BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nickelodeon is giving audiences a gift this holiday season with the debut of Albert, an original animated TV movie about a tiny Douglas fir tree who goes on a journey to become the city’s most famous Christmas tree ever. Premiering Friday, Dec. 9, at 7:00 p.m. (ET/PT), the one-hour, CG-animated holiday tale stars the comedic voice talent of Bobby Moynihan (Saturday Night Live) in the title role and Sasheer Zamata (Saturday Night Live), Judah Friedlander (30 Rock) and Rob Riggle (21 Jump Street).
“Albert is in the great tradition of classic heartwarming holiday stories, and we’re thrilled that it is the first original animated TV movie Nickelodeon has ever made,” said Michael Sammaciccia, Senior Vice President, Development and Production, Nickelodeon Original Movies. “Between the hilarious voice cast and the lush CG animation, Albert is a great movie for kids and families to enjoy this holiday season.”
Albert is the story of a tiny Douglas fir tree named Albert who has big dreams of becoming Empire City’s most famous Christmas tree. When the search for this year’s tree is announced, Albert believes he has found his calling and hits the road with his two best friends, Maisie (Zamata), the persistently positive palm tree, and Gene (Friedlander) the abrasive and blisteringly honest weed, to fulfill his destiny. With a few prickly situations along the way, and Cactus Pete (Riggle) out to stop him, Albert learns the true meaning of Christmas. The hour-long TV movie will also feature two original songs, “The Best Thing That Can Happen to Christmas” and “Christmasiest Christmas,” performed by the voice cast.”
Additional cast members include the voices of: Cheri Oteri (Saturday Night Live) as a TV news correspondent; Brenna Yde (School of Rock) as Molly, Earth Mama’s granddaughter; John DiMaggio (Adventure Time) as Donny, Molly’s father; and Mary Pat Gleason (Mom) as Earth Mama, the owner and caretaker of the nursery. Albert is directed by Oscar®-nominated Max Lang (The Gruffalo), executive produced by Will McRobb and Chris Viscardi (The Adventures of Pete & Pete), and written by Will and Aaron Eisenberg (The Massively Mixed-Up Middle School Mystery) and Joe Stillman (Shrek). The Eisenbergs are also co-executive producers, and Viscardi serves as Nickelodeon’s SVP, Content Development, Nickelodeon Franchise Properties.
Fans can visit the Holiday page on Nick.com and the Nick App, along with Nick’s YouTube Channel, to learn more about the movie and its characters. Albert will be available on Nick.com and the Nick App, along with platforms including iTunes, Amazon, Xbox, Google Play, Vudu, Playstation, and Nick On Demand. In addition, an illustrated adaptation by Random House Children’s Books, Albert: The Little Tree With Big Dreams, is currently available.
About Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon, now in its 37th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon’s U.S. television network is seen in more than 90 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 20 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB).
