ABOUT AVATAR: BRAVING THE ELEMENTS

Nickelodeon, the number-one network for kids, and iHeartRadio, the No. 1 podcast publisher globally, are extending the worlds of Avatar: The Last Airbender and SpongeBob SquarePants with two original podcasts for loyal fans who grew up on the beloved franchises. Hosted by original series voice actors Janet Varney (the voice of Korra) and Dante Basco (the voice of Prince Zuko), Avatar: Braving the Elements will explore the Avatarverse, while super-fans Frankie Grande and Hector Navarro will take fans down to Bikini Bottom with SpongeBob BingePants. Co-produced by Nickelodeon and iHeartRadio, these companion podcasts will be available on iHeartRadio and wherever else podcasts are found starting this summer.

"The family podcast market is still nascent, and we're thrilled to be working closely with our good friends at iHeartRadio producing exciting new content for all audio platforms," said Douglas Rosen, Senior Vice President, Strategy, Business Development and Digital Products, Nickelodeon. "Not only are we extending our beloved franchises and IP to the audio landscape, but we're also working with creative talent to produce new ideas and concepts for all audiences."

"We're thrilled to be partnering with the team at Nickelodeon to bring such incredibly fun shows to audiences everywhere," said Will Pearson, Chief Operating Officer of the iHeartPodcast Network. "I'm not sure you could pick two better franchises to kick things off, and there's much more to come. We can't wait for fans to hear these shows."

Additional podcasts featuring beloved Nickelodeon titles from its library are currently in development and will be announced in the coming months.

Avatar: Braving the Elements (40 episodes, premieres Tuesday, June 22, 2021) - Enter the amazing world of Avatar through the official companion podcast from Nickelodeon. Join hosts Janet Varney (the voice of Korra) and Dante Basco (the voice of Prince Zuko) each week as they re-watch every episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender and break down key themes, notable battles, and behind-the-scenes trivia. Special guests from cast members to producers join them to explore elements of the Avatarverse, including the origins of the story and how Avatar was brought to life.

Avatar: Braving the Elements and SpongeBob BingePants are distributed by the iHeartPodcast Network.

ABOUT AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER

Nickelodeon's Avatar: The Last Airbender emerged from its three-season run (61 episodes), from February 2005 to July 2008, as one of the most beloved animated properties in history. Honored with a Peabody Award and Primetime Emmy, along with multiple Annie Awards and Genesis Awards, the series follows the adventures of the main protagonist Aang and his friends, who must save the world by defeating Fire Lord Ozai and ending the destructive war with the Fire Nation.

In addition to the series' success, the property has spawned into several bestselling book series, which continue to roll out new original stories. The graphic novel series most recently spent two months on the New York Times Graphic Books Bestseller list in 2020, and the young adult novels have spent 22 cumulative weeks on the New York Times Young Adult Bestseller list and have shipped over a quarter million copies. The DVD and Blu-rays are also incredibly successful, with the "Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Complete Series" generating nearly $38MM in retail sales since its 2015 release.

Check out the trailer PLUS this Entertainment Weekly interview with Janet and Dante:

https://ew.com/tv/avatar-the-last-airbender-braving-the-elements-trailer/

JANET VARNEY BIO

Janet Varney is an Emmy-Nominated actor, comedian, writer and producer. In the animation world, she's the award-winning voice of Korra on Nickelodeon's (now on Netflix) The Legend of Korra. On Hulu, she can be seen fighting dark forces opposite John C. McGinley in Stan Against Evil and as the entitled Becca on FXX's You're the Worst. She also created, wrote, produced and starred in the critically-acclaimed IFC online series Fortune Rookie. For the past 8 years, JV has hosted her podcast The JV Club with Janet Varney, where she interviews celebrities about their awkward teenage years. JV can also be heard as the AI "Sorry" on the improvised sci-fi comedy podcast Voyage to the Stars. On the development and production side, Janet co-created, co-wrote and co-produced Neil's Puppet Dreams, a series featuring Neil Patrick Harris and his puppet-filled dreams. She is co-founder/creative director/producer of one of the largest and most acclaimed comedy festivals in North America, SF Sketchfest: the San Francisco Comedy Festival, now in its 20th year.

https://twitter.com/janetvarney

DANTE BASCO BIO

Dante Basco was first introduced in Steve Spielberg's fairytale movie Hook, as "Rufio", the leader of the Lost Boys. Recently, Dante starred in Newline's Take the Lead, opposite Antonio Banderas, and starred in a pilot for Touchstone/ABC, The Chang Family Saves the World, written and produced by John Ridley and directed by Paris Barclay. He is also the new voice Disney's animated series American Dragon: Jake Long, as well as the voice of villain Prince Zuko in Nickelodeon's Avatar: The Last Airbender. Dante has also starred in his share of feature films: Biker Boyz (with Laurence Fishburne, Kid Rock and Derek Luke), Naked Brown Men (which he co-produced and stars in with his brothers), Extreme Days, But I'm a Cheerleader (with Natasha Lyonne, Cathy Moriarty and Clea Duvall), The Debut, Fakin' Da Funk (with Pam Greer and Tatiana Ali), Rave, and Showtime's critically acclaimed Riot - just to name a few. Dante has also appeared on Entourage, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Nash Bridges, Touched by an Angel, Providence, Hanging with Mr. Cooper, Moesha, and The Proud Family Dante recently made his directorial debut at SXSW with Fabulous Filipino Brothers.

https://twitter.com/dantebasco

Avatar: Braving the Elements:

https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-avatar-braving-the-elemen-83488502/