Nickelodeon Creator Unloads on Paramount Following Series Cancellation: “They Think Kids Aren’t Smart”

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Nickelodeon is known for shows like *SpongeBob SquarePants*, *The Fairly OddParents*, and *Avatar: The Last Airbender*, but the network creates much more than just those hits. As Nickelodeon develops new shows, some previously popular series haven’t continued. Recently, at the SCAD Animation Festival in Atlanta, a key animator whose show was canceled spoke critically about Paramount and the fate of her characters.

Ozlem Akturk, co-creator of Tiny Chef, spoke at this year’s Savannah College of Art and Design Animation Festival about how the character was developed and quickly became popular online. Before the Nickelodeon show, Tiny Chef had already gained a following and appeared in ads for companies like DoorDash and Priceline, showing a real demand for the little chef. Akturk explained that the recent merger between Skydance and Paramount was a key factor in the cancellation of the Tiny Chef series on Nickelodeon, despite its popularity with fans and two completed seasons.

Although the online campaign successfully saved the existing episodes of *Tiny Chef*, there won’t be any new seasons of the Nickelodeon show. Co-creator Ozlem Akturk explained at a SCAD panel that the show’s contract had expired, and the merger between Paramount and Skydance led to executives declining to renew it. Akturk described it as a difficult time, as the team worried about funding. They launched the viral campaign hoping fans would help support the expensive stop-motion animation. Akturk praised the fans’ incredible response, which kept the show going, and jokingly suggested Nickelodeon wasn’t thrilled with their efforts to save it through public support and media attention.

The Tiny Chef Lives

Ozlem Akturk, creator of *Tiny Chef*, shared that her initial idea for the show wasn’t geared towards preschoolers. She envisioned a cooking program the entire family could enjoy together. While the show ultimately became popular with young children, Akturk felt strongly that kids are intelligent and capable of understanding more than some executives give them credit for. She wanted to create a genuine cooking show that would appeal to everyone and celebrate their abilities, believing children deserve engaging and enriching content.

Akturk explained that she was determined to keep the rights to *The Tiny Chef Show*. She and co-creator Rachel Larsen made this a priority from the start, anticipating the possibility of cancellation – a decision that proved wise. They’d seen other projects disappear when creators didn’t own their intellectual property, and they didn’t want that to happen to theirs. They were firm about not selling the rights, even after Nickelodeon picked up the show. They knew they could continue working independently if necessary, and as creators, they felt strongly about protecting the story they loved.

Although The Tiny Chef Show won’t be returning to Nickelodeon, the popular stop-motion character will continue creating content online. As Ozlem pointed out, the show’s Instagram account has grown from around 600,000 followers to almost 6 million, demonstrating a huge amount of support for the little chef, even without the Nickelodeon series.

We’re curious to hear your thoughts on some recent, potentially divisive opinions shared by one of the creators of *The Tiny Chef Show*. Share your reaction in the comments below and join the discussion happening now in the ComicBook Forum!

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/nickelodeon-canceled-tiny-chef-show-streaming/embed/#

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2025-09-25 23:41