Tot TV Watch

This Saturday Whiffle and Fuzz premieres on Playhouse Disney. It is a new short that appears between shows, like the Lou and Lou shorts I blogged about pretty recently. The time slot for Whiffle and Fuzz is 6:55am Eastern Time or 5:55am Central Time. Personally this seems like a really early time to air a new short and hopefully it will shift around in the times it shows like the Playhouse Disney shows seem to do from week to week.

The characters of this short are obviously called Whiffle and Fuzz. Whiffle is a red fuzzy sphere creature with stick figure like arms and legs. Fuzz is similar, except he is blue and shaped like a cube. From the previews I have seen it looks like this is a show about guessing what the animals are behind a screen that has a few holes that are revealed as they find clues related to the animal.

You can watch some Whiffle and Fuzz videos on the Playhouse Disney website for this show here.

The new show Chop Socky Chooks premieres tonight at 9pm Eastern and Pacific Time on Cartoon Network. This show is features three chickens as the main characters. These three chickens are named Chick P., KO Joe, and Chuckie Chan. They use their martial arts skills and super spy technology to protect the citizens of Wasabi World, which is the fictional city/mall this animated show is set in. Their enemy is Dr. Wasabi the evil person running Wasabi World.

Looking through the Cartoon Network site for this show I found a listing of the episodes. It gives episode descriptions for episodes 1 through 26. Interestingly enough it premieres tonight with episode 5 and then next week it is showing episode 4, so kind of illogical order. Anyways tonight’s episode is called Game Over Chooks and is about Dr. Wasabi kidnapping Chuckie Chan’s students. He tries to use their skills in a video game that causes Chooks in the real world to be destroyed.

Main Character Bios:

Chuckie Chan: One of the three main Kung Fu heroes of the show. He is the Kung Fu master and follows its true path in pursuit of enlightenment. His Kung Fu mastery includes mystic abilities.

KO Joe: Another one of the three main heroes of the show. This is the character with an afro. He has a generous spirit and selfless in his sense of justice.

Chick P: This is the girl hero in the show’s trio of heroes. She works undercover at the mall and is the team’s engineer turning any object into a fighting tool.

Dr. Wasabi: He is the villian of the show carrying out his evil plans from his fishbowl headquarters at the Wasabi World Mall.

Bubba: He is a giant gorilla that helps Dr. Wasabi. He is portrayed as a dumb sidekick.

Ninja Chimps: These are Dr. Wasabi’s main minions that try to keep his plans from being thwarted.

This Fall, Nick Jr. is introducing a groundbreaking new animated series for the preschool crowd. Ni Hao, Kai-Lan will introduce children to Chinese Language and Culture during the half-hour interactive series. It will teach Mandarin words and phrases, as well as explore social-emotional skills.

Kai-lan Chow is a young Chinese-American girl who speaks both English and Mandarin (much like Dora and Diego speak English and Spanish). Viewers experience the Chinese culture along with Kai-lan and her family. The show mainly centers on Kai-lan and her relationships with her grandfather, YeYe, and her animal friends. YeYe is a big part of Kai-lan’s life and helps to guide her to her own discoveries. Kai-lan is a very thoughtful and caring girl, who has a gift for helping her friends. Her friends include: Rintoo, a rambunctious five-year-old tiger who loves to play, Tolee, a five-year-old koala who always puts his friends first, Hoho, a three-year-old monkey full of boundless energy, and Lulu, a happy six-year-old pink rhino.

Ni Hao, Kai-Lan focuses on social and emotional issues such as taking turns, disappointment, and jealousy, while also highlighting cause and effect thinking. There is no shortage of music either as the show introduces simple coping strategies through playful songs that teach valuable lessons. In each episode, Kai-lan and her friends explore their emotions and stop to consider the feelings of others.

Ni Hao, Kai-Lan will premiere on Nick Jr. on Monday, October 22nd. My family and I will definitely be looking forward to watching the premiere episode.

