Disney Junior to Launch in February 2011

BURBANK: The new kids’ service Disney Junior, aimed at children 2 to 7 and their families, will make its debut in February 2011.

Disney Junior will launch content across the daily block on Disney Channel, an integrated website, VOD, mobile and paid download platforms. Among the new series headed to Disney Junior are Jake and the Never Land Pirates, an animated series combining new and classic Disney characters Captain Hook and Smee; a series of Disney Poetry Shorts; the short-form series Mickey Mousekersize and Special Agent Oso: Three Healthy Steps; Babar the and the Adventures of Badou; and Tinga Tinga Tales. Playhouse Disney hits Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Handy Manny, Special Agent Oso and Imagination Movers are also part of Disney Junior. The new brand will be available on basic cable in more than 99 million U.S. homes, as well as millions of other viewers on 25 Disney Junior channels and free-to-air broadcast partners around the world.

Carolina Lightcap, the president of Disney Channels Worldwide, said: "Disney Junior differentiates itself by placing a focus on story and character, the hallmarks of Disney since its inception. We’ll take memories of the Disney experience, held by generations of parents and kids, and bring them to life on TV and beyond, with elements that encourage early childhood learning, wrapped in strong emotionally connected storytelling." She continued, "We will showcase classic Disney characters in new ways, and we are equally committed to creating new original characters that we hope will become the classics of the future."