Parents and children across the country are invited to catch the current and tune in to PBS KIDS for the premiere of the first SPLASH AND BUBBLES movie event. “One Big Ocean” will launch in tandem with the PBS KIDS 24/7 channel and live stream on Monday, January 16, and air across all PBS KIDS platforms. In the one-hour special, kids will learn about marine life while also discovering the great ripple effect their small gestures can have on a much larger community. In the movie, the Reeftown friends learn that we are all part of one big ocean.
“One Big Ocean” will repeat throughout the month on PBS KIDS and the PBS KIDS 24/7 channel and live stream. It will also be available for free on both pbskids.org and the PBS KIDS Video App, which is accessible on a variety of mobile devices and platforms such as Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Xbox One and Chromecast. Additional new episodes from SPLASH AND BUBBLES will also debut throughout the week (check local listings).
Teaching children about marine biology and the ocean, along with interconnectedness and acceptance, SPLASH AND BUBBLES extends PBS KIDS’ offering of programming that helps children build both science and social-emotional skills. In fact, three-quarters of parents report that their children exhibit more positive behaviors after engaging with PBS KIDS series.1 Further, in its recently issued guidelines for children’s media use, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends PBS KIDS as a resource for quality children’s media content.2
“SPLASH AND BUBBLES helps kids discover the great wonders of the ocean, while supporting their social-emotional learning, building on PBS KIDS’ commitment to sparking all children’s curiosity,” said Lesli Rotenberg, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Children’s Media and Education, PBS. “Through the new ‘One Big Ocean’ special, we welcome families around the country to join us in exploring the incredible diversity and lessons of interconnectedness and inclusiveness that apply to our world.”
New digital content from SPLASH AND BUBBLES will include “Sand Art Spectacular,” a game that encourages kids to design their own sand art creations inspired by the sand patterns that some pufferfish make on the ocean floor. The game will be available the week of January 9th on pbskids.org and on the free PBS KIDS Games app.
One Big Movie Event (check local listings)
In “One Big Ocean,” Splash, Bubbles, Dunk and Ripple embark on an epic journey across the sea to help a friendly young turtle. Along the way, they learn that all creatures are interconnected and that even a small gesture can greatly affect the friends and neighbors who share the one big ocean they call home.
New Episodes
New episodes of SPLASH AND BUBBLES will also premiere throughout the week of January 16.
“Super Splash!/Pearlene” – premieres Tuesday, January 17
“Super Splash” – While playing, Splash senses something is wrong and quickly swims out of Dunk’s way as he comes in for a hard landing. The strange thing is that Splash wasn’t even looking in Dunk’s direction, so how did he know he was coming? Convinced that he has some sort of superpower, the kids begin testing Splash’s limits in a series of sneak attacks, which never work. Gush soon explains that Splash isn’t a superhero, but simply has a lateral line sense, which is common for fish.
“Pearlene” – Ripple feels as though she is struggling to be part of her group of friends, then meets a shy oyster named Pearlene, who also feels isolated from those around her. Seeing how nice and kind Pearlene truly is, Ripple encourages her to “open up” to others and make new friends. She does, and finds that, despite her rocky, mucky exterior, she has a great inner beauty: not just the pearl inside her shell, but also her warmth and compassion for everyone.
“Guess Who?/Sleepless Sleepover” – premieres Wednesday, January 18
“Guess Who?” – Splash, Dunk and Bubbles try to help a fish that they’ve never seen before find out who it is and where its home is.
“Sleepless Sleepover” – When Splash joins Bubbles, Dunk and Ripple for a sleepover in the Sandy Bed, they discover that Splash doesn’t sleep much; after unsuccessfully trying to help him, they learn that “schooling fish” don’t need as much sleep.
“The Kelp Needs Help/Mountain of Fire” – premieres Thursday, January 19
“The Kelp Needs Help” – After putting some Asterina starfish in the Kelp Forest where they don’t belong, Splash, Ripple and Tidy must get rid of them before the starfish eat all of the kelp.
“Mountain of Fire” – Dunk, Bubbles and Ripple don’t believe Splash when he tells them about a mountain that spits out fire that can be found in the water really far down in the deep. To solve this mystery, the kids find Lu, who takes them into the deep to find a submarine volcano.