Ni Hao Kai-Lan, Nick Jr., Chinese-American, Chinese culture, Mandarin, bi-lingual, language, culture

It’s been a little bit harder getting back into the groove of things than I expected. Part of that has to do with the condition I left things in and the other part has to do with a certain two year old who seems to be quite off schedule. He doesn’t want to go to bed at night, which means I don’t get my precious computer time and then he doesn’t want to get up in the morning. All of this is really throwing me off and not allowing me to bring you the latest Tot TV news.

Thanks to my routine being all out of whack, I’m a bit late bringing you the information about Nick Jr.’s four week long Dance Party. The big party started on Monday, the 23rd, but it will continue through Friday, August 17th. During the Nick Jr. Dance Party, you can catch music and dance themed episodes from Dora the Explorer, The Wonder Pets, Blue’s Clues, and The Backyardigans. Each week, Nick Jr. will also be premiering one never-before-seen music video from the upcoming new series Yo Gabba Gabba!, which will debut in August.

The Nick Jr. Dance Party episodes will air as follows:

– Monday, July 23 - Friday, July 27 - Five music-themed Dora the Explorer episodes everyday at 9:00 a.m., beginning with the premiere of “La Maestra de Musica” on July 23.

— Monday, July 30 - Friday, August 3 - Five episodes of The Wonder Pets! featuring Ming Ming’s greatest musical adventures will air everyday at 11:00 a.m.

– Monday, August 6 - Friday, August 10 - Five episodes of Blue’s Clues featuring Blue’s biggest musical moments will air everyday at 10:00 a.m.

– Monday, August 13 - Friday, August 17 - Five episodes of The Backyardigans featuring some of the best dance moves from the five backyard pals will air everyday at 10:30 a.m.

Kids and parents can also log on to the Nick Jr. website to vote for their favorite music video of the week. Each Friday, Nick Jr. will announce the results of the favorite video votes on air.

Nick Jr. Dance Party, Dora the Explorer, The Wonder Pets, Blue’s Clues, The Backyardigans, Yo Gabba Gabba!, video, music, dance

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

Wayside, a new animated series based on the books series by Louis Sachar, premieres June 25th on Nickelodeon. The first season of 26 episodes will air weekdays at 12:30 p.m. ET/PT.

Wayside is a 30-story grade school where wacky occurrences are just part of every day life. Somehow, when Wayside school was built, each classroom was mistakenly built on a separate floor instead of built side by side on one floor. The series focuses on the adventures of Mrs. Jewls’ class held on the 30th floor. It follows Todd, the new kid at school, and his new friends Maurecia, the tough girl who uses physical actions to express herself, Dana, the slightly emotional over-achiever, and Myron, the politician of the school. You can also catch a glimpse of the class weirdos including the boy who wears an elf costume every day, the kid that is always upside down, and the girl who is always asleep (boy does that bring back memories!).

The stories presented in each episode deal with issues that kids are faced with in every day life but are presented in a humorous way. Somehow, even the most twisted and wacky scenarios can can teach a great lesson.

Don’t forget to tune in on Monday, June 25th, when all the wackiness begins!

Wayside, Nickelodeon, Louis Sachar, Mrs. Jewls, Todd, Maurecia, Dana, Myron

Tonight I had the pleasure of previewing two episodes of the new show Bindi: The Jungle Girl that is premiering this weekend.  Bindi Irwin, daughter of the late Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin, is the host of the show.  From high atop a jungle treehouse, she upholds her father’s legacy by educating kids and adults alike about animals and conservation.  From leeches, to elephants, to the snake that sleeps in her bed, Bindi shows her love for all wildlife.

Throughout the show, there are clips of Bindi and her father experiencing wildlife across the globe.  Bindi’s mother, Terri, shows up now and then and her little brother even makes a quick appearance.  It is obvious that this show is very much a family effort. 

Each episode features a regular segment called “Bindi’s Blog” where she logs in to answer questions from kids around the world.  The Crocmen, Bindi’s four-man singing and dancing crew perform original songs and present “Croc Facts” during each show as well.

