Nickelodeon Studios was a

production studio A production company, production house, production studio, or a production team is a studio that creates works in the fields of performing arts, new media art, film, television, radio, comics, interactive arts, video games, websites, music, an ...

and

theme park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...

attraction run by the television network

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its networks division's Kids and Family Group. It ...

Universal Studios Florida Universal Studios Florida (also known as Universal Studios or USF) is a theme park located in Orlando, Florida. Primarily themed to movies, television and other aspects of the entertainment industry, the park opened to the public on June 7, 1990 ...

. Opening on June 7, 1990, as ''The First World Headquarters for Kids'', the studio attracted young tourists as contestants and audience members for Nickelodeon's live-action programming. At its peak, the studio employed 400 people and was the largest production studio in

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, bringing $110 million in business to the state by 1994. The studio closed permanently on April 30, 2005, after much of Nickelodeon's production had moved to

Nickelodeon on Sunset The Earl Carroll Theatre was a historic stage facility located at 6230 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California. It was built by showman Earl Carroll and designed in the Streamline Moderne style by architect Gordon Kaufmann in 1938. The theatre ...

. Nickelodeon Studios ended its run having produced over 2,000 episodes of original programming.

History

Planning and construction

In November 1988,

contracted space within the soon to be built

for its first

. Universal had determined through

market research Market research is an organized effort to gather information about target markets and customers: know about them, starting with who they are. It is an important component of business strategy and a major factor in maintaining competitiveness. Mar ...

that a working studio was crucial in attracting guests to a

movie A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

themed park, and they offered Nickelodeon a

sweetheart deal A sweetheart deal or sweetheart contract is a contractual agreement, usually worked out in secret, that greatly benefits some of the parties while inappropriately disadvantaging other parties or the public at large. The term was coined in the 1940 ...

to supply that production. The promise of a custom-built studio at no expense, coupled with rent-free production, lured Nickelodeon away from negotiating with

Disney-MGM Studios Disney's Hollywood Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks, Experiences and Products division. Based on a concept by ...

. The contract stipulated that Nickelodeon promote Universal Studios Florida on-air 1,000 times per year, while also broadcasting the park's

television commercials A television advertisement (also called a television commercial, TV commercial, commercial, spot, television spot, TV spot, advert, television advert, TV advert, television ad, TV ad or simply an ad) is a span of television programming produce ...

Turner Construction Company Turner Construction is an American construction company with presence in 20 countries. It is a subsidiary of the German company Hochtief. It is the largest domestic contractor in the United States as of 2020, with a revenue of $14.41 billion i ...

began erecting two soundstages (Stages 18 and 19) and an adjacent

video production Video production is the process of producing video content for video. It is the equivalent of filmmaking, but with video recorded either as analog signals on videotape, digitally in video tape or as computer files stored on optical discs, hard dri ...

facility within the Production Central area of the park in 1989. The exterior of the facility was designed by network

production designer In film and television, the production designer is the individual responsible for the overall aesthetic of the story. The production design gives the viewers a sense of the time period, the plot location, and character actions and feelings. Wo ...

Byron Taylor, and the interior was designed by network art director Don St. Mars.

Viacom Viacom, an abbreviation of Video and Audio Communications, may refer to: * Viacom (1952–2006), a former American media conglomerate * Viacom (2005–2019), a former company spun off from the original Viacom * Viacom18, a joint venture between Par ...

senior vice president A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on ...

Scott Davis would supervise the design and construction of the complex, and he was later named the first

general manager A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...

of Nickelodeon Studios. Family Double Dare complete challenge

Super Sloppy Double Dare ''Double Dare'' is an American television game show in which two teams compete to win cash and prizes by answering trivia questions and completing messy stunts known as physical challenges. It originally ran from 1986 to 1993. A revival ran in ...

'' in April 1989 and '' Think Fast'' in January 1990 were the first Nickelodeon productions filmed at Universal Studios Florida, and they were shot on the Stage 21 while Nickelodeon Studios was still being constructed. Like other Nickelodeon

game shows A game show is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment (radio, television, internet, stage or other) where contestants compete for a reward. These programs can either be participatory or demonstrative and are typically directed by a host, s ...

