INTERVIEW: Producer Karen Malach on the 100th Episode of “The Loud House” – Animation Scoop

INTERVIEW: Producer Karen Malach on the 100th Episode of “The Loud House”

Nickelodeon’s popular animated series The Loud House is hitting a major milestone. The show’s 100th Episode, A Star Is Scorned, airs tomorrow, June 10th at 12pm ET/PT on Nickelodeon. Producer Karen Malach is thrilled with the achievement and another Daytime Emmy nomination this month for the series. (This interview was conducted as an email Q&A.)

Jackson Murphy: How does it feel reaching 100 episodes on the series?

Karen Malach: It’s amazing! We feel really great about what we have made thus far and the response it garners from our fans. We now get to inspire and entertain a new generation of kids who will look back and say how The Loud House was their favorite cartoon growing up.

JM: TLH joins an elite club of Nicktoons to air at least 100 episodes. Do you feel the show has officially solidified its place in Nick history, joining SpongeBob, Fairly OddParents, and Rugrats?

KM: Absolutely. It’s so great just to be mentioned alongside those classic cartoons. We hope that we are making a show that will have the same type of staying power. More importantly, we hope that our show has a similar lasting effect on our audience in the way that those three shows have had on us (and the rest of the world).

JM: What do you remember about working on the first few episodes of The Loud House?

KM: It was really fun, and it still is, but at that time we were all getting to know one another. I was working with a new group of people, some of whom had never worked in the industry and some seasoned veterans who had worked extensively in animation. It was wonderful to see that eclectic mix work together and learn from each other. I also remember feeling so fortunate to land on a show where we all had a sense that everyone’s voice counted. It still does by the way. I always say a good idea can come from anyone – and I try to instill that type of thinking in my team.

JM: How have you seen the show’s popularity grow over this time?

KM: The longevity and popularity of the series comes from the core—featuring relatable characters, authenticity and humor. Kids and families can resonate with the series because it’s reflective of today’s audience and features characters with many different personalities.

JM: What made you and the team decide on the specific story for this 100th episode (A Star Is Scorned)?

KM: We didn’t actually make any plans around this milestone – it was basically business as usual for the writer’s room. That said, we do plot out several ½ hour specials per season of the show so that they can air in key timeslots throughout the year. These episodes tend to have higher stakes and can even include a melding of both The Loud House and The Casagrandes.

JM: Has production of the show continued for everyone at home during this COVID 19 time?

KM: Yes, we have been incredibly fortunate to be able to carry on from home, fairly seamlessly. While there have been challenges, we’ve been able to continue delivering our episodes to the network without missing a beat. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the other side of this which is the fact that we have great technology that is supported by an incredible team of production technologists, engineers and desktop support staff. In terms of keeping everyone’s spirits up, we try to break up our week by having social zoom calls like team lunches and other activities. My favorite of course is our Friday afternoon cocktail hour.

JM: Congrats on the 2020 Daytime Emmy Nomination! I know you won last year in this Outstanding Children’s Animated series category. Did you go to the Creative Arts Emmys? What was that like?

KM: Thank you! We are all thrilled. It’s a great feeling that our peers have chosen us – especially with all the choices that are out there now. There is so much content to choose from these days, so it feels even more special. The win last year was amazing – I really never thought I’d be so fortunate. It was definitely a night I will never forget.

JM: What episode did you submit for the Emmy category this year and why?

KM: We submitted Any Given Sundae which is a Lily centric story. We rarely use her as the focal point because she doesn’t fully talk …yet. That said, we had a ton of fun with design on this one and it was fun to see the world through her eyes.

JM: How has the Listen Out Loud Podcast been going? I know it was just renewed.

KM: It’s going great! We just released Season 3 (6 episodes) in May, and they can be found on Apple iTunes & Spotify. And they’re coming soon to our own Nick’s YouTube channel in mid-June! They are so fun for our writers to write – mainly because we can tell brand-new stories in a much quicker way. And while we miss creating animation for these stories, they are meant to be more of an audio experience, and they are faster to produce.

JM: Any details you can share on the upcoming Loud House episodes?

KM: We can’t say too much just yet, but we are really excited and are so proud of all the episodes we have made. Our recent Daytime Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Children’s show AND the celebration of our 100th episode really do say so much! Though I will also add that we do plan to create a few more half hour Specials this coming season, and our team always loves bringing back The Casagrandes for a visit – so be on the look-out!

Jackson Murphy
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