The Jim Henson Co. has finalized an agreement with PBS KIDS to debut the new CG-animated series Dinosaur Train this fall. Created by Craig Bartlett (Hey Arnold!), the show encourages basic scientific thinking as the audience learns about natural science, natural history and paleontology. Bartlett and fellow exec producers Brian Henson, Lisa Henson and Halle Stanford are currently working on 40 half-hour episodes of the U.K. production, which is co-produced by Singapore animation company BIG Communications, with the participation and assistance of the Singapore Media Development Authority. Financial support is being provided by Ingenious Media.
Dinosaur Train is seen through the eyes of Buddy, a preschool-aged Tyrannosaurus Rex. Buddy and his adoptive family of Pteranodons embark on adventures on the Dinosaur Train to meet all kinds of dinosaurs in different eras and learn fascinating new facts about these incredible creatures.
The Jim Henson Co. will oversee all ancillary exploitation of the property, including licensing and merchandising, and PBS will handle DVD distribution to consumer and education markets. In addition to its on air presence, the series will have a robust online component at pbskids.org, featuring games, learning tools and more, as well as parent and teacher resources on PBS Parents (pbsparents.org) and PBS Teachers (pbsteachers.org). Created in partnership with multimedia design studio FableVision, the website will extend the curriculum themes of the show and further explore Buddy’s world and its inhabitants.
Dinosaur Train will join the Jim Henson Co.’s Sid the Science Kid and other animated series in the PBS KIDS lineup. Additional animated projects for Henson include the Unstable Fables series of direct-to-DVD movies, which features the titles 3 Pigs and a Baby, Tortoise vs. Hare and The Goldilocks and the Three Bears Show.
