Corus Entertainment is pleased to announce that its popular Kids Can Press title book character Scaredy Squirrel is starring in his very own animated series.
Press Release from Corus Entertainment
(March 9, 2011 – Toronto, Canada) Corus Entertainment is pleased to announce that its popular Kids Can Press title book character Scaredy Squirrel is starring in his very own animated series. A Canadian original production produced by Nelvana Studio, Scaredy Squirrel will premiere on Sunday, April 3 at 9:30 a.m. ET/PT on YTV.
“Corus is delighted to take our successful Kids Can Press literary character Scaredy Squirrel and bring him to life on screen,” said Ted Ellis, VP, Kids/Family Programming, Corus Entertainment. “With new comedic storylines and a fresh look for an older television audience, this Nelvana series epitomizes the quality entertainment our YTV viewers have come to expect from us.”
All 26 30-minute episodes of the series are inspired by the popular little worry wart, Scaredy Squirrel, created by author Mélanie Watt. The series follows Scaredy as he tackles life’s daily challenges and explores the world outside of his treehouse. However, Scaredy always manages to balance his job at the Stash n’ Hoard grocery store with his nervous attempts to always stay safe. While geeky at first, Scaredy is one confident squirrel, never apologizing for his idiosyncrasies.
In episode one, Scaredy Squirrel: Children of the Acorn/Awaken the Stacker Within, premiering on Sunday, April 3 at 11 a.m. ET/PT (r) Wednesday, April 6 at 12 p.m. ET/PT, after searching every dangerous corner of Balsa City, Scaredy has to entertain a little girl in order to win back the acorn hat he needs to complete his collection. Then, Scaredy meets his hero, Lars Von Stacking, and attempts to help the former star rebuild his confidence as well as his greatest achievement, the Broccolisseum.
Beginning on Monday, March 21, viewers can immerse themselves in Scaredy Squirrel’s world online. By visiting YTV.com, viewers can enjoy games, activities, show and character information, download wallpaper and stickers, and also submit their own artwork to be displayed on the site.
To celebrate April Fool’s Day on Friday, April 1 beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET/PT, YTV will air a special sneak peek episode of Scaredy Squirrel.
On Tuesday, February 1, Kids Can Press launched the fifth Scaredy Squirrel book title, Scaredy Squirrel Has A Birthday Party. This nutty adventure follows Scaredy as he plans his own surprise birthday party. When all of Scaredy’s excessive plans are thrown up in the air, he must decide whether to cancel the party or face the music.
Mélanie Watt is the bestselling author and illustrator of the Scaredy Squirrel and Chester series. Her other books include Have I Got a Book for You!, Augustine, Leon the Chameleon and the Learning with Animals series. Watt lives near Montreal, Quebec.
Seen in over 11 million homes across Canada, YTV is a leading entertainment brand for kids. As a major force in kids’ television, YTV offers great programming for kids and families with hit Nickelodeon series, blockbuster movies and original Canadian programming. YTV reaches kids online at YTV.com and in local communities with the travelling road show WOW!. Visit www.ytv.com.
Nelvana Studio is a globally recognized animation studio that produces a stable of award-winning and globally renowned brands – from literary classics Babar and Franklin to shows such as 6TEEN, Rolie Polie Olie and The Backyardigans, the #1 preschool series in Canada. Many of these series air on Corus Entertainment’s kids’ services in Canada and in over 150 countries around the world. Nelvana’s library now has well over 3,800 episodes of programming and has received over 70 major international program awards including Emmys and Geminis. Visit the Nelvana website at www.nelvana.com.
Kids Can Press is the largest Canadian-owned children’s publisher, with an award-winning list of over 500 picture books, nonfiction and fiction titles for toddlers to young adults, including Franklin the Turtle, the single most successful publishing franchise in the history of Canadian publishing, which has sold over 65 million books in more than 30 languages around the world. Visit the Kids Can Press website at www.kidscanpress.com.
YTV, Nelvana Studio and Kids Can Press are owned by Corus Entertainment Inc., a Canadian-based media and entertainment company. Corus is a market leader in specialty television and radio with additional assets in pay television, television broadcasting, children’s book publishing and children’s animation. The Company’s multimedia entertainment brands include YTV, Treehouse, Nickelodeon (Canada), W Network, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network (Canada), CosmoTV, Sundance Channel (Canada), Movie Central, HBO Canada, Nelvana, Kids Can Press and radio stations including CKNW AM 980, 99.3 The FOX, Country 105, 630 CHED, Q107 and 102.1 the Edge. Corus creates engaging branded entertainment experiences for its audiences across multiple platforms. A publicly traded company, Corus is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (CJR.B). Experience Corus on the web at www.corusent.com.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
