Avatar: The Last Airbender
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Avatar: The Last Airbender (also known as Avatar: The Legend of Aang in several countries) is an award-winning American animated television series that currently airs on the Nickelodeon television network.
Set in an Asian-influenced world of martial arts and elemental manipulation, the series follows the adventures of the latest of a long line of Avatars, Aang, and his friends in a quest to save the world from the ruthless Fire Nation. The series is shown as a book series, with each episode serving as a "chapter" and each individual season as a "book."
Originally slated to begin airing November 2004, Avatar: The Last Airbender debuted on TV on February 21, 2005. The show is also available on DVD or for download at the iTunes Store and Xbox Live Marketplace.<ref>"
BitTorrent Launches Download Platform " , worldscreen , 2007-02-26 . Retrieved on 2007-03-19 . </ref> Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko are the creators and executive producers of the series. The show receives high ratings in the Nicktoons lineup, even outside its intended 6-to-11-year-old demographic. Avatar: The Last Airbender is popular with both audiences and critics,<ref> Fitzgerald , Tony
(2005-06-10) . Aang the Avatar, our kids' newest hero . TV.com Tracking . Media Life
. Retrieved on 2006-12-10. </ref> garnering 4.4 million viewers on its best-rated showing.<ref>Modèle:Cite journal</ref>
The series' success prompted Nickelodeon to order second<ref name="secondseason"> Carlsbad
(2006-01-24) . Article on Launch of Avatar Card Game . PR Newswire
. Retrieved on 2006-12-03. </ref> and third<ref name="as_S3airdate"> Season 3 to Premiere at 8 PM EST on September 21st!
(2007-07-27)
. Retrieved on 2007-07-27. </ref> seasons. Merchandise based on the series includes nine DVD sets of episodes, six-inch (15.34 cm) scale action figures, a trading card game, two video games based on the first and second seasons, stuffed animals distributed by Paramount Parks, and two Lego sets.<ref> Jim Cordeira
(2006-08-21) . THQ Announces Games Convention . Gaming Age
. Retrieved on 2006-12-03. </ref>
The Chinese characters 降卋(世)神通 (pinyin:Jiàngshì Shéntōng) appear with the English logo. They translate to "The divine medium who has descended upon the mortal world."
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Background
Avatar: The Last Airbender is co-created/produced by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko at Nickelodeon Animation Studios in Burbank, California. The first episode of Avatar was created six years following its original conception, a period much longer than the norm for animated shows.<ref> Edward Wyatt
(2006-12-12) . SpongeBob SquareProfits: Nickelodeon Swears By Cartoons . NY Times
. Retrieved on 2006-12-31. </ref>
According to co-creator Bryan Konietzko, the concept of the program was initially conceived when he took an old sketch of his—a balding, middle-aged man—and turned the character into a child. Bryan then did a drawing in which the boy was shepherding bison through the sky. At the time, Mike DiMartino was studying a documentary about explorers who were trapped in the South Pole. The various aspects all seemed to gradually come together. The two thought:"There's an air guy along with these water people trapped in a snowy wasteland... and maybe some fire people are pressing down on them..."<ref>"In Their Elements." (September 2006) Nick Mag Presents, p. 6</ref>The co-creators proceeded to successfully pitch the idea to Nickelodeon VP and executive producer Eric Coleman just two weeks later.<ref>It's Elementary -- Avatar: The Last Airbender</ref>
While it was originally set to premiere in November 2004, the first episode of Avatar aired in February 2005. Following the conclusion of the first season of Avatar, Nickelodeon promptly ordered a second twenty-episode season that premiered on March 17, 2006, and concluded on December 1.<ref name="secondseason"/> The third season began on September 21, 2007 and reportedly will go on to feature twenty-one episodes rather than the usual twenty.<ref name="as_S3airdate" /> <ref name="AvSpirit493">Avatar Spirit - Season 3 To Have 21 Episodes</ref>
Premise
Avatar: The Last Airbender takes place in a fantasy world, home to humans, fantastic animals, and supernatural spirits. Human civilization is divided into four nations—the Water Tribes, the Earth Kingdom, the Air Nomads, and the Fire Nation. Within each nation, an order of men and women called "Benders" have the ability to manipulate their native element. These Bending arts combine a certain style of martial arts and elemental mysticism. The Bending types are Waterbending, Earthbending, Firebending, Airbending.<ref name="avatar2/index.jhtml"> Nickelodeon's Official Avatar: The Last Airbender Flash Site
. Nick.com
. Retrieved on 2006-12-02. </ref>
In each generation, one person is capable of Bending all four elements; this is the Avatar, the spirit of the planet manifested in human form. When the Avatar dies, he or she is reincarnated into a baby native in the next of the four nations in the Avatar Cycle, which parallels the seasons: winter for water, spring for earth, summer for fire, and autumn for air.<ref name="Southern"/> While legend holds that the Avatar must master the elements in order, starting with their native element, this can sometimes be compromised when the situation requires it. Learning to bend the element opposite one's native element is extremely difficult because opposing Bending arts are based on opposing fighting styles and doctrines. Firebending and Waterbending are opposites, as are Earthbending and Airbending. <ref name="LearnEarthbending"> "Bitter Work".
Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Nickelodeon .
2006-06-02.
No. 9, season 2 (Book 2).
</ref>.
The Avatar possesses a unique power that resides within him or her, called the Avatar State. It is a defense mechanism that empowers the Avatar with the skills and knowledge of all the past Avatars. When the state is reached, the current Avatar will be able to wield the combined power of all past lives. When the Avatar enters this state, his or her eyes and mouth, and tattoos in the case of an Airbender, begin to glow. The glow is the representation of all the Avatar's previous incarnations focusing their energy through his or her body. However, if the Avatar is killed in the Avatar State, then the reincarnation cycle will be broken, and the Avatar will cease to exist.<ref name="AvatarState"> "The Avatar State".
Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Nickelodeon .
2006-03-17.
No. 21, season 2 (Book 2).
</ref>
Through the ages, countless incarnations of the Avatar have served to keep the four nations in harmony and maintain world order.<ref name="avatar2/index.jhtml"/> The Avatar also serves as the bridge between the physical world and the Spirit World, home of the world's disembodied spirits.<ref name="SpiritWorld"> "The Spirit World".
Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Nickelodeon .
2005-04-08.
No. 7, season 1 (Book 1).
</ref>
Plot synopsis
A century prior to the series' opening, Aang, a 12-year-old Airbender of the Air Nomads' Southern Air Temple, learned from the elder monks that he was the Avatar. Usually, the Avatar is told of his or her true identity after turning sixteen; however, the monks feared that a war between the four nations was on the horizon and that soon the Avatar would be required to maintain balance and order in the world. Shortly thereafter, the monks decreed that Aang would be separated from his guardian, Monk Gyatso, and sent to the Eastern Air Temple to complete his training.
Confused, frightened, and overwhelmed by these recent events and his new responsibilities as the Avatar, Aang fled from his home on his flying bison, Appa. While traveling over frigid southern ocean waters, a sudden storm caused Appa to plunge deep into the sea. Aang unconsciously entered the Avatar State, and used a combination of Airbending and Waterbending to protect Appa and himself. By creating an air bubble around them and then freezing it, Aang was able to ensure that he and Appa could breathe and be protected from the storm until it dissipated. However, the storm transferred the bubble very near the south pole and it could not thaw, forcing the two of them into a state of suspended animation.<ref name="Southern"> "The Southern Air Temple".
Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Nickelodeon .
2005-02-25.
No. 3, season 1 (Book 1).
</ref>
The series opens one hundred years later, with the Fire Nation on the brink of victory in its imperialist war. All of the Air Nomads are believed to have been destroyed. The Water Tribes are in crisis — the Southern Water Tribe's warriors have left to wage war, leaving their home defenseless, while the Northern Water Tribe, though largely intact, is continually on the defensive.<ref> "The Boy in the Iceberg".
Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Nickelodeon .
2005-02-21.
No. 1, season 1 (Book 1).
</ref> The vast Earth Kingdom is now the only true barrier to the Fire Nation's conquest, but as the Fire Nation continues to encroach on its borders and conquer its territories, hopes of victory grow bleaker with each passing year.
Two teenage siblings from the Southern Water Tribe — Katara, an inexperienced Waterbender, and her brother, Sokka, a warrior and caretaker of the tribe — discover and free Aang and Appa from the iceberg. Aang soon discovers to his horror that, during his absence, a century-long war has been waged. The very year he vanished, Fire Lord Sozin took advantage of both the Avatar's absence and the Firebending-enhancing powers of a passing comet (later renamed "Sozin's Comet," in his honor) to launch a war on the other nations.<ref name="Roku"> "Avatar Roku".
Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Nickelodeon .
2005-04-15.
No. 8, season 1 (Book 1).
</ref> To Aang's shock and disbelief, the Fire Nation's opening gambit had been a genocidal assault on the Air Nomads. The Air Temples were stormed and the Airbenders slaughtered in the Fire Nation's effort to break the Avatar Cycle, leaving Aang as the last known Airbender in existence.<ref name="Southern"/>
As the Avatar, Aang's duty is to restore harmony and peace to the four nations. Along with his newly discovered friends Katara and Sokka, his flying bison Appa and his winged lemur Momo, and later the blind Earthbender Toph, Aang travels the world to master all four elements. During his quest, he must constantly avoid being captured by the banished Prince Zuko (who later joins the Avatar) and, later, Zuko's cleverly deceptive and fiery sister, Princess Azula.
Although normally years of disciplined training are required to master a single Bending art, Aang must be a master of all four and defeat Fire Lord Ozai by summer's end, when the return of Sozin's Comet will give the Firebenders the power to win the war. If these events come to pass, not even the Avatar will possess the ability to restore balance to the world.<ref name="Roku"/>
Characters
The Avatar series has been praised for several strong points including character development and depth. All the main characters are portrayed as "marvelously flawed human beings," and the series shone in its initial season with the characterizations of its main antagonists.<ref> Ed Liu
(2006-10-28) . Toon Zone Description and Review on Season 1 DVD . Toon Zone
. Retrieved on 2006-12-02. </ref>
Aang (Mitchel Musso in the unaired pilot, Zach Tyler Eisen onwards) is the fun-loving, 12-year-old (chronologically 112-years-old) protagonist of the series. He is the current incarnation of the Avatar, the avatar of the planet manifested in human form. As the Avatar, Aang must master all four elements to bring peace to the world and balance between the four Nations.<ref name="TheAvatarReturns"> "The Avatar Returns".
Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Nickelodeon .
2005-02-21.
No. 2, season 1 (Book 1).
</ref> Every way the reluctant hero, Aang openly expresses that he would rather be searching for fun adventure and making new friends than being charged with saving the world. Compounded with his energetic nature and childish naïvete, at times Aang can be somewhat oblivious of the world around him and others' true feelings, as he is often too preoccupied with the events immediately surrounding him to notice what occurs on a more in-depth level. However, over the course of the series, Aang matures drastically as his experiences cause him to fully realize the state of the world and gradually shape him into being physically and mentally suited for the task set before him.
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Katara (Mae Whitman) is 14 years old, and one of the remaining Waterbenders of the Southern Water Tribe. Katara, along with her brother, Sokka, discovers Aang at the beginning of the series. She and Sokka accompany him on his quest to defeat the Fire Lord and bring peace to the war-torn nations. Katara is mature, loving, and responsible. Always looking out for the well-being of others, after the passing of their mother at the hands of the Fire Nation, Katara took on a bossy role over Sokka, a nature that she later took to in relation to Aang and Toph. She is an apt leader when the situation calls for one.<ref name="TheDesert"> "The Desert".
Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Nickelodeon .
2006-07-14.
No. 11, season 2 (Book 2).
</ref> However, she can be extremely nasty at times, and believes without exception that her way is the right way, never relenting on her views even when they are disproved.<ref name="TheChase"> "The Chase".
Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Nickelodeon .
2006-06-02.
No. 9, season 2 (Book 2).
</ref> Despite Katara's kind nature, she has a temper which, when combined with her impressive waterbending skills and idealistic views, can be quite destructive. She is the only one who shows hatred towards Zuko once he joins the group, openly threatening to kill him if he messed up.
