New Dinosaur Train and Splash DVD's!

Two new Henson DVD's came out this week

First, Splash and Bubbles make their DVD debut with "One Bog Ocean,"

And Dinosaur Train has new compilation of episodes about "Making New Friends."

Both are available at the links above through Amazon and at stores near you. 

Jim Henson Company Gets New Global Licensing Manager!

The Jim Henson Company has hired a new Global Licensing Manager.

Shane Mang recently joined The Jim Henson Company as Executive Director of Global Consumer Products where is job will be overseeing licensing activities for beloved brands, classic franchises and upcoming new properties. 

Mang joins The Jim Henson Company from DHX Media, where he was their Business Development Manager – Americas. During his time at DHX he managed Teletubbies, Mega Man, Caillou, Inspector Gadget, Degrassi and more. As part of his duties at DHX included managing a network of partners including licensees and manufacturers, licensing agencies, sales teams, toy distributors, and mass and specialty North American retailers. Prior to that, Mang served as Manager, Licensing and Distribution at Nerd Corps Entertainment.

Mang will report to Chris Lytton, COO & EVP of Business Affairs who had this to say about him:

“Shane is a best in class executive with a deep knowledge of the licensing and merchandising industry and the key players in the field. His expertise and enthusiasm are sure to drive growth across the Company’s entire global consumer products lineup,” said Lytton.

According to Animation Magazine Mang will be in charge of animated properties such as Dot. which recently renewed for a second season launching fall 2018 (produced by Industrial Brothers in association with The Jim Henson Company and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation); the Emmy-nominated Dinosaur Train, Doozers, which wil debut its second season this summer on Hulu; the Emmy-nominated Splash and Bubbles (co-produced with Herschend Studios); and Word Party.

Mang will also oversee classic Henson titles like Farscape, Fraggle Rock, Labyrinth, and The Dark Crystal.

Sesame Street Wins More Emmys!

Sesame Street brought home another 8 Emmy's for their trophy case this weekend. 

The show about our favorite street was a big winner at this year's Daytime Emmy awards, though sadly the other Henson nominated shows didn't fair as well. 

Sesame won for:

Outstanding Special Class – Short Format Daytime Program
Sesame Street: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star with Julia & Elmo
Outstanding Art Direction/Set Decoration/Scenic Design
Outstanding Technical Team
Outstanding Multiple Camera Editing
Outstanding Sound Editing – Live Action

Interestingly, "A Song About Songs" beat out "Try A Little Kindness" to win Outstanding Original Song. So, I guess the message is, songs about songs are winners and songs about kindness are losers! What a great message for kids... 

You can watch the video for the emmy winning song below:

Sesame Street also won Outstanding Writing in a Children's, Preschool Children's, Family Viewing and the big prize Outstanding Preschool Children's Series both of which Julie's Greenroom was also nominated for.

Though Sesame Street did win a few awards, they didn't win everything they were nominated for. 

They lost Outstanding Interactive Media Enhancement to a Daytime Program or Series to Fruit Ninja Frenzy Force - (Editors Note: WTF is that??)

Both Sesame Street and Julie's Greenroom both lost Outstanding Directing in a Children's, Preschool Children's or Family Viewing Program to Free Rein, whatever that is. 

Sesame Street also lost Outstanding Sound Mixing to Disney's Broadway Hits at Royal Albert Hall, Outstanding Lighting Direction to The Talk, and Outstanding Hairstyling to Live with Kelly and Ryan. Which was probably all due all Ryan Seacrest's never moving coif.


And finally, John Tartaglia sadly lost Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program for his roles as as Splash & Mrs. Tidy on Splash and Bubbles to Tom Kenny's titular SpongeBob SquarePants, which I was surprised to learn is still making new episodes. 

While the ceremony wasn't on TV, it was broadcast live via Facebook. The In Memoriam section paid tribute to Sesame Street animator Bud Luckey, and recording engineer Jim Czak, as well as puppeteer Chuck McCann. 

As you can see, a whooping 12 thousand people watched the feed. NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, PBS, and every other other national broadcast or local channel should be ashamed of themselves for not airing it.

Henson Series Pick Up More Daytime Emmy Nominations!

The 2017 Daytime Emmy nominations have been announced and Sesame Street has once again racked up an impressive list of nominations and not just in the children's categories. Newcomer Julie's Greenroom also scored some noms, though it's competing directly with Sesame in the categories they're nominated in. Even Splash & Bubbles got a nom for creator and star John Tartaglia. 

