Press Releases & News Briefs

SPROUT® CELEBRATES EARTH WEEK WITH EXCLUSIVE U.S. PREMIERE OF MIGHTY JUNGLE

New Live-Action Puppet Series to Debut on Sprout During “Mighty Earth Week” on Friday, April 24 at 5:30 p.m. ET

Philadelphia, PA - March 30, 2009 - Sprout, 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 Mighty Jungle, a new live-action puppet series from leading kids and family entertainment specialist DECODE Enterprises, the distribution subsidiary of DHX Media Ltd., on Friday, April 24 at 5:30 p.m. ET, as part of its week-long "Mighty Earth Week" celebration.  

Set in a world deep in the mighty jungle, through leafy vines and under a canopy of chattering birds, is a world for preschoolers to explore. Through the use of lively, colorful puppet animals, Mighty Jungle reflects the spirit of its preschool audience through adventure and play.

In each 11-minute episode, three jungle friends, a meerkat named Babu, a gorilla named Bruce and a rhino named Rhonda have adventures in a lush, beautiful and endlessly exciting world - the Mighty Jungle. The silly situations that the friends find themselves in, the fantastical characters that they come into contact with and the mayhem that ensues are created, or inspired by real kids.

The jungle heroes experience the same challenges, obstacles, emotions, victories, discoveries and social situations that most preschoolers face… except they're creatures of the jungle, so the places they play in are really cool. And because there's a level of "make believe" in every story, they can do anything without ever being in any real danger - the Mighty Jungle is a safe and fun place.

"Mighty Jungle is the perfect addition to Sprout's programming line-up, especially since each episode was inspired by real preschoolers," said Andrew Beecham, senior vice president of programming at Sprout.  "We are thrilled to have such a fun and unique show that plucks its storylines right from the creative minds of children and evolves it into a colorful, exciting and fun journey. The concept is right in line with Sprout's hands-on approach to inspiring parent-preschooler interaction and encouraging viewers to share their children's ideas, kid's crafts, videos and photos directly with the network."

All week long beginning on Monday, April 20, television's only live program for preschoolers, The Sunny Side Up Show, will be celebrating the planet on "Mighty Earth Week" by talking about all the different ways parents and children can care for the Earth, sharing ideas for creative recycling, craft-making and planting, and showcasing viewer ideas and photos on-air reflecting how they care for our mighty Earth. This special week culminates with the exclusive premiere of Mighty Jungle on Friday, April 24 at 5:30 p.m. ET.

Games and coloring pages for Mighty Jungle will be available at SproutOnline.com by Thursday, April 9.  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 photo gallery on SproutPR.com. 

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.

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Press Contact:
Jenni Glenn    
Sprout      
215-286-2703      
jenni_glenn@sproutonline.com