NEW YORK, Nov. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- With 40 years of unparalleled success in
children's literature, the author/illustrator team of Stan Berenstain and Jan
Berenstain have mastered the art of reaching both kids and parents with
important life-guiding messages about family values through "The Berenstain
Bears(R)" book series. Now, together with their own children Leo and Michael
as part of the team, the Berenstain family storytelling empire is taking their
classic stories to PBS.
The Berenstain Bears(R) animated series will premiere on PBS KIDS on
Monday, January 6, 2003. (Check local listings.) Created from the timeless
books that have delighted children throughout the world, each episode of the
new weekday series follows the storyline of an original "The Berenstain Bears"
book and is presented in 15-minute segments. Joining The Berenstain Bears to
complete the half-hour are all-new 15-minute episodes of Maurice Sendak's
Seven Little Monsters(TM). The Berenstain Bears and Seven Little Monsters are
produced by Nelvana Limited, one of the world's most celebrated animation
production studios.
Based on their own experiences with life's daily struggles, the
Berenstains developed the adventures of their Bears into a family business,
which boasts the biggest selling book series in the history of publishing.
With the book based series coming to PBS KIDS this January, "The Berenstain
Bears" are now poised to reach an even wider audience.
Over the years, little has changed about the Berenstain Bears. Their
universal experiences and every-day dilemmas persist in popularity, despite
nearly half a century of technological advances and social change. The
Berenstain Bears animated adventures will introduce children to a wide range
of important social values and bring the acclaimed books' love, warmth and
kinship to life for children and families to enjoy five days a week.
"The Bears haven't changed, and neither have their readers," says Stan
Berenstain. "Kids still tell fibs and mess up their rooms and throw tantrums
in the supermarket. The Bears have the typical problems that every family
experiences."
Like the best-selling books, The Berenstain Bears PBS KIDS series is
designed to reflect true family life joys, trials and tribulations. The
series is a nostalgic look at simple country life that reinforces traditional
values, a sense of community, and the universal circumstance of life: the
family. The educational objective of the series is to teach children social
and emotional competence by encouraging them to recognize how to make
thoughtful, informed and responsible choices and decisions.
"In an uncertain world, values are what hold us together, particularly
those we learn from the family, providing the building blocks for strong
character in our children," said John F. Wilson, senior vice president and
co-chief program executive, PBS. "The Berenstain Bears is all about
presenting family values. We're delighted to be bringing Mama, Papa, Brother
and Sister to PBS KIDS and are looking forward to being a part of the
continuing Berenstain family legacy."
Paired with The Berenstain Bears to create a fun-filled half-hour of
book-based entertainment for young children is Seven Little Monsters.
Seven Little Monsters, currently airing weekends on as part of the PBS
KIDS BOOKWORM BUNCH, comes from the imagination of Maurice Sendak,
world-renowned author/illustrator of "Where the Wild Things Are." Celebrated
as one of the 20th century's greatest book authors and illustrators, Sendak
demonstrates a unique ability to capture the joys, fears and insecurities of
childhood. Today, his animated children's television series expresses these
same sensitivities through his characters and storylines.
Each 15-minute program, all new, chronicles the hilarious day-to-day
misadventures of seven "little" monsters, who are actually over 10 feet tall,
as they confront life's challenges and work together as a family. Living with
Mom at #1234567 Chestnut Street, they're definitely not your typical
neighbors.
"I never wrote a book where I taught a lesson," Maurice Sendak once stated
in an interview. Instead, Sendak artfully imbeds his messages in the story
and brings them out through the actions and interactions of his wonderful
characters. Kids receive the messages in a natural, organic way, as opposed
to formal lesson. As such, the man who's been called "the Picasso of
children's books" has been a vital, expressive voice for children's feelings.
This family of growing monsters discovers how to get through life with
each other's help as they learn to appreciate and accept each other, in spite
of their monstrous differences. The educational objective of the series is to
convey models for ethical behavior and effective coexistence through the use
of creative play.
Nelvana Limited is a global leader in the development, production and
distribution of children's animation and related products. With some of the
world's best-loved character brands, including Babar, Franklin and Little
Bear, Nelvana productions are seen in over 200 countries around the world.
