February 2009, Cover Stories
Nickelodeon’s original primetime TV movie Spectacular!
Premiering Monday, February 16 (8-10 p.m. ET/PT) -- rocks Presidents' Day as it follows charismatic Nikko (Nolan Gerard Funk, Smallville) on an offbeat road to rock stardom that takes swift, sudden twists and turns.
Unwavering, after he’s kicked out of his band and dumped by his girlfriend, the talented teenage rebel pulls out all the stops on and offstage, using dynamic new music to achieve his dream while facing fierce competition and learning some hard lessons in life and love along the way.
Spectacular!
is a riveting story with heart, great music and tons of tween appeal," said Marjorie Cohn, Executive Vice President, Development and Original Programming. "It’s uniquely Nickelodeon because it stays true to our tradition of great characters driving the story, but the edgy music gives it a contemporary twist."
The sparks fly when Nikko joins a musical group called
Spectacular! led by preppy Courtney (Tammin Sursok, The Young and the Restless) and mentored by the absent-minded Mr.Romano (Greg Germann, Ally McBeal). When Nikko’s ejected from his band for playing by his own rules, he needs quick cash to record a solo demo. Courtney grabs the opportunity to recruit the wannabe rock star as lead singer for her floundering show choir group, Spectacular.
A culture clash between the discipline of show choir and the spontaneity of rock and roll ends up producing a whole new musical style for the group (10 original songs take center stage) that could spell big trouble for a rival group. Two musical worlds collide as dueling teams of talented singing and dancing teens angle for a national championship.
Though a stickler for the rules, Courtney slips Nikko into the key spot vacated by Royce (Simon Curtis,
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat), who has defected to rival group, Ta-Da. Nikko is wary at first of the glitzy group – dazzling attire courtesy of Oscar-winning costume designer Angus Strathie (Moulin Rouge) -- but he’s also desperate to jump-start his solo career, and the potential prize money is a magnet. Fueling the competition further, Royce's gorgeous new girlfriend Tammi (Victoria Justice, Zoey 101) leads Ta-Da.
Will Courtney find a way to adapt to Nikko’s style? Can Nikko learn teamwork and can Courtney learn to "feel the music?" Can Spectacular compete with juggernaut Ta-Da? And above all, will Nikko remain loyal while his solo rock career waits in the wings?