Press Releases & News Briefs

BOO! IT’S FRIENDLY GHOSTS AND GOBLINS ON PBS KIDS SPROUT’S HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR

Halloween-themed programming to air throughout the day on October 31

Philadelphia, PA - October 11, 2006 - 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, will feature playfully spooky episodes of Sprout viewer favorites such as Thomas & Friends, Angelina Ballerina™, Make Way For Noddy™ and Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks™ throughout Halloween Day on October 31.

Halloween-themed graphics and live-action shorts will be shown on-air from October 16 through October 31.  Featured episodes on Halloween Day include:

• Thomas & Friends "Haunted Henry" - Edward scares Henry with his stories about ghosts in the mist.  A strange ghostly figure near the viaduct saves Henry from certain danger.
• Jakers! "Good Neighbor" - Piggley and his friends (inspired by a spooky radio program) are convinced that the young boy whose family just moved into the small house up the lane from the Winks' farm is actually a mad scientist.
• Angelina Ballerina "Henry's Halloween" - Henry thinks he's seen a mythical witch on Halloween night, but Angelina and Alice think he's imagining it.  
• Make Way For Noddy "Goblins Good Deed Day" - Sly and Gobbo spend most of the day playing tricks on everyone in Toy Town, but then they discover what day it is, Goblin Good Deed Day, the one day of the year when goblins have to do a good deed or lose their magical powers.  
• Sagwa: The Chinese Siamese Cat™ "Fraidy Cats" - Yeh Yeh begins telling scary stories to the kittens until their imagination gets the best of them.  A windy night and a clumsy Fu-Fu cause Sheegwa to jump to conclusions about a ghost in the house.  
• Dragon Tales™  "Putting the Fun in Funhouse" - Ord really wants to go into the new funhouse at the carnival, but he's scared.  It's really dark in there and who knows what's around each corner!  The gang vows to help him cope with his fear.

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!? and more.

###


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