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Nick Rocks

Nick Rocks
Also known asNick Rocks: Video to Go
Presented by"Joe from Chicago"
Theme music composerEdd Kalehoff
Country of originUnited States
Production
ProducerAndy Bamberger
EditorCharles Weissman
Running time30 minutes
Original release
NetworkNickelodeon
Release1984 (1984) –
1989 (1989)

Nick Rocks: Video to Go, usually shortened to Nick Rocks, is a music video television series that aired on American cable channel Nickelodeon from 1984 to 1989. It features pop and rock music videos over a 30-minute timeframe, presented in a countdown format. The show was typically hosted by a man identified on-air as "Joe from Chicago". Most episodes feature Joe traveling to various locations to hear viewers request specific music videos. Several guest hosts were featured over the program's run, such as The Monkees and They Might Be Giants.

Music videos played on the show were decided using request letters sent in by viewers. In 1987, five to six thousand requests were received weekly.[1] Many musical guests on Nick Rocks were also seen on Nickelodeon sister channel MTV at the time; according to Nickelodeon president Geraldine Laybourne, MTV executives assisted in finding talent for the program.[2]

History

Upon the series' premiere in 1984, representatives for Nickelodeon's parent company Warner-Amex addressed concerns that the program would show "indecent" music videos like sister network MTV. Warner-Amex's Margaret Wade told Newsweek that schedulers would be "meticulous" in choosing what to show on Nick Rocks.[3]

Nick Rocks was initially broadcast three times a week until July 1984, when it became part of Nickelodeon's daily rotation.[3] In 1987, The Monkees became involved in a dispute with their supporters at MTV, causing MTV to pull the group's videos; as a result, "The Monkees" videos were transferred to Nick Rocks. The band's "Heart and Soul" music video was voted by Nick Rocks viewers to be their favorite 1987 music video.[4] Despite heavy promotion on Nickelodeon, the founders of the Monkees' label RhinoRecords felt that the transition from MTV to Nickelodeon was a reason behind the commercial failure of the Monkees' album Pool It!.[4]

Nickelodeon launched several promotional events in support of Nick Rocks. In 1984, a musical presentation called "Nick Night" was staged at New York's Nassau Coliseum to advertise the series.[5] In 1987, the network held the "Jet for a Day" sweepstakes, with the prize being a role on Nick Rocks and tickets to a The Jets concert.[6] After production on Nick Rocks ended, Nickelodeon incorporated past episodes into a three-hour variety show known as Total Panic.[7] The program aired on Sunday mornings in 1989 and was produced by Andy Bamberger, who also produced Nick Rocks.

Merchandise

Nickelodeon staff distributed Nick Rocks merchandise, including buttons and decals, at the "Nick Night" event in 1984.[5] 1990 issues of Nickelodeon Magazine, sold exclusively at Pizza Hut restaurants, featured pop culture quizzes based on rerunning Nick Rocks episodes.[8] While Nick Rocks was never released on home video while running, clips of an episode of Nick Rocks starring They Might Be Giants is included as a bonus feature on the DVD release of the band's 2003 film, Gigantic: A Tale of Two Johns.[9]

Nick Jr. Rocks

Nick Jr. Rocks title card.

A spin-off geared towards preschool viewers, titled Nick Jr. Rocks, premiered as part of Nickelodeon's Nick Jr. block in October 1991.[10] The series was produced by actress Shelley Duvall and initially ran for five minutes at a time. Differently from its predecessor, Nick Jr. Rocks featured original music videos created specifically for the program.[11][12] According to a 1991 interview with Duvall, Nickelodeon offered her as much airtime as she wanted for the series; as a result, Nick Jr. Rocks had no permanent position on the network's lineup.[13]

References

  1. ^ Vare, Ethlie Ann (December 13, 1987). "What do kids watch?". Index-Journal. Greenwood, South Carolina.
  2. ^ Brennan, Patricia (September 25, 1988). "The kids' channel that 'Double Dares' to be different". The Washington Post. Nash Holdings LLC.
  3. ^ a b "Tuning in on kiddie videos". Newsweek. Vol. 103. The Washington Post Company. April 16, 1984.
  4. ^ a b Bronson, Harold (October 22, 2013). The Rhino Records Story. ISBN 978-1590791288.
  5. ^ a b "Cable Vision: Regional Report". Cable Vision. Vol. 9. Cahners Business. 1984.
  6. ^ Mikle, Jean (October 14, 1987). "Teen wins chance to appear on TV with pop music group". Asbury Park Press.
  7. ^ Hinman, Catherine (June 11, 1989). "The Kid's-eye View at Nickelodeon". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Publishing.
  8. ^ "Now you can have Nickelodeon anywhere". Boys' Life. Boy Scouts of America. July 1990.
  9. ^ Schabe, Patrick (December 4, 2003). "And What Are We Gonna Do Unless They Are?". PopMatters.
  10. ^ Kort, Michele (December 15, 1991). "Shelley Duvall grows up". The Los Angeles Times.
  11. ^ MacMinn, Aleene (March 12, 1991). "Television/video: Nick Jr. Rocks". The Los Angeles Times.
  12. ^ "Nickelodeon orders kiddie music videos that will be aimed at 2- to 6-year-old set". The Courier-Journal. March 31, 1991.
  13. ^ Schwartz, Jerry (April 30, 1991). "Actress Shelley Duvall believes television can become an educational tool for kids". The San Bernardino Sun.
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