American TV series or program
Nick Rocks
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![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/10/Nick_Rocks_Video_to_Go_title_card.png/220px-Nick_Rocks_Video_to_Go_title_card.png) |
Also known as
| Nick Rocks: Video to Go
|
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Presented by
| "Joe from Chicago"
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Theme music composer
| Edd Kalehoff
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Country of origin
| United States
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|
Producer
| Andy Bamberger
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Editor
| Charles Weissman
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Running time
| 30 minutes
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|
Network
| Nickelodeon
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Release
| 1984
(
1984
)
?
1989
(
1989
)
|
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Nick Rocks: Video to Go
, usually shortened to
Nick Rocks
, was a
music video
television series that aired on American cable channel
Nickelodeon
from 1984 to 1989. It featured 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
[
edit
]
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
[
edit
]
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
[
edit
]
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
[
edit
]
- ^
Vare, Ethlie Ann
(December 13, 1987).
"What do kids watch?"
.
Index-Journal
.
Greenwood, South Carolina
.
- ^
Brennan, Patricia (September 25, 1988).
"The kids' channel that 'Double Dares' to be different"
.
The Washington Post
.
Nash Holdings LLC
.
- ^
a
b
"Tuning in on kiddie videos"
.
Newsweek
. Vol. 103.
The Washington Post Company
. April 16, 1984.
- ^
a
b
Bronson, Harold
(October 22, 2013).
The Rhino Records Story
.
ISBN
978-1590791288
.
- ^
a
b
"Cable Vision: Regional Report"
.
Cable Vision
. Vol. 9.
Cahners Business
. 1984.
- ^
Mikle, Jean (October 14, 1987).
"Teen wins chance to appear on TV with pop music group"
.
Asbury Park Press
.
- ^
Hinman, Catherine (June 11, 1989).
"The Kid's-eye View at Nickelodeon"
.
Orlando Sentinel
.
Tribune Publishing
.
- ^
"Now you can have Nickelodeon anywhere"
.
Boys' Life
.
Boy Scouts of America
. July 1990.
- ^
Schabe, Patrick (December 4, 2003).
"And What Are We Gonna Do Unless They Are?"
.
PopMatters
.
- ^
Kort, Michele (December 15, 1991).
"Shelley Duvall grows up"
.
The Los Angeles Times
.
- ^
MacMinn, Aleene (March 12, 1991).
"Television/video: Nick Jr. Rocks"
.
The Los Angeles Times
.
- ^
"Nickelodeon orders kiddie music videos that will be aimed at 2- to 6-year-old set"
.
The Courier-Journal
. March 31, 1991.
- ^
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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