All-New Health & Fitness Themed Season Features Exuberant New
Character Allie Whoops and Exciting Guest Star Ed Begley Jr.
Boston, MA and Universal City, CA, July 28, 2009--America's favorite
little monkey swings back into the PBS KIDS lineup this fall with an
all-new set of health and fitness themed (mis)-adventures. Premiering
Tuesday, September 8 (check local listings), the fourth season of
CURIOUS GEORGE introduces preschoolers to the concepts of nutrition,
physical fitness, why pesky germs can cause the sniffles--and the
smartest way to fight them off!
"Teaching young children the principles and benefits of a healthy
lifestyle is of global importance today," said Senior Producer for WGBH
Dorothea Gillim. "The health and fitness theme of our fourth season
teaches preschoolers how exercise and healthy eating habits not only
help them lead better lives, but that a healthy lifestyle can also be a
lot of fun and taste delicious!"
Lessons about health and fitness are seamlessly embedded into episodes
that find George playing personal trainer to Professor Wiseman, turning
fresh fruits and vegetables from the farmer's market into delicious
juice, and fighting off Toots the Germ. In the season's premiere
episode, actor and environmental activist Ed Begley, Jr. makes a special
guest appearance as Dr. Greenbeen--a horticulturist who teaches George
why pruning trees is essential to their growth. In future episodes
George, The Man with the Yellow Hat, and their friends dig a canal in
hopes of rescuing a fish who finds himself far from home, learn why
Gnocchi the cat has allergies, and help their canine friend Charkie to
focus so she can finish the course required for her obedience school
exam.
Character Allie Whoops and Exciting Guest Star Ed Begley Jr.
Boston, MA and Universal City, CA, July 28, 2009--America's favorite
little monkey swings back into the PBS KIDS lineup this fall with an
all-new set of health and fitness themed (mis)-adventures. Premiering
Tuesday, September 8 (check local listings), the fourth season of
CURIOUS GEORGE introduces preschoolers to the concepts of nutrition,
physical fitness, why pesky germs can cause the sniffles--and the
smartest way to fight them off!
"Teaching young children the principles and benefits of a healthy
lifestyle is of global importance today," said Senior Producer for WGBH
Dorothea Gillim. "The health and fitness theme of our fourth season
teaches preschoolers how exercise and healthy eating habits not only
help them lead better lives, but that a healthy lifestyle can also be a
lot of fun and taste delicious!"
Lessons about health and fitness are seamlessly embedded into episodes
that find George playing personal trainer to Professor Wiseman, turning
fresh fruits and vegetables from the farmer's market into delicious
juice, and fighting off Toots the Germ. In the season's premiere
episode, actor and environmental activist Ed Begley, Jr. makes a special
guest appearance as Dr. Greenbeen--a horticulturist who teaches George
why pruning trees is essential to their growth. In future episodes
George, The Man with the Yellow Hat, and their friends dig a canal in
hopes of rescuing a fish who finds himself far from home, learn why
Gnocchi the cat has allergies, and help their canine friend Charkie to
focus so she can finish the course required for her obedience school
exam.
The series welcomes a new character in its fourth season--5¾ year-old
Allie Whoops¬--as George's newest partner in curiosity and
(mis)-adventure. The glass is always half-full for Allie. She is a
fearless tomboy, a fantastic storyteller, and an exuberant motor mouth
with breathless and sometimes impractical, but always inspired, plans of
action. When Allie makes her debut in the third new episode of the
season, airing on October 12, 2009 (check local listings), she's
brimming with questions about what it's like to be a monkey and finds
out when she gets herself stuck in a tree! With help from her new friend
George, Allie channels her inner monkey to make it back down to earth.
Brought to public television by Imagine Entertainment, WGBH Boston, and
Universal Studios Family Productions, with the support of Curious George
publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, the series was recently nominated
for two Daytime Emmy® Awards in the categories of "Outstanding
Children's Animated Program" and "Outstanding Directing in an Animated
Program." The all-new fourth season is narrated by Rino Romano (The
Batman), and features nine half-hour episodes.
