Jim Henson Series to Debut on Sprout

October 6, 2008 World Screen

PHILADELPHIA/HOLLYWOOD/NEW
YORK, October 6: PBS KIDS Sprout will launch Pajanimals, the newest group of puppet characters from The
Jim Henson Company, during the channel’s nighttime block, The Good Night
Show.

The exclusive, short-form,
live-action musical series, which will debut on November 2, is produced by The
Jim Henson Company and 4Kids Entertainment, the property’s licensing agent.
Featuring four soft, cuddly puppets created by artist Jeff Muncy and designed
and built by Jim Henson's Creature Shop, Pajanimals entertains and comforts preschool viewers with
original, bedtime-themed songs that focus on typical issues such as sleeping
through the night and being comfortable with the lights out.

Pajanimals features characters such as Sweetpea Sue, a shy,
smart pony that never forgets her bedtime routine of brushing her teeth,
washing her face and putting on her pajamas, and Squacky, an excitable duck
that sometimes has a hard time settling down at night.

In addition to the show
airing as a short-form musical series on the Sprout linear channel, five
ten-minute segments with professional and practical sleep advice will be
available on Sprout On Demand.

“Every parent knows that
bedtime battles are no fun for anyone and it is our hope that Pajanimals will help our young audience transition from
daytime into a peaceful evening routine,” said Lisa Henson, the co-CEO of The
Jim Henson Company. “Sprout is an established destination for preschoolers and
their adult co-viewers and is an ideal home for these new characters.”

“Parents have told us that
bedtime is one of the most challenging times of the day,” added Andrew Beecham,
the senior VP of programming at Sprout. “In response, we created our signature
nighttime block, The Good Night Show, which helps parents wind down their kids after a busy day and Pajanimals is the perfect addition to that block. The sweet,
loveable characters and instantly contagious songs are sure to resonate with
both preschoolers and parents alike."

—By Jackie Stewart