, both programs were previously filmed at

WHYY-TV WHYY-TV (channel 12) is a television station licensed to Wilmington, Delaware, United States, serving as the primary PBS member station for the Philadelphia area. It is owned by WHYY, Inc., alongside NPR member station WHYY-FM 90.9. WHYY-TV a ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

. Nickelodeon's live-action productions had traditionally been shot on rented soundstages in multiple cities, which was not cost-effective and limited the network's growth. Prior to the studio's completion, '' Double Dare'' executive producer Andy Bamberger, '' Double Dare'' creator

Geoffrey Darby Geoffrey Darby (born April 15, 1953) is a media executive, television producer, director, and writer. He was the co-creator of children's sketch comedy ''You Can't Do That on Television'' and was a writer and director for the show's first five se ...

, Nickelodeon President

Geraldine Laybourne Geraldine Laybourne (''née'' Bond; born May 19, 1947) is an American entrepreneur and former TV executive. She worked at Nickelodeon from 1980 until 1996, when she became the president of Disney-ABC Cable Networks (including Disney Channel). She ...

, and Nickelodeon Studios

Scott Davis wrote their names in the cement floor of the video production building's second

story Story or stories may refer to: Common uses * Story, a narrative (an account of imaginary or real people and events) ** Short story, a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting * Story (American English), or storey (British ...

. Bamberger, who also served as executive producer of ''

Make the Grade ''Make the Grade'' is a children's game show that aired from October 2, 1989 to September 14, 1990 on Nickelodeon. Broadcast history ''Make the Grade'' premiered on Nickelodeon on October 2, 1989, with three seasons worth of first-run episodes ...

'' and ''Total Panic'', wrote "I Love TV Production" above his name.

Opening and reception

On June 7, 1990,

officially opened to the public. ''Nickelodeon Studios Opening Day Celebration!'' was broadcast live from the studio on

, hosted by

Marc Summers Marc Summers (born Marc Berkowitz; November 11, 1951) is an American television personality, comedian, game show host, producer, and talk show host. He is best known for hosting '' Double Dare'' for Nickelodeon, and ''Unwrapped'' for Food Networ ...

of ''

''. The event was announced by

John Harvey John Harvey may refer to: People Academics * John Harvey (astrologer) (1564–1592), English astrologer and physician * John Harvey (architectural historian) (1911–1997), British architectural historian, who wrote on English Gothic architecture ...

of ''

'' and co-hosted by Greg Lee of ''Total Panic'', Skip Lackey of '' Think Fast'',

Christine Taylor Christine Joan Taylor Stiller (born July 30, 1971) is an American actress. She is known for playing Marcia Brady in ''The Brady Bunch Movie'' and ''A Very Brady Sequel'', as well as roles in films like '' The Craft'', '' The Wedding Singer'', '' ...

and Kelly Brown of ''

Hey Dude ''Hey Dude'' is an American Western comedy series that aired from July 14, 1989 to August 30, 1991 with a total of 65 half-hour episodes produced over five seasons. The show was originally broadcast on Nickelodeon. The series, aimed primarily t ...

'', and Alie Smith, Matt Brown, Wendy Douglas and

Will Friedle Will Friedle () (born August 11, 1976) is an American actor and writer. He is best known for his role as Eric Matthews on the ABC sitcom ''Boy Meets World'' (1993–2000). In animation, he voices Terry McGinnis / Batman on ''Batman Beyond'' (1 ...

of '' Don't Just Sit There!''. Celebrity appearances were made by

Andrea Elson Andrea Hope Elson (born March 6, 1969) is an American former actress. Beginning her professional career as a child actress and model, Elson is perhaps best known for her television roles as Alice Tyler on the CBS science-fiction adventure series ...

Bill Cosby William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and media personality. He made significant contributions to American and African-American culture, and is well known in the United States for his eccentric ...

Brooke Theiss Brooke Theiss-Genesse (born October 23, 1969) is an American actress who has starred in film and on television. Early life Theiss was born in Palos Verdes Peninsula, California to actors Dick Thies and Kathleen Mitchell. She changed the spell ...

, Danny Ponce,

Gerard Christopher Gerard Christopher (born May 11, 1959 in New York City) is an American actor, writer and producer. He was the second actor to play the eponymous role in the television series ''Superboy'' (from 1989 to 1992), replacing John Haymes Newton who pla ...

