HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (March 31, 2011) – “Dinosaur Train” will celebrate America’s love of trains with special programming and activities throughout the month of May. To kick off, the award-winning and critically acclaimed animated preschool series from The Jim Henson Company, will debut an all new episode on May 6 on PBS KIDS (please check local listings). Additionally, special train-themed activities and events will be featured in partnership with local PBS stations and on the series’ website.
Celebrating National Train Day, the new episode includes two 11-minute animated segments with live-action sequences featuring a paleontologist who brings to life the show’s natural science and natural history curriculum for preschoolers. In “Junior Conductor Jamboree,” Buddy and his family ride the Dinosaur Train from one end of the line to the other and visit all three time periods–from the Cretaceous, through the Jurassic, to the Triassic. In “Troodon Train Day,” the Pteranodon family rides to Troodon Town to celebrate Troodon Train Day, where the main event is a concert by King Cryolophosaurus, giving his first performance in years! National Train Day is May 7, 2011.
Select PBS Stations across the U.S. will be hosting train-themed events throughout the month. Participating stations include PBS SoCal, Los Angeles; WXXI, Rochester, New York; WJCT, Jacksonville, Florida; Houston PBS; KERA, Dallas, Texas; UNCTV, North Carolina state network; WHYY, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; AETN, Arkansas Educational Television Network; Vegas PBS, Las Vegas, Nevada; and WOSU, Columbus, Ohio. Activities may include Dinosaur Train screenings, Buddy costume character appearances, Buddy standees for photo opportunities, and hands-on educational activities.
In addition to the television series, there is also a “Dinosaur Train” interactive website at PBSKIDS.org/dinosaurtrain. Children can join Buddy, Tiny and all their friends as they discover natural history and the science of paleontology through fun games and activities. During the month of May, the website will celebrate trains with a special themed homepage and new fun printable activities. Kids can also play the online game “All Aboard!” to become a Jr. Conductor on the Dinosaur Train! (http://pbskids.org/dinosaurtrain/games/allaboard.html)
About Dinosaur Train:
In “Dinosaur Train,” young viewers join Buddy the T. rex and his adoptive family of Pteranodons on whimsical adventures 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, and it 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. DINOSAUR TRAIN is a Parents’ Choice Recommended TV series, and its accompanying website received a Parents’ Choice Silver Award and a prestigious 2010 Prix Jeunesse Award. 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). DINOSAUR TRAIN, created by Craig Bartlett (Hey Arnold!), is produced by The Jim Henson Company, and co-produced with Singapore animation company Sparky Animation, with the participation and assistance of the Singapore Media Development Authority. UK production and financial support is provided by Ingenious Media. The series is executive produced by Lisa Henson, Brian Henson, Halle Stanford and Craig Bartlett.
About PBS KIDS
PBS KIDS, the number one educational media brand for kids, offers all children the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television, online and community-based programs. More than 21 million children watch PBS KIDS on TV, and more than 21 million engage with PBS KIDS online each quarter. For more information on specific PBS KIDS programs supporting literacy, science, math and more, visit PBS.org/pressroom. Follow PBS KIDS on Twitter and Facebook.
PHOTOS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST OR BY VISITING PBS PressRoom
PHOTO CREDIT – © 2011 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
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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.
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