PINKALICIOUS & PETERRIFIC is coming to PBS Kids next February!

 

On February 19, 2018, PBS KIDS will premiere PINKALICIOUS & PETERRIFIC (watch a sneak peek here), a new animated series that will encourage children to explore the arts and spark creativity. Produced by WGBH Boston and based on the best-selling HarperCollins Pinkalicious book series by Victoria Kann, this new multiplatform media property will be available nationwide on PBS stations, the new 24/7 PBS KIDS channel and PBS KIDS digital platforms. Designed for children ages 3-5, PINKALICIOUS & PETERRIFIC encourages kids to engage in the creative arts and self-expression, covering areas such as music, dance and visual arts.

 

PINKALICIOUS & PETERRIFIC follows the adventures of Pinkalicious and her brother Peter. Pinkalicious imagines creative possibilities everywhere she looks. She is an artist at heart—and, like most creative people, she sees the world differently from others. She knows what she likes, and she’s not afraid to express herself—though she sometimes needs help from her brother, Peter, and her neighborhood friends.

 

“PBS stations are a go-to destination for the arts in their communities across the country; we often hear from artists that their first exposure to the arts came from PBS programming,” said Linda Simensky, Vice President, Children’s Programming, PBS. “We are thrilled to build on our commitment to the arts with a PBS KIDS series entirely dedicated to the arts and creativity. Through PINKALICIOUS & PETERRIFIC, we hope to encourage children across America to follow their passions and express themselves creatively, while building important skills and having fun.”

 

PINKALICIOUS & PETERRIFIC is designed to help preschool-age children explore the arts and creativity. “Research shows that participating in the arts strengthens children’s cognitive and emotional skills, and leads to higher academic performance,” said series Executive Producer Dorothea Gillim. “Kids will simply connect with the great characters Pinkalicious and Peter, and their friends Jasmine, Rafael and Lila; the entertaining and quirky stories; and the visually stunning animation.”

 

The new PBS KIDS series is based on author-artist Victoria Kann’s number-one New York Times-bestselling Pinkalicious book series, which includes 63 titles and has sold more than 23 million copies to date. The most recent book in the series, Peterrific, debuted in May 2017. The HarperCollins book series has been translated into 8 languages, is sold in 9 countries and inspired a stage musical, Pinkalicious: The Musical, which premiered in New York City to sold-out audiences and continues to be performed there and across the country.

 

“I’m tremendously excited to see the world of Pinkalicious and Peterrific come alive,” said author and illustrator Victoria Kann. “And I’m grateful to PBS and WGBH for helping to empower kids to explore and express their full creativity through this wonderful new series.”

 

The PINKALICIOUS & PETERRIFIC television series is part of a multiplatform media experience that will also include digital content for kids, parents and teachers, debuting in early 2018. PINKALICIOUS & PETERRIFIC will offer a variety of games at pbskids.org and on the PBS KIDS Games App, as well as clips and full episodes across PBS KIDS’ streaming video platforms, including the PBS KIDS Video App. A PINKALICIOUS & PETERRIFIC app will also launch in 2018. Parent resources will be available on the PBS KIDS for Parents site, and PBS LearningMedia will offer classroom-ready materials for teachers, including video excerpts, games, tips and printable activities.

 

Each episode of PINKALICIOUS & PETERRIFIC will include two 11-minute stories as well as a live-action interstitial and an original song. The series is currently in production at WGBH and its animation partner, Sixteen South, for 38 half-hour episodes and one hour-long special, which will roll out on PBS KIDS beginning in 2018.

 

We had a chance to sit down with the creators behind the show PINKALICIOUS & PETERRIFIC.  Dorothea Gillim, Producer of Children’s Programming at WGBH (and creator of WORD Girl and Executive Producer of Curious George), Linda Simensky, Vice President, Children’s Porgramming, PBS and Vanessa Wiegal, Associate Producer of Children’s Programming at WGBH.

