New Original Animated Series Astroblast!™ Blasts Off On Sprout, Taking Preschoolers On Out-of-this-World Adventures In Space

NEW YORK, June 12, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- This summer, Sprout, the first 24-hour network for preschoolers, will launch into space with the new original animated series Astroblast!. Based on the Scholastic book series of the same name by author and illustrator Bob Kolar, the show takes preschoolers and their parents on hilarious adventures through outer space. Run by a cast of animal characters including Comet, Halley, Sputnik, Radar, Jet and Sal the Octopus, the Astroblast Space Station is the coolest hangout in the galaxy. Through the crew's friendship, the series imparts important messages about how to embrace differences, model positive relationships and foster healthy habits to be the best good-will ambassadors in the galaxy. 

Astroblast! takes off on Saturday, July 12 at 1:00 pm ET during The Sunny Side Up Show and again at 8:00 pm ET during The Good Night Show on Sprout, and will air seven days a week. Additionally, two episodes of Astroblast! will be available on demand beginning July 1.

In advance of the series premiere, Sprout is hitting the road with the "Astroblast! Space Camp Tour," bringing the world of Astroblast! to kids and families across the country.  The seven-city tour will offer children and their families the opportunity to participate in an interactive space experience in the spirit of the series. Complete with a Zero Gravity Station, Bungee Bounce and Moon Bounce House, the Astroblast! Space Camp will immerse kids in the Astroblast! universe at each tour stop. Additionally, kids can engage in meaningful play at the Space Challenge Activities Center, which includes a Moon Sand Creative Play Zone, Custom Worm Holes and Shooting Star Toss. A digital photo station with social sharing will help children and their parents commemorate the event and provide a shareable souvenir of their visit to outer space with the Astroblast! crew. Free and open to the public, the tour will touch down in Fairfax, Atlanta, Houston, Denver, Phoenix, Los Angeles and San Diego. 

The "Astroblast! Space Camp Tour" Stops include:

• Fairfax, VA on Saturday, June 14
• Atlanta, GA on Saturday, June 21
• Houston, TX on Saturday, June 28
• Denver, CO on Saturday, July 12
• Phoenix, AZ on Saturday, July 19
• Los Angeles, CA on Saturday, July 26 and Sunday, July 27
• San Diego, CA on Saturday, August 2

"Astroblast! is an exciting addition to our lineup of Sprout original programming, and we couldn't think of a better way to bring this one-of-a-kind show to life than inviting kids to participate in the Astroblast Space Station experience themselves on this tour," said Sandy Wax, President, Sprout. "The series delivers on Sprout's promise of providing preschoolers and their families with the very best content and programming—and together with Scholastic, I think we've created an incredibly special and fun original series."

Tune in to Astroblast! on July 12 at 1:00 pm ET during The Sunny Side Up Show and again at 8:00 pm ET during The Good Night Show on Sprout. Visit www.sproutonline.com for more information.

About Sprout®
Sprout is the first 24-hour preschool destination available on TV, on demand and online for children ages 2-6 and their parents and caregivers.  Available in over 55 million homes with programming structured to follow the day of the child from morning to night, Sprout features original programming, including The Chica Show and Noodle and Doodle, a library of gold standard series, including Caillou and Sesame Street, and U.S. exclusives including Lazytown and Tree Fu Tom.  Sprout's hosted programming blocks, including The Sunny Side Up Show and The Good Night Show, serve as tools to guide parents as they help children prepare for their days and nights with activities, user generated content, stories, and more. Viewers are encouraged to submit artwork, birthday wishes, videos and more through SproutOnline.com, which has received over five million viewer interactions to-date.  Sprout's VOD offering is the #1 on demand service for younger children with over 1.5 billion views.  Sprout was fully acquired by NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment in November 2013.

About Scholastic

Scholastic Corporation (NASDAQ: SCHL) is the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books and a leader in educational technology and related services and children's media. Scholastic creates quality books and ebooks, print and technology-based learning materials and programs, magazines, multi-media and other products that help children learn both at school and at home. The Company distributes its products and services worldwide through a variety of channels, including school-based book clubs and book fairs, retail stores, schools, libraries, on-air, and online at www.scholastic.com and mediaroom.scholastic.com

About Scholastic Media

Scholastic Media, the entertainment and media division of Scholastic, is a leading producer of quality, family-oriented content across multiple platforms, including film, television, video, mobile and web, and is a major developer and marketer of children's brands worldwide. Among its award-winning and top-rated television productions are the animated series WordGirl®, Clifford the Big Red Dog®, The Magic School Bus®, I SPY® as well as the live action shows Goosebumps® and Animorphs®. Soup2Nuts, a division of Scholastic Media, serves as its digital animation studio and offers full in-house production services including the development of original series, writing, recording, music composing, design, storyboards, animation, and post-production.

SOURCE Sprout