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| Sokka (Jack DeSena) is a 15-year-old warrior of the Southern Water Tribe who, with his sister Katara, accompanies Aang on his quest to defeat the Fire Lord. Sokka describes himself as "meat-loving" and "sarcastic."<ref name="LearnEarthbending"/> Unlike his companions, Sokka cannot bend an element. However, the series frequently grants him opportunities to demonstrate his true gift: ingenuity. He takes great pride in his mental and physical strength, though it is often overshadowed by others' ability to bend. He is extremely skilled though in the art of boomerangs, and later the art of a sword. He is extremely clever, relying on science where the mystical and martial arts elude him, though his silly and immature manner often causes others to underestimate his intellect. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Toph Bei Fong (Jessie Flower) is a 12-year-old, blind Earthbender (also known as the blind bandit) who leaves her wealthy lifestyle and home to join Aang on his quest in order to teach him earthbending. Though blind, Toph "sees" with Earthbending, feeling vibrations in the ground that objects make when they are moving, which also allows for certain other abilities unique to her. Toph has largely lived in seclusion all her life due to overprotective parents, which makes her somewhat selfish, sarcastic, and, at times, bitter and arrogant. She does not hesitate to speak her mind and is bluntly truthful. With the presence of friends, Toph gradually becomes less overly abrasive towards others and learns what it means to be part of a team. She also seems to be the only Earthbender who has the ability to bend metals. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Zuko (Dante Basco) is the exiled 16-year-old prince of the Fire Nation and original primary antagonist of the series. Zuko was obsessed with capturing the Avatar in his quest to restore his honor and redeem himself in the eyes of his father, Fire Lord Ozai, who deems him a complete failure. Ironically, he would eventually join the Avatar's team as a firebending teacher. The most defining aspect of his appearance is the scar over his left eye, which he received during a forced Agni Kai with Ozai.<ref name="TheStorm"> "The Storm".
Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Nickelodeon .
2005-06-03.
No. 12, season 1 (Book 1).
</ref> As a result of his conflicted life, including the loss of his beloved mother Ursa, Zuko often acts temperamental, bitter, and cold to anyone he comes in contact with. However, his character is subjected to the most significant amount of development throughout the series, influenced by both the presence of his Uncle Iroh and his time as an exile.
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| Azula (Grey DeLisle) is the 14 year-old-princess of the Fire Nation, Zuko's younger sister, and Fire Lord Ozai's pampered favorite child. Azula has been cruel and self-centered her entire life. Her mind is set on war and power; she manipulates and even tortures others to advance her own desires, ignoring family and emotional bonds whenever necessary. As a firebending prodigy with a sadistic personality, Azula is a dangerous opponent. Azula is one of the few Firebenders shown to possess the ability to generate lightning. The only others known to create lightning are Fire Lord Ozai, Iroh, and Prince Zuko at one time. She also has the unique ability to generate blue fire. Azula sees others as expendable, and intimidates her lackeys and all those under her command. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Iroh (Mako in seasons 1 and 2, Greg Baldwin onwards) is a retired Fire Nation general and Prince Zuko's uncle. Iroh is the older brother of Fire Lord Ozai and was the original heir to the throne of the Fire Nation.<ref name="ZukoAlone"> "Zuko Alone".
Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Nickelodeon .
2006-05-12.
No. 7, season 2 (Book 2).
</ref> A powerful Firebender of great renown and respect (he is known as the Dragon of the West), he looks upon Zuko as a son more than as a nephew, especially after the loss of his own son, Lu Ten. On the surface, Iroh is a cheerful and kind old man whose hobbies include drinking tea, playing Pai Sho, and singing. But inside he is a very determined individual who would do anything to protect those he cares about. So far, he is the only one shown to know about Zuko's ancestry and destiny. Much older and more experienced than any of the other main characters, Iroh chooses to take a less active role in the affairs of the series, acting as more of a mentor and guide to Zuko and nearly everyone he meets, including Aang and company.
[modifier] Secondary Characters
(2007-03-20) . Avatar To End With Battle . Sci Fi Wire . Retrieved on 2007-06-13. </ref> Jet used Twin Tiger-Head hook swords as his weapons. He was killed while helping Aang and the others save Appa from the Dai Li.
