new preschool series|access-date=5 September 2018}}</ref>

On {{Start date|2018|5|21}}, the Nick Jr. block rebranded with new bumpers and curriculum boards. Starting in the fall of 2020, Nick Jr. began its broadcast at 7:00 am once again for the first time since 2010. As of fall 2022, the Nick Jr. block has been extended to sign off at 3:00 pm, but by January 2, 2023, it reverted to having a 2 p.m. sign off time.

===Return of Nickelodeon branding (2023–present)===
On {{Start date|2023|7|5}}, the Nick Jr. block was rebranded to include a refreshed splat logo and used the Nickelodeon name in the refreshed bumpers, as well as refreshed curriculum boards, while the Nick Jr. channel eventually adopted the full rebrand on September 4.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://brief.promax.org/index.php/article/nickelodeon-returns-to-its-roots-with-preschool-rebrand|title=Nickelodeon Returns to Its Roots with Preschool Rebrand|last=Albiniak|first=Paige|work=]|date=July 5, 2023|access-date=September 1, 2023}}</ref>

==Programming==
{{Main|List of programs broadcast by Nick Jr. (block)}}

===Other Nick Jr. blocks for broadcast networks===
From 2000 to 2002 and from 2004 to 2006, Nick Jr. programs and interstitial segments appeared as a Saturday morning block on ] entitled ]. From 2002 to 2004, it was part of the general ''Nick on CBS'' block, which also included programming from the main Nickelodeon channel. It ended after Viacom and CBS Corporation were separated at the start at 2006 (but re-merged in later years) and was replaced by the '']'' block on September 16, 2006.

Spanish-language US network ] has aired '']'' (Spanish ''Pistas De Blue'') (from 1998 to 2000, as part of the ''Nickelodeon en Telemundo'' block) and '']'' (Spanish ''Dora la Exploradora'') (from 2005 to 2006, as part of the ''Telemundo Kids'' block) in Spanish. On April 5, 2008, competing Spanish network ] added Spanish-dubbed versions of '']'' and its spin-off '']'' to their Saturday morning '']'' line-up. A Spanish-dubbed version of '']'' was later added to the lineup on January 8, 2011.

For a brief time in summer 2010, ], a sister network to ], aired a daily block of Spanish-dubbed Nick Jr. programs under the name ''Tr3s Jr.'' to meet E/I requirements for its broadcast affiliates. Shows like ''Pistas de Blue'' (the Spanish version of '']'') and '']'' were featured in the block.

===Face's reappearances===
The 1990s Face made an appearance during the 2012 New Year edition of ], ]'s former 1990s-oriented late-night block. Face's appearances consisted of out-of-context clips that make him appear to be drunk or making adult comments (e.g.: "Yeah, grow a pair!").

In October 2015 for the Halloween/Nick or Treat season, the "Face the Monster" bumper would play on the block as a transition of introducing episodes of '']''. The same bumper would be used on the block as an April Fools' Day prank on April 1, 2017.

Face also appeared in an Easter promo for ], The '90s Are All That's successor, in 2016, encouraging viewers to look for the Easter bunny in 1990s Nickelodeon shows.

A re-designed Face voiced by Cedric Williams hosted the Nick Jr. show '']'', which premiered on June 3, 2022. Face's original voice actor Chris Phillips continued to narrate promos for Nick Jr. until 2023.


==See also== ==See also==
* ] * '']''
* ] * ]
* ]
* ] * ]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}


==References== ==References==
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==External links== ==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*
*{{Official website|https://web.archive.org/web/20240729053942/http://www.nickjr.com/}}


{{Viacom}} {{Viacom}}
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{{KidsTVBlocksUS}} {{KidsTVBlocksUS}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Nick Jr. (Block)}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Nick Jr. (Tv Programming Block)}}
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Latest revision as of 04:15, 2 January 2025

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This article is about the American morning block on Nickelodeon. For the 24/7 channel, see Nick Jr. Channel. For other uses, see Nick Jr. (disambiguation).
Nick Jr.
Logo used since July 5, 2023
NetworkNickelodeon
LaunchedJanuary 4, 1988; 36 years ago (1988-01-04)
Country of originUnited States
OwnerParamount Media Networks (Paramount Global)
HeadquartersNew York City
Formerly known as
  • Nick Junior (1988)
  • Nick Jr. Play Date (2007–09)
  • Nickelodeon's Play Date/Nickelodeon Play Date (February-September 2009)
  • Play Date (2009–12)
  • Weekday Mornings on Nick: The Smart Place to Play (2012–14)
Running time7:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Original language(s)
  • English
  • Spanish (via SAP audio track)
Official websitewww.nickjr.com

Nick Jr. (sometimes disambiguated as Nick Jr. on Nickelodeon or Nick Jr. on Nick, and sometimes referred to as Nick, Jr.) is an American morning programming block that airs on Nickelodeon every weekday. It was launched on January 4, 1988. Nick Jr. features a lineup of shows aimed at children aged 2 through 8.

