Doug Grieff, Nickelodeon’s VP of development, says Nick is hoping to create a movie block in 2000. ‘That’s our goal-to carve out a Nick night at the movies or a late afternoon block,’ he says.

Nick has committed to produce six to eight original TV movies per year based on current Nick properties. The new slate launches on December 4 with Alien Vacation, which is based on the series The Journey of Allen Strange. Airing in 2000 are Two Heads are Better than None and New Kid on the Planet, based on the Cousin Skeeter series. Caitlin’s Way, The Electric Piper: A Pied Piper Adventure and animated rock musical Globehunters: An Around the World in Eighty Days Adventure are also slated to air in 2000. Maniac Magee, based on the book series, and movies based on Nick TV series Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Hey Arnold! and CatDog are in development.

The move into long-form TV also marks Nick’s willingness to work with partners. ‘In the past, Nick has been in the business of owning everything outright,’ Grieff says. ‘We are producing so much right now (23 series) that we are looking to mix it up a bit.’ Grieff wouldn’t say which projects will be marked as co-pro ventures. He says that Nick will retain the right to air in-house projects on all Nick channels, not just in the U.S.