NBC TODAY SHOW weather & feature reporter Al Roker guest stars as the voice of Normus the giant in a new episode of Playhouse Disney's JOJO'S CIRCUS, premiering Nov. 20, 2006, with a rebroadcast on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 23 in a six-hour block of TV's first movement-focused series. JoJo will also fly as a giant balloon in the 80th anniversary Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the first-ever balloon to feature "movement" -- juggling.
The JOJO'S CIRCUS balloon, which debuted last year, is Macy's first helium animated balloon. JoJo juggles three huge balls while floating through the Parade -- a tribute to the movement-themed focus of the show.
In the episode entitled, "JoJo and the Beanstalk," Roker guest stars as Normus, a friendly giant from Cloudtop Town, who JoJo and her pals discover and befriend after climbing a giant beanstalk planted from a magic bean. Afraid that his loud laugh will blow away the entire town, Normus has confined himself to his house. Realizing Normus' is sad, JoJo and her friends create a special device that softens his powerful laugh, allowing him to be part of the community again.
"JoJo and the Beanstalk," along with another Jojo episode, "The Thanksgiving Hip-Hooray Parade," will be presented in a six-hour JOJO'S CIRCUS block on Thursday from 6:00 am to 12:00 noon.
JOJO'S CIRCUS airs daily at 6:30 am during Disney Channel's learning-focused Playhouse Disney programming block.
The exec producers are Jim Jinkins and David Campbell of Cartoon Pizza Inc., (STANLEY, DISNEY'S DOUG, PB&J OTTER) and Adam Shaheen, president, Cuppa Coffee Prods. in Toronto. Two-time Emmy nominee Eric Weiner (DORA THE EXPLORER, LITTLE EINSTEINS) is co-creator of the series. The series main title song is performed by becky. JOJO'S CIRCUS is a Cuppa Coffee production, produced through Cartoon Pizza Co. in association with Disney Channel.
Playhouse Disney (www.playhousedisney.com) is a daily programming block on Disney Channel (www.disneychannel.com) that encourages preschoolers to imagine and learn through original series, interstitials and acquired programming that encompasses song, movement and entertainment. Guided by an established curriculum, Playhouse Disney supports multiple areas of child development: physical, emotional, social and cognitive; thinking and creative skills, as well as moral and ethical development through carefully constructed themes, storylines and characters.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