And the Henson nominees are...

Outstanding Preschool Children’s Series 
Julie’s Greenroom Netflix
Sesame Street HBO

Outstanding Special Class – Short Format Daytime Program
Sesame Street: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star with Julia & Elmo YouTube.com

Outstanding Interactive Media Enhancement to a Daytime Program or Series 
Sesame Street sesamestreetincommunities.org

Outstanding Writing in a Children’s, Preschool Children’s, Family Viewing
Julie’s Greenroom Netflix
Sesame Street HBO

Outstanding Directing in a Children’s, Preschool Children’s or Family Viewing Program 
Julie’s Greenroom Netflix
Sesame Street HBO

Outstanding Art Direction/Set Decoration/Scenic Design
Sesame Street HBO

Outstanding Lighting Direction 
Sesame Street HBO

Outstanding Technical Team 
Sesame Street HBO

Outstanding Multiple Camera Editing 
Sesame Street HBO

Outstanding Sound Mixing 
Sesame Street HBO

Outstanding Sound Editing – Live Action 
Sesame Street HBO

Outstanding Original Song 
“A Song About Songs”Sesame Street HBO 

“Try A Little Kindness”Sesame Street HBO

Outstanding Hairstyling Sesame Street HBO

Outstanding Performer in an Animated ProgramJohn Tartaglia – Splash and Mrs. Tidy in Splash and Bubbles

In total Sesame Street received 14 nominations, Julie's Greenroon 2, and Splash and Bubbles 1.

The Daytime Emmy Awards are to be held on Sunday, April 29. No TV network has yet to be announced. 

Splash and Bubbles - The Ride!

According to theme park attraction magazine Blooloop, a new ride based on Splash and Bubbles will soon be making it's way to a theme park (or parks) near (or far) from you!

Dark ride specialist Sally Corporation and Herschend Enterprises, the largest family-owned attractions corporation in the US are to develop a SPLASH AND BUBBLES family dark ride.

The companies plan to bring the popular children’s show to life in a new themed attraction. 

The hit animated show Splash and Bubbles is co-produced by The Jim Henson Company and Herschend Studios. The latter is Herschend Enterprises’ media arm. The Jim Henson Company is a world leader and innovator in puppetry, animatronics and digital animation.

The show encourages children to discover more about marine biology. They do this through the adventures of Splash (a yellowback fusilier fish) and his best friend Bubbles, (a Mandarin dragonet). 

Sally Corp to create family dark rideThe character driven comedy is shown every day on PBS stations across the US. Splash and Bubbles ranks among the top five PBS KIDS series for children ages 2-8 every month. It is also available worldwide on Netflix and via broadcast in international territories.

The deal between Herschend and Sally is the first time the two companies have partnered on a ride like this. Sally Corp recently revealed the new attraction concept at the IAAPA Attractions Expo. This was held in Orlando and is the largest such convention in the theme park business. This year it had over 37,000 attendees. In addition to providing Sally Corp the development rights, Herschend has also developed a line of custom branded merchandise This includes plush and clothing.

Sally Corp. which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, will be creative producer of the family dark ride. It will manage and driving the overall development, marketing and distribution of the ride. Andrew Wexler is Herschend’s CEO. He says, “For more than half a century, Herschend has created family-centric attractions and experiences which engage audiences in innovative ways. Now, coupling with Sally Corporation’s vast expertise developing interactive, compelling dark rides, we are well-equipped to give families a new way to experience this beloved series and its wonderful characters in a variety of venues including theme parks, aquariums and other entertainment settings”.  

The Jim Henson Company and Herschend StudiosJohn Wood is Sally Corporation’s Chairman & CEO. He says,”Splash and Bubbles presents an excellent opportunity to provide family fun to a whole new sector of the theme park industry including water parks and aquariums. Working with a proven intellectual property from The Jim Henson Company and Herschend Studios gives us an excellent platform to create a truly magical experience in a ride-through attraction that can be both meaningful and fun. We are very excited about the opportunity”.Splash and Bubbles is a production of The Jim Henson Company and Herschend Studios. It was created by John Tartaglia. Executive producers are Lisa Henson and Halle Stanford of The Jim Henson Company and Julie Phillips and Merrill Puckett Miller of Herschend Enterprises with Tartaglia, Michael Shawn Lewis and Jill Shinderman. The Jim Henson Company also oversees all distribution and merchandising for the property. Herschend Enterprises administers all location-based themed entertainment rights. This includes live-shows.

