Philadelphia, PA and Washington, DC - January 21, 2009 - PBS
KIDS SproutSM, the first 24-hour preschool destination
available on TV, on demand and online for kids ages 2-5 and their
parents and caregivers, will debut the award-winning preschool
series from National Geographic Kids Entertainment, Mama
Mirabelle's Home Movies, on Monday, January 26 at 3:15 p.m. ET, as
part of its popular afternoon block, The Sprout Sharing
Show.
Starring Vanessa Williams (Ugly Betty) as the voice of Mama,
this warm-hearted, high-spirited show about a sassy, soulful
elephant host and the young animal characters for which she cares
on the African savanna, combines an animated world that
preschoolers will want to explore with stunning wildlife movies
from the National Geographic and BBC archives.
Mama Mirabelle's Home Movies features a cast of animated baby
animal characters, including Mama's inquisitive elephant calf, Max;
a know-it-all cheetah named Bo; a sweet zebra named Karla; and
three rambunctious monkey brothers, Kip, Flip and Chip. The animals
might not look like they have much in common on the outside, but on
the inside they all share a curiosity about themselves and the
world they live in.
In each episode, the animals gather around the maternal Mama
Mirabelle to watch home videos of themselves and other amazing
creatures of the natural world. Whatever the young animals want to
know - whether it's why they need to sleep at night, why they can't
go to the watering hole by themselves, or when it's okay to trumpet
at full blast - Mama helps them find answers by showing them
footage from the amazing collection of wildlife movies she has
gathered along her travels.
Using live-action footage from the National Geographic and BBC
archives, the show illuminates the real world for preschoolers,
helps them to find their place in it and provides insight into
animal customs and behaviors. The series also features original
African and world-inspired music, including songs performed by
Vanessa Williams.
Games and coloring pages for Mama Mirabelle's Home Movies will
be available at SproutOnline.com. Mama Mirabelle-themed
soft-cover books and other related products are also available at
retail stores nationwide and at www.shop.nationalgeographic.com
Mama Mirabelle's Home Movies is a co-production of National
Geographic Kids Entertainment (NGKE), BBC/CBeebies and King Rollo
Films.
For additional information on Sprout programs or schedules,
visit SproutOnline.com. To find out where Sprout is available
in your area, call 1.866.9.SPROUT.
High-resolution images are available in the media gallery at http://ftp.nationalgeographic.com/pressroom/mama_mirabelle
(username: press, password: press).
About Sprout®
PBS KIDS Sprout, the first 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,
HIT Entertainment, PBS and Sesame Workshop. Since debuting
its video on demand (VOD) service in April 2005, Sprout has become
the #1 On Demand service for younger children, generating over half
a billion views. The 24-hour digital channel, which launched
in September 2005 along with the website (SproutOnline.com), is the
only channel that follows the day of child from breakfast to
bedtime with its distinctive programming. Currently, Sprout
is available in 45 million unique households.
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™,
Caillou®, The Berenstain Bears™, Dragon Tales™, Pingu™, Make Way
For Noddy™, The Hoobs™, Fifi and the Flowertots™ and more.
About National Geographic Kids Entertainment
National Geographic Kids Entertainment is an independent
production and U.S. distribution entity of of National Geographic
Ventures. Established in 2003, NGKE brings the renowned National
Geographic brand to children's entertainment through the
development, production and distribution of quality animated and
live-action, entertainment-driven programming that excites kids to
explore their world. NGKE will work with all major broadcast
outlets in the United States and abroad. For more information about
National Geographic, visit www.nationalgeographic.com
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Press Contacts:
Jenni Glenn
Sprout
215-286-2703
jenni_glenn@sproutonline.com
Elizabeth Nickless
National Geographic
202-775-6163
enickles@ngs.org