TVSquad

The N just picked up Gigantic, a half-hour series from former Buffy the Vampire Slayer exec. producer Marti Noxon and Dawn Prouse (Tru Calling, Prison Break). Gigantic is a "dramedy" that skewers the lives of Hollywood kids whose parents are A-list celebs.

Normally, I'd say this premise makes Gigantic sound like another brain dead tween show. You know, the kind that might end up launching the next big bubblegum pop star like Miley Cyrus. But I expect more from Noxon, Prouse and The N.

We are just a scant five days and handful of hours away until the calendar page turns over and we are in 2008. As usual, whenever a new year comes screaming and shouting out of womb of the old one changes abound. Nowhere does that seem more prevalent than in the world of television. Not only will we see a slew of mid-season premieres popping up as early as January 1st, but two cable networks will be changing as well.

The first change actually starts on New Year's Eve. That is when Noggin and The N become two separate cable networks. Both networks will expand to a 24-hour schedule of programming, with Noggin remaining commercial-free and on its current channel position. The N, which is home to the very popular Degrassi: The Next Generation will be relocated to another channel. You will want to speak to your local cable company about its new location before you go through withdrawal.

Via Toon Zone comes news that Noggin and its evening version, The N, will be splitting into two separate, twenty four-hour networks on December 31.

Noggin will continue with programming aimed at the preschool set with programs like Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!, Oobi, Jack's Big Music Show, and Nick Jr. properties like Dora the Explorer, Blue's Clues and The Backyardigans.

The N, originally the evening version of Noggin aimed at teens (and "tweens" to use a meaningless marketing term), will expand to 24 hours with TEENick programming during the day (All That, The Amanda Show, etc) and original programming at night: Degrassi: The Next Generation, South of Nowhere, and Beyond the Break. The N also acquired rights to air reruns of That '70s Show starting June 2008.