No further details about when and where the ride will open but we'll keep you posted!

Meet Splash and Bubbles!

PBS unveiled the new website of their new Henson produced preschool series Splash and Bubbles.

The series uses the Henson digital performance system like other Henson/PBS shows Sid the Science Kid and Dinosaur Train.

The new "splash page" if you will, does a nice job of introducing the main characters. 

Splash:

"We'll bravely go where no fish has gone before!”

Splash is a fun and energetic yellowback fusilier who found a home in Reeftown after traveling the entire ocean. He loves to explore new places and meet new creatures.






Bubbles:


“Ocean Friends Forever, we'll stick together like goo!”

Bubbles is a beautiful mandarin dragonet who loves to get dirty in the muck and the yuck. She's never afraid to face a challenge and is always up for an adventure.

Dunk:

 

“It's always an adventure, when you're hangin' with friends!”

Dunk is a pufferfish, who likes to make sand art and knows a lot about Reeftown. Being a pufferfish, he tends to puff up when he gets nervous around a new situation.

Ripple: 

“See what one small ripple can do!”

Ripple is a soulful and sweet seahorse, who believes even the smallest thing can make a big impact. She lives with her father and 499 brothers, and loves to get away with Splash, Bubbles, and Dunk on adventures.

Splash and Bubbles will premiere on PBS November 23!

Check out the first clip of the show here!

PBS KIDS Sets Premiere Date for ‘Splash and Bubbles’!

The Jim Henson Company's latest series, Splash and Bubbles will premiere Wednesday, November 23, 2016 on PBS stations nationwide with digital content related to the show — including games, apps and parent and educator resources — available in the fall.

We first heard word of the series back in January when it had the working title of simply "Splash."

From the Henson press release:

Created by John Tartaglia (“ImaginOcean,” “Johnny and the Sprites”), SPLASH AND BUBBLES is designed to encourage kids ages 4-7 to explore the natural undersea world. Developed with an advisory panel of top marine biologists, digital innovators and educators, SPLASH AND BUBBLES is grounded in a marine biology curriculum that focuses on themes of diversity, individuality, interconnectedness and the celebration of learning and discovery. The series also introduces the concepts of ecological balance and the importance of taking care of the ocean.

“SPLASH AND BUBBLES emphasizes the important social-emotional skills needed to help kids discover the interconnectivity among all living creatures, while creating an understanding of the variety of life that exists under the sea, fostering an appreciation for the biodiversity in our ocean,” said Lesli Rotenberg, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Children’s Media and Education, PBS. “PBS KIDS is committed to using the power of media to build science skills to help inspire children to explore the fascinating world of marine biology and the wonder that makes up the majority of our planet’s surface.” 

Funded in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, SPLASH AND BUBBLES follows the adventures of Splash, a yellow fusilier fish who has migrated all over the ocean before settling down in Reeftown, where he befriends Bubbles, a Mandarin dragonet whose vivid orange and electric blue coloring matches her colorful personality. Until Splash came along, Bubbles and most of the other Reeftown residents had no idea what lived beyond the cozy confines of their coral walls. Together, Splash, Bubbles and their friends explore the world’s undersea habitats, make new friends and learn about the many different ways life looks and lives in the ocean, celebrating the importance of diversity along the way. 

“Through the adventures of Splash and Bubbles, we hope to inspire environmentalism, empathy and curiosity about the vast world of marine biology,” said Lisa Henson, CEO of The Jim Henson Company. “We hope the series becomes a starting point for children to build confidence in their ability to make a difference in our environment and inspires a lifetime of learning.” 

“We are excited to partner with two world-class brands, Henson and PBS, to create lifechanging emotional connections between kids and the ocean. Through SPLASH AND BUBBLES-themed experiences, we can bring the same memories created every day in our aquariums to children’s living rooms and lives,” said Andrew Wexler, CEO of Herschend Enterprises. 

“I feel honored and privileged to help carry on The Jim Henson Company’s great tradition of creating family entertainment that inspires care-taking, empathy and awareness of and for our world,” said John Tartaglia, the series creator and the performer of the show’s title character, Splash. “My hope is that SPLASH AND BUBBLES’ amazing characters and hilarious stories inspire kids of all ages to learn more about what lies beneath the surface of our amazing ocean and how they can contribute to taking better care of it.” 

SPLASH AND BUBBLES is executive produced by Lisa Henson and Halle Stanford of The Jