Philadelphia, PA - December 11, 2006 - 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 launching the award-winning preschool series The
Hoobs on December 25 with a "Happy Hooby Holidays" marathon from
noon - 6 p.m. EST, marking the series' U.S. television debut.
The Hoobs' Tula and Groove will appear on-air as the special guest
hosts for the marathon, as they are introduced to the world of
Sprout where parents and "tiddlypeeps" (the Hooby word for
children) interact, learn and discover new ideas together.
Created by The Jim Henson Company and licensed by HIT
Entertainment, The Hoobs was Britain's largest ever commission of a
preschool show from an independent producer when it launched in the
UK in 2000.
Set in the sunny, colorful Hoobland, The Hoobs are great
explorers who learn about planet Earth by posing different
questions to all the children that they encounter along the
way. In each episode, they try to find the answer to a
question which they put into the great Hoobopaedia created by Hubba
Hubba Hoob back in Hoobland. The four main Hoobs - Tula,
Groove, Iver and Roma - live in the Hoobmobile and travel to all
parts of the world in their quest for discovery and
learning.
"The Hoobs' passion for knowledge is contagious," said Andrew
Beecham, senior vice president of programming, PBS KIDS
Sprout. "This age group is all about learning and discovery,
and The Hoobs encourage preschoolers to ask questions, explore new
ideas, think creatively and communicate with confidence."
Lisa Henson, co-CEO of The Jim Henson Company, said, "The Hoobs
is a great example of our company's philosophy to create
educational programming that is entertaining and engaging for
children as well as parents. Young audiences around the world
have enjoyed learning about the power of being curious from The
Hoobs and we're thrilled to introduce them to U.S. audiences
through PBS KIDS Sprout."
Following the December 25 launch, The Hoobs will air every day
at 2:00 p.m. EST in its regular time slot. Viewers can also
ring in the New Year with The Hoobs when the "Happy Hooby Holidays"
marathon repeats on Sunday, January 1 from noon - 6:00 p.m.
EST. For more information on The Hoobs and other Sprout
programs, go to www.sproutonline.com
About Sprout
PBS KIDS SproutSM, 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 (www.sproutonline.com), is
available on digital cable and satellite to 20 million committed
subscribers. The network's program lineup of gold-standard,
curriculum-based children's shows includes: Sesame Street®,
Bob the Builder™, Barney & Friends™, Thomas & Friends™,
Angelina Ballerina™, Sagwa: The Chinese Siamese Cat™,
Caillou™, The Berenstain Bears™, Jay Jay the Jet Plane™,
Teletubbies™, Dragon Tales™, Pingu™, Make Way For Noddy™, Jakers!
The Adventures of Piggley Winks™, and more.
About HIT Entertainment
HIT Entertainment, owned by private equity investment group Apax
Partners since June 2005, is one of the world's leading independent
children's entertainment producers and rights-owners. HIT's
portfolio includes internationally renowned children's properties,
such as Bob the Builder™, Barney™, Thomas & Friends™, Pingu™,
Rubbadubbers™ and Angelina Ballerina™. HIT acts as a representative
for The Wiggles® in the UK, US and Canada and as worldwide
representative for The Jim Henson Company's library of classic
family brands, including Fraggle Rock™. HIT also owns the Guinness
World Records™ publishing and television property and Fireman Sam™,
a joint venture with S4C. Launched in 1989, HIT's lines of business
span television and video production (including studios in the US
and the UK), publishing, consumer products licensing and live
events. With a catalog of more than 1,000 hours of young children's
programming, HIT sells its shows to more than 240 countries
worldwide, in more than 40 different languages and has operations
in the UK, US, Canada, Hong Kong and Japan. In 2005, the Company
joined Comcast Corporation, PBS and Sesame Workshop to launch PBS
KIDS SproutSM, a 24-hour digital cable channel and VOD service for
preschoolers. For more information, visit www.hitentertainment.com
About The Jim Henson Company
The Jim Henson Company has remained an established leader in family
entertainment for over 50 years and is recognized worldwide as an
innovator in puppetry, animatronics and computer graphics. Best
known as creators of the world famous Muppets (the rights to which
are now owned by The Walt Disney Company), Henson is the recipient
of over 50 Emmy Awards and nine Grammy Awards. Credits include the
Saturn Award-winning Farscape and the features MirrorMask, Five
Children and It and Good Boy!. With additional locations in
New York and London, The Jim Henson Company is headquartered in Los
Angeles on the historic Charlie Chaplin lot complete with
soundstage and post-production facilities. The Company is
also home to Jim Henson's Creature Shop, a pre-eminent
character-building and visual effects group with international
film, television and advertising clients, as well as Henson
Recording Studios, one of the music industry's top recording
facilities known for its world-class blend of state of the art and
vintage equipment. The Company recently launched The Jim
Henson Company's Puppet Up! - Uncensored, a live puppet
improvisational show that has played to sold out crowds in Aspen,
Hollywood and Edinburgh and premiered as a special on TBS.
The Company also announced the creation of Jim Henson Designs, a
merchandise collection inspired by Jim Henson's earliest sketches.
The Jim Henson Company's website is located at: www.henson.com
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Contact:
Jenni
Glenn
PBS KIDS
Sprout
215-667-2703
jenni_glenn@sproutletsgrow.com
Nicole
Goldman
The Jim Henson Company
323-802-1608
ngoldman@henson.com
Lauren McCabe
Bender-Helper/Impact
212-689-6360
Lauren_mccabe@bhimpact.com