"We are thrilled to bring CURIOUS GEORGE back to PBS KIDS this fall, and
are eager to see the positive impact our health and fitness season will
have on young viewers," said Senior Vice President of Animation
Production for Universal Studios Productions Ellen Cockrill. "As in
previous seasons, we worked closely with our team of educational
advisors to determine the theme and learning objectives that would be
most timely and truly resonate with preschoolers and their parents. Key
health and fitness learning objectives are woven into the narrative of
each new episode, enabling preschoolers to become absorbed in the story
and come away having engaged meaningfully with the educational content,
all the while having fun!"
The popular CURIOUS GEORGE companion Web site at
pbskids.org/curiousgeorge will launch five new games and several new
videos throughout the new season.
Funding is provided by public television viewers. National corporate
sponsorship of CURIOUS GEORGE is provided by Chuck E. Cheese's®,
Sun-Maid Growers, and Rainforest Cafe®.
CURIOUS GEORGE is a production of Imagine Entertainment, WGBH Boston,
and Universal Studios Family Productions. Executive producers are Ron
Howard (Imagine), Brian Grazer (Imagine), Carol Greenwald (WGBH), and
Ellen Cockrill (Universal). Senior producer for WGBH is Dorothea Gillim.
Curious George and related characters, created by Margret and H.A. Rey
are copyrighted and trademarked by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and used
under license. Licensed by Universal Studios Licensing LLP. Television
series: ©2009. Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.
MEDIA CONTACTS
Ann Petruccelli, WGBH Boston, 617.300.5331, ann_petruccelli@wgbh.org
Michelle Slavich, Universal Studios, 818.777.5344,
michelle.slavich@nbcuni.com
IMAGE CONTACT
Marya McLaughlin, WGBH Boston, 617.300.5309, marya_mclaughlin@wgbh.org
* * *
ABOUT THE CURIOUS GEORGE TELEVISION SERIES
CURIOUS GEORGE the television series is designed to inspire kids to
explore science, math, and engineering in the world around them in a fun
and entertaining way. Based on the best-selling Curious George books by
Margret and H.A. Rey, the daily series on PBS KIDS expands George's
world to include a host of colorful characters and original locales,
while maintaining the charm of the beloved books. Each of the 12
half-hour episodes includes two animated stories followed by short
live-action pieces showing real kids who are investigating the ideas
that George introduces in his stories. The series encourages inquiry and
curiosity, promotes hands-on exploration, and shows parents and
caregivers how to support children's science and math- related play.
Imagine Entertainment was founded in 1986 by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer
to create movies, television and other original programming. Since its
inception, Imagine Entertainment has been honored with more than 40
prestigious awards, including eight Academy Awards and 14 Emmys. Their
past productions include the Academy Award-winning films A Beautiful
Mind, 8 Mile, Apollo 13 in addition to The Da Vinci Code, and Curious
George, and the Emmy and Golden- Globe-winning television series 24 and
Arrested Development. Imagine Entertainment has a long standing
production/distribution agreement with Universal Pictures.
WGBH Boston is America's preeminent public broadcasting station,
producing one-third of PBS's prime-time lineup--more than any other
single production house. WGBH is the creator of the award-winning PBS
children's series Arthur, Between the Lions, Postcards from Buster, and
ZOOM, as well as the critically acclaimed new favorites CURIOUS GEORGE
and FETCH! with Ruff Ruffman. WGBH also produces the award-winning Peep
and the Big Wide World (seen on TLC's Ready Set Learn! and the Discovery
Kids Channel), and Time Warp Trio (seen on the Discovery Kids Channel).
Under the leadership of Vice President Brigid Sullivan, the WGBH
children's lineup leads the field in educational multimedia (including
the Web, broadband, and interactive television) and in technologies and
services that make media accessible to people with disabilities. WGBH's
current children's series have been recognized with some of the world's
most prestigious awards, including 14 Emmys, the George Foster Peabody
award, three Prix Jeunesse awards, a BAFTA, and more than a dozen
Parents' Choice Awards. For more information, visit www.wgbh.org.