Jane Seymour Jane Seymour (c. 150824 October 1537) was Queen of England as the third wife of King Henry VIII of England from their marriage on 30 May 1536 until her death the next year. She became queen following the execution of Henry's second wife, Anne ...

Jason Hervey Jason Robert Hervey (born April 6, 1972) is an American actor and television producer. He is best known for his role as Wayne Arnold on ''The Wonder Years''. Early life and acting Hervey was born in Los Angeles, the son of Marsha, a talent agent, ...

Kellie Martin Kellie Martin (born October 16, 1975) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Rebecca "Becca" Thatcher in '' Life Goes On'' (1989–1993), Lucy Knight on '' ER'' (1998–2000), Samantha Kinsey in the '' Mystery Woman'' TV film seri ...

, Les Lye,

Linda Blair Linda Denise Blair (born January 22, 1959) is an American actress and activist. She played Regan MacNeil in the horror film ''The Exorcist'' (1973), for which she won a Golden Globe Award and received a nomination for an Academy Award. The fil ...

, Steven Spielberg and

Wil Wheaton Richard William Wheaton III (born July 29, 1972) is an American actor. He portrayed Wesley Crusher on the television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', Gordie Lachance in the film '' Stand by Me'', Joey Trotta in '' Toy Soldiers'', ...

. The broadcast included live performances by

Kid 'n Play Kid 'n Play is an American hip-hop duo from New York City that was most popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The duo was composed of Christopher Reid ("Kid") and Christopher Martin ("Play") working alongside their DJ, Mark "DJ Wiz" Eas ...

Perfect Gentlemen Perfect Gentlemen were an American trio of teen R&B vocalists formed under the direction of Maurice Starr, who discovered New Edition and New Kids on the Block. Starr put the group together in Boston in 1988, and had them tour the US openi ...

and

The Cover Girls The Cover Girls are an all-female, New York city-based freestyle group that achieved most of its chart success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Among the group's best-known songs are " Show Me, " " Because of You," “ Don't Stop Now,” a ...

. Daily tours were given of the studio, starting with a

queue area Queue areas are places in which people queue ( first-come, first-served) for goods or services. Such a group of people is known as a ''queue'' ( British usage) or ''line'' (American usage), and the people are said to be waiting or standing ''i ...

outside Stage 18 that led into the video production building. The 45-minute tours took park guests upstairs through the

control room A control room or operations room is a central space where a large physical facility or physically dispersed service can be monitored and controlled. It is often part of a larger command center. Overview A control room's purpose is produc ...

, through a viewing area that allowed glimpses of Stages 18 and 19, then downstairs through the

wardrobe A wardrobe or armoire or almirah is a standing closet used for storing clothes. The earliest wardrobe was a chest, and it was not until some degree of luxury was attained in regal palaces and the castles of powerful nobles that separate accommo ...

department and Gak Kitchen, with the tour concluding in a large

audition An audition is a sample performance by an actor, singer, musician, dancer or other performer. It typically involves the performer displaying their talent through a previously memorized and rehearsed solo piece or by performing a work or piece giv ...

room. While game shows were often shot 5 days a week while in production, sitcoms such as ''

Welcome Freshmen ''Welcome Freshmen'' is an American comedy series that aired on Nickelodeon from February 16, 1991, to February 19, 1994. The show took place at Hawthorne High School with a group of high school students and a bumbling vice principal. Seasons 1 ...

'' would rehearse during the week and only shoot on weekends. This became problematic, as Nickelodeon's contract with Universal stipulated that their guests would be able to witness shows being filmed, "seven days a week, 52 weeks a year, during all hours of the tour’s operation". To remedy this, the audition room was renamed Stage 17 and began hosting Game Lab, a mock game show at the end of every tour that culminated with one of the guests getting slimed. Nickelodeon unveiled its Slime Geyser (also known as the Gak Geyser) in front of the studio on October 27, 1990.

Russell Johnson Russell David Johnson (November 10, 1924 – January 16, 2014) was an American actor. He played Professor Roy Hinkley in ''Gilligan's Island'' and Marshal Gib Scott in '' Black Saddle''. Early life Johnson was born in Ashley, Pennsylvania, o ...

, famous for playing The Professor on '' Gilligan's Island'', appeared at the unveiling ceremony. The 17-foot high

fountain A fountain, from the Latin "fons" (genitive "fontis"), meaning source or spring, is a decorative reservoir used for discharging water. It is also a structure that jets water into the air for a decorative or dramatic effect. Fountains were ori ...

would "erupt" with green colored water every 10 minutes. The network subsequently used a recording of the Geyser erupting as the

sign-on A sign-on (or start-up in Commonwealth countries except Canada) is the beginning of operations for a radio or television station, generally at the start of each day. It is the opposite of a sign-off (or closedown in Commonwealth countries exce ...

for their broadcasting day. Time capsule old

On April 30, 1992, the Nickelodeon

Time Capsule A time capsule is a historic cache of goods or information, usually intended as a deliberate method of communication with future people, and to help future archaeologists, anthropologists, or historians. The preservation of holy relics dates ...

was buried near the Slime Geyser. The burial ceremony was broadcast live on

and hosted by

Mike O'Malley Michael Edward O'Malley (born October 31, 1966) is an American actor, writer and producer. Born in Boston and raised in New Hampshire, O'Malley hosted the early 1990s children's game show '' Nickelodeon Guts'' before moving to Los Angeles later ...

of ''

Get the Picture Get the Picture may refer to: * ''Get the Picture'' (game show), a children's game show * ''Get the Picture?'' (Smash Mouth album), 2003 * ''Get the Picture?'' (The Pretty Things album), 1965 *''Get the Picture: A Personal History of Photojournali ...

'' and Joey Lawrence of '' Blossom'', with an appearance by

Dr. Emmett Brown Emmett Lathrop Brown, Ph.D., commonly referred to as Doc Brown, is a fictional scientist character in the ''Back to the Future'' franchise. In the world of the franchise, he is the inventor of the world's first and second time machines, the f ...

of '' Back to the Future: The Ride''. It contains items deemed important to the children of 1992 as voted upon by Nickelodeon viewers. These items included a

Barbie Barbie is a fashion doll manufactured by American toy company Mattel, Inc. and launched on March 9, 1959. American businesswoman Ruth Handler is credited with the creation of the doll using a German doll called Bild Lilli as her inspiration. ...

doll,

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...

, books (

comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

, endangered species book,

history book History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

phone book A telephone is a telecommunications device that permits two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are too far apart to be easily heard directly. A telephone converts sound, typically and most efficiently the human voice, into ele ...

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news. The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine LLC, in 2008. Corpora ...

and World

Atlas An atlas is a collection of maps; it is typically a bundle of maps of Earth or of a region of Earth. Atlases have traditionally been bound into book form, but today many atlases are in multimedia formats. In addition to presenting geograp ...

bubble gum Bubble gum or bubblegum is a type of chewing gum, designed to be inflated out of the mouth as a bubble. Bubble gum flavor While there is a bubble gum "flavor" – which various artificial flavorings including esters are mixed to obtain – it ...

CDs The compact disc (CD) is a digital optical disc data storage format that was co-developed by Philips and Sony to store and play digital audio recordings. In August 1982, the first compact disc was manufactured. It was then released in Octo ...

(

MC Hammer Stanley Kirk Burrell (born March 30, 1962), better known by his stage name MC Hammer (or simply Hammer), is an American rapper, dancer, record producer and entrepreneur. He is known for hit songs such as " U Can't Touch This", "2 Legit 2 Quit" ...

and

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

hat A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...

featuring the catchphrase of Joey Lawrence,

news News is information about current events. This may be provided through many different media: word of mouth, printing, postal systems, broadcasting, electronic communication, or through the testimony of observers and witnesses to events. N ...

reports ( 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, Dissolution of the Soviet Union,

Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS The global epidemic of HIV/AIDS (human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) began in 1981, and is an ongoing worldwide public health issue. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), as of 2021, HIV/AI ...

and

Operation Desert Storm Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Ma ...

Nickelodeon Gak Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...

, ''

Nickelodeon Magazine ''Nickelodeon Magazine'' is a defunct American children's magazine inspired by the children's television network Nickelodeon. Its first incarnation appeared in 1990 and was distributed at participating Pizza Hut restaurants; the version of the ma ...

