A place for parents to learn about their preschool children's favorite television shows with news from Playhouse Disney, Noggin, Nick Jr., and PBS Kids.

Starting September 10th, Noggin will begin airing Bill Cosby’s Little Bill. It will air at 11:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on weekdays and a 1:30 p.m. on weekends.

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Angela Santomero and Samantha Freeman are the creators of Super WHY. The duo worked together on Blue’s Clues and wanted to take that show’s emphasis on educational research and do the same thing with Super WHY!. The two learned from Rosemarie Truglio, the VP of education and research for Sesame Street.

“This show is designed to be education, whereas some shows use research more for appeal,” explains Freeman. “Appeal is also part of our goal; but it’s there to help them learn.”

Taking Reading to New Heights

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PBS Kids has premiered a new show where kid superheroes inspire preschoolers to embrace literacy and a love of books.

The kids on the show are inspired from famous fairy tales and include:

• Whyatt Beanstalk (Jack’s younger brother)
• Red of “Little Red Riding Hood” fame
• Littlest Pig from “The Three Little Pigs”
• Princess Pea of the classic “The Princess and The Pea.”

As soon as a problem arises, Whyatt calls his friends to the Book Club, where they transform into reading-powered superheroes: Alpha Pig with Alphabet Power, Wonder Red with Word Power, Princess Presto with Spelling Power, Super Why with the Power to Read and Super YOU with the Power to Help. Together, they are the “Super Readers,” jumping into books (literally) to find answers to everyday preschool challenges.

In the premiere episode Jill keeps knocking down Pig’s tower and he wants her to stop! The Super Readers fly into the Three Little Pigs story and come face to face with the big bad wolf himself. Along the way viewers learn about friendship, opposite words, and words ending with ALL (small, tall, etc.). Both my 4 year old and 6 year old enjoyed it, and especially my younger daughter who is looking to be able to read like her big brother can.

The story moves along at a nice pace, and the characters are likable. Plus kids probably will learn key elements of reading, without feeling like they’re learning something.

PBS Kids has made a huge commitment to this show, with an initial agreement for 65 episodes. The first season which debuted on September 3rd appears to have 20 episodes.

For more see Children’s Media Consultant’s review of the bevy of literacy focused TV shows debuting this fall.

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Well in time for Halloween (and doesn’t the Halloween season start just as soon as back to school stuff ends, like in mid-August?) Playhouse Disney has release Mickey’s Treat – Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on DVD.

In this adventure, Mickey and his pals journey to the Trick-or-Treat Tower for Pete’s big Halloween Party. Many surprises await and The Sensational Six need a couple of tricks to reach the tower in time for the festivities. Also, episodes “Goofy the Great” and “Doctor Daisy, MD” capture the magical spirit of Halloween while showcasing how cooperation and teamwork go a long way in getting out of any sticky situation.

PLUS, a bonus Halloween episode with the cast of another Playhouse Disney favorite, Little Einsteins. In “A Little Einsteins Halloween,” Leo, June, Quincy, Annie and Rocket plan a night of trick-or-treating at a European castle and are joined by some spooky visitors. In true Little Einstein spirit, this Halloween adventure illustrates simple examples of teamwork, friendship and compassion, stimulating curiosity and learning along the way.

To create Disney fun in your own home and get the Halloween party started, the DVD also includes a party planning guide and special Halloween recipes from Mickey and his pals.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse’s Halloween DVD joins a list of other DVDs already available from preschool television favorites including:

• Dora the Explorer – Dora’s Halloween
• Little Bear – Halloween Stories
• Thomas and Friends Halloween Stories
• Sesame Street A Magical Halloween Adventure
• Clifford the Big Red Dog: Clifford’s Big Halloween
• 4 Halloween Stories – Franklin/Rolie Polie Olie/Maggie and the Ferocious Beast

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Nickelodeon has announced that the teen network The N! and the preschool channel Noggin will split up. They had been sharing the same channel, and flipping from the little kids to older kids at 6pm.

As a parent who has Noggin on while I’m getting dinner ready, I like this move. Sometimes it would switch over at 6pm and I’d look up to see stuff that really a preschooler doesn’t need to be seeing.