Universal Studios Home Entertainment is a unit of Universal Pictures, a
division of Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com). Universal
Studios is a part of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and
entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of
entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May
2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment,
NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and
entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant
television production operations, a leading television stations group,
and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80%-owned by General
Electric, with 20% owned by Vivendi.
About Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Boston-based Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company is a global
education leader and the world's largest publisher of educational
materials for pre-K-12 schools. The Company publishes a comprehensive
set of best-in-class educational solutions, ranging from research-based
textbook programs to instructional technology to standards-based
assessments for students and educators. The Company also publishes an
extensive line of reference works and award-winning literature for
adults and young readers. With origins dating back to 1832, Houghton
Mifflin Harcourt combines its tradition of excellence with a commitment
to innovation. To learn more about Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, visit
www.hmhpub.com
PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS GO!
PBS KIDS, for preschoolers, and PBS KIDS GO!, for early elementary
school kids, offer all children the opportunity to explore new ideas and
new worlds through television, online and community outreach programs.
With positive role models and content designed to nurture a child's
total well-being, PBS's children's media and family and educator
resources - including PBS KIDS online (pbskids.org), PBS KIDS GO! online
(pbskidsgo.org), PBS Parents (pbsparents.org), PBS Teachers
(pbsteachers.org), PBS KIDS Raising Readers and literacy events across
the country - leverage the full spectrum of media, technology and
community to build knowledge, critical thinking, imagination and
curiosity. Empowering children for success in school and in life, only
PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS GO! have earned the unanimous endorsement of
parents, children, industry leaders and teachers. PBS is a nonprofit
media enterprise owned and operated by the nation's 356 public
television stations, serving more than 115 million people on-air and
online each month.
# # #
Allie Whoops¬--as George's newest partner in curiosity and
(mis)-adventure. The glass is always half-full for Allie. She is a
fearless tomboy, a fantastic storyteller, and an exuberant motor mouth
with breathless and sometimes impractical, but always inspired, plans of
action. When Allie makes her debut in the third new episode of the
season, airing on October 12, 2009 (check local listings), she's
brimming with questions about what it's like to be a monkey and finds
out when she gets herself stuck in a tree! With help from her new friend
George, Allie channels her inner monkey to make it back down to earth.
Brought to public television by Imagine Entertainment, WGBH Boston, and
Universal Studios Family Productions, with the support of Curious George
publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, the series was recently nominated
for two Daytime Emmy® Awards in the categories of "Outstanding
Children's Animated Program" and "Outstanding Directing in an Animated
Program." The all-new fourth season is narrated by Rino Romano (The
Batman), and features nine half-hour episodes.
"We are thrilled to bring CURIOUS GEORGE back to PBS KIDS this fall, and
are eager to see the positive impact our health and fitness season will
have on young viewers," said Senior Vice President of Animation
Production for Universal Studios Productions Ellen Cockrill. "As in
previous seasons, we worked closely with our team of educational
advisors to determine the theme and learning objectives that would be
most timely and truly resonate with preschoolers and their parents. Key
health and fitness learning objectives are woven into the narrative of
each new episode, enabling preschoolers to become absorbed in the story
and come away having engaged meaningfully with the educational content,
all the while having fun!"
The popular CURIOUS GEORGE companion Web site at
pbskids.org/curiousgeorge will launch five new games and several new
videos throughout the new season.
Funding is provided by public television viewers. National corporate
sponsorship of CURIOUS GEORGE is provided by Chuck E. Cheese's®,
Sun-Maid Growers, and Rainforest Cafe®.
CURIOUS GEORGE is a production of Imagine Entertainment, WGBH Boston,
and Universal Studios Family Productions. Executive producers are Ron
Howard (Imagine), Brian Grazer (Imagine), Carol Greenwald (WGBH), and
Ellen Cockrill (Universal). Senior producer for WGBH is Dorothea Gillim.
Curious George and related characters, created by Margret and H.A. Rey
are copyrighted and trademarked by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and used
under license. Licensed by Universal Studios Licensing LLP. Television
series: ©2009. Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.
MEDIA CONTACTS
Ann Petruccelli, WGBH Boston, 617.300.5331, ann_petruccelli@wgbh.org
Michelle Slavich, Universal Studios, 818.777.5344,
michelle.slavich@nbcuni.com
IMAGE CONTACT
Marya McLaughlin, WGBH Boston, 617.300.5309, marya_mclaughlin@wgbh.org
* * *
ABOUT THE CURIOUS GEORGE TELEVISION SERIES
CURIOUS GEORGE the television series is designed to inspire kids to
explore science, math, and engineering in the world around them in a fun
and entertaining way. Based on the best-selling Curious George books by
Margret and H.A. Rey, the daily series on PBS KIDS expands George's
world to include a host of colorful characters and original locales,
while maintaining the charm of the beloved books. Each of the 12
half-hour episodes includes two animated stories followed by short
live-action pieces showing real kids who are investigating the ideas
that George introduces in his stories. The series encourages inquiry and
curiosity, promotes hands-on exploration, and shows parents and
caregivers how to support children's science and math- related play.
Imagine Entertainment was founded in 1986 by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer
to create movies, television and other original programming. Since its
inception, Imagine Entertainment has been honored with more than 40
prestigious awards, including eight Academy Awards and 14 Emmys. Their
past productions include the Academy Award-winning films A Beautiful
Mind, 8 Mile, Apollo 13 in addition to The Da Vinci Code, and Curious
George, and the Emmy and Golden- Globe-winning television series 24 and
Arrested Development. Imagine Entertainment has a long standing
production/distribution agreement with Universal Pictures.
WGBH Boston is America's preeminent public broadcasting station,
producing one-third of PBS's prime-time lineup--more than any other
single production house. WGBH is the creator of the award-winning PBS
children's series Arthur, Between the Lions, Postcards from Buster, and
ZOOM, as well as the critically acclaimed new favorites CURIOUS GEORGE
and FETCH! with Ruff Ruffman. WGBH also produces the award-winning Peep
and the Big Wide World (seen on TLC's Ready Set Learn! and the Discovery
Kids Channel), and Time Warp Trio (seen on the Discovery Kids Channel).
Under the leadership of Vice President Brigid Sullivan, the WGBH
children's lineup leads the field in educational multimedia (including
the Web, broadband, and interactive television) and in technologies and
services that make media accessible to people with disabilities. WGBH's
current children's series have been recognized with some of the world's
most prestigious awards, including 14 Emmys, the George Foster Peabody
award, three Prix Jeunesse awards, a BAFTA, and more than a dozen
Parents' Choice Awards. For more information, visit www.wgbh.org.
Universal Studios Home Entertainment is a unit of Universal Pictures, a
division of Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com). Universal
Studios is a part of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and
entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of
entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May
2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment,
NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and
entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant
television production operations, a leading television stations group,
and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80%-owned by General
Electric, with 20% owned by Vivendi.
About Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Boston-based Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company is a global
education leader and the world's largest publisher of educational
materials for pre-K-12 schools. The Company publishes a comprehensive
set of best-in-class educational solutions, ranging from research-based
textbook programs to instructional technology to standards-based
assessments for students and educators. The Company also publishes an
extensive line of reference works and award-winning literature for
adults and young readers. With origins dating back to 1832, Houghton
Mifflin Harcourt combines its tradition of excellence with a commitment
to innovation. To learn more about Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, visit
www.hmhpub.com
PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS GO!
PBS KIDS, for preschoolers, and PBS KIDS GO!, for early elementary
school kids, offer all children the opportunity to explore new ideas and
new worlds through television, online and community outreach programs.
With positive role models and content designed to nurture a child's
total well-being, PBS's children's media and family and educator
resources - including PBS KIDS online (pbskids.org), PBS KIDS GO! online
(pbskidsgo.org), PBS Parents (pbsparents.org), PBS Teachers
(pbsteachers.org), PBS KIDS Raising Readers and literacy events across
the country - leverage the full spectrum of media, technology and
community to build knowledge, critical thinking, imagination and
curiosity. Empowering children for success in school and in life, only
PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS GO! have earned the unanimous endorsement of
parents, children, industry leaders and teachers. PBS is a nonprofit
media enterprise owned and operated by the nation's 356 public
television stations, serving more than 115 million people on-air and
online each month.
# # #
