Fresh Beat Band of Spies explained

Fresh Beat Band of Spies is an American animated children's television series originally airing on Nickelodeon and the Nick Jr. Channel. It is a spin-off of Nickelodeon's live-action series The Fresh Beat Band.^[1] The show was created by Nadine van der Velde and Scott Kraft (the creators of the original live-action series) and developed by Michael Ryan. Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer, Thomas Hobson, Tara Perry, and Jon Beavers reprise their roles as Kiki, Shout, Marina, and Twist, respectively, while Tom Kenny replaces Patrick Levis as Reed, and Keith Silverstein also joins the cast.

Jeannine Hodson served as producer, and Chuck Sheetz served as the primary director, with Ian Freedman and Mike Sheill respectively directing the final two episodes. The writing staff included Michael Ryan, Hadley Klein, Kevin Sullivan, David Lewman, Tom Krajewski, Gary Janetti, Analise McNeill, Anne Fryer, and the duos of Evan Gore and Heather Lombard, and Andy Rheingold and Ray DeLaurentis. Production took place at Nickelodeon Animation Studio and 6 Point Harness, Collingwood & Co., and Nelvana both based in California.

20 episodes were made.^[2] The series aired from June 15, 2015 to February 24, 2016.

Plot

The Fresh Beat Band, now a group of spies, solve wacky mysteries in their town using their individual talents and cool gadgets.

Characters

Main

• Kiki (voiced by Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer) is the band's guy guitarist and lead singer who owns a local hair salon. She has a jetpack and a scooter.
• Shout (voiced by Thomas Hobson) is the athletic keyboardist and team of the spy team who is also the lifeguard at a nearby swimming pool. Whenever Reed sends the spies on a mission, Shout says "Time to spy it up!"
• Marina (voiced by Tara Perry) is the brainy drummer of the spy team who is the chemist for a bakery. Her catchphrase is "Brainstorm!" which she says whenever she has an idea.
• Twist (voiced by Jon Beavers) is the comedic disc jockey of the team whose day leader is as the manager of the Pet Daycare Center. He uses a pogo stick as a vehicle.
• Bo Monkey (voiced by Tom Kenny) is Twist's best friend, a monkey who helps him operate the pet center. He does not speak, but communicates through monkey noises that reflect his emotions.
• Reed (voiced by Tom Kenny) is the team's "gadget guy" who wears glasses. He tends to suddenly appear out of nowhere, due to hiding in or behind various objects, which startles the other team members. He is the only recurring character from the original series to return.
• Commissioner Goldstar (voiced by Keith Silverstein) is the friendly but hapless chief of police. He appears after the spies complete their missions, usually to congratulate the team on their successes.

Recurring

• Lily (voiced by Heaven White) is Commissioner Goldstar's niece and a good friend of the Fresh Beats. She has a pet dog named Goldie and plays on Shout's baseball team.
• Lil Piggie is a pig with a hot pink mohawk and one of the many animals living at Twist's pet center. He is a friend of the Fresh Beats.
• Three Direction is a parody of the band One Direction.

Villains

• Champ Von Champ Von Winnerchamp (also voiced by Tom Kenny) is a muscular recurring villain who steals and cheats for various objects, such as trophies, wrestling belts and party supplies. He speaks with a German accent and is assisted by his own cheer squad for stealing stuff.
• Captain Arrrgh (also voiced by Tom Kenny) is a singing pirate who steals treasure with the help of his chicken, Poulet, and his second-in-command, First Mate.
• Yi-Haw (voiced by Kate Higgins) is a cowgirl and outlaw who hopes to surpass her outlaw ancestor by stealing buildings from all over town.
• Squee Z. Dumpkins (voiced by Tara Strong) is a famous internet celebrity known for her cuteness.

Production

The series was first announced in March 2014.^[3] In August of the same year, it was announced that Nickelodeon was currently in production on the show and it was slated for a 2015 release.^[4] From November 2014 until February 2015, several songs from Fresh Beat Band of Spies episodes were performed as part of "The Fresh Beat Band: Greatest Hits Live" tour; products such as posters and T-shirts featuring the cartoon Fresh Beat characters were sold at these concerts.^[5]

Broadcast

Fresh Beat Band of Spies aired on both Nickelodeon and the Nick Jr. Channel in the United States. It previewed on the Nick Jr. Channel on June 15, 2015, before premiering on Nickelodeon on June 29. The first eleven episodes were put on Nickelodeon's schedule throughout late July 2015, but only the first four episodes ended up airing on the main network.

