Tot TV Watch

• Variety.com - Doheny mad for ‘Scientist’
  This sounds interesting!
• Rah Rah Rah for She-Ra’s Second Boxset!
  Do you guys remember She-Ra? She seriously kicked some butt when I was a kid. Who needs He-Man when you have She-Ra?
• Group Complains About ‘Transformers’ Ads: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance
  If you turn a cartoon into a movie, chances are kids are going to watch it-no matter how it is marketed. However, marketing a PG-13 movie during cartoons aimed at young children just doesn’t seem like the best strategy.
• It’s Nickelodeon’s Summer Of Slime! More Than 4,000 Slimings with 1200 Gallons of Slime to Take Place During Nick’s 18-Wheel Slime Across America: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance
  Nickelodeon is starting up the second half of the Slime Across America Tour. Are you ready for some slime?
• New Transformers series coming to Cartoon Network - TV Squad
  TV Squad has the scoop on the new Transformers animated series.
• What’s Really Happening With “Ed, Edd and Eddy”
  Toon Zone clears up the confusion surrounding Ed, Edd, and Eddy

Are you looking for a way to celebrate the Fourth of July with your little munchkins?  How about throwing a Blue’s Clues Independence Day party?  Nick Jr.’s web site has lots of ideas, including printable invitations and activities that you can enjoy with your kids.  That Stars and Stripes cake sure does look tasty!  Go on, check it out.  Then invite your family or the whole neighborhood over to celebrate with you and Blue.

You can also tune in to Noggin beginning July 2nd at 1:00 p.m. to celebrate the holiday with all of the Blue’s Room gang.

4th of July, Independence Day, Blue’s Clues, party, Nick Jr., Noggin, Blue’s Room, celebration

Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of your favorite kids’ TV shows?  Gwynnne Watkins, an editor over at Babble, was invited to spend an afternoon at Little Airplane Productions, the studio behind the Wonder Pets and Oobi.  During her visit, she was able to speak to several of the Wonder Pets creators as well as take some pictures.  Gwynne got to see how the show is all put together, plus got the scoop on what is in store for the next season.  To find out more about her visit, check out Babble’s new Field Trip column.

Babble, Wonder Pets, Oobi, Gwynne Watkins, Little Airplane Productions

I’m a little bit late getting this list together this month, but just in case you missed any, here are the children’s DVD releases for June:

June 5

• What’s New Scooby-Doo? - The Complete Second Season
• Max & Ruby - Summertime With Max & Ruby
• Sesame Street: Kids’ Favorite Country Songs
• SpongeBob SquarePants - Bikini Bottom Adventures
• Peep and the Big Wide World: Peep Figures It Out
• Clifford: Big Fun in the Sun
• Clifford: Clifford Saves the Day
• Clifford: Clifford’s Schoolhouse
• Clifford: Happy Birthday Clifford
• Happily Ever After - Snow White’s Greatest Adventure

June 19

• Bridge to Terabithia
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (The Friendship Edition)
• Animaniacs, Vol. 1-3
• The Powerpuff Girls - The Complete First Season
• The Secret of NIMH (2-Disc Family Fun Edition)

June 26

• Hannah Montana - Pop Star Profile
• The New Adventures of Superman
• The New Adventures of Batman
• High School Musica, The Concert - Extreme Access Pass
• The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3: The Complete Series
• Hi-5: Making Music, Vol. 3
• Best of Casper, Vol. 1
• Best of Casper, Vol. 2
• My Little Pony: Pony Puppy

DVD, TV on DVD, new releases

According to The Muppet Newsflash, Disney is planning on filming some Muppet interstitials that will be airing on the Disney Channel.  The interstitials will have the classic Muppets that we all know and love, as well as cameos by popular Disney Channel stars.  They are expected to air later this year.

Other Muppet related projects that may be happening soon include a movie script and a web series.