In 2009, Nickelodeon launched a separate channel named after the Nick Jr. block as a replacement for the original Noggin cable channel. The channel is known on air as the "Nick Jr. Channel" to differentiate the two services.

Evolution of Nickelodeon
1977Pinwheel broadcasts on Qube
1979Nickelodeon is launched by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment
1984Nickelodeon introduces its Balloon font logo
1985Nick at Nite is launched
1986Double Dare premieres; Viacom gains full ownership of the network
1987The Big Ballot (later known as the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards) premieres
1988The programming block Nick Jr. is launched
1991Nickelodeon debuted their "Nicktoons" brand with Doug, Rugrats and Ren & Stimpy premiering
1992The programming block SNICK was launched
1994Nickelodeon launches The Big Help
1996Nickelodeon released its first feature-length film in theaters, Harriet the Spy
1996Blue's Clues premieres on Nick Jr.
1999Noggin, a joint venture with Sesame Workshop, is launched
1999SpongeBob SquarePants premieres
2000Dora the Explorer premieres on Nick Jr.
2001TEENick is launched
2002The N is launched on Noggin and the Nicktoons channel is launched
2005Nickelodeon premieres Avatar: The Last Airbender
2009Nickelodeon goes through a major rebrand: TEENick and The N merged to form TeenNick, Noggin was replaced by the Nick Jr. Channel, and Nicktoons Network became Nicktoons
2009Nickelodeon acquired the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise
2010Nickelodeon began co-producing the Winx Club franchise
2012Viacom and DirecTV have a contract dispute, causing Nickelodeon to be taken off the service for several days while an agreement was reached.
2015Nickelodeon revived Noggin as a streaming service
2019Nickelodeon acquires Paws, Inc. & the rights to Garfield (except for the first three shows and the movies.)
2023Nickelodeon introduced a new take on their classic splat branding
2024Noggin shut down

History

Early years (1988–93)

Since its launch on April 1, 1979, and throughout the 1980s, Nickelodeon aired programs for preschoolers (most prominently Pinwheel and Today's Special) on weekdays from 8:00 am – 2:00 pm and weekend mornings. After Nickelodeon's preschool block premiered a slew of new shows in 1987, it began using the Nick Junior branding on January 4, 1988 (1988-01-04), coinciding with the premiere of the Spanish program The World of David the Gnome. A new rebrand for the block that abbreviated its name to Nick Jr. was gradually rolled out from September 5, 1988 to summer 1989. Nick Jr.'s new logo was orange for 'Nick' and blue for 'Jr.', and it varied in the shape or species (e.g.: two gears, trains, robots, planets, insects, comets, or elephants). Like with Nickelodeon, Nick Jr.'s network IDs featured the block's logo in different shapes and styles. At launch, the block aired from 8:30 am – 2:30 pm. On weekends, preschool programs aired at earlier hours of the day, and in the case of Eureeka's Castle went unbranded.

Until June 29, 1990, Pinwheel was featured, originally for three hours (two in the morning and one at noon), then for one hour starting in spring 1989. When Nick Jr.'s original series Eureeka's Castle premiered in September, Pinwheel was split into two separate half hours in the morning and afternoon, where it remained until June 29, 1990, after which the block was truncated to run from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm on July 2, 1990, another solidified timing from 9:30 am to 2:00 pm on June 15, 1992, and lastly from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm on October 5. Much of Nick Jr.'s other programs at the time were of Japanese or foreign origin (including Fred Penner's Place, Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show, Adventures of the Little Koala, Noozles, Maya the Bee, and The Littl' Bits).

Grow, Learn, and Play (1993–94)

On April 5, 1993 (1993-04-05), Nick Jr. premiered a new series, Cappelli & Company, and received a new rebrand which prominently featured a new logo consisting of an orange parent and a blue child, and the slogan Grow, Learn, and Play. Several Nick Jr. bumpers featured kids playing near a Nick Jr. logo and a theme song with the slogan sung to the melody of London Bridge, and interstitials were created featuring Cappelli & Company host Frank Cappelli on the set. Nick Jr. also started using a female announcer (who was replaced by a different one in 1995, 1998 and 2003) in its promos and bumpers. Nick Jr. began to invest more into producing original interstitial series (including 1994's Muppet Time, forty two-minute shorts from The Jim Henson Company) in order to stay within a self-imposed limit of five minutes of commercials per hour.

On April 4, 1994, the "Jim Henson's Muppet Hour" sub-block was created by pairing Muppet Babies reruns with the new acquisition The Muppet Show. Due to Nick Jr.'s declining ratings as well as competition from PBS' children's programs and TLC's Ready Set Learn block, Nickelodeon spent $30 million revamping the Nick Jr. block over the next three years. On June 13, older-skewing Nickelodeon series Rugrats, The Alvin Show, Dennis the Menace, and Lassie joined Nick Jr.'s lineup, as the block's branding was temporarily de-emphasized in favor of regular Nickelodeon branding until October 21.

Just for Me/Play to Learn (1994–2003)

On October 24, 1994 (1994-10-24), the Nick Jr. block returned with new on-air branding and premiered two new original series, Gullah Gullah Island and Allegra's Window, resulting in 50% rating gains for the block. Nick Jr. also introduced Face, an animated mascot that introduced shows and interstitials and led into commercial breaks. In the context of his segments, Face was capable of materializing objects such as an astronaut, a robot, a clown, a window, a traffic light, stars, and even wood. He was also capable of creating a number of Foley sound effects and voices including an iconic signature three-note trumpet noise usually following the name "Nick Jr." at the end of almost every bumper. Also, he changed colors, moods, and feelings. Face was voiced by Chris Phillips, who also narrated several Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. promos.

In 1995, Nick Jr. acquired broadcast rights to The Busy World of Richard Scarry from sister network Showtime, and later premiered Rupert on September 11 and Little Bear on November 6 (both were produced by the Canadian animation studio Nelvana).

On September 8, 1996 (1996-09-08), the first episode of Blue's Clues premiered in primetime on Nick at Nite, then aired on Nick Jr. the next day. Nick Jr. also received a new rebrand produced by Pittard Sullivan. Blue's Clues quickly deposed Gullah Gullah Island as Nick Jr.'s most popular series. Rugrats was pushed out of Nick Jr.'s lineup after May 2, 1997, to make room for second showings of Little Bear and Blue's Clues. The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss replaced Papa Beaver's Storytime on October 7, 1997, after a series of occasional airings on the block from October 21, 1996, to February 1997. On March 16, 1998, the "nickjr.com" website was launched. Later that year, Nick Jr. rebranded again and introduced the "Just for Me" slogan. A sign-on and sign-off bumper featuring the "Just for Me" slogan was used on Nick Jr. video releases from 2000–04.

In the first quarter of 1999, Nick Jr. premiered three new series based on books, Franklin on January 11, and Kipper and Maisy in February, which helped increase the block's ratings. Later in 1999, Little Bill premiered on November 28; the series' first episodes premiered on Nickelodeon Sunday nights before airing on Nick Jr. the next day. Nick Jr. briefly aired reruns of Shining Time Station beginning June 5, 2000 (Maggie and the Ferocious Beast premiered on the same day) to promote the film Thomas and the Magic Railroad, before replacing it with Dora the Explorer on August 14, which became one of Nick Jr.'s most successful series.

The US dub of Bob the Builder premiered on Nickelodeon on January 13, 2001, before airing on Nick Jr. two days later. Oswald premiered on August 20. On September 24, 2001 (2001-09-24), Nick Jr. received a new rebrand produced by AdamsMorioka (who had previously rebranded Nickelodeon and Nick at Nite) and Editional Effects, intended to have a greater appeal towards parents. In the spring of 2002, Nick Jr. altered the format of its commercial breaks, resulting in the removal of older network IDs dating back to 1994. Beginning on January 10, 2003, Dora the Explorer and Blue's Clues were placed in Nick Jr.'s "Play Along Time" sub-block. On April 7, the day that sister network Noggin rebranded and introduced Moose and Zee, Nick Jr. aired some of Noggin's new original series (Oobi, Tweenies, and Miffy and Friends) as a cross-promotion. Nick Jr. continued to air Tweenies from July to September 25.

On August 29, 2003, the original Face interstitials ended their almost 9-year run.

Play Along (2003–04)

On September 1, 2003 (2003-09-01), Nick Jr. received a rebrand that introduced more than a dozen new logos; British program Rubbadubbers premiered the next day. A new interstitial series called Nick Jr. Play Along was introduced, hosted by two live-action hosts: Robin (played by actress Hillary Hawkins) and Zack (played by actor Travis Guba). Along with Robin and Zack were two sock puppets called the Feetbeats. Face was given a brand new look which added eyebrows and a chin and straightened his eyes by inverting their colors from white dots on black eyes to actual-looking eyes, and was voiced by Nick on CBS announcer Babi Floyd. The new Face promos were produced by Vee-Pee Cartoons.

