Hollywood, Calif. (August 10, 2010) – Back by popular demand, SID THE SCIENCE KID™, the engaging and entertaining animated preschool series that encourages kids to explore and experience science returns with new episodes October 4, on PBS KIDS® (check local listings). Following four Emmy nominations and multiple prestigious awards, (most recently the CINE Golden Eagle Award), the curriculum-based series from The Jim Henson Company and KCET/Los Angeles is back with all-new adventures and investigations.
The fall season features episodes where Sid and his pals leave the classroom for field trips to visit their local science center. New segments explore science concepts including Force and Motion, Systems and Interactions and Lights and Shadows. Sid, the show’s energetic and inquisitive preschool star, enlists his friends and family to help him get to the bottom of new mysteries. He begins each episode with a new question and spends a fun-filled day finding answers.
During the week of October 4, Sid and his friends learn about Force and Motion, with episodes that get kids up and moving, actively experimenting with the preschool physics concepts of friction, elasticity and inertia:
“Slide To The Side” (“Why Can‟t I do the „Sid Slide to the Side‟ dance in my sneakers?”) Sid tries out his new dance called ―The Sid Slide to the Side!‖ on his hardwood floor. He soon finds out his sneakers can’t slide, which leads Sid and his friends to observe and investigate friction; what makes something slow down.
“That’s The Way the Ball Bounces” (“Why didn‟t my ball bounce?”) Sid creates a new sport called Playdough Ball! When it’s time to play, Sid discovers that his ball doesn’t bounce, it just splats on the ground. At school Sid and his friends discover that if a ball doesn’t have enough elasticity, it won’t bounce.
“Ignatz’s Inertia (“Why didn‟t Ignatz stop moving?”) Sid pushes his toy panda Ignatz across his room on a skateboard, but when the skateboard bumps a wooden block and halts, Ignatz continues to fly forward. Teacher Susie tells Sid and pals that things keep moving until they are stopped, and that’s called inertia.
“Sid’s Super Kick” (“Is my Super Sid Kick too super?”) Sid becomes his alter ego Super Sid, the world’s greatest super hero. While demonstrating his Super Sid Kick!, Sid learns that by kicking a ball with more force, the ball will fly farther. Things become very clear when Teacher Susie demonstrates force with a 6-foot tall air cannon and tennis balls.
Just as Daylight Saving Time begins to make the days shorter and the nights longer during the week of November 8, Sid and his pals investigate Lights and Shadows, with episodes on light, darkness, shadows and rainbows:
“Let There Be Light” (“Why can‟t I grab the light that comes out of my flashlight?”) Sid and his baby brother Zeke are playing a game where they try to ―grab‖ the light coming out of the flashlight. But Sid and his friends discover that they can’t grab light, and they can’t make it bend around a corner – unless you reflect it. They also discover that not all light is the same color—it can be bright, soft, yellow, white, etc.
“Discovering Darkness” (“Why am I getting up in the dark?”) Sid has to wake up a bit early on a winter morning, so that means it’s darker in the morning and darker earlier in the evening. This leads Sid and his friends to investigate and observe what happens when a light source is completely blocked—creating darkness.
“Shadow Smile” (“Why doesn‟t my shadow smile when I do?”) After looking at his own shadow on his bedroom wall, Sid starts wondering why his shadow doesn’t smile when he does. This leads Sid and his friends to investigate creating shadows at school.
“A Rainbow Every Day” (“Oh no! What happened to the rainbow?”) From his tree house, Sid spots a rainbow in the sky. He races down the tree, runs into the kitchen, and excitedly tells his parents and Zeke to come outside to see the rainbow. But when they arrive, it’s gone. A field trip to the Science Center shows Sid and his friends experiment with large prisms and learn how rainbows are made from light, not paint.
Each week, the programs focus on a single scientific concept based on Preschool Pathways to Science (PrePS©), a practical curriculum used in preschool classrooms that was created by cognitive researchers and preschool educators, incorporating lessons learned from developmental research as well as classroom experience.