It will mean competition for Sprout’s The Goodnight Show as there will be another preschool alternative in the evenings.

A Coming of Age at Nickelodeon: Noggin and the N Will Get Their Own Channels – New York Times

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On Monday August 20th Nickelodeon will debut their newest preschool show, Yo Gabba Gabba with a simulcast on Nick Jr. and Noggin at 10:30am.

The show is a different style than the typical Noggin/Nick Jr. fare in that instead of the shows being “stories” each episode is a series of short yet related segments. The premise is that DJ Lance Rock has a robot and 4 monsters that he brings to life. The show uses several modern music themes to convey messages about trying new foods and brushing your teeth.

The press release states, “This fresh, inventive music series will captivate preschoolers and caregivers with a hip, diverse slate of original music and infectious lyrics.” After seeing the premiere episode, Eat, I certainly would agree with the infectious part. My kids have been singing “Try it you’ll like it” ever since.

Still, I just don’t get the appeal of the show. The monsters and robots aren’t particularly engaging or endearing characters. I didn’t find the music, at least in the premiere episode, to be very interesting. The kids were entertained, but as a parent I found it to be annoying.

The show does have a number of guest stars slated for this season including: Elijah Wood in the premiere episode (“Eat”), Mya, The Shins, Sugarland, Rahzel, Tony Hawk, Laila Ali, Sean Kingston, Nikki Flores, Hector Jimenez, Smoosh, The Aquabats, The Aggrolites and Cornelius.

The show is jointly produced by creators The Magic Store and Wild Brain who brought us Higglytown Heroes. The Magic Store was founded in 2005 by “Gen X” dads Christian Jacobs, Justin Lyon and Scott Schultz. The studio’s first project, Yo Gabba Gabba!, was produced independently in two half-hour episodes. After creating an online viral frenzy with the trailer, the show ultimately found a home on Nick Jr.

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Nick Jr. is kicking off a 4 week long dance party with a new episode of Dora the Explorer.

The new episode titled La Maestra de Música will premiere July 23rd at 9:00am.

Each of the next 4 weeks will feature music themed episodes from popular Nick Jr. Shows. The schedule follows:

• Monday, July 23 – Friday, July 27 – Five music-themed Dora the Explorer episodes everyday at 9:00 a.m., beginning with the premiere of “La Maestra de Música” on July 23.
• Monday, July 30 – Friday, August 3 – Five episodes of The Wonder Pets! featuring Ming Ming’s greatest musical adventures will air everyday at 11:00 a.m.
• Monday, August 6 – Friday, August 10 – Five episodes of Blue’s Clues featuring Blue’s biggest musical moments will air everyday at 10:00 a.m.
• Monday, August 13 – Friday, August 17 – Five episodes of The Backyardigans featuring some of the best dance moves from the five backyard pals will air everyday at 10:30 a.m.

During the run, Nick Jr. will debut a new video each Friday from the upcoming show Yo Gabba Gabba. Yo Gabba Gabba is set to debut in August.

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Following on the success and popularity that Dora the Explorer has had in teaching children Spanish, Nick Jr. hopes to do the same for Chinese culture and languages with NI HAO, KAI-LAN.

NI HAO, KAI-LAN is a play-along, think-along series starring Kai-lan Chow, a playful, adventurous preschooler with a big heart, who speaks both English and Mandarin. The series centers on Kai-lan and her relationships with her grandfather, YeYe, and her animal friends. YeYe plays a major role in her life as he gently and playfully guides her to her own discoveries. Kai-lan is a natural leader who is thoughtful and caring and has a gift for helping her friends when they really need her. Her best friends include: Rintoo, a rambunctious five-year-old tiger who loves to play, Tolee, a five-year-old koala, who always puts his friends first, Hoho, a three-year-old monkey full of boundless energy, and Lulu, a happy six-year-old pink rhino.

The show is set to premiere October 22nd, 2007

Nick Jr. Interactive Series to Teach Preschoolers Mandarin Language

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You may remember a Toot and Puddle holiday special last December. It looks like Noggin has picked up the series. The show is set to debut in fall 2008.

Noggin Gets Toot & Puddle | Animation Magazine

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