Philadelphia, PA - September 17, 2007 - PBS KIDS Sprout
(SproutOnline.com), 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 launch television's only
live preschool morning program, The Sunny Side Up Show, on
Wednesday, September 26, 2007 at 9:00 a.m. ET. This new three
hour block will link Sprout's gold-standard shows, such as Barney
& Friends™ and Bob The Builder™, with live, hosted segments
that create a warm, welcoming and fun environment where
preschoolers and their parents and caregivers can gather each
weekday morning to prepare for the day ahead and share birthdays,
greetings, ideas, crafts and interact live with the hosts (via
email submissions through SproutOnline.com).
Hosted by Kevin Yamada, who most recently served as host for
Sprout's The Birthday Show, and Philadelphia-based actress Kelly
Vrooman, The Sunny Side Up Show takes place inside a whimsical barn
in the hills of Sprout with staging such a toaster-shaped monitor
displaying viewer-submitted artwork and photos and a crate-desk for
the show's two hosts who will rotate weekly. Each day, the
host is joined on-air by Chica, a witty, playful chicken puppet who
communicates with kazoo-like sounds only understandable by the
hosts. Chica will also supply surprise eggs that can be
cracked open for clues, games and even a joke-of-the-day.
Each week, The Sunny Up Side Show will explore a new theme
ranging from colors, numbers and letters to manners, gardening and
pets. Themes will also reflect holidays including Halloween,
Thanksgiving and Mother's Day. Special guests will stop by to
visit on a regular basis, so on any given day, viewers could get a
special treat from a Sesame Street® character like Big Bird, or
Nina from Sprout's The Good Night Show.
"The show's live aspect allows for viewer interaction to be
immediate and unique, creating a true sense of community," said
Andrew Beecham, senior vice president of programming for
Sprout. "We've been celebrating birthdays on Sprout since we
launched two years ago, and The Sunny Side Up Show takes this
concept of a preschool network made 'for you, by you' to a whole
new level."
Sandy Wax, president of Sprout added, "The Sunny Side Up Show
rounds out our network's distinctive programming line-up that
follows the day of the preschooler from breakfast to bedtime.
Whether you are starting your day with our live morning show,
discovering new things every afternoon with The Let's Go Show, or
getting ready for bed each night with The Good Night Show, Sprout
is always there to share in what's important to preschoolers and
their families."
SproutOnline.com will play a key role in the show's unique, live
interaction between viewers and hosts linking preschoolers and
their parents to the live broadcast encouraging them to share
thoughts. For example, "What's the weather like where you
live?" or "How will you be a good egg today and help out at
home?" Parents, along with their preschoolers, will be able
to submit messages and send photos through the website directly to
the hosts who may share their submissions live on the
air.
Recently, the Webby Award-winning SproutOnline.com launched
enhanced features that included preschooler generated content,
parent blogs, new games, character pages and more. The site's
password protected "My Refrigerator" section, the first
user-generated, art sharing online community for preschoolers and
their families, allows parents to upload their children's favorite
photos and homemade artwork; communicate with friends and family
through the private Sprout Mail center; keep track of their
preschooler's favorite games and activities; and view fun event
dates and activity recommendations from Sprout.
Fore more information on Sprout and any of its programs, go to
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, HIT Entertainment, PBS and Sesame
Workshop. Since debuting its video on demand (VOD) service in
April 2005, PBS KIDS Sprout has become the #1 On Demand service for
younger children, generating over 250 million orders. 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 34
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™,
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.
###
CONTACT:
Jenni Glenn
PBS KIDS Sprout
215-667-2703
jenni_glenn@sproutonline.com