I was a little surprised at how fast-paced the show moved at first.  Bindi seemed a little over excited at first, almost gasping for a breath in some scenes.  But as the show went on, the pace did slow down a little and even managed to keep the attention of my almost two-year-old for a while.  He was very interested in all of the strange looking animals.

Bindi: The Jungle Girl premieres Saturday, June 9th, at 5:00 p.m. ET on Discovery Kids.  You can also catch Bindi hosting My Daddy The Croc Hunter, where she will share clips from her father’s career, including his latest croc research adventure in August of 2006.  It will air Friday, June 8th, at 9:00 p.m. ET on Animal Planet.  Animal Planet will also be premiering Planet’s Best With Terri and Bindi on Sunday, June 10th, during which the Irwins will introduce viewers to 1001 different animals while hosting the best wildlife programming Animal Planet has to offer every Sunday night.

Bindi Irwin, Bindi: The Jungle Girl, Steve Irwin, Terri Irwin, Crocodile Hunter, Crocmen, Discovery Kids, Animal Planet, My Daddy The Croc Hunter, Planet’s Best With Terri and Bindi, animals, conservation, jungle

May 13th is quickly approaching and mothers everywhere will be celebrating one of their most important roles in life. If you are still searching for a gift, you can check out the great lists here, here, or here. However, sometimes the best gift for Mom is letting her have some quiet time to relax. I suggest bringing her breakfast in bed (along with hand-made cards from the kids), then whisking the kids away for a while so that Mom can have some quiet time to read a book, peruse her favorite blogs, or just take a nice hot bath without any interruptions. If you need a way to entertain the tots while Mom is relaxing, you can always keep them busy with some of these Mother’s Day specials, new episodes, and activities:

• Dora the Explorer’s Mother’s Day Marathon will be airing on Nick Jr. Friday, May 11th, from 12:00-2:00p.m ET/PT, but you can always record it to a VCR, DVR, or TiVo and save it for the big day.
• Noggin will be celebrating by airing an all-day Mother’s Day marathon on Sunday, featuring an all new episode of Miss Spider’s Sunny Patch Friends. The marathon will run from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET.
• Playhouse Disney will be airing new episodes of My Friends Tigger and Pooh at 10:00/9:00c and Handy Manny at 10:30/9:30c on May 13th. The Handy Manny episode will feature special guest Marion Ross as Mr. Lopart’s mother. Kids can also find some great Mother’s Day craft ideas on the Playhouse Disney web site.
• The PBSParents web site also has some great craft ideas and activities, as well as Mother’s Day breakfast recipes that are definitely worth checking out.

If those don’t interest your kids (but I’m sure they will) you can always watch their regularly scheduled favorite shows. Of course, you could just take the kids out to the park for a couple of hours. I’m sure when you return, Mom will be ready for some snuggly family time.

If you have any other great Mother’s Day tips you want to share, please leave them in the comments section below.

Mother’s Day, Mother’s Day Tips, gift ideas, Dora the Explorer, Mother’s Day Marathon, Nick Jr., Handy Manny, My Friends Tigger and Pooh, Playhouse Disney, PBS Parents, crafts, recipes

Playhouse Disney’s new computer animated series My Friends Tigger and Pooh is set to premiere Saturday, May 12. Much like Disney’s Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, My Friends Tigger and Pooh will feature classic characters with an updated look that is sure to attract young viewers.

The new show will feature Winnie-the-Pooh, Tigger, and all of their classic friends, as well as newcomer Darby and her dog Buster. Darby is a 6-year-old red-haired girl who is a bit of a tomboy. Along with her new friends, she will explore and discover the Hundred Acre Woods.

Each episode of My Friends Tigger and Pooh will consist of two 11-minute stories, sing-a-longs, and repeated theme music. The show will tackle problem solving on a preschool level and explore educational themes. It will cover concepts such as how to work with others, resisting the urge for immediate gratification, the value of patience and reasoning, and a sense of responsibility to the environment and community.

