The 20-episode series follows twin genies-in-training, Shimmer and Shine, who grant wishes for their friend Leah that lead to surprising mishaps but the trio always figures out a way to make the mistakes turn out great.
Shimmer and Shine features a social-emotional curriculum highlighting the importance of teamwork, resilience and overcoming obstacles. The series is created by Farnaz Esnaashari-Charmatz (post-production supervisor for Dora the Explorer and Go, Diego, Go!) and produced at Nickelodeon Animation Studios in Burbank, California.
“The beautiful fantasy world of Shimmer and Shine offers endless possibilities for magical adventures and pre-schoolers will love the genies’ playful humour and enthusiasm,” said Russell Hicks, Nickelodeon’s President of Content Development and Production. “First-time creator Farnaz Esnaashari-Charmatz is a home-grown success story who started as an intern at Nick 10 years ago. She epitomizes the diverse talent and empowering spirit that comes from the Nickelodeon Animation Studio.”
In the first episode “The Sweetest Thing,” Leah wishes for the genies’ help in making cupcakes for her school bake sale. Through silly misunderstandings, Leah, Shimmer and Shine find themselves stuck with a giant birthday cake, some farm animals and no wishes left. They must work together to fix their magical mistakes without drawing the attention of Leah’s curious (and hungry) neighbour, Zac.
In Shimmer and Shine, the eponymous twin sisters are Leah’s secret genies. Leah always has a dilemma that she needs her magical friends’ assistance with, and the genies-in-training are happy to grant her a maximum of three wishes a day to help her out. Sometimes they misinterpret what Leah wishes for and accidentally grant her wishes she didn’t even mean to make. Each wrong wish quickly compounds into a crazy adventure. Ultimately, through teamwork, the genies and Leah find a way to fix the problem.