Nick Picks Up Eisner’s Glenn Martin

Tuesday, July 29, 2008
By: Ryan Ball

Michael Eisner, former CEO of the Walt Disney Co., has sold a stop-motion animated series to Nickelodeon’s Nick at Nite. The network has ordered 20 episodes of Glenn Martin DDS and plans to launch the show next summer. Celebrity Deathmatch creator Eric Fogel is helping to design the family-oriented production for Tornante Animation, a new division of Esiner’s Tornante Co.

In the series, the titular dentist and his family set out on a cross-country road trip in their toothbrush-topped dental mobile “dental mobile.” The concept is reportedly inspired in part by In Search of America, a 1971 ABC made-for-TV movie that starred Jeff Bridges as a college dropout who drove around the country with his family in a bus.

“Nickelodeon is a global brand synonymous with innovative and creative content for kids and families,” Eisner remarks. “This network is a great fit for Glenn Martin, DDS and I look forward to helping Nick at Nite grow their primetime line up.”

“Michael Eisner has been the creative architect of some of the most successful sitcoms in television history, and we're very excited that the first new series from his new company will be on Nick at Nite,” adds Cyma Zarghami, president of Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group. “Glenn Martin, DDS is an innovative take on the modern American family and has the potential to be a definitional program in Nick at Nite's lineup of family comedies like George Lopez and Home Improvement."

Eisner put up his own money to make the animated pilot. A team of 10 writers has been hired and animation will be handled in Toronto. An obscure comedy troupe will provide the voices with a bit of improvisation involved. Nick plans to heavily promote the series debut in conjunction with its September kickoff of the popular sitcom Everybody Hates Chris.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Eisner decided to bring his show to Nickelodeon rather than Disney because he appreciated cable channels’ strategy to make bets on a small number of shows and nurture them. “And Nickelodeon liked it, they bought it. It felt comfortable to me, period,” he said.

Reader Comments

• Zach Freidman : CEO : ZGF Alliance

  Tuesday, July 29, 2008

  Bet that \\\"obscure comedy troupe\\\" feels humbled by all the publicity, now that entertainment behemoth Nick has hitched its wagon to its star.

• duncan :

  Tuesday, July 29, 2008

  yeah like he needs more money....jeeesh.

• Josh :

  Friday, February 20, 2009

  I understand its not being done in L.A but by Cuppa Coffee Studios in Toronto.

• Debra :

  Thursday, May 21, 2009

  Darn right it\'s being done by Cuppa Coffee. I think it\'s ridiculous that they\'re not being given more credit. On the Glenn Martin website there isn\'t even one mention of who\'s doing the animation. That Eric Fogel character acts like he\'s the big dog on the set....bow wow Eric. You should be ashamed of yourself.

• Terry Thomas : Retired :

  Tuesday, August 18, 2009

  Seen some scenes, looks good. I like the animation. Cuppa is known for good work and so is the director.

• Joe Casper :

  Thursday, August 20, 2009

  When it comes to comedy, I consider myself fairly critical. I know what I like and I know what\\\'s funny. I\\\'ve been able to predict, with an 80 to 90 percent accuracy, whether (or not) a new sitcom will fail. This one is a little hard to call. I\\\'ve seen the first 3 episodes and, I must admit, I liked them. They weren\\\'t \\\"King Of The Hill\\\" or \\\"Family Guy\\\" funny (yet) but, they were entertaining. Let\\\'s remember that every new show is a work-in-progress. I believe that if it attracts, even a \\\'moderately sized\\\' audience, Nick will eventually have a hit. It\\\'s obvious that Eisner and CC have the tools necessary. I\\\'ve read that the show has received \\\"mixed\\\" critical reviews. I just hope that Nick and it\\\'s sponsors give it the time and effort necessary. If they do, I honestly believe it will succeed. Again, I like the show. I hope they hang in there.

• amber : fitness instructor :

  Tuesday, August 25, 2009

  I absolutely hated the show. I cannot believe that this is considered a program for children. If shoving your butt up an elephants behind is childrens entertainment then we have hit rock bottom. I thought that this would be a program that I could watch with my child, but I was seriously mistaken. Since when did Nickleodeon decide that it was acceptable to us profanity, vulgarity, and sexual innueindo to entertain our children? In my household it is not considered the norm to use words such as Heck, darn, crap, (thankfully even hear I censored it from virgin ears). I was appalled to watch an episode with my son and discover that my prime time Monday Night 8:oo program was adding to the downfall of our children\'s morals. If you do not agee with me, then I suggest that you listen more intenly to the content your children are viewing, even if it is a children\'s program. What\'s next?.....a children\'s program called my bisexual dad. America, what are we coming too? Now, I am thankful that I do monitor my son\'s intake on programs such as this; that consider josting at a \"Bromance\" while they squirt goats milk at each other, Please take this program off the air for the safety of our next generation.