 

When asked how the idea to do a show around this popular series, Dorothea said that she came across the book in a doctors office and gave it to a friend who had a little girl.  Her friend called her a few days later telling Dorothea that her daughter wants her to read it to her everyday and she is tired of reading it so much!  Dorothea knew then that she had a possible series idea!  She did say that it took a couple years to swoon Victoria to do a show because she was so particular about what message was getting across.  She wanted to make sure that the company she went with to produce the show would be sensitive to her wishes.  When she found out PBS Kids would be their partner in the collaboration she decided to move forward with the project.  Dorothea said she is very involved in the script and works with the design team to make sure her style comes through in the animation.

I saw a few clips of the new show and absolutely love the message!  They spoke about how it is a show about creativity, being confident and proud of expressing oneself – in whatever creative format they wish.  Whether it be in music, the arts, dance or theater.  Pinkalicious is all about being creative and will go off sometimes in her head, which the audience gets to enjoy as well.  In one scene she hears a bird chirping and all of a sudden we see a beautiful pink peacock who starts signing along with Pinkalicious and they dance around the yard, hearing beats from the sprinklers, truck going by, all of which are participating to the song she is dancing to.  The author, wanted the songs to have a bit of a 80’s girl punk band vibe to them and you can hear that in the songs.  They are very catchy and are bright songs, colorful and uplifting – which is what Pinkalicious is all about!

For the voice talent, they utilized the crew who cast PEG+CAT.  They are located in New York and had a wide range of talented children voice and Broadway actors audition for the parts.  The young girl who got the part of Pinkalicious IS Pinkalicious Dorothea said, in personality and style.  She loves pink and as a young child (age 3) she told her parents pointing to a cartoon character that she wanted to “do that” someday.  Fast forward a few years later, she is cast as Pinkalicious, wears sparkly pink shoes to the voice-over sessions and brings so much life to the series.

I am so excited about this show and can’t wait for you all to share it with your kids next February!  Linda Simensky mentioned that she hopes that parents watch the show together because not only is Pinkalicious a wonderful role model for children, her parents are as well.  They are very enthused and supportive of Pinkalicious creativity and she said she hopes parents are inspired to do that as well with their own children.  You know, those days when you are a tad (okay, really tired) but your kid wants to show you this “super, disgusting thing” they found outside, instead of saying “gross, not thanks,” we as parents take the time to head outside and check it out with them.  When Linda was saying that, I was thinking back to the times my daughter would ask me to look at something she found.  Kids love to explore and be creative and this show encourages and promotes just that!

About PINKALICIOUS & PETERRIFIC

PINKALICIOUS & PETERRIFIC is based on the Harper Collins book Pinkalicious, written by Victoria Kann and Elizabeth Kann, illustrated by Victoria Kann, as well as additional books in the series written and illustrated by Victoria Kann. Executive producers are Dorothea Gillim (WGBH) and Victoria Kann. The series is co-produced by WGBH and Sixteen South. PINKALICIOUS & PETERRIFIC is developed and produced with funding from PBS and Northern Ireland Screen.

 

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 WGBH
WGBH Boston is one of America’s preeminent public broadcasters and the largest producer of PBS content for TV and the Web, including Frontline, NOVA, American Experience, Masterpiece, Antiques Roadshow, and Arthur, as well as other childrens, primetime, and lifestyle series. WGBH also is a major supplier of programming for public radio, and a leader in educational multimedia for the classroom, supplying content to PBS LearningMedia, a free national broadband service for teachers and students. WGBH is a pioneer in technologies and services that make media accessible to those with hearing or visual impairments. WGBH has been recognized with hundreds of honors: Emmys, Peabodys, duPont-Columbia Awards and Oscars. Find more information at wgbh.org.

 

 

In celebration, we are offering some seriously FUN PBS Kids swag!  The giveaway includes:

 

Daniel Tiger Stuffed

Shoot for the Stars READY JET GO! Bag

CyberChase Canvas Tote

Sesame Street Elmo Nightlight and Illustrated Book

Dinosaur Train Buddy Toy

Nature Cat glasses

Splash and Bubbles Notebook

ODD SQUAD The Movie

Clifford’s Bedtime Story

Step Into Reading Wild Kratts Wild Insects and Spiders

PEG+CAT The Race Car Problem by Jennifer Oxley + Billy Aronson

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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