Nelvana is owned by Corus Entertainment.
About Corus Entertainment
Corus Entertainment (NYSE: CJR; Toronto: CJR.B) is a Canadian-based media
and entertainment company. Corus is a market leader in both specialty TV and
Radio. Corus' assets include 52 radio stations, four of Canada's leading
specialty television networks, western Canada's pay-TV business and five
digital channels. Corus also owns Nelvana Limited, one of the world's largest
international producers and distributors of children's programming and
products. The company's other interests include music, television
broadcasting and advertising services. A publicly traded company, Corus is
listed on the Toronto (CJR.B) and New York (CJR) Exchanges. Corus' Web site
can be found at corusentertainment.com .
About PBS KIDS and PBS
PBS KIDS provides a nonviolent, noncommercial daily television schedule
that empowers children as members of their communities, nation and world. PBS
KIDS welcomes parents, teachers, and caregivers as learning partners through
broadcast as well as online through pbskids.org . PBS, headquartered in
Alexandria, Virginia, is a private, nonprofit media enterprise, owned and
operated by the nation's 349 public television stations. Serving over
100 million people each week, PBS enriches the lives of all Americans through
quality programs and education services on noncommercial television, the
Internet and other media. More information about PBS is available at
www.pbs.org , the leading dot-org Web site on the Internet.
For further information, please contact: John Russel,
jrussel@ssapr.com
,
or Brian Hershey,
bhershey@ssapr.com
, both of SSA Public Relations, Los
Angeles, +1-818-501-0700, or Robin Lawson of SSA Public Relations, New York,
+1-212-679-4750,
rlawson@ssapr.com
, all for Nelvana Limited/PBS KIDS; or Laura
Heath, Manager of Publicity, Corus Entertainment/Nelvana, +1-416-530-5235,
Laura.heath@corusent.com.
Make Your Opinion Count - Click Here
http://tbutton.prnewswire.com/prn/11690X41357576
SOURCE Nelvana Limited/PBS KIDS
NEW YORK, Nov. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- With 40 years of unparalleled success in
children's literature, the author/illustrator team of Stan Berenstain and Jan
Berenstain have mastered the art of reaching both kids and parents with
important life-guiding messages about family values through "The Berenstain
Bears(R)" book series. Now, together with their own children Leo and Michael
as part of the team, the Berenstain family storytelling empire is taking their
classic stories to PBS.
The Berenstain Bears(R) animated series will premiere on PBS KIDS on
Monday, January 6, 2003. (Check local listings.) Created from the timeless
books that have delighted children throughout the world, each episode of the
new weekday series follows the storyline of an original "The Berenstain Bears"
book and is presented in 15-minute segments. Joining The Berenstain Bears to
complete the half-hour are all-new 15-minute episodes of Maurice Sendak's
Seven Little Monsters(TM). The Berenstain Bears and Seven Little Monsters are
produced by Nelvana Limited, one of the world's most celebrated animation
production studios.
Based on their own experiences with life's daily struggles, the
Berenstains developed the adventures of their Bears into a family business,
which boasts the biggest selling book series in the history of publishing.
With the book based series coming to PBS KIDS this January, "The Berenstain
Bears" are now poised to reach an even wider audience.
Over the years, little has changed about the Berenstain Bears. Their
universal experiences and every-day dilemmas persist in popularity, despite
nearly half a century of technological advances and social change. The
Berenstain Bears animated adventures will introduce children to a wide range
of important social values and bring the acclaimed books' love, warmth and
kinship to life for children and families to enjoy five days a week.
"The Bears haven't changed, and neither have their readers," says Stan
Berenstain. "Kids still tell fibs and mess up their rooms and throw tantrums
in the supermarket. The Bears have the typical problems that every family
experiences."
Like the best-selling books, The Berenstain Bears PBS KIDS series is
designed to reflect true family life joys, trials and tribulations. The
series is a nostalgic look at simple country life that reinforces traditional
values, a sense of community, and the universal circumstance of life: the
family. The educational objective of the series is to teach children social
and emotional competence by encouraging them to recognize how to make
thoughtful, informed and responsible choices and decisions.
