September 26, 2011 – During the week of its premiere on PBS KIDS, Dinosaur Big City was the top program for kids 2-5 (week of August 22, 2011). Over 1.7 million kids (ages 2-11) tuned in for this special DINOSAUR TRAIN movie, produced by The Jim Henson Company. Dinosaur Big City was also one of the most-watched kids’ shows in August, based on Nielsen data (NPower, Live+7 AA). Propelled by the movie, DINOSAUR TRAIN episodes and clips were streamed more than 15 million times online and on the PBS KIDS Video for iPad App from July 22 to August 28, according to thePlatform.
“DINOSAUR TRAIN has been one of our most popular series since debuting in 2009, and the movie helped launch its second season in a very big, dinosaur way,” said Lesli Rotenberg, Senior Vice President, Children’s Media, PBS. “It’s gratifying to see this tremendous response to our programming as it means we’re achieving our mission of reaching, engaging and educating children everywhere.”
It was a red-hot summer for DINOSAUR TRAIN on PBS KIDS. In both July and August, DINOSAUR TRAIN landed in the top-10 kids programs among kids 2-5. “Our high ratings for DINOSAUR TRAIN and many other PBS KIDS series demonstrate that parents are turning to PBS KIDS’ educational series to help their kids build critical literacy and science skills,” Rotenberg explained.
From the world-renowned Jim Henson Company and Sparky Animation, the hit DINOSAUR TRAIN series is seen in over 9 million households every month (NPower, Live+7 Reach Jan-Jun 2011). The series encourages scientific thinking and other skills as it teaches children about natural science, natural history and paleontology. DINOSAUR TRAIN’s second season focuses on exploring the outdoors and celebrating the wonder of the natural world!
As the success of Dinosaur Big City demonstrates, families are responding to PBS KIDS’ educational content, particularly in the area of STEM – science, technology, engineering and math. PBS KIDS is increasingly serving kids where they live, learn and play – helping to make anytime a learning time on mobile devices, on-air, online and beyond.
For more information and images from DINOSAUR TRAIN and Dinosaur Big City, visit PBS Pressroom.
DINOSAUR TRAIN ™ & © The Jim Henson Company. All Rights Reserved.
Ratings Source: NTI National Nielsen, NPower, September 14, 2011
About The Jim Henson Company The Jim Henson Company has remained an established leader in family entertainment for over 50 years and is recognized worldwide as an innovator in puppetry, animatronics and digital animation. Best known as creators of the world famous Muppets, Henson has received over 50 Emmy Awards and nine Grammy Awards. Recent credits include the Emmy® nominated "Sid the Science Kid," "Dinosaur Train," "Wilson & Ditch: Digging America" and "Pajanimals." Features include "The Dark Crystal," "Labyrinth," "MirrorMask," and "Unstable Fables" and television productions include "Fraggle Rock" and the sci-fi cult series "Farscape."
With additional locations in New York and London, The Jim Henson Company is headquartered in Los Angeles on the historic Charlie Chaplin lot, complete with soundstage and postproduction facilities. Independently owned and operated by the five adult children of founder Jim Henson, the Company is also home to Jim Henson's Creature Shop™, a pre-eminent character-building and visual effects group with international film, television and advertising clients, as well as Henson Recording Studios, one of the music industry's top recording facilities known for its world-class blend of state-of-the-art and vintage equipment. The Company’s Henson Alternative brand has recently announced the national tour of "Stuffed and Unstrung," a live puppet improvisational show named one of the top 10 “Best Stage Shows of 2010” by Entertainment Weekly. www.henson.com Join us on www.facebook.com/hensoncompany and follow us at www.twitter.com/hensonparents.
About PBS KIDS
PBS KIDS, the number one educational media brand for children, offers all children the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television, online and community-based programs. For more information on specific PBS KIDS programs supporting literacy, science, math and more, visit PBS.org/pressroom, or follow PBS KIDS on Twitter and Facebook.
Contacts:
Maria Vera, PBS; 703.739.3225; mvera@pbs.org
Caitlin Melnick, 360 Public Relations; 617.585.5775; cmelnick@360publicrelations.com