'', Nintendo

Game Boy The is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on April 21, 1989, in North America later the same year, and in Europe in late 1990. It was designed by the same t ...

pencils A pencil () is a writing or drawing implement with a solid pigment core in a protective casing that reduces the risk of core breakage, and keeps it from marking the user's hand. Pencils create marks by physical abrasion, leaving a trail ...

, photos of things too big to fit inside (

bicycles A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike or cycle, is a human-powered or motor-powered assisted, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A is called a cyclist, or bicyclist. Bi ...

cars A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, people in ...

celebrities Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group as a result of the attention given to them by mass media. An individual may attain a celebrity status from having great wealth, their participation in sports ...

, planes, politicians and

trains In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and transport people or freight. Trains are typically pulled or pushed by locomotives (often know ...

), piece of the Berlin Wall,

Reebok Pump The Reebok Pump is a line of athletic shoes that was first released on November 24, 1989, by Reebok. It was the first shoe to have an internal inflation mechanism that regulated a unique fitting cushion in the lower and upper tongue to provide ...

sneakers, Rollerblades,

skateboard A skateboard is a type of sports equipment used for skateboarding. They are usually made of a specially designed 7-8 ply maple plywood deck and polyurethane wheels attached to the underside by a pair of skateboarding trucks. The skateboarder ...

t-shirt A T-shirt (also spelled tee shirt), or tee, is a style of fabric shirt named after the T shape of its body and sleeves. Traditionally, it has short sleeves and a round neckline, known as a ''crew neck'', which lacks a collar. T-shirts are general ...

featuring the

Nicktoons Nicktoons is a collective name used by Nickelodeon for their original animated series. All Nicktoons are produced partly at the Nickelodeon Animation Studio and list Nickelodeon's parent company (Viacom, now known as Paramount Global) in their ...

characters ''

Ren and Stimpy ''The Ren & Stimpy Show'' (also known as ''Ren & Stimpy'') is an American animated television series created by Canadian animator John Kricfalusi. Originally produced by Spümcø for Nickelodeon, the series aired from August 11, 1991, to Dece ...

'',

Twinkies A Twinkie is an American snack cake, described as "golden sponge cake with a creamy filling". It was formerly made and distributed by Hostess Brands. The brand is currently owned by Hostess Brands, Inc. (), having been formerly owned by privat ...

, and VHS movies (''

Back to the Future ''Back to the Future'' is a 1985 American science fiction film directed by Robert Zemeckis, and written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale. It stars Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, and Thomas F. Wilson. Set in 1985, ...

'' and ''

Home Alone ''Home Alone'' is a 1990 American Christmas comedy film directed by Chris Columbus and written and produced by John Hughes. The first film in the ''Home Alone'' franchise, the film stars Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, John Hea ...

''). The final items put in the capsule were a tape of the event itself and the

camcorder A camcorder is a self-contained portable electronic device with video and recording as its primary function. It is typically equipped with an articulating screen mounted on the left side, a belt to facilitate holding on the right side, hot-swa ...

used to record it. '' Roundhouse'' moved to CBS Studio Center in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

for the filming of its second season in 1993. The show's

unionized A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...

cast, crew and musicians were unhappy that working in

Orlando Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures re ...

deprived them of residuals. As a right-to-work state,

had attracted producers looking to avoid

union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

costs and regulations that were prevalent in

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

. An episode of ''

Weinerville ''Weinerville'' is an American television program on Nickelodeon that was aired from July 11, 1993 to 1994. The show was based around a giant puppet stage that was designed to look like a city called Weinerville. The show was created and hosted by ...

'' shot on February 14, 1994, marked the 1,000th episode of live-action programming filmed at the studio since its opening. Nickelodeon Studios had at that point brought $110 million in business to Florida, and regularly employed between 280 and 330 people on a weekly basis.

Decline and closure

trailed

Walt Disney World The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, ...

in attendance at the end of 1994, with Universal hosting 7.7 million guests that year compared with Disney's 28.9 million. To stay competitive, Universal broke ground on

Islands of Adventure Universal's Islands of Adventure (also known as Islands of Adventure or IOA), originally called Universal Studios Islands of Adventure, is a theme park located in Orlando, Florida. It opened on May 28, 1999, along with CityWalk, as part of an ...

in 1995, recommitting itself primarily as a

with the $2 billion expansion. Universal by then saw the

aspect of the park as secondary to its thrill rides, shortening their marketing slogan from ''See the Stars. Ride the Movies'' to ''Ride the Movies''. The number of new productions began decreasing not only at Nickelodeon Studios, but at

proper and the competing

. ''

Rugrats ''Rugrats'' is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain for Nickelodeon. The show focuses on a group of toddlers; most prominently— Tommy, Chuckie, Angelica, and twins Phil and Lil, a ...

'' in 1995 had become an unexpected success in

reruns A rerun or repeat is a rebroadcast of an episode of a radio or television program. There are two types of reruns – those that occur during a hiatus, and those that occur when a program is syndicated. Variations In the United Kingdom, the word ...

, causing Nickelodeon to heavily invest in animation and producing new episodes of the show. Nickelodeon's in-house

animation at the point was produced at Games Animation in

Albie Hecht Albie Hecht is a film and television producer and media executive. In 1997, Hecht was the president of film and TV entertainment for Nickelodeon before becoming president of the television channel Spike TV in 2003. In 2005, he founded and was C ...

, the network's President of Film and Entertainment, met with his in-house

animators An animator is an artist who creates multiple images, known as frames, which give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, and video games ...

in 1996 to solicit opinions on what a new

animation studio An animation studio is a company producing animated media. The broadest such companies conceive of products to produce, own the physical equipment for production, employ operators for that equipment, and hold a major stake in the sales or rentals o ...

should look like. That same year, producers

Mike Tollin Michael Tollin is an American film and television producer/director who served as executive producer of the Emmy award-winning ''The Last Dance'', a 10-part documentary series on Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls dynasty. The series received ...

and

Brian Robbins Brian Levine (born November 22, 1963), known professionally as Brian Robbins, is an American film executive, actor, and filmmaker who is the current President and Chief Executive Officer of Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon. He also serves as Ch ...

requested Nickelodeon move filming of their hit live-action show ''

All That ''All That'' is an American sketch comedy television series created by Brian Robbins and Michael Tollin, Mike Tollin. The series originally aired on Nickelodeon from April 16, 1994, to October 22, 2005, lasting ten seasons, and was produced by ...

'' from

so they wouldn't have to leave home for production. The network obliged, and the third season of ''All That'' was filmed on a rented

soundstage A sound stage (also written soundstage) is a soundproof, large structure, building, or room with large doors and high ceilings, used for the production of theatrical film-making and television productions, usually located on a secured movie stu ...

at Paramount Pictures while Nickelodeon searched for a permanent Hollywood studio. Corporate changes also began affecting the future of Nickelodeon Studios.

, longtime champion of the Orlando facility, left her position as President of Nickelodeon in February 1996 and was replaced by

executive vice president A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on ...

Herb Scannell Herb Scannell (born January 11, 1957) is an American media executive and businessman. He served as the president of Nickelodeon and TV Land from 1996 to 2006, was the founding CEO of Next New Networks, and the president of BBC Worldwide America. ...

. Nickelodeon Studios

Scott Davis exited in 1997 and was replaced by '' Nickelodeon Guts'' creator Scott Fishman. ''

The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo ''The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo'' is a children's mystery television series that ran on Nickelodeon between 1996 and 1999. A total of 41 episodes of 30 minutes each were produced. Episodes from the first three seasons were taped at Nickelodeon ...

'' was shut down by a labor strike in August 1997 when the production switched from

videotape Videotape is magnetic tape used for storing video and usually sound in addition. Information stored can be in the form of either an analog or digital signal. Videotape is used in both video tape recorders (VTRs) and, more commonly, videocasse ...

to film stock. Movies and television shows shot on film stock were regulated by the

International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, Its Territories and Canada, known as simply the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE or ...

. The show's producer,

Alan Goodman Alan Goodman runs branding and communications for, and is a founder of, TESTD Inc., a company that builds health and wellness data management products for providers, individuals, enterprises, and municipalities. He is a former American media e ...