"In an uncertain world, values are what hold us together, particularly
those we learn from the family, providing the building blocks for strong
character in our children," said John F. Wilson, senior vice president and
co-chief program executive, PBS. "The Berenstain Bears is all about
presenting family values. We're delighted to be bringing Mama, Papa, Brother
and Sister to PBS KIDS and are looking forward to being a part of the
continuing Berenstain family legacy."
Paired with The Berenstain Bears to create a fun-filled half-hour of
book-based entertainment for young children is Seven Little Monsters.
Seven Little Monsters, currently airing weekends on as part of the PBS
KIDS BOOKWORM BUNCH, comes from the imagination of Maurice Sendak,
world-renowned author/illustrator of "Where the Wild Things Are." Celebrated
as one of the 20th century's greatest book authors and illustrators, Sendak
demonstrates a unique ability to capture the joys, fears and insecurities of
childhood. Today, his animated children's television series expresses these
same sensitivities through his characters and storylines.
Each 15-minute program, all new, chronicles the hilarious day-to-day
misadventures of seven "little" monsters, who are actually over 10 feet tall,
as they confront life's challenges and work together as a family. Living with
Mom at #1234567 Chestnut Street, they're definitely not your typical
neighbors.
"I never wrote a book where I taught a lesson," Maurice Sendak once stated
in an interview. Instead, Sendak artfully imbeds his messages in the story
and brings them out through the actions and interactions of his wonderful
characters. Kids receive the messages in a natural, organic way, as opposed
to formal lesson. As such, the man who's been called "the Picasso of
children's books" has been a vital, expressive voice for children's feelings.
This family of growing monsters discovers how to get through life with
each other's help as they learn to appreciate and accept each other, in spite
of their monstrous differences. The educational objective of the series is to
convey models for ethical behavior and effective coexistence through the use
of creative play.
Nelvana Limited is a global leader in the development, production and
distribution of children's animation and related products. With some of the
world's best-loved character brands, including Babar, Franklin and Little
Bear, Nelvana productions are seen in over 200 countries around the world.
Nelvana is owned by Corus Entertainment.
About Corus Entertainment
Corus Entertainment (NYSE: CJR; Toronto: CJR.B) is a Canadian-based media
and entertainment company. Corus is a market leader in both specialty TV and
Radio. Corus' assets include 52 radio stations, four of Canada's leading
specialty television networks, western Canada's pay-TV business and five
digital channels. Corus also owns Nelvana Limited, one of the world's largest
international producers and distributors of children's programming and
products. The company's other interests include music, television
broadcasting and advertising services. A publicly traded company, Corus is
listed on the Toronto (CJR.B) and New York (CJR) Exchanges. Corus' Web site
can be found at corusentertainment.com .
About PBS KIDS and PBS
PBS KIDS provides a nonviolent, noncommercial daily television schedule
that empowers children as members of their communities, nation and world. PBS
KIDS welcomes parents, teachers, and caregivers as learning partners through
broadcast as well as online through pbskids.org . PBS, headquartered in
Alexandria, Virginia, is a private, nonprofit media enterprise, owned and
operated by the nation's 349 public television stations. Serving over
100 million people each week, PBS enriches the lives of all Americans through
quality programs and education services on noncommercial television, the
Internet and other media. More information about PBS is available at
www.pbs.org , the leading dot-org Web site on the Internet.
For further information, please contact: John Russel,
jrussel@ssapr.com
,
or Brian Hershey,
bhershey@ssapr.com
, both of SSA Public Relations, Los
Angeles, +1-818-501-0700, or Robin Lawson of SSA Public Relations, New York,
+1-212-679-4750,
rlawson@ssapr.com
, all for Nelvana Limited/PBS KIDS; or Laura
Heath, Manager of Publicity, Corus Entertainment/Nelvana, +1-416-530-5235,
Laura.heath@corusent.com.
Make Your Opinion Count - Click Here
http://tbutton.prnewswire.com/prn/11690X41357576
SOURCE Nelvana Limited/PBS KIDS