Nick Jr. removed the Play Along interstitials aside from a re-edited block opening in February 2004. Starting in September 2004, Nick Jr. used a new on-screen bug to promote its website until March 3, 2006.

On October 8, 2004, the new Face interstitials ended their 1-year run alongside most of Nick Jr.'s older interstitial series.

Love to Play! (2004–07)

On October 11, 2004 (2004-10-11), Nick Jr. received another rebrand containing interstitials co-produced with Little Airplane Productions featuring the block's new mascot Piper O'Possum (voiced by Ali Brustofski and created by Josh Selig), and the new slogan "Love to Play!". Nick Jr.'s female announcer was replaced with Kobie Powell and Chris Phillips. LazyTown, Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends, Blue's Room, and The Backyardigans (the latter of which premiering alongside the rebrand) premiered on Nick Jr. in 2004. Between 2004 and 2007, Nick Jr. reduced its reliance on interstitial series and increased the amount of commercials it aired.

Dora the Explorer spin-off Go, Diego, Go! premiered in 2005, whilst Wonder Pets! and Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! debuted the following year.

On November 10, 2006, the SpongeBob SquarePants "Best Day Ever" marathon on Nickelodeon pre-empted the Nick Jr. block.

On August 20, 2007 (2007-08-20), Yo Gabba Gabba! debuted, and was the only Nick Jr. series to premiere that year (Ni Hao, Kai-Lan was set to premiere in late-2007, but was later delayed to premiere on February 7, 2008 (2008-02-07)).

On September 7, 2007, the Piper O'Possum interstitials ended their almost 3-year run.

Play Date (2007–09)

On September 10, 2007 (2007-09-10), Nick Jr. received yet another rebrand nicknamed Nick Jr.'s Play Date or Nick Jr. Play Date. A new slogan, Play with Us!, was also included. The bumpers encouraged preschoolers to play along and featured the Nick Jr. logo in the form of two stop-motion plushies. Starting in February 2008, Nick Jr.'s on-screen bugs were changed to match the branding. This marked the first time that Nick Jr. had no mascot since 1994. Starting on February 25, 2008 (2008-02-25), Nick Jr. began its broadcast at 8:30 am.

Nickelodeon rebranding (2009–14)

Former logo used from September 28, 2009 to May 18, 2018.

On February 2, 2009 (2009-02-02), the Nick Jr. block rebranded as Nickelodeon's Play Date, as part of an effort to unite the Nickelodeon channel's programs under a single brand. NickJr.com continued to use the Nick Jr. brand name to categorize all of Nickelodeon's preschool programming. The block's new branding was designed by Melinda Beck, and many bumpers featured drawings, finger puppets or cupcakes. The bumpers' music was a choir of kids vocalizing, and Nicolette Pierini was the announcer of each bumper. The Nickelodeon splat logo was edited onto the block's split-screen credits design and interstitials predating the rebrand. Starting on June 29 of that year, the split-screen credits were changed to match the branding. On September 28 of that year, the Nick Jr. channel was launched, replacing Noggin. That same day, the block became simply known as Nick's Play Date or just Play Date. Starting in the summer of 2010, Nick's Play Date began its broadcast at 7:00 am.

In 2011, Nick's Play Date received a new rebrand featuring characters from the block's shows. That same year, Nick’s Play Date stopped using the branding’s split-screen credits, and started using Nickelodeon’s split-screen credits design. The following year, the Play Date branding was replaced with a modified version of the Nick Jr. channel's new branding known as Weekday Mornings on Nick: The Smart Place to Play. Despite Nickelodeon displaying its shows' credits during the last 30 seconds before it since 2012, the branding retained the split-screen credits for Nick Jr. shows airing on the block until May 2, 2014 (2014-05-02).

Return of Nick Jr. branding (2014–23)

Logo used since May 21, 2018; in which the logo is in slightly darker color. Concurrently used alongside the 2023 logo since July 5, 2023.

On May 5, 2014 (2014-05-05), Weekday Mornings on Nick: The Smart Place to Play rebranded back to Nick Jr. and began calling itself "Nick Jr. on Nickelodeon" or "Nick Jr. on Nick" while still using a Nickelodeon screen bug. When aired on the Nick Jr. channel, commercials for programs broadcast on Nickelodeon's Nick Jr. block usually end with "Over on Nick" or "Over on Nickelodeon" to differentiate the titles. On the same day, the Nick Jr. block also began to use Nickelodeon's on-screen credits to include more commercials (now 12 minutes per hour). On June 10, 2015 (2015-06-10), the Nick Jr. website was fully redesigned to match up with the Nick Jr. app.

