Disney Channel Teams With Affiliates to Present Playhouse Disney - LIVE!

Disney Channel Teams With Affiliates to Present "Playhouse Disney - LIVE!"
The 10-City Mall Tour Features a Live Stage Show for the Preschool Set

Disney Channel and local cable operators will invite kids and families across the country to "Playhouse Disney - LIVE!," a special live event starring their favorite characters from Playhouse Disney, Disney Channel's preschool programming block which will launch as a standalone network in early 2002.

In 2000, more than 155,000 kids and parents came out to see the tour that features singing, dancing, storytelling and creative play. This year, "Playhouse Disney - LIVE!" centers on the theme of friendship and brings together some of Playhouse Disney's most popular stars. Hosted by the stars of "Out of the Box," Tony and Vivian, the live show will take audiences on a tour through the world of Playhouse Disney.

"Based on the response the tour received last year, the popularity of the block on-air, and a limited amount of quality programming and live entertainment for preschoolers, we decided to bring the tour back out on the road and provide our youngest viewers with an opportunity to see their favorite Playhouse Disney characters live and in-person," said Adam Sanderson, senior vice president, brand marketing, ABC Cable Networks Group. "Parents and caregivers can bring young kids to 'Playhouse Disney - LIVE!' knowing our emphasis on entertaining, age-appropriate activities for children where learning is powered by imagination is as much a priority for the tour as it is for our television shows."

In addition to Tony and Vivian, the audience will be treated to visits by Olie and Zowie from Emmy, Gemini and Parents' Choice Award-winning "Rolie Polie Olie"; otter siblings Peanut, Jelly and Baby Butter from "Disney's PB&J Otter"; and Bear from Emmy Award-winning "Bear in the Big Blue House," from Jim Henson Television. This year's tour will also feature Winnie the Pooh from the critically-acclaimed series "The Book of Pooh," as well as Stanley, the star of Playhouse Disney's newest original series "Stanley."

In an effort to promote literacy and a love of learning, "Playhouse Disney - LIVE!" will also feature "The Book of Pooh Hunny Pot Book Drop," a book drive benefiting needy children. In each market, consumers will be encouraged to donate new or gently-used books to benefit a local charity chosen by the partnering affiliate.

The promotional 10-week stage tour, Disney Channel's "Playhouse Disney - LIVE!," will take place at local malls across the country from early September through the middle of November. The road show will kick off in Cleveland, Sept. 7-9, at The Avenue at Tower City Center. Additional cities on the tour include Detroit (Sept. 14-16); Pittsburgh (Sept. 21-23); Miami (Sept. 28-30); Tampa (Oct. 5-7); Atlanta (Oct. 12-14); Los Angeles (Oct. 19-21); Sacramento (Oct. 26-28); Phoenix (Nov. 2-4) and Seattle (Nov. 9-11).

In each market, the event will be co-sponsored by local cable operators and will be supported with on-air and website promotional spots, newspaper print ads, in-mall signage, and local radio promotions. Participating affiliates include Adelphia Communications, AT&T Broadband, Comcast Cable and Cox Communications, among others. Additional cross promotion activities with such internal partners as Walt Disney Records, Radio Disney, Disney Publishing, Disney Interactive, Buena Vista Home Entertainment and Disney Stores are also planned.

"Stanley" is a new animated, interactive, learning-based Playhouse Disney series created by Jim Jinkins and David Campbell ("Disney's PB&J Otter") based on characters from the popular "Stanley" children's book series by Griff (Hyperion Books for Children). The series follows the adventures of six-year-old Stanley Griff, an extremely imaginative and creative little boy who is wild about animals. In fact, he loves to make simple drawings of his favorite animals and to do research using his "Great Big Book of Everything." The show provides opportunities for children to acquire problem-solving skills; early math, science and language skills; and lots of interesting information about animals. "Stanley" debuts on Saturday, Sept. 15, and will air weekdays at 7:30 AM and 10AM ET/PT and weekends at 10AM and 10:30AM ET/PT.

With imaginative storylines and whimsical songs, "The Book of Pooh" follows the "silly ol' bear" and his classic friends as they explore the Hundred Acre Wood, all while learning about the exciting world of pre-literacy, wordplay and language appreciation through series underlying curriculum. Inspired by the literary creations of author A.A. Milne and the creative mind of Emmy Award-winner Mitchell Kriegman, "The Book of Pooh" is the first television program to combine the 300 year old art of Japanese "bunraku" puppetry with newly developed, computer-generated "virtual sets."

Imagination, creativity and fun are the key ingredients in Disney Channel's "Out of the Box," an entertaining, live-action original series for preschoolers. The series focuses on the adventures of a group of little kids and their caregivers, and celebrates self-expression through hands-on artistic activities using everyday household objects.

In the captivating, animated original series "Disney's PB&J Otter," created by Jim Jinkins and produced by award-winning Jumbo Pictures, Inc., three young river otters named Peanut, Jelly and Baby Butter learn how to use their imaginations to have big adventures.

The computer animated original series "Rolie Polie Olie" follows the touching, tumultuous and sometimes hilarious childhood of Olie, a simple everyboy who lives in a magical all-robot mechanical world.

The Emmy-nominated original series "Bear in the Big Blue House" features a seven-foot bear and his house full of puppet friends. All the action takes place in the Big Blue House where songs are sung, stories are told, and imagination and adventure reign.

--posted August 31, 2001

Source: Disney Channel Press Release