Press Release from Scholastic

New York – July 6, 2010 –  Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company, announced today that the Emmy Award-winning WordGirl will aim to beat the heat of July with a weeklong programming event called “There’s A New Villain in Town.”   Set to air on PBS KIDS GO! July 19-23 (check local listings), this special week of programming pits WordGirl against all-new villains with two never-before-seen episodes paired with fan-favorites.  Fans can also play new games and enjoy new printables on PBSKIDSGO.org.

New episodes airing Monday and Tuesday, July 19-20, follow WordGirl as she goes head-to-head against the sly game show host Seymour Orlando Smooth, and the impressive imposter Amazing Rope Guy.  Fan favorites re-air the rest of the week.  Other villains featured include Nocan The Contrarian, Kid Potato (voiced by Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning actor Ed Asner), Royal Dandy, Ms. Question, Guy Rich, and Lady Redundant Woman.

“WordGirl fans may be on summer vacation, but a super heroine’s work is never done.” says Deborah Forte, President of Scholastic Media, Executive Producer of WordGirl, and Executive Vice President of Scholastic Inc., “Scholastic is proud that our award-winning show continues to delight children and parents alike with the power of a great vocabulary.”

Real-Life Contest Winner Appears July 20

The premiere episode of “OH WHAT A TANGLED ROPE YOU TIE, AMAZING ROPE GUY / KIDS ACTION NEWS” (Episode #226 airing July 20) includes the appearance of a character based on nine-year-old Amanda Endicott of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  Amanda won Scholastic Book Club’s “My Favorite Word” Contest, which asked kids to submit their favorite words for a chance to appear as an animated character in an episode of WordGirl.  Amanda writes: “My favorite word is miniscule. Miniscule means very, very tiny.  I like the word because I like the way it sounds. When I’m sitting in the backyard, the ants look miniscule.”

Designed to enrich children’s vocabulary, instill a love of language, and foster better reading comprehension, WordGirl debuted as on-air and online shorts in November 2006 and has been airing daily since 2008.  The show has won numerous parenting and industry excellence awards since its debut, including an Emmy Award for “Best Writing in Animation,” a Television Critics Award for “Outstanding Achievement in Children’s Animation,” a Gracie Award for its portrayal of a strong female character, an iParenting Media Award, a KidScreen Award for Best Voice Talent, a Parents Choice Silver Honor Award and many more. WordGirl books are published by Scholastic and new games and puzzles are scheduled to release from Briarpatch later this year.

Voice talent for these episodes includes Dannah Phirman (“MadTV”) as WordGirl, Chris Parnell (“30 Rock,” “Saturday Night Live”) as the Narrator, Grey Delisle (“Scooby Doo”) as Ms. Question, Daran Norris (“Party Down”, “American Dad”) as Seymour Smooth and Nocan the Contrarian, William Mapother (“Lost”) as Guy Rich, Larry Murphy (“Ugly Americans”) as Amazing Rope Guy, Sergio Cilli (“InfoMania”) as Royal Dandy, and Ed Asner (“Up!”) as Kid Potato.

THERE’S A NEW VILLAIN IN TOWN – FEATURED EPISODES
Monday, July 19 – PREMIERE EPISODE
“WIN A SHINY NEW CAR”
Mrs. Botsford is a contestant on Seymour Orlando Smooth’s new show “Win a Shiny New Car.”  When Becky realizes the other contestants are cheating for Smooth, she has to save her Mom from being tricked again.  Can Becky help her mom win the challenge and defeat Seymour Smooth?
Vocabulary Words: Legitimate, Elated

"THE PEOPLE VS. MS. QUESTION”
When WordGirl puts Ms. Question on the stand, she confuses District Attorney Botsford, and makes her forget why she became a lawyer.  WordGirl must help her mom return to her quest for justice, and stop Ms. Questions’ tirade of inquiries.
Vocabulary Words: Befuddled, Justice

Tuesday, July 20 – PREMIERE EPISODE
“OH WHAT A TANGLED ROPE YOU TIE, AMAZING ROPE GUY”