On May 21, 2018 (2018-05-21), the Nick Jr. block rebranded with new bumpers and curriculum boards. Starting in the fall of 2020, Nick Jr. began its broadcast at 7:00 am once again for the first time since 2010. As of fall 2022, the Nick Jr. block has been extended to sign off at 3:00 pm, but by January 2, 2023, it reverted to having a 2 p.m. sign off time.

Return of Nickelodeon branding (2023–present)

On July 5, 2023 (2023-07-05), the Nick Jr. block was rebranded to include a refreshed splat logo and used the Nickelodeon name in the refreshed bumpers, as well as refreshed curriculum boards, while the Nick Jr. channel eventually adopted the full rebrand on September 4.

Programming

Main article: List of programs broadcast by Nick Jr. (block)

Other Nick Jr. blocks for broadcast networks

From 2000 to 2002 and from 2004 to 2006, Nick Jr. programs and interstitial segments appeared as a Saturday morning block on CBS entitled Nick Jr. on CBS. From 2002 to 2004, it was part of the general Nick on CBS block, which also included programming from the main Nickelodeon channel. It ended after Viacom and CBS Corporation were separated at the start at 2006 (but re-merged in later years) and was replaced by the KOL Secret Slumber Party block on September 16, 2006.

Spanish-language US network Telemundo has aired Blue's Clues (Spanish Pistas De Blue) (from 1998 to 2000, as part of the Nickelodeon en Telemundo block) and Dora the Explorer (Spanish Dora la Exploradora) (from 2005 to 2006, as part of the Telemundo Kids block) in Spanish. On April 5, 2008, competing Spanish network Univision added Spanish-dubbed versions of Dora the Explorer and its spin-off Go, Diego, Go! to their Saturday morning Planeta U line-up. A Spanish-dubbed version of The Backyardigans was later added to the lineup on January 8, 2011.

For a brief time in summer 2010, Tr3s, a sister network to Nickelodeon, aired a daily block of Spanish-dubbed Nick Jr. programs under the name Tr3s Jr. to meet E/I requirements for its broadcast affiliates. Shows like Pistas de Blue (the Spanish version of Blue's Clues) and Wonder Pets! were featured in the block.

Face's reappearances

The 1990s Face made an appearance during the 2012 New Year edition of The '90s Are All That, TeenNick's former 1990s-oriented late-night block. Face's appearances consisted of out-of-context clips that make him appear to be drunk or making adult comments (e.g.: "Yeah, grow a pair!").

In October 2015 for the Halloween/Nick or Treat season, the "Face the Monster" bumper would play on the block as a transition of introducing episodes of Aaahh!!! Real Monsters. The same bumper would be used on the block as an April Fools' Day prank on April 1, 2017.

Face also appeared in an Easter promo for The Splat, The '90s Are All That's successor, in 2016, encouraging viewers to look for the Easter bunny in 1990s Nickelodeon shows.

A re-designed Face voiced by Cedric Williams hosted the Nick Jr. show Face's Music Party, which premiered on June 3, 2022. Face's original voice actor Chris Phillips continued to narrate promos for Nick Jr. until 2023.

See also

Notes

  1. The logo's wordmark has been in use since September 2009. Additionally, this logo is a variant meant to be used for white backgrounds; the main variant has a white (for Nick) and blue (for Jr.) wordmark in conjunction with a fully orange splat.

References

  1. "The Rugrats Timeline -- Through 1989". 2012-06-16. Archived from the original on June 16, 2012. Retrieved 2015-07-29.
  2. Nick to spend $30 million on kids (page 53) from Broadcasting & Cable
  3. "Hillary Hawkins". Hillary Hawkins. Retrieved 2015-07-29.
  4. "About". www.travisguba.com. Retrieved 2015-07-29.
  5. "Nickelodeon's '90s Mascot Face Returns in Face's Music Party, Brand-New Music Variety Show Premiering Monday, June 6, at 11 A.M. (ET/PT)" (Press release). Nickelodeon. May 5, 2022 – via PR Newswire.
  6. "Nick Jr. site gets a redesign, debuts new preschool series". Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  7. Albiniak, Paige (July 5, 2023). "Nickelodeon Returns to Its Roots with Preschool Rebrand". Promax. Retrieved September 1, 2023.

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