Putnam Stern’s Bug Bites Lands on American Public Television

BEVERLY HILLS: U.S. syndicator American Public Television, Alegra Entertainment and Putnam Stern Enterprises have inked a distribution deal for the animated science series Bug Bites.

Hosted by real-life entomologist Adam Lazarus alongside an animated cockroach named Gilbert, Bug Bites addresses the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) curriculum crisis in American education. The 26×30-minute program, created by Lazarus and Topher Putnam, also aims to teach young viewers about teamwork, acceptance, healthy eating, conservation and friendship. It is slated to begin airing in the U.S. in January.

"The National Science Foundation ranks U.S. students at 23rd in the world in science and 31st in math," said Lazarus. "We created Bug Bites to make a difference in the way kids see these dynamic subjects—the subjects that lead to careers that can really change the world."

"The confusion over how to catch our kids up on STEM is at a crisis level right now," added Jeff Stern, the CEO of Alegra Entertainment and Putnam Stern Enterprises. "Bug Bites speaks to that issue and hopes to offer a solution in closing the gap in our children's learning."