, would move production of ''

'' to

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...

for the filming of its final season. Canada was attracting American productions at the time with

tax incentives A tax incentive is an aspect of a government's taxation policy designed to incentivize or encourage a particular economic activity by reducing tax payments. Tax incentives can have both positive and negative impacts on an economy. Among the posi ...

and a favorable exchange rate.

Nickelodeon opened two new studios in California, the live-action studio

in 1997, and the

Nickelodeon Animation Studio Nickelodeon Animation Studio is an American animation studio owned by Paramount Global. It has created many original television programs for Nickelodeon, such as ''SpongeBob SquarePants'', '' The Fairly OddParents'', '' Rugrats'' and '' Avatar: ...

in 1998. Nickelodeon Studios partnered with

visual effects Visual effects (sometimes abbreviated VFX) is the process by which imagery is created or manipulated outside the context of a live-action shot in filmmaking and video production. The integration of live-action footage and other live-action foota ...

company

Kinetix Kinetix (Zoë Saugin of the planet Aleph) is a fictional character, a comic book superheroine in the DC Comics universe. The character is a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th century. She first appeared in ''Legion of Super-Heroes ...

in August 1998 to upgrade the video production building with a training center for Kinetix software, attempting to remain viable against Nickelodeon Animation Studio.

Nickelodeon Games and Sports for Kids Nickelodeon Games and Sports for Kids (stylized as Nick GaS and commonly known as Nick GAS) was an American cable television network that was part of MTV Networks' suite of digital cable channels. The channel was available to all digital cable p ...

launched in 1999, airing reruns of game shows produced by the network with new

wraparound Wraparound, wrap around, or wrap-around is anything that wraps around something. It may more specifically refer to: Apparel * Wraparound sunglasses or goggles * Wraparound baby sling, or wrap, a piece of cloth that supports a baby * Wraparound ...

segments filmed at Nickelodeon Studios. The studio began laying off employees in March 2001 since a majority of Nickelodeon's closed-set productions had moved to California,

were no longer being produced, and the network's highest rated programming was

animated Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most ani ...

. The studio auctioned off its remaining

props A prop, formally known as (theatrical) property, is an object used on stage or screen by actors during a performance or screen production. In practical terms, a prop is considered to be anything movable or portable on a stage or a set, distinc ...

in storage at their offsite scene shop in June 2001. The final program taped at the facility was ''

Nickelodeon Splat! ''Nickelodeon Splat!'' was a television block consisting of game show interstitials on Nickelodeon. It aired live from March 7, 2004 to August 17, 2004. A webpage created for the game allowed viewers to interact with the program while it was airi ...

'', which aired live on August 17, 2004. The studio closed permanently on April 30, 2005.

Legacy

Nickelodeon Studios was responsible for producing over 2,000 episodes of original, live-action programming for

. The facility employed 400 people at its peak, at which point it was the largest production studio in Florida. ''

Eureeka's Castle ''Eureeka's Castle'' is an American children's television series created by Debby Beece and Judy Katschke. It originally aired on Nickelodeon's Nick Jr. block from September 4, 1989 to November 10, 1991. The program featured various puppet char ...

'' won the

CableACE Award The CableACE Award (earlier known as the ACE Awards; ACE was an acronym for "Award for Cable Excellence") is a defunct award that was given by what was then the National Cable Television Association from 1978 to 1997 to honor excellence in Am ...

(1990) for Best Children's Series, '' Roundhouse'' won the

(1993) for Best Original Song, ''

Legends of the Hidden Temple ''Legends of the Hidden Temple'' is an American action-adventure TV game show that broadcast from 1993 to 1995 on Nickelodeon. Created by David G. Stanley, Scott A. Stone, and Stephen Brown, the program features a fictitious temple, "filled w ...

'' won the

(1995) for Best Game Show Series, '' Taina'' won the

ALMA Award The American Latino Media Arts Award or ALMA Award, formerly known as Latin Oscars Award, is an award highlighting the best American Latino contributions to music, television, and film. The awards promote fair and accurate portrayals of Latino ...

(2002) for Outstanding Children's Television Programming, and Melissa Joan Hart received the

Young Artist Former Child Star Lifetime Achievement Award The Young Artist Former Child Star Lifetime Achievement Award is an honorary Young Artist Award bestowed by the Young Artist Association to recognize former child actors and/or child singers for lifetime achievement within the motion picture, tele ...

