Press Releases & News Briefs

PBS KIDS SPROUT℠ LAUNCHES THIRD SEASON OF “THE GOOD NIGHT SHOW”

New Season Features New Host, Extended Craft Segments, Kid’s Yoga, Spanish and Sign Language for Preschool Audience

Philadelphia, PA - December 18, 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, launches the third season of its signature original program The Good Night Show tonight at 6:00 p.m. ET. 

The Good Night Show, which was created as a tool to help parents wind down their children after a busy day, airs each night from 6-9 p.m. ET and repeats from 9-midnight for families in different time zones.  "Good Night Guide" Nina plays games, sings songs, makes crafts, does kid's yoga, reads stories and teaches words in Spanish and sign language along with her Sprout friends: Star, the loveable and lively star-shaped puppet; Lucy, an enchanting puppet firefly; Leo, the gardener; and Hush the goldfish.  Nina and her friends also introduce episodes of Sprout viewer favorites such as Dragon Tales™, Angelina Ballerina™ and Bob The Builder™.

"Parents have told us that bedtime for their children is one of the most challenging times of the day, so we developed The Good Night Show to help them wind down and get ready for bed," said Andrew Beecham, senior vice president of programming, PBS KIDS Sprout.  "'Good Night Guide' Nina helps parents establish a bedtime routine for their children, which many experts agree is important."

"Rituals add order, structure and balance to kids' lives," said Dr. Renee Cherow-O'Leary, a professor at Columbia University's Teachers College and president of Education for the 21st Century.  "Children look forward to routines and feel secure as they engage in them.  Bedtime is the perfect time to establish rituals that strengthen family bonds and offer comfort at the end of the child's active day."  

Providing parents with a resource to learn more about the crafts, yoga and sign language that they see each night with their children on The Good Night Show, Sprout's new microsite - available on www.sproutonline.com - features video clips, detailed instructions, games and more.  Additionally, preschoolers and their parents can view the stories read by "Good Night Guide" Nina on air, create new stories together, listen to the show's songs and play games like "Where Do Animals Sleep?" and "The Moon Beam Wheel," based upon The Good Night Show activities. 

High-resolution photos of "Good Night Guide" Nina and all her Sprout friends are available in the media gallery athttp://www.fishwithfeet.com/index-4.html      

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.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®, 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.

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CONTACT:
Jenni Glenn     
PBS KIDS Sprout    
215-667-2703     
jenni_glenn@sproutonline.com