Muppets, interstitials, Disney, movie, web series

• Disney To Halt DVD Sequels @ IMDb.com
  Personally, I think this is a good move. Most of the direct to DVD sequels that I have seen haven’t been nearly as good as the originals.
• Apple - Trailers - WALL•E
  It doesn’t give a whole lot of details, but the trailer for WALL-E sure does look intriguing.
• It’s “The Spectacular Spider-Man” to the Rescue - Toon Zone
  Kids’ WB has announced the official title for the new animated Spider-man show.
• The five Sesame Street monsters that used to scare me - VIDEOS - TV Squad
  Anna Johns over at TV Squad discusses the scary monsters at Sesame Street. I don’t remember them seeming scary to me, but I guess they might have been for others. Check out the embedded videos for some great old school Sesame Street clips.
• Nickelodeon’s Nicktropolis Reaches Almost 4 Million Unique Registered Users in Just Four Months: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance
  Before long even the toddlers will be living in a virtual world. I guess at least those 4 million kids aren’t out on the streets.
• Animation Insider - ‘Scam of the Century’ Videogame Coming Soon
  Ed, Edd, and Eddy are coming to the Nintendo DS later this year.
• The Muppet Newsflash: Sesame Workshop Rolls Out Abby Cadabby Merchandise
  The kids may not know who she is yet, but Abby Cadabby merchandise will hit the shelves soon. I think she’s pretty cute. What do you think?

Remember this?

I’m sure you’ve heard the hype about this:

Well, get ready for even more racing action when an all new Speed Racer cartoon hits Nickelodeon’s Nicktoons channel. The new show is set to launch in 2008, around the same time that the live-action movie hits theaters.

The new Speed Racer will follow a young Speed Racer entering a racing academy for the fastest kids on earth. At the academy, he discovers not only that he is the son of the legendary (original series’) Speed Racer, but also that he has a brother, Racer X, that he didn’t know even existed. Speed and X quickly team up to fight off villains and figure out who’s behind the mysterious disappearance of their father.

Speed Racer, Nickelodeon, Nicktoons

After only one month, Playhouse Disney’s animated My Friends Tigger and Pooh has been renewed for a second season.  In the short time that it has been on the air, My Friends Tigger and Pooh has risen to a number one ranking in the 2-5 year old range and also ranks tops among children’s series with women 18-49.

My Friends Tigger and Pooh brings classic characters back to life in a way that is engaging for today’s preschool crowd.  Darby and her dog Buster, along with the rest of the gang from the Hundred Acre Woods teach children problem solving, teamwork, responsibility, and many other skills.

As of this week, My Friends Tigger and Pooh is also airing in France and Canada.

Tip: Toon Zone

My Friends Tigger and Pooh, renewal, second season, Darby, Hundred Acre Wood, preschool

Nick Jr. is kicking off summer with four new episodes of your favorite preschool shows. New episodes of Dora the Explorer, Go Diego Go!, the Backyardigans, and the Wonder Pets will air during Beach Party Week Monday, June 25th through June 29th. Catch a new episode each day during Beach Party Week, then watch them all again in a mini-marathon on Friday from 9:00-11:00 a.m ET/PT. The episodes will air as follows:

Monday, June 25 (9:00 a.m.) - Dora the Explorer “Baby Crab”
* Dora and Boots are having a blast at the beach when they hear a call for help. A baby crab is stuck in a net! Dora finds a pair of scissors inside Backpack and frees the crab, but as he scurries off, he realizes he forgot which way to go. Dora and Boots take him through the Squishy Squid’s Musical Sand Castle, over a mountain of rhythmically snapping clams, and across the ocean to his Mami on Crab Island.

Tuesday, June 26 (9:00 a.m.) - Go, Diego, Go! “An Underwater Mystery”
* Diego and Alicia are exploring the ocean in the Rescue Center Submarine when they hear a cry for help. Using Click, the duo find a mystery fish named Lucy who has lost her way. In order to bring her back home, Diego and Alicia must determine what kind of fish Lucy is by finding clues. They discover Lucy has 3,000 teeth, skin with spots and stripes and a tail she wiggles from side to side. What could she be?

Wednesday, June 27 (9:00 a.m.) - The Backyardigans “Into the Deep”
* In their incredible submarine, deep-sea explorers Tyrone and Pablo, plunge to the deepest part of the ocean to discover a rare mermaid. Meanwhile, mermaids Tasha and Uniqua will do anything to protect their mermaid garden from intruders. Set to a Bollywood soundtrack, an exhilarating underwater chase ensues until the mermaids realize that all the scientists want to do is capture them — on film!

