Cat in the Hat Heads to PBS KIDS

BALTIMORE: Dr. Seuss’s iconic The Cat in the Hat is being developed into an animated TV series for the first time, with PBS KIDS slated to air the show in fall 2010.

The show comes to PBS KIDS via a deal with Random House Children’s Entertainment, in association with Dr. Seuss Enterprises, and producers Portfolio Entertainment and Collingwood O’Hare Productions. Award-winning actor Martin Short will voice The Cat in the Hat in the show, The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!, with a 40 half-hour episodes currently in production for the first season. It features six-year-old Sally and Nick, best friends and next door neighbors, who are transported on a magical journey to all corners of the globe to make natural science discoveries, with the Cat in the Hat as their guide. Along for the ride are the Cat’s two energetic helpers, Thing One and Thing Two. Developed for television by Portfolio Entertainment and Collingwood O’Hare Productions, the animated preschool series is based on Random House’s bestselling Beginner Book franchise, The Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library. 

Kate Klimo, the VP of Random House Children’s Entertainment, noted: “Research tells us that children are natural scientists who develop ideas and concepts about their world as they explore it. When it was published in 1957, Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat changed the way children learn to read and arguably improved the state of children’s literacy in America. It is our belief that this same Cat can turn his charismatic skills to promoting science literacy, which is of vital importance to young people today.” 

Linda Simensky, VP of children’s programming at PBS, added: “PBS’s children’s content creates a place where every child can explore and discover unlimited possibilities. The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! will not only nurture children’s natural curiosity about science exploration and the world around them but also address a critical developmental area for children growing up in the technology-rich 21st century.”