The award-winning SID THE SCIENCE KID Website (at PBSKIDS.org/sid) inspires the scientist in kids, with a kid-friendly video player, songs, games, activities, and materials to help parents, teachers, and caregivers support their own Science Kid. Games in different discovery zones like The Super Fab Lab at Sid’s school, and the playground and Sid’s kitchen encompass all of the series curricular themes. And accompanying lesson plans and at home investigations can be found online at PBSTEACHERS.org and PBSPARENTS.org.
SID THE SCIENCE KID is part of a long line of successful preschool programming from The Jim Henson Company that includes the new smash hit DINOSAUR TRAIN as well as FRAGGLE ROCK and BEAR IN THE BIG BLUE HOUSE show is produced using the revolutionary Emmy® Award-winning Henson Digital Puppetry Studio, a proprietary technology that allows performers to puppeteer and voice digital characters in real-time, creating an unprecedented level of spontaneity, quality and interactivity.
SID THE SCIENCE KID is a co-production of The Jim Henson Company and KCET/Los Angeles for PBS KIDS. Lisa Henson and Halle Stanford of The Jim Henson Company, along with Bradley Zweig, serve as executive producers. Joyce Campbell is executive producer for KCET. Mary Mazur is executive in charge of production for KCET. The Jim Henson Company is handling all ancillary use of the property including licensing, video and merchandising
About KCET
On-air, online and in the community, KCET plays a vital role in the cultural and educational enrichment of Southern and Central California. More than four million viewers watch KCET in the average month. KCET is the most-watched PBS station in Southern California and the second most-watched public television station in the nation. National PBS series produced from the station’s Hollywood studios include SID THE SCIENCE KID, four-time NAACP Award winner TAVIS SMILEY and the Peabody Award-winning series A PLACE OF OUR OWN and LOS NIÑOS EN SU CASA, series for caregivers of young children.
Other KCET productions for PBS have included SCHOOL: THE STORY OF AMERICAN PUBLIC EDUCATION, narrated by Academy Award® winner Meryl Streep; AMERICAN FAMILY, the first primetime drama to feature an all-Hispanic cast; THE FIRST YEAR, a documentary about five beginning teachers in the Los Angeles public school system; STORYTIME, a series aimed at getting young children interested in stories and books; and PUZZLE PLACE, a single comedy/drama storyline featuring a multiethnic cast of puppets who helped children learn about sharing, decision making, and other daily encounters in a child’s life.
Throughout its more than 40-year history, KCET has won hundreds of major awards for its local and regional news and public affairs programming, its national drama and documentary productions, its quality educational family and children’s programs, its outreach and community services, and its Web site, kcet.org. KCET is a donor-supported community institution. More than half of the funds raised to support KCET’s operating budget come from individual support. For additional information about KCET productions, Web-exclusive content, programming schedules and community events, please visit www.kcet.org.
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/
PHOTO CREDIT – © 2010 The Jim Henson Company. JIM HENSON’S mark & logo, SID THE SCIENCE KID mark & logo, characters and elements are trademarks of The Jim Henson Company. All Rights Reserved.
Press Contacts
Lisa Porter, SWPR Group (818) 760-7131; lporter@swprgroup.com
Jessica Schmidt, The Rogers Group (310) 552-4177; jschmidt@rogerspr.com
Jake Landis, PBS KIDS (703) 739- 5362; jwlandis@pbs.org
Ann Schwarz, The Jim Henson Company (323) 802-1667; aschwarz@henson.com
Additional Press Contacts:
Lisa Porter/Amy Ulrich/Bonnie Winings Jessica Schmidt
SWPR Group The Rogers Group
(818) 760-7131 (310) 552-6922
lporter@swprgroup.com jschmidt@rogerspr.com
aulrich@swprgroup.com
bwinings@swprgroup.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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