• The New York Times, Wednesday, July 30, 2008 10 AM

Nickelodeon, the 29-year-old cable channel for children, is trying to produce programs that the first generation of "Nickelodeon parents" can watch with their youngsters. This week the Viacom unit is announcing the acquisition of an original program from Michael Eisner's production company, one of several new shows being developed by the network.

The move mirrors that of many cable channels that have introduced flagship dramas recently to make their networks more distinct and appealing to advertisers.

Nick's acquisition, "Glenn Martin D.D.S.," is an animated program about a dentist who takes his family on a cross-country adventure. "It's a chance to connect to the second generation of Nick viewers," says Cyma Zarghami, Nickelodeon president. About 40% of parents watched Nickelodeon when they were growing up.

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