¡Sorpresa! Ramps Up Program Offerings

October 29, 2007 World Screen

NEW YORK, October 29: Juniper Content Corporation’s Hispanic kids channel ¡Sorpresa! has acquired four new programs, including animated and live-action series and films that are targeted at preschoolers, kids and tweens.

The network’s own hosted television special Luz, Camara, ¡Sorpresa! features the five finalists and winner of the inaugural ¡Sorpresa! Youth Film Competition. Produced in partnership with the Hamptons International Film Festival, Luz, Camara, ¡Sorpresa! premiered on October 28, and will re-air on November 2 at 9 p.m. EDT.

In addition to this original special, the new lineup also includes the Mexican game show El Reto Burundis and two new Burundis movies. The film Enredos y Marañ¡³¦t;/i> will premiere as ¡Sorpresa!’s Halloween presentation on October 31 and Navidad con Angel will air in December as a Christmas offering.

TUKITI, a live-action telenovela-style program from Venezuela, will appeal to ?Sorpresa!’s teen and tween audience. With each episode, kids gain an understanding about the beauty of having siblings, the hard work a single mom faces, the magic of a first love and how to overcome life’s obstacles.

For its preschool audience, ?Sorpresa! will debut Tiny Planets. This BAFTA award-winning program follows heroes Bing and Bong on their adventures in the Tiny Universe, helping children examine how things work, consider underlying relationships and strengthen observational skills.

¡Sorpresa!’s audience will also be able to view animated classics such as Alice in Wonderland, A Christmas Carol, Robin Hood, Jungle Book, The Three Musketeers and The Prince and the Pauper, as well as recent hits Ali Baba and the 40 and Kong: Return to the Jungle in Spanish for the new Movie Nights program package.

Maria Badillo, ¡Sorpresa!’s VP of programming, commented: “With this new lineup, we believe ¡Sorpresa! will provide its viewers with exceptional programs that speak to the identity and interests of our Hispanic youth audience, and will deliver to our operators and multichannel partners the best educational and entertainment properties for our most coveted audiences.”

—By Kristin Brzoznowski