SPLASH AND BUBBLES is executive produced by Lisa Henson and Halle Stanford of The Jim Henson Company, Julie Phillips and Merrill Puckett-Miller of Herschend Enterprises, as well as John Tartaglia, Michael Shawn Lewis and Jill Shinderman. Tom Keniston is producer and David Skelly is supervising director. The Jim Henson Company oversees all distribution and merchandising for the property, and Herschend Enterprises administers all themed entertainment rights. The series is funded in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and by the National Science Foundation (NSF).
About PBS KIDS
PBS KIDS, the number one educational media brand for kids, offers all children the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television, digital platforms and community-based programs. Kidscreen- and Webby Award-winning pbskids.org provides engaging interactive content, including digital games and streaming video. PBS KIDS also offers mobile apps to help support young children’s learning. The PBS KIDS Video App is available on a variety of mobile devices and on platforms such as Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Xbox One and Chromecast. For more information on specific PBS KIDS content supporting literacy, science, math and more, visit pbs.org/pressroom, or follow PBS KIDS on Twitter and Facebook.
About The Jim Henson Company
The Jim Henson Company has remained an established leader in family entertainment for 60 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, and Pajanimals, the CG-animated preschool series Doozers the digital citizenship series for preschoolers Dot, the Netflix series for young preschoolers Word Party and the marine biology themed animated series on PBS KIDS Splash and Bubbles. Features include Disney’s Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, as well as The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, and MirrorMask. Television productions include Fraggle Rock, the sci-fi cult series Farscape, Henson Alternative’s No, You Shut Up! and the TV film Jim Henson’s Turkey Hollow.
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. The Company is home to Jim Henson’s Creature Shop™, a pre-eminent character- building and visual effects group with international film, television, theme park 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 is currently touring Puppet-Up! – Uncensored, a live puppet improvisational show.
http://www.henson.com
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www.twitter.com/hensoncompany
About Herschend Enterprises and Herschend Studios
Committed for more than half-a-century to Creating Memories Worth Repeating®, Herschend Enterprises is the largest family-owned attractions corporation in the U.S. Our team of more than 10,000 employees works daily to create wholesome, immersive entertainment experiences with soul and depth for every generation. With a focus on bringing families closer together, we create, develop and operate entertainment, tourism and hospitality properties spanning 24 locations in seven states, attracting over 14 million people annually. Herschend Studios is the media arm of Herschend Enterprises, committed to developing and producing family entertainment for television, film, and publishing.
Today, Herschend Enterprises’ properties include the world famous HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS, award-winning theme parks like SILVER DOLLAR CITY in Branson, MO, and DOLLYWOOD, our partnership with Dolly Parton in Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains, including DOLLYWOOD’S DREAMMORE RESORT, top tier aquariums – NEWPORT AQUARIUM and ADVENTURE AQUARIUM, water parks, hotels, and other highly entertaining standalone attractions. For more information, visit www.hfecorp.com.
About Corporation for Public Broadcasting
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967, is the steward of the federal government’s investment in public broadcasting. It helps support the operations of nearly 1,500 locally owned and operated public television and radio stations nationwide. CPB is also the largest single source of funding for research, technology, and program development for public radio, television, and related online services. For more information, visit www.cpb.org and follow on Twitter @CPBmedia, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
About The National Science Foundation (NSF)
NSF is an independent federal agency created by Congress to promote the progress of science. Its goals are to advance the frontiers of knowledge, cultivate a world-class, broadly inclusive science and engineering workforce, and expand the scientific literacy of all citizens. The Advancing Informal STEM Learning Program seeks to advance new approaches to and evidence-based understanding of the design and development of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) learning in informal environments; provide multiple pathways for broadening access to and engagement in STEM learning experiences; and advance innovative research on and assessment of STEM learning in informal environments.
Contacts:
Lubna Abuulbah, PBS; 703.739.8463; labuulbah@pbs.org
Jenny Gusella, 360PR+; 617.585.5762; jgusella@360pr.plus
1 Understanding School Preparedness, Smarty Pants, 2014.
2 Media and Young Minds, COUNCIL ON COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA, published in PEDIATRICS, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, November 2016.
