Poppy Cat to Debut Exclusively on Sprout® in U.S. During New Season of The Good Night Show®

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- 24-hour preschool television channel Sprout will debut the new, animated preschool series Poppy Cat on Monday, November 7 at 7:00 p.m. ET, during the season premiere of Sprout's signature, original bedtime block, The Good Night Show. Airing exclusively on Sprout in the U.S., Poppy Cat is produced by Coolabi Productions.

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Based on the award-winning books by British illustrator and author Lara Jones, Poppy Cat is an adorable and curious feline who loves to explore with her colorful mix of animal friends – and makes their adventures extraordinary! First published in 2003 in the UK (with over 2.5 million copies sold worldwide since then), Poppy Cat was specifically written, and now animated, for a preschool audience. Each adventure is told from the point-of-view of Lara, a young girl with a vivid imagination and exceptional storytelling ability who talks to her faithful cat, Poppy. They travel to destinations full of fantasy and magic for fun-filled adventures in pirate ships, hot air balloons and rocket rides.

"The Poppy Cat series has been a huge hit in the UK in both books and on television," said Andrew Beecham, senior vice president of programming for Sprout. "She is a character that I think kids will fall in love with. Poppy Cat has a great sense of adventure, fun, fairness and compassion, and we are thrilled to be bringing this new show to U.S. audiences."

Each evening, Poppy Cat will air within Sprout's popular The Good Night Show, a three-hour programming block that was created as a tool for parents to help wind down their preschoolers for bedtime after a busy day. In addition to all the songs, stories, games and bedtime activities shared by hosts Nina and Star that Sprout viewers have made a part of their nightly bedtime routine, three brand new Good Night Show activity links will be introduced this season:

• Star Talks to Kids – Star has a one-on-one with a preschooler who shares everything from the name of his or her favorite made-up superhero to what they like most about rainy days.
• Sprout a Sandy Story – Nina and Star create a story pertaining to the night's theme. As the story unfolds, Nina illustrates it with the use of a sand art table illuminated by a light box.
• Clean Up – Nina and Star model the importance of cleaning up after a long day of play, and sing a new "Clean Up" song as they straighten up and prepare for going to sleep.

Nina will also be sporting four new pair of pajamas. "Sprout viewers let us know that they wanted to see Nina in some new PJs," said Beecham. "So, we had a poll allowing viewers to vote on new designs and received an overwhelming 700,000 votes!"

All of these new links are taking place on the new Good Night Show set, aptly named the "You and Me Tree," a whimsical and handcrafted tree house where Nina and Star cozy up each night to play with their Sprout friends.

The Good Night Show airs nightly from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. ET (and repeats from 9:00 p.m. to midnight ET for families in different time zones).

For additional information on Sprout programs or schedules, or to play games, download free coloring pages or find great activities for kids, visit SproutOnline.com. To find out where Sprout is available in your area, call 1.8.SPROUT.411 or go to SproutPlease.com.

About Sprout®

Available in over 50 million homes, Sprout is the first 24-hour preschool destination available on TV, on demand and online for children ages 2-5 and their parents and caregivers. The 24-hour digital channel, which launched in September 2005 along with the website (SproutOnline.com), is the only channel that follows the day of a preschooler from breakfast to bedtime with its distinctive, interactive programming and original hosted blocks. Sprout's VOD offering is the #1 on demand service for younger children with over one billion views.

Sprout is a partnership among NBCUniversal, HIT Entertainment, PBS and Sesame Workshop. Its program lineup of gold-standard, curriculum-based preschool shows includes: Sesame Street®, Bob the Builder™, Barney & Friends™, The Wiggles®, Thomas & Friends™, Caillou®, The Berenstain Bears™, Roary the Racing Car™, dirtgirlworld and more.

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About Coolabi Productions

Coolabi specialises in the ownership, development and creative management of high quality children's and family brands and intellectual property. The current portfolio includes Purple Ronnie, Poppy Cat, Scarlett & Crimson, The Large Family and Dead Gorgeous. In addition, Coolabi also licenses rights to selected brands, including Bagpuss, Clangers and Ivor the Engine. For more information and a background on the company, visit www.coolabi.com.

SOURCE Sprout