(2013) for her

title role The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piece. The title of ...

in ''

Clarissa Explains It All ''Clarissa Explains It All'' is an American teen sitcom created by Mitchell Kriegman for Nickelodeon. In the series, Clarissa Darling ( Melissa Joan Hart), is a teenager who addresses the audience directly to explain the things that are happenin ...

''. ''

'' received an Emmy nomination (1994) for Outstanding Children's Program, '' Nick News: Space Shuttle, Phone Home'' received an Emmy nomination (1995) for Outstanding Children's Special, and ''

Gullah Gullah Island ''Gullah Gullah Island'' is an American musical children's television series that was produced by and aired on the Nick Jr. programming block on the Nickelodeon network from October 24, 1994, to April 7, 1998. The show was hosted by Ron Daise - n ...

'' received an Emmy nomination (1997) for Outstanding Preschool Children's Series.

Remnants

On November 9, 2006, Universal announced that Stage 18 would be redesigned to become a 1,000-seat permanent venue for the

Blue Man Group Blue Man Group is an American performance art company formed in 1987. It was purchased in July 2017 by the Canadian company Cirque du Soleil. Blue Man Group is known for its stage productions, which incorporate many kinds of music and art, bot ...

. The new venue opened on June 1, 2007, as the Sharp Aquos Theatre, and later was renamed the

Blue Man Group Theatre The Blue Man Group Theatre (previously named the Blue Man Group Sharp Aquos Theatre until 2012) was an indoor theatre located at Universal Orlando Resort's CityWalk, which housed a live show and residency by the Blue Man Group, featuring their ...

in 2012. Their residency ended on February 1, 2021, leaving Stage 18 vacant. The Nickelodeon

buried by the network in 1992 was removed in August 2007 and reburied at the Nickelodeon Suites Resort. Upon the hotel's closure in 2016, it was reburied at the

and is set to be opened on April 30, 2042. Nickelodeon returned to film '' My Family's Got Guts'' in 2008, using some of the former Nickelodeon Studios facilities including the

green room In show business, the green room is the space in a theatre or similar venue that functions as a waiting room and lounge for performers before, during, and after a performance or show when they are not engaged on stage. Green rooms typically have ...

. Training was in Stage 19, and the actual production was filmed nearby on Stages 23 and 24. The complex became popular for

urban exploration Urban exploration (often shortened as UE, urbex and sometimes known as roof and tunnel hacking) is the exploration of manmade structures, usually abandoned ruins or hidden components of the manmade environment. Photography and historical inter ...

, as Universal left much of the original Nickelodeon branding intact for years after the studio closed. In 2012,

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

personality adamthewoo gained access to Stage 19 and the upper floors of the video production building, documenting vastly untouched murals and decor from the heyday of the studios. A majority of these remnants have since been removed. Stage 19 and the video production building are now home to

Bally Sports Florida Bally Sports Florida is an American regional sports network owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, and operates as an affiliate of Bally Sports. The channel broadcasts local sports coverage in the state of Florida, with a focus on professional sport ...

and its sister network,

Bally Sports Sun Bally Sports Sun is an American regional sports network owned by Diamond Sports Group, a joint venture between Sinclair Broadcast Group and Entertainment Studios, and operates as an affiliate of Bally Sports. The channel broadcasts local coverag ...

Production history

This is a list of programs that were filmed at the studio by

References

External links

USF Production Group - Sound StagesAn aerial photograph of Nickelodeon Studios
at

WikiMapia Wikimapia is a geographic online encyclopedia project. The project implements an interactive "clickable" web map that utilizes Google Maps with a geographically-referenced wiki system, with the aim to mark and describe all geographical objects ...

. {{Coord, 28, 28, 28, N, 81, 28, 7, W, type:landmark, display=title 1990 establishments in Florida 2005 disestablishments in Florida Amusement rides based on television franchises Licensed-properties at Universal Parks & Resorts Mass media companies established in 1990 Mass media companies disestablished in 2005 s Nickelodeon in amusement parks Television studios in the United States Universal Parks & Resorts attractions by name Universal Studios Florida