Thursday, June 28 (9:00 a.m.) - The Wonder Pets! “Save the Goldfish”
* The Wonder Pets fly to a child’s bedroom where a pet baby goldfish in an aquarium is trapped inside a bubbling treasure chest. The trio dive into the aquarium to search for the goldfish and encounter a toy mermaid and toy statue of Neptune, King of the Water. They finally reach the trapped fish and try unsuccessfully to use Neptune’s trident to lift open the treasure chest. The Wonder Pets then find a set of keys hanging on the toy pirate and use teamwork to unlock the chest and save the baby goldfish.

Nick Jr., Dora the Explorer, Go Diego Go, Backyardigans, Wonder Pets, Beach Party Week

According to Animation Magazine, HBO has recently acquired Magic Cellar for broadcast. Magic Cellar is a 3D animated series based on African culture and the first animated African TV show to be sold to a major American network.

The ten-episode series is based on African folk-tales, many of which were collected from village elders, passed down from generation to generation. The show follows eight-year-old Pula, who recently moved in with her Gogo (grandmother). At Gogo’s house, Pula and her new friends discover the Magic Cellar where they go to hear stories and interact with a talking gecko and a wise old cricket.

Each Magic Cellar episode contains two stories that celebrate Africa’s culture and traditions, while also promoting reading and important social skills such as sharing and telling the truth. While it is based mainly on African culture, it also celebrates multiculturalism by including Indian, Caucasian, Asian, and mixed-race characters as well.

Magic Cellar will premiere Saturday, June 23rd, at 6:00 p.m. ET on HBO Family and will repeat on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Magic Cellar, Africa, culture, multicultural, HBO Family, Animation Magazine, folk-tale, premiere

• Underdog - Trailer
  A new take on an old classic. Underdog looks a little cheesy, but entertaining for the kiddos.
• Muppet Show season two coming August 7 - TV Squad
  24 more Muppet Show episodes available on DVD August 7th.
• ‘Mr. Wizard’s’ Don Herbert Dies - Taught science on TV for more than four decades - Zap2it
  So long Mr. Wizard. You fascinated many kids with your knowledge and fun experiments.
• Nickelodeon to Partner With Sony Music
• The N’s The New Teen On Campus With The Premiere Of The Best Years
  New College-based drama premieres on the N June 29th. As much as I try to resist getting pulled in by Degrassi, it still happens. I’m guessing this one will be the same.
• “Winnie the Pooh: The Friendship Edition DVD” Bouncing to DVD on June 19
  More Winnie the Pooh headed to DVD!

Ok folks, this is a little off topic, but I couldn’t resist sharing about a great contest over at Discussing Breast Cancer.  Karen is donating $1 to the American Cancer Society for each comment that she receives June 14th and 15th on her blog, so go on over comment to your heart’s content.  Sources tell me that she’s even had an offer to match her contribution, so each comment is actually worth $2. 

There’s even a little something in it for you if you comment.  One randomly drawn commenter will receive a prize!  What are you waiting for?  Get on over there and comment!

contest, breast cancer, discussing breast cancer, american cancer society, donation

Thanks to a tip from the lovely Miss Zoot, here’s a little peek at what you can expect to see on Disney’s High School Musical 2:

High School Musical, High School Musical 2, Disney, sneak peek, video, youtube

It occurred to me today that I had not followed up on this post regarding the future of The Upside Down Show. I originally posted about the speculations of whether the show would be canceled or not back in January, with promises of an answer in February. A little bit of quick research gave me the answer I was searching for. Previous reports made it sound like the show’s stars were debating whether they wanted to continue, but according to the June 1st post on The Umbilical Brothers‘ home page, Nickelodeon made the final decision. Here is the note from Shane and David:

To all the fans of The Upside Down Show, we reluctantly have to give you some bad news. We have received word from Nickelodeon/Noggin USA that they don’t want to do a second season. After all of the positive feedback we’ve received from around the world, and the show’s critical success, this decision is somewhat mystifying. Our executive producer Michael Bourchier has looked into other avenues to get another season off the ground and keep the show alive, but unfortunately he has run out of options. So we’d like to thank everyone involved in the show at Sesame Workshop and Blink Films, from conception (thanks Kurt and Belinda) right through to production here in Oz. The production team was brilliant, and we couldn’t ask for a better crew. And now we must move on to other challenges. Thanks for watching!

