Star’s pregnancy creates new turmoil for Nick
Just a week ago, the producers of Jamie Lynn Spears’ hit TV show “Zoey 101” were wondering how fans might react to a plotline that had her character thinking of leaving her fantasy-land boarding school.
Now that Spears has disclosed that she’s pregnant, the network has an even bigger, real-life plot twist to wrestle with.
Executives must now figure out how to promote a program aimed at preteen girls whose 16-year-old role-model has tumbled from her pedestal.
It doesn’t help either that Spears is the younger sister of tabloid wild child Britney Spears.
“The whole Spears family seems to be a disaster scenario,” said media consultant Jonathan Taplin.
Jamie Lynn Spears told the OK! celebrity magazine this week that she was pregnant. The father is her 19-year-old boyfriend, Casey Aldridge.
She said she plans to raise the baby in her home state of Louisiana.
For now, Nickelodeon is standing behind Spears and her show. Her picture is still featured prominently on the Nick.com Web site, and the “Zoey 101” message board is still open – although there is no mention of her pregnancy.
The third season ends Jan. 4 with a cliffhanger episode about whether Spears’ character continues to attend a boarding school in California or moves to London with her parents.
“Nickelodeon hasn’t announced any schedule changes,” network spokeswoman Marianne Romano said when asked if the show’s fourth season would go ahead in February as planned.
Production on the fourth season was completed months ago, and the network had said even before Spears’ pregnancy announcement that there were no plans to film any more episodes.
The fate of the upcoming season is likely in the hands of Spears’ audience, with the network forced to wait and see how reaction plays out, Taplin said.
“I don’t think the ‘PR Consultant’s Emergency Manual’ has a section on children’s stars getting pregnant,” he added.
Nickelodeon is considering addressing the Spears pregnancy issue by having veteran newswoman Linda Ellerbee, who anchors its “Nick News” children’s specials, host one about sex and love.
“This is a great opportunity for parents at this moment to talk to their kids about this – more important, to listen to their kids about this,” Ellerbee said.
Rather than focus strictly on Spears, Ellerbee said she’s considering producing a broad discussion about how people know they’re in love, when is the right time to have sex and what are the value systems of their parents and friends. It could air as soon as next month.