'Fanboy and Chum Chum'

If this isn't the best night ever for Nickelodeon, it's a pretty good one, with the 10th anniversary of its biggest kids show, "SpongeBob SquarePants," followed by the debut of its latest, "Fanboy and Chum Chum."

SpongeBob's 10th anniversary, which airs at 8 with guests like Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, LeBron James, Pink, Robin Williams and Rosario Dawson, is a tough act for the new show to follow.

But if "Fanboy" isn't likely to become a phenomenon, it's a solid show, targeting an audience perhaps slightly older than SpongeBob's.

Naturally, its star, Fanboy, is a cool geek, an 11-year-old comics devotee who gets to live out comics-style adventures.

Tonight, he challenges a young wizard to a "Wizard-off" contest. Harry Potter fans will notice more than a few allusions to the most famous boy wizard of modern times, and thanks to up-to-the-minute animation technology, it's a flashy thing to watch.

Chum Chum is Fanboy's young pal, a cross between a baby brother and Batman's sidekick, Robin.

Fanboy seems to be Chum Chum's protector, and as we find out in the second part of tonight's episode, he's fiercely devoted. That gives "Fanboy and Chum Chum" a heartwarming core, which is a good move for a show where Fanboy will at times act like, well, an 11-year-old boy.

"Fanboy" returns tomorrow to settle into its regular slot, Saturdays at 10:30 a.m.

dhinckley@nydailynews.com



Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2009/11/06/2009-11-06_fanboy_and_chum_chum_new_nickelodeon_show_might_not_be_next_spongebob_but_its_go.html#ixzz0YpSKrcOi



Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2009/11/06/2009-11-06_fanboy_and_chum_chum_new_nickelodeon_show_might_not_be_next_spongebob_but_its_go.html#ixzz0YpSKrcOi