PBS KIDS Sprout(SM) Celebrates First Birthday With Month-Long Birthday Bash, New Shows and Movie Premieres - Video and Photos Available

PBS KIDS Sprout(SM) Celebrates First Birthday With Month-Long Birthday Bash, New Shows and Movie Premieres - Video and Photos Available

New Fall 2006 Programming Includes the Emmy Award-Winning Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks(TM), Sprout Diner, The Birthday Show and more

PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- PBS KIDS Sprout, the first and only 24-hour preschool destination available on TV, on demand and online for kids ages 2-5 and their parents and caregivers, is celebrating its first birthday this September with a month-long birthday bash filled with surprises, three new programs and two world television premieres.

To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/pbskidssprout/25235/

In less than one year, Sprout has not only expanded its distribution to almost 20 million households, but it has been recognized for excellence in programming and marketing with five Telly Awards, seven Promax/BDA Awards and two Mark Awards. Additionally, Sprout's most recent Q Score (measuring familiarity and appeal) outranked all other kids' networks and topped both Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny among moms of kids ages 2-5. Sprout is the #1 Kids On Demand service with over 100 million VOD orders since Sprout On Demand launched in April 2005.

Birthday Bash

Movie Premieres & Other Surprises

All month long, beloved Sprout friends like Bob The Builder(TM), Barney(TM), Big Bird, Noddy(TM), Caillou(R) and Angelina Ballerina(TM) will deliver special on-air birthday greetings throughout the day. From Thursday, September 21 through Tuesday, September 26, Birthday Host Kevin will present a daily three-hour block from 3-6 p.m. ET that features Sprout's own Mr. Mailman delivering presents to children who unwrap them to reveal the next birthday- themed show. The biggest presents will be the world television premieres of Angelina's Princess Dance on Thursday, September 21 at 5:00 p.m. ET and Bob the Builder's first musical special, Bob the Builder: Built to be Wild on Tuesday, September 26 at 5:00 p.m. ET.

The Birthday Show

Although Sprout's actual birthday is on Tuesday, September 26, the on-air party begins much earlier. The Birthday Show premieres on Monday, September 11. Hosted by Sprout's own Kevin, this new and expanded Sprout favorite will be enhanced with fun-filled birthday party ideas for kids and parents, including games, crafts, and party planning tips in addition to expanded daily readings of homemade birthday cards submitted by viewers and the Sprout birthday song. Replacing Sprout's original daily "birthday segments," The Birthday Show will continue beyond the month of September airing throughout the day as part of Sprout's regular programming.

New Sprout Season...New Shows

Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks(TM)

Kicking off Sprout's new fall schedule on Sunday, September 10 is the debut of the six-time Emmy Award-winning Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks. The new animated series launches with a special three-hour Grand "Tails" Day block hosted by Grandpa Piggley Winks in honor of National Grandparents Day. Featuring six back-to-back episodes of Jakers!, this special block will begin at noon ET and repeat again at 3:00 p.m. ET. Moving forward, Jakers! will air every day on Sprout at 4:00 p.m. ET.

Jakers! follows the adventures of Piggley Winks and his friends Dannan the duck and Ferny the bull on Raloo Farm in the rural Irish village of Tara in the 1950s. It draws upon the rich heritage of storytelling and intergenerational communication to invite children into an imaginative, diverse world and engage young viewers in adventures that teach important life lessons. Viewers are encouraged to log onto http://www.sproutletsgrow.com/grandtails (launching 8/28) for ways to celebrate Grandparents Day with Jakers! and Sprout.

The Good Night Show

Beginning the following evening at 6:00 p.m. ET, Noel MacNeal, an Emmy- nominated, 20-year veteran of children's television, will join The Good Night Show as Leo, the series' special guest host. Helping parents wind down their kids after a busy day, Leo will play games, sing songs and create bedtime stories with Star, the lovable and lively star-shaped puppet. New to The Good Night Show will be Lucy, an enchanting puppet firefly, who will help introduce episodes of Sprout favorites such as Dragon Tales(TM), Angelina Ballerina(TM) and Bob The Builder(TM). Best known for his role as Bear in Bear in the Big Blue House(TM) and Breakfast With Bear(TM), and as a long-time performer on Sesame Street(R), as well as Blue's Room(TM) and Oobi(TM), MacNeal will act as special guest host Leo while Sprout continues its multi-city search for the new host of The Good Night Show, which will tape its third season later this fall.

Sprout Diner

The following week, opening its doors on Monday, September 18, will be Sprout Diner, a new Sprout original short-form program designed to encourage preschool children to eat healthy foods and to inspire parents and caregivers with healthy eating ideas. Each animated episode features its own nutritious and fun recipe inspired by popular preschool characters like Barney, Elmo, the Teletubbies, Noddy, Sagwa, Caillou and the Berenstain Bears. Sprout Diner owner Brussel Sprout, his daughter Bean and her daughter Alfalfa create healthy, nutritious dishes for each character that calls in to order after a hard day's play.

Children and their parents are encouraged to visit http://www.sproutletsgrow.com/ to download the recipes so they can make them together at home. KidsHealth.org, a national non-profit children's health organization and the web's most visited children's health site, acted as nutritional consultants for the recipes which include yummy, healthy treats like Bob's Berry Delicious Shake, Elmo's Funny Face Pizza Pies and Barney's Purple Hummus Dip.

About Sprout

PBS KIDS Sprout(SM), the first and only 24-hour preschool destination available on TV, on demand and online for kids ages 2-5 and their parents and caregivers, was created as a partnership among Comcast Corporation, the country's leading provider of cable, entertainment and communications products and services; HIT Entertainment, a leading provider of quality entertainment for young children; PBS (Public Broadcasting Service), the most trusted distributor of award-winning children's programming; and Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street.

Since debuting its video on demand (VOD) service in April 2005, PBS KIDS Sprout has become the #1 Kids On Demand service, generating over 100 million orders since launch. The 24-hour digital channel, which launched in September 2005 along with the website (http://www.sproutletsgrow.com/), is available on digital cable and satellite to almost 20 million committed subscribers. The network's program lineup of gold-standard, curriculum-based children's shows includes: Sesame Street(R), Bob the Builder(TM), Barney & Friends(TM), Thomas & Friends(TM), Angelina Ballerina(TM), Sagwa: The Chinese Siamese Cat(TM), Caillou(R), The Berenstain Bears(TM), Jay Jay the Jet Plane(TM), Teletubbies(TM), Dragon Tales(TM), Pingu(TM), Make Way For Noddy(TM), Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks(TM) and more.

Video: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/pbskidssprout/25235/
Source: PBS KIDS Sprout

CONTACT: Jenni Glenn of PBS KIDS Sprout, +1-215-667-2703,
jenni_glenn@sproutletsgrow.com

Web site: http://www.sproutletsgrow.com/

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