Internationally, the series was first shown on Nickelodeon Canada on September 7, 2015. It also aired on Treehouse TV.^[6] The series debuted on Nick Jr. in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland on January 11, 2016,^[7] in Italy on January 18, 2016,^[8] in the Middle East and North Africa on January 25, 2016,^[9] and in Australia on February 1, 2016.^[10] The series premiered on Nick Jr. UK on February 5, 2016.^[11]

Reception

Critical response

The series has received generally positive reviews from critics. Common Sense Media reviewer Emily Ashby gave the show four out of five stars, praising the show's use of "quirky villains" rather than "real scares."^[12] In October 2015, USA Today listed the series as one of the twenty-five best family programs of the year.^[13]

Accolades

The episode "Singing Pirate" was nominated for "Outstanding Achievement, Production Design in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production" in the 43rd Annie Awards.^[14] The series was also the recipient of a 2019 Parents' Choice Award.^[15]

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Nominee	Result	Refs
2016	43rd Annie Awards	Outstanding Achievement, Production Design in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production	Ernie Gilbert
2016	Parents' Choice Awards	"Fun Stuff" Award	Nickelodeon

External links

• Official site
  • Fresh Beat Band of Spies on Amazon Video
• Fresh Beat Band of Spies on TV Guide

Notes and References

1. Web site: Fresh Beat Band of Spies. 12 June 2015 . Nick Jr.. June 15, 2015. June 15, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150615045038/http://www.nickjr.com/fresh-beat-band-of-spies/. live.
2. Web site: Nickelodeon Unveils Kids' Choice Sports Awards; Sets Four New Series For 2014-15. Deadline Hollywood. March 14, 2014. March 17, 2014. July 9, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210709181626/https://deadline.com/2014/03/nickelodeon-unveils-kids-choice-sports-2014-698313/. live.
3. Web site: March 2014 TV Media Insights – Nickelodeon Announcements. TV Media Insights – TV Ratings & News – Network TV Show Reviews and Daily Ratings.
4. Web site: Nickelodeon's The Fresh Beat Band Are Back. 4 August 2017. businesswire.com. 14 September 2015. 15 September 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150915115847/https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20140808006219/en/Nickelodeon%E2%80%99s-Fresh-Beat-Band-Brand-New-Live-Concert#.VfSASRFVhBc. live.
5. Web site: The Fresh Beat Band: Greatest Hits Live. cidentertainment.com.
6. CORUS KIDS SEPTEMBER 2015 HIGHLIGHTS. https://web.archive.org/web/20150923210839/http://www.corusent.com/home/Corporate/PressReleases/tabid/1697/Default.aspx?Id=3068. dead. September 23, 2015. August 28, 2015. Corus Entertainment. August 31, 2015.
7. Web site: Nick Presse Germany: Fresh Beat Band of Spies. Presse.Nick.de. January 12, 2016. January 12, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160112130321/http://presse.nick.de/epg?utf8=%E2%9C%93&channel_id=17&week=5. live.
8. Web site: Fresh Beat Band: Le spie . NickJr.it . January 19, 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160119060019/http://www.nickjr.it/news/home/fresh-beat-band-le-spie-scopri-la-nuova-serie-di-nick-jr/ . January 19, 2016 .
9. Web site: OSN January 2016 Guide (Page 25) . OSN.com . January 26, 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160202225423/http://www.osn.com/onlineguide/january/ . February 2, 2016 .
10. Web site: What's On – Free TV & Paid TV Specials. Femail. February 2, 2016. February 8, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160208050039/https://www.femail.com.au/whats-on-tv-specials.htm. live.
11. Web site: Fresh Beat Band of Spies on Nick Jr. UK. NickJr.co.uk. February 8, 2016. February 8, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160208161806/http://www.nickjr.co.uk/shows/fresh-beat-band-of-spies/#!. live.
12. Web site: Fresh Beat Band of Spies Review. commonsensemedia.org. 15 June 2015. 16 June 2015. 16 June 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150616133210/https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/fresh-beat-band-of-spies. live.
13. Web site: Best TV programs for kids, teens and families include Amazon, Netflix shows. 9 October 2015. USA TODAY. 12 October 2015. 12 October 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151012175816/http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/10/09/best-tv-programs-kids-teens-amazon-netflix-youtube/73405600/. live.
14. Web site: "Fresh Beat Band of Spies: Singing Pirate" – 43rd Annual Annie Awards . AnnieAwards.org . 7 December 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20151207205228/http://annieawards.org/nominees/#21 . December 7, 2015 .
15. Web site: "Fresh Beat Band of Spies" on Parents-Choice.org. Parents-Choice.org. 7 December 2015. 27 May 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160527092813/http://www.parents-choice.org/product.cfm?product_id=34066&StepNum=1&award=aw. live.