Games, video clips, and activities, including a printable Super Sleuth Pack, can be found on Playhouse Disney online.

Tune in for the premiere episode Saturday, May 12th, at 10:00/9:00c and another new episode Sunday, May 13th.

My Friends Tigger and Pooh, Playhouse Disney, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, premiere, Winnie-the-Pooh, Tigger, Darby, Buster, problem-solving, preschool, environment, community

It looks like the kids will have something else to look forward to in August besides just going back to school. Disney’s “High School Musical 2″ will be premiering on the Disney Channel August 17th.

Hal Boedeker at the Orlando Sentinel was given the opportunity to preview the movie and gave the following summary of the plot:

Still bummed that she was upstaged in the first movie, Sharpay (Ashley Tisdale) plots her revenge. She arranges for Troy (Zac Efron) to land a summer job at her family’s country club and tries to isolate him from his friends. He, however, brings his pals along to work at the club.

Undeterred, Sharpay tempts Troy with opportunities. He loses his way and alienates his buddies.

The movie will follow a similar format to the first, including an assortment of original songs. It will also throw some high school sports action in, this time including the baseball team.

Gary Marsh, entertainment president for Disney Channel Worldwide, says that the theme of the second movie will be “What’s important to me?” It will be about the struggle to find your own moral compass and then follow it, rather than just going along with the crowd.

As previously reported, “High School Musical 2″ will see a return of all of your favorite stars from the original movie.

Here’s a video of interviews with some of the cast:

High School Musical, High School Musical 2, premiere, Disney, Ashley Tisdale, Zac Efron, Gary Marsh, YouTube, video

(Source: Nickelodeon)
One of the most common complaints I hear about children’s television is that it encourages kids to sit in front of the TV instead of being active and using their imagination.  TV shows and video games are often cited as some of the leading causes of childhood obesity and other pediatric health problems.

In 2005, Nickelodeon partnered with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation to try to combat this problem.  The “Let’s Just Play” initiative was formed to encourage kids to engage in healthy and active lifestyles.  Using Nickelodeon’s multimedia platforms, the group has been able to spread their message and reach millions of kids.

Beginning Sunday, April 29, at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT, Nickelodeon will premiere the second season of its Let’s Just Play Go Healthy Challenge.  The six month series, airing during TeenNICK, will showcase real kids participating in a challenge to live a healthier lifestyle.  It will feature two 12-year-olds, Kenderick and April, as they participate in the challenge to become healthier.  It will also include a revolving third storyline each month that will focus on an individual or group of kids working to improve health and wellness in their personal lives or communities.  Various NFL players will also appear in the new “Workout Like a Pro” segments, where they will provide fitness tips.

This year’s challenge will include all new multimedia content and tools online to help kids participate.  Beginning April 5th, kids can download a personalized tracker to their desktops to help them track their progress during the Let’s Just Play Go Healthy Challenge.  The tracker includes a list of favorite activities and healthy food options.  Kids can use the tracker and an online e-calendar to keep their activities and healthy habits organized.

In order to reach the most viewers, the Let’s Just Play Go Healthy Challenge will be available on multiple platforms.  TurboNick will be streaming the full episodes, along with behind-the-scenes footage of the challengers.  Episodes will also be available as free downloads from iTunes and made available  on video-on-demand platforms.  Profiles of Kenderick and April will also be featured in the April and May issues of Nickelodeon Magazine.

While the television segments may be aimed at the elementary and tween/teen crowd, I think parents can also adapt many of the healthy habits showcased for the younger audience as well.  There is no reason that your toddlers and preschoolers can’t start learning healthy habits early on.

TV, television, video games, childhood obesity, health, Nickelodeon, Alliance for a Healthier Generation, Let’s Just Play, Go Healthy Challenge, TeenNICK, Kenderick, April, NFL, Workout like a Pro, multimedia, TurboNick, iTunes, Nickelodeon Magazine

April 16-20 is Spring Premiere week on Discovery Kids’ “Ready, Set, Learn!” block of preschool programming. Besides the premiere of the new animated series, Wilbur, you can catch all new episodes of Peep and the Big Wide World, Hip Hop Harry, Toddworld, and Bigfoot Presents: Meteor and the Mighty Monster Trucks.

The new “Ready, Set, Learn!” schedule beginning Monday, April 16th, is as follows:

• 9:00 - Peep and the Big Wide World
• 9:30 - Hi-5
• 10:00 - Hip Hop Harry
• 10:30 - Bigfoot Presents: Meteor and the Mighty Monster Trucks
• 11:00 - Wilbur
• 11:30 - Toddworld
• 12:00 - Peep and the Big Wide World (Repeat)
• 12:30 - Hi-5 (repeat)
• 1:00 - Hip Hop Harry (repeat)
• 1:30 - Bigfoot Presents: Meteor and the Mighty Monster Trucks (repeat)

Discovery Kids, Ready Set Learn!, Wilbur, Peep and the Big Wide World, Hi-5, Hip Hop Harry, Bigfoot Presents: Meteor and the Mighty Monster Trucks, Toddworld, premieres, new schedule

Source: Nick Jr.
It looks like the Wonder Pets won’t be saving the day this time. In fact, they’ll be the ones needing to be saved! When Linny, Tuck, and Ming-Ming head into the sea to help a baby blowfish stuck in a sea plant, a large whale accidentally swallows them. The Wonder Pets find themselves calling on their underwater friends to rescue them. The new musical special, “Save The Wonder Pets,” premieres Monday, April 23rd at 11:00 a.m. (ET/PT). A two-minute sneak peek can be seen on Nick Jr. Video (on nickjr.com) beginning April 16th.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070410/NYTU087)

Nickjr.com will also be featuring a new interactive “Save the Sea Creatures” game beginning April 13th, as well as an interactive poll, artwork and photos from fans, printables, and crafts.

A “Save the Wonder Pets!” DVD will be released on Tuesday, April 24th, by Nickelodeon Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment. Besides the title track, it will also include three other episodes, as well as reusable stickers and a “Meet The Wonder Pets!” photo gallery with character facts.

On April 10th, Nick Records released the first ever Wonder Pets CD. It features 16 full-length songs from the first season, a limited edition celery recipe book, and a Wonder Pets coloring poster.

Wonder Pets, Save the Wonder Pets, DVD, CD, premiere, Nick Jr.

Originally created by three innovative moms, Wilbur aims to encourage young kids to become more enthusiastic about books and reading. Wilbur, the main character of the show, is a young calf who uses books to find ideas and solve problems. Knowing that books have all the answers, Wilbur guides his friends Dasha the duck, Ray the rooster, and Libby the lamb through various stories to help them find the answers they are searching for. As they read the book, the pictures in the story come to life as they might in your child’s imagination. In one episode, Wilbur’s friend Dasha wants to make a pizza but doesn’t know how. Wilbur finds a storybook about a hungry troll who needs a recipe to make his favorite “Slug Slime Sandwich”. After reading the story, Dasha realizes that she needs a recipe to figure out how to make the perfect pizza.

Unlike other children’s shows focused on literacy, Wilbur demonstrates concepts such as how to read from left to right, turn pages right to left, and how you start at the top of the page and read down. Wilbur also points to the words with his hoof as he reads the story demonstrating the function of print.

The series creates a unique look with a combination of live action, puppetry and “Shadowmation” - a combination of animatronics and CG effects that allow puppets to move around in a 3-dimensional world. Each episode includes two original storybooks and music conveying the message that reading is fun.

So far I’m very impressed with what I have seen of this show. The bright colors, simple stories, and music are sure to keep any toddler’s attention while teaching them some basic concepts that they will carry with them throughout their lives.

Wilbur premieres April 16th at 11:00 a.m. during Discovery Kids “Ready, Set, Learn!” block. It will also begin airing on TLC April 23rd at 7:30 a.m.

Wilbur, Discovery Kids, Ready Set Learn!, TLC, puppets, shadowmation, animatronics, reading, preschool