Press Release from Treehouse
(July 5, 2010 – Toronto, Canada) Corus Entertainment’s premium preschool network Treehouse is pleased to announce the world premiere of the first ever Dr. Seuss inspired animated series, The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! on Saturday, August 7 at 5:30 p.m. ET starring Martin Short as the voice of the Cat.
Produced by Portfolio Entertainment Inc. and Collingwood O’Hare Productions, in association with Dr. Seuss Enterprises, Random House Children’s Entertainment, Treehouse and PBS Kids in the U.S., The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! is based on Random House’s bestselling beginner book collection, The Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library.
“We are thrilled to introduce the first ever animated series based on the whimsical adventures of Dr. Seuss, starring Canadian comedian Martin Short,” said Jocelyn Hamilton, Vice President, Programming and Production, Corus Kids. “A delightfully entertaining show that opens young minds to science and nature discoveries, this series is sure to appeal to preschoolers’ curiosity for exploration and the world around them.”
With Cat as their guide, best friends Sally and Nick are transported to all corners of the globe, making natural science discoveries of all kinds. Along for the ride are Cat’s two energetic helpers, the mop-headed zany duo: Thing One and Thing Two. Booting around in Cat’s one-of-a-kind custom vehicle, the Thinga-ma-jigger, the group can travel to the bottom of the sea, shrink down to the size of a bee to discover how honey is made or find out why owls sleep during the day.
In the first episode, Show Me the Honey, Sally and Nick have run out of honey. Luckily, the Cat knows just where to get more. They visit Queen Priscilla Buzzoo who invites the gang to join her in the bee dance to learn how honey is made.
Beginning on August 7, back-to-back 30-minute episodes of The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! will air Saturdays at 5:30 p.m. throughout the month of August. Beginning on Tuesday, September 7, viewers can catch this series in its regular timeslots Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8:30 a.m. as well as Saturdays at 2 p.m. and Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.
Beginning on August 23, viewers can visit Treehousetv.com to catch clips of the show, access 30 different colouring pages as well as six online games.
Martin Short began his career on Canada’s SCTV Comedy Network, where his work garnered an Emmy® Award. His proven ability as a comedic chameleon combined with his host of hilarious impressions brought him to the attention of Saturday Night Live’s Lorne Michaels. He was a full cast member on SNL for two seasons but has hosted and appeared on the show numerous times over 22 years. Most recently, Short has received critical acclaim for a serious role – as Leonard Winstone on the lauded television series Damages with Glenn Close.
The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That! will debut in the U.S. Monday, September 6 on PBS Kids.
Treehouse, seen in over eight million homes across Canada, offers premium preschool programming and a rich co-viewing environment for children and their parents. Delivering a strong balance of educational, values-rich and entertaining programs, Treehouse delivers high-quality children’s series from Canada and around the world. A parent-trusted brand, Treehouse’s highly interactive website, TreehouseTV.com reaches over half-a-million moms per month. Treehouse is part of the Corus Kids family of brands including YTV, Nickelodeon (Canada), Nelvana Studio and Kids Can Press.
Treehouse is 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, advertising services, television broadcasting, children’s book publishing and children’s animation. The company’s multimedia entertainment brands include YTV, Nickelodeon (Canada), W Network, CosmoTV, VIVA, Sundance Channel (Canada), Movie Central, HBO Canada, Nelvana, Kids Can Press and radio stations including CKNW, CFOX, CKOI, 98,5 FM, 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 (CJR.B) and New York (CJR) exchanges. Experience Corus on the web at www.corusent.com [1].
Portfolio Entertainment is one of Canada’s leading independent producers and distributors of award-winning children's, factual, and primetime content. Founders Lisa Olfman and Joy Rosen’s reputation for developing strong international partnerships and creating new business opportunities has landed their programming on some of the world’s most prestigious television networks and digital content providers. Portfolio’s newest project is The Cat In The Hat Knows A Lot About That!, which it both co-produces and distributes internationally. Premiering fall 2010, the series will broadcast on Treehouse (Canada) and PBS (US). It will also air on CITV (UK) and on Playhouse Disney channels across South East Asia, India, Australia, New Zealand and Italy. Also on the production slate are: live action sci fi comedy Parallel Max, HOOD, an animated comedy-adventure series developed with Disney XD (UK); and Chinatown Cops, a primetime animated comedy developed with Teletoon. Portfolio’s completed animated series Carl2 and RoboRoach, air globally. The company's distribution division, Portfolio International, represents over 2,000 episodes of animated and lifestyle programming. Its entrepreneurial approach to deal making, together with an insight into market trends and emerging players, has benefitted the many independent producers it represents. Broadcasters worldwide look to Portfolio International for both high quality programs and exceptional service.
Collingwood O’Hare Productions was established in 1988 by Tony Collingwood (Writer/Director) and Christopher O'Hare (MD/Producer). The company has earned a prestigious international reputation as a creator and producer of award-winning, high-quality animated series, specials, and television features. In 2001, 2002, and 2004 Collingwood O'Hare won BAFTA Awards for Best Pre-School Animation for Animal Stories, Eddy & The Bear and Yoko! Jakamoko! Toto! Their most recent series for 7-12 year-olds, The Secret Show, was a double BAFTA winner in 2007, scooping Best Animation and Best Interactive awards. COP’s other production credits include their multi-award-winning debut film Rarg, the Emmy-nominated Dr. Seuss’ Daisy-Head Mayzie, BAFTA-nominated series Dennis & Gnasher from The Beano and Harry & His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs; plus The Magic Key, Oscar’s Orchestra, Pond Life, The King’s Beard and Gordon the Garden Gnome.
Links:
[1] http://www.corusent.com