~ Shane and David

I have to say that I’m really upset about this. My son absolutely loves The Upside Down Show. It was one of the few shows that we really enjoyed watching together. What I’m even more upset about is that we deleted most of the saved episodes that were on the TiVo not too long ago. I guess now we just have to hope that the first (and only) season will be released on DVD.

The Upside Down Show, The Umbilical Brothers, Shane Dundas, David Collins, Nickelodeon, Noggin, cancellation

Sunday, June 17th, is the day that we all stop to celebrate the great things that dads do for us.  While we appreciate dads year-round, Father’s Day is a special day to let them know just how thankful we are for all the things they do.  So what is the best way to help Dad relax on his special day?  Keep the kids busy of course!  Noggin will help out with the entertainment by offering up some great episodes featuring dads, including a brand new episode of Miss Spider’s Sunny Patch Friends.

Celebrate Father’s Day with your kids by watching a couple shows together and then discussing the importance of family and dad’s special day.  Just don’t forget to remind the kids how special they are too!

Following is Father’s Day marathon schedule (all times Eastern):

8:00 a.m. & 10:00 a.m. - Dora the Explorer - “Boots’ Special Day”
Today, Boots gets to do anything he wants, because it’s his special day! Un dia especial. Boots most favorite thing in the whole world is to visit his daddy at work. To get there, Boots chooses a journey that includes all the special things he loves to do, like leading a Big Drum Parade and visiting Diego’s Animal Center. By the time Boots gets a big
hug from his daddy, he will have had the best day ever!

8:30 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. - Go, Diego, Go! - “Three Little Condors”
Diego and Alicia have found a Mommy and Daddy Condor for three little condors at the Animal Rescue Center. But condors don’t fly at night so they must hurry and find their new Mommy and Daddy before the sun goes down! Diego and Alicia head out with the three little baby condors. Along the way, they have to get past the Bobo Brothers and find a
golden butterfly that will lead them up to Condor Cliff. But we better hurry. The sun is going down!

1:30 p.m. - Pinky Dinky Doo - “Daddy’s Special Shirt”
SET UP: Tyler is frustrated because he’s having trouble making a paper
airplane. TALL TALE: Pinky has to pick up Daddy’s special shirt at the Laundromat in time for his important trip. But the washer is broken so Pinky and Mr. GP must do the washing themselves. The shirt comes out extra stiff and starchy the way Daddy Dinky Doo likes it. On their way home, Pinky and Mr. GP get lifted off the ground by a gust of wind that turns the stiff shirt into a glider and plops them back down in front of their building. But Daddy has already left for his trip! BIG IDEA: Pinky and Mr. GP ride the shirt like a glider all the way to Daddy’s appointment and deliver the shirt just before his meeting begins.

2:30 p.m. - Miss Spider’s Sunny Patch Friends - “A Party for Pops”
Every year Miss Spider and the bug kids have a special “Thank-you, Dad” day for Holley. They send him out to do chores while they make him presents and treats for a surprise party that may no longer a surprise - but it’s a fun family tradition. However, when new poppa Spiderus finds out about it, he’s envious. He wants a special day, too. But he’s disappointed that Spindella and the buggy triplets don’t seem at all interested in “surprising” him with a party. So he decides to throw his own party and cajoles Holley into being his only other guest. After some un-fun festivities, Holley invites Spiderus back to the Cozy Hole to share his party, only to discover that Miss Spider and his buggy brood aren’t there. Now Holley’s disappointed - until the two dads find their families at Le Beestro with gifts and treats and hugs. Miss Spider and Spindella have pulled off the best surprise party ever!

5:00 p.m. - Franklin - “Franklin’s Father”
Franklin has a string of misadventures at the train station while waiting for his mom to return from a weekend trip. When Mr. Mole happens by, Franklin hears that his father’s childhood was full of mishaps too.

5:30 p.m. - Little Bear - “Father’s Day”
Little Bear and Father Bear are going fishing on Father’s Day - just the two of them. But then Hen joins them, and then Owl joins them, followed by Duck…and Cat! Two fishermen quickly turn into six, and everyone has a great time.

father’s day, noggin, miss spider’s sunny patch friends, little bear, franklin, go diego go, dora the explorer, marathon, pinky dinky doo