HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (June 29, 2010) – On Friday, August 20, PBS KIDS® will premiere “Dinosaur Train Under the Sea,” a new one-hour special from the hit CG-animated preschool series DINOSAUR TRAIN™ from The Jim Henson Company. Children of all ages can join Buddy and the entire Pteranodon family aboard the Dinosaur Train as they embark on their first underwater adventure exploring the Cretaceous, Jurassic and Triassic oceans to learn about new aquatic creatures. The new special episode will premiere on the popular PBS KIDS preschool destination, an educational, hosted two-hour morning television block. (Please check local listings).
To reach their destinations in this watery adventure, the Pteranodon family rides the Dinosaur Train through a glass-encased time tunnel that dives down under the sea to visit underwater stations. The fantastical train also features the new Aquacar, an open car filled with sea water to transport their new friends. Along the way, the family meets Elmer Elasmosaurus, a giant long-necked marine reptile who dives deep and can hold his breath; the Michelinoceras brothers, two sea creatures that travel backwards; Carla Cretoxyrhina, a friendly young shark; and Paulie Pliosaurus, a marine reptile known as the “T. rex of the ocean.”
DINOSAUR TRAIN, created by Craig Bartlett (Hey Arnold!), embraces and celebrates the fascination that preschoolers have with both dinosaurs and trains while encouraging basic scientific thinking and skills. Each episode includes animated segments with live action sequences featuring well-known paleontologist, Scott Sampson, Ph.D. Dr. Scott brings to life the show’s natural science and natural history curriculum for preschoolers as he gives specific facts about dinosaurs and compares their features to animals of today. The series continues
The Jim Henson Company’s legacy of quality children’s entertainment and joins Henson’s successful series SID THE SCIENCE KID™, which also airs on PBS KIDS.
Young viewers join Buddy and his adoptive family of Pteranodons on a whimsical adventure through prehistoric jungles, swamps, volcanoes and oceans as they unearth basic concepts in natural science, natural history and paleontology. The Dinosaur Train is a colorful locomotive, customized to accommodate all kinds of dinosaurs. The Dinosaur Train has the ability to visit the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous worlds, while the Train’s Conductor, a knowledgeable Troodon, provides passengers with fascinating facts along the way.
In addition to the television series, there is also a DINOSAUR TRAIN interactive website at PBSKIDS.org/dinosaurtrain. Buddy, Tiny, Mr. Conductor and Dr. Scott guide children as they discover natural history and the science of paleontology through fun games and activities. PBSKIDS.org/dinosaurtrain welcomes more than 2.4 million visits each month, offering engaging content designed to continue dinosaur exploration beyond the television series, including printables, games, and a dinosaur field guide. Parents, caregivers and educators can find resources and activities to extend the series learning at PBS Parents (PBSPARENTS.org) and PBS Teachers (PBSTEACHERS.org).
Synopses:
“Elmer Elasmosaurus” The Dinosaur Train’s new Aquacar gets its first passenger when the Pteranodon family helps transport Elmer back to his home in the ocean. This long-necked, giant marine reptile is a deep-sea diver with a special talent for holding his breath.
“Carla Cretoxyrhina” On their underwater excursion, the Pteranodon family meets upwith a young shark named Carla Cretoxyrhina, who turns out to be much nicer than her reputation suggests.
“The Amazing Michelinoceras Brothers” Buddy and his family continue their underwater adventure by traveling deep underwater on the Dinosaur Train to view two backwardsbounding brothers named Max and Mitch Michelinoceras.
“Paulie Pliosaurus” The Pteranodon family wrap up their Dinosaur Train underwater exploration with a visit to a marine reptile called Paulie Pliosaurus, a creature known as the “T. rex of the Ocean.”
DINOSAUR TRAIN, produced by The Jim Henson Company, is co-produced with Singapore animation company Sparky Entertainment, with the participation and assistance of the Singapore Media Development Authority. UK production and financial support is being provided by Ingenious Media. The series is executive produced by Lisa Henson, Brian Henson, Halle Stanford and Craig Bartlett
About 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-based programs. With positive role models and content designed to nurture a child’s total well-being, family and educator resources – including PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS GO! television series, PBSKIDS.org , PBSKIDSGO.org , PBS Parents (PBSPARENTS.org ), PBS Teachers (PBSTEACHERS.org). PBS is a nonprofit media enterprise owned and operated by the nation’s nearly 360 public television stations, serving more than 124 million people on-air and online each month. For more information on specific shows supporting literacy, science, math and more, visit PBS.org/pressroom.
PHOTOS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST OR BY VISITING
http://pressroom.pbs.org/programs/dinosaur_train
PHOTO CREDIT – © 2010 The Jim Henson Company. JIM HENSON’S mark & logo, DINOSAUR TRAIN mark & logo, characters and elements are trademarks of The Jim Henson Company. All Rights Reserved.
Press Contacts
Nicole Goldman/Ann Schwarz
323-802-1608/323-802-1667
ngoldman@henson.com/aschwarz@henson.com
###
The Jim Henson Company has remained an established leader in family entertainment for over 50 years and is recognized worldwide as an innovator in puppetry, animatronics and digital animation. Best known as creators of the world famous Muppets, Henson has received over 50 Emmy Awards and nine Grammy Awards. Recent credits include the Emmy® nominated “Sid the Science Kid,” “Dinosaur Train,” “Wilson & Ditch: Digging America” and “Pajanimals.” Features include “The Dark Crystal,” “Labyrinth,” “MirrorMask,” and “Unstable Fables” and television productions include “Fraggle Rock” and the sci-fi cult series “Farscape.”
With additional locations in New York and London, The Jim Henson Company is headquartered in Los Angeles on the historic Charlie Chaplin lot, complete with soundstage and postproduction facilities. Independently owned and operated by the five adult children of founder Jim Henson, the Company is also home to Jim Henson’s Creature Shop™, a pre-eminent character-building and visual effects group with international film, television and advertising clients, as well as Henson Recording Studios, one of the music industry’s top recording facilities known for its world-class blend of state-of-the-art and vintage equipment. The Company’s Henson Alternative brand has recently launched the national tour of “Stuffed and Unstrung,” a live puppet improvisational show named one of the top 10 “Best Stage Shows of 2010” by Entertainment Weekly.
https://www.henson.com
Join us on www.facebook.com/hensoncompany
and follow us at www.twitter.com/hensonparents