[modifier] Influences[modifier] Cultural referencesAvatar is notable for borrowing extensively from Asian art and mythology to create a fully realized fictional universe. Apart from its anime-inspired character designs, Avatar also draws on a mix of Chinese, Japanese, Mongolian, Korean, Indian, Polynesian and Tibetan philosophy, religion, language, clothing, martial arts and culture. In addition, the show's Water Tribe is heavily influenced by Inuit culture. Explicitly stated influences include Chinese art and history, Japanese anime, Hinduism, Taoism, Buddhism,<ref> Interview With The Creators . NickSplat.com (2005-10-12) . Retrieved on 2006-12-02. </ref> and Yoga.<ref> Mark Lasswell
(2005-08-25) . Article On Avatar: The Last Airbender . NY Times . Retrieved on 2006-12-02. </ref> The production staff employs a cultural consultant, Edwin Zane, to review scripts. [modifier] AvatarThe term "Avatar" comes from the Sanskrit word Avatāra (Sanskrit: अवतार), which means "descent." In Hindu mythology, gods often manifest themselves into Avatars to restore balance on earth after a period of great evil. The Chinese characters appearing above the word "Avatar" in the show's opening mean "the divine medium who has descended upon the mortal world."<ref name="calligraphy.html"> KTChong
. Calligraphy Writing In Avatar . Distant Horizon . Retrieved on 2006-12-02. </ref> When Aang was a child, he unknowingly revealed that he was the Avatar when he chose four toys out of thousands that symbolized each of the main elements. These four toys were the same ones that past Avatars had chosen for generations when they were children, revealing that Aang was the reincarnation of the Avatar. There is a similar test a child must pass in order to be recognized as the reincarnation of a Tulku Lama in Tibetan Buddhism. According to the book Magic and Mystery in Tibet by Alexandra David-Neel, "a number of objects such as rosaries, ritualistic implements, books, tea-cups, etc., are placed together, and the child must pick out those which belonged to the late tulku, thus showing that he recognizes the things which were theirs in their previous life."<ref>David-Neel, Alexandra. Magic and Mystery in Tibet. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1971 (ISBN 0-486-22682-4)</ref> Avatar's official site states "the successor is expected to show signs of continuity with the previous Avatar, such as being born within a week of the death."<ref name="avatar2/index.jhtml"/> [modifier] ElementsAvatar draws on four classical elements for its bending arts (rather than the 5 Classical Chinese Elements): Water, Earth, Fire and Air. Although each has its own variation, most ancient philosophies incorporate these four elements in some way, including the classical Hindu, Buddhist, Greek and Japanese elemental traditions. In the show’s opening, each element is accompanied by 2 Chinese characters — an ancient Chinese seal script character of the element on the left, along with a more modern Chinese character of the corresponding attribute on the right:
[modifier] Western culture[modifier] Cinema and booksFilms series such as Star Wars, along with book series such as Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings were a heavy influence when it came to developing the story of Avatar, as the creators wanted to tell their own epic Legend & Lore story. <ref> IGN: Interview: Avatar's Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino . IGN.com (2007-09-06) . Retrieved on 2007-09-24. </ref> [modifier] Asian culture[modifier] CalligraphyChinese characters done in traditional East Asian calligraphy styles are used for nearly all the writing that appears in Avatar. For each instance of calligraphy, an appropriate style is used, ranging from the seal script (more archaic) to the clerical script.<ref name="calligraphy.html"/> The show employs calligrapher Siu-Leung Lee as a consultant and translator. See also: the Oracle Bone Script for the origin of many Hanzi characters and some Oracle Bone characters themselves are even used in the Avatar series. [modifier] Fighting stylesThe fighting choreography of Avatar draws from martial arts, and the fighting styles and weaponry are based on Chinese martial arts, with each bending art corresponding to a certain real-world style or styles. The creators use Tai Chi for waterbending, Hung Gar for earthbending (although Toph employs a Chu Gar Southern Praying Mantis style),<ref name="con">San Diego Comicon 2006 panel question and answer part 2 - Avatarspirit.net</ref> Northern Shaolin for firebending, and Ba Gua for airbending.<ref name="avatar2/index.jhtml"/> The show employs Sifu Kisu of the Harmonious Fist Chinese Athletic Association as a martial arts consultant.<ref> The National Shaolin Information Resource . The Harmonious Fist Chinese Athletic Association . Retrieved on 2006-12-02. </ref> Each fighting style was chosen to represent the element it projected:
(2006-10-05) . Interview with Sifu Kisu part 1 . Avatarspirit.net . Retrieved on 2007-01-20. </ref> Non-Chinese arts have also appeared. The pirates who appear in Book One, Episodes Nine and Eighteen, employ Japanese weapons, a possible nod to the historical clashes between Shaolin monks and Japanese pirates. In The Headband, Aang's adaptation of martial arts forms into dance techniques evolves into a game of Brazilian capoeira, complete with roda and batteria, with Katara. The flow of chi is the engine behind the bending arts. Benders require chi to flow from the breath as form of energy derived from breathing and oxygenation, and then extend that energy past their body to manipulate or manifest their element. This chi is stored in the abdomen of the bender, known among martial artists as the Dantian. Different choices of directing energy are referred to different kinds of Jing (Modèle:Zh-tsp), a system used to describe movements in sparring such as positive, or aggressive, negative, or defensive, and neutral, which is neither aggressive nor defensive. The ability to bend stems from a compound of genetics and spirituality. As stated by the creators, all Air Nomads are benders as a result of their small population and increased spirituality in comparison to other nations. Civilization reduces spirituality and thus every nation has a different percentage of benders.<ref> Gowa-Chan
. Pacific Media Expo . AvatarSpirit.com . Retrieved on 2006-12-02. </ref> [modifier] Asian filmAsian cinema had a profound effect on the utilization of the choreographed martial art bending moves. Avatar creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino stated the particular influence in a magazine interview: Modèle:Cquote [modifier] AnimeWhile Avatar is not considered an anime because of its American origin, one review has commented that "Avatar blurs the line between anime and (US) domestic cartoons until it becomes irrelevant."<ref> SciFi Channel Anime Review . SciFi . Retrieved on 2006-10-16. </ref> In addition, Avatar has many features of anime such as having a different color palette from other animated shows.<ref> Avatar: The Last Airbender Article . Animation World Magazine (2005-02-18) . Retrieved on 2006-12-16. </ref> Avatar creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino confirmed a particular anime influence in a magazine interview: Modèle:Cquote According to an interview with the artists involved in creating Avatar, Appa's design was based on the Catbus in My Neighbor Totoro, due to the peculiar task of creating a mammal with six legs.<ref>Modèle:Cite video</ref> Avatar also draws inspiration from the anime works of Shinichiro Watanabe's Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo, as well as FLCL (Fooly Cooly) of Gainax. Other various studios from which inspiration was drawn include Studio 4°C, Production I.G., and Studio Ghibli.<ref> www.musogato.com/avatar/magazine/anime_insider-dec06.jpg
[modifier] Response[modifier] RatingsWhen the show debuted, it was rated the best animated television series in its demographic.<ref name="animation"> Aaron H. Bynum
(2006-06-30) . Avatar: Season 3 . Animation Insider . Retrieved on 2006-12-16. </ref> The show averages 1.1 million viewers on the Friday Night block of programming on Nickelodeon when new episodes premiere at 8:30 EST.<ref name="animation"/> The one-hour special showing of Secret of the Fire Nation (consisting of the episodes "The Serpent's Pass" and "The Drill"), which was aired on September 15, 2006, gathered an audience of 4.1 million viewers. According to the Nielsen Media Research, the special was the best performing cable television show airing in that week.<ref> Aaron H. Bynum
(2006-09-20) . Secret of the Fire Nation Ratings . Animation Insider . Retrieved on 2006-12-16. </ref> Avatar is currently syndicated to more than 105 countries around the world and is one of Nickelodeon's top rated programs across broadcast and cable in multiple markets. The series is ranked No. 1 on Nick in Germany, Indonesia, Belgium and Colombia.<ref>http://www.viacom.com/NEWS/NewsText.aspx?RID=1077954</ref> [modifier] Awards and Nominations
[modifier] Viewer AudienceSurprisingly, Avatar the Last Airbender, has attracted an audience that is quite different from its intended age. The show was originally created for roughly 6-11 year old demographics, but the 13-19 demographics has also taken a liking to this show, represented by high seeding and torrenting on online torrent sites. An estimated of at least 1/2 of the viewers of Avatar: The Last Airbender, are not directed at the demography intended for. [modifier] Media information[modifier] Broadcast historyThe show was first revealed to the public in a teaser reel at Comic-Con 2004.<ref> Avatar: The Last Airbender Sneak Peak
[modifier] Promotion and merchandisingAvatar's success has led to promotions with Burger King and Upper Deck Entertainment, an Avatar-themed roller coaster that debuted on April 14, 2006, at Kings Island amusement park and a second to open in 2008 at The Park at MOA, and two special issues of Nick Mag Presents dedicated entirely to the show. Various members of the Avatar staff and cast appeared at the 2006 San Diego Comic-Con International convention, while co-creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko appeared as guests of honor with Martial Arts Consultant Sifu Kisu at the Pacific Media Expo on October 28 2006. Avatar also has its own line of t-shirts, LEGO playsets, toys, a trading card game, a cine-manga, and two video games. The Mattel-produced action figure toy line generated some controversy with its exclusion of any female characters. While minor male characters (such as King Bumi) and forms of the main characters unseen in the program (such as 'Water Nation Aang') were included, significant female characters, most notably Katara, were missing, leading to accusations of sexism.<ref> Where's Katara? The Avatar, Mattel, and Sexism
</ref> However, Mattel has since released information stating that they have taken account of Katara's increased role within the program and also that she will be included in the figure assortment for mid 2007 release,<ref>http://community.livejournal.com/avatar_fans/1658088.html</ref> yet, as of December 10 2007, there is no female-based figurine available on the official Avatar Toy website <ref>http://www.avatartoys.com [accessdate = 2007-12-10]</ref>. Nickelodeon executives have since released highly optimistic plans for upcoming marketing strategies in regards to Avatar, with Nickelodeon President Cyma Zarghami openly stating their belief that if done correctly, the franchise very well "could become [their] Harry Potter." Nickelodeon expects consumers to spend about $121 million in 2007 on the emerging franchise, rising to $254 million in 2009 (not including revenue from commercial advertisers). The revenues make Avatar one of the most profitable animated series in television history. The marketing plans are to be enacted coinciding with the release of the first of a trilogy of live-action films based on the series in 2009.<ref> Nick pins hopes on Avatar - USAToday
[modifier] Feature film adaptationOn January 8, 2007, Paramount Pictures' MTV Films and Nick Movies announced that they have signed M. Night Shyamalan to write, direct and produce a trilogy of live-action films based on the series, the first of which will encompass the main characters' adventures of Book one.<ref>
. " Shyamalan's 'Avatar' also to bigscreen " , Variety , 2007-01-08 . Retrieved on 2007-01-09 . </ref> Avatar co-creators Mike DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko have come forward to voice their opinion within an interview regarding M. Night Shyamalan writing, directing and producing the film. The two displayed much enthusiasm over Shyamalan's decision for the adaptation, stating that they admire his work and he in turn respects their material. This newfound information dispels fears that the co-creators were going to be left completely out of the creative process as Paramount did not specify their level of contribution when initial announcements of the deal with Shyamalan came forward.<ref> Mike Szymanski
. " Avatar Creators Praise Night " , Sci Fi Wire , 2007-03-17 . Retrieved on 2007-03-17 . </ref> [modifier] Musical scoreAvatar features an extensive original musical score, written by composers Benjamin Wynn and Jeremy Zuckerman, otherwise known as The Track Team. The Live Action movie score will be done by James Newton Howard.<ref> The Track Team
[modifier] References<references /> [modifier] External linksModèle:Nicktoonsbn:অ্যাভাটর: দ্য লাস্ট এয়ারবেন্ডার bg:Аватар: Повелителят на четирите стихии de:Avatar – Der Herr der Elemente dv:އެވަޓާރ - ދަ ލާސްޓް އެއަރ ބެންޑަރ es:Avatar: la leyenda de Aang eo:Avatar: The Last Airbender fr:Avatar, le dernier maître de l'air id:Avatar: The Last Airbender it:Avatar: La Leggenda di Aang he:אווטאר (סדרה מצוירת) nl:Avatar (tekenfilmserie) no:Avatar: The Legend of Aang pt:Avatar: The Last Airbender ru:Аватар — Легенда об Аанге simple:Avatar: The Last Airbender sv:Avatar: The Last Airbender tl:Avatar: The Last Airbender tr:Avatar: Son Hava Bükücü |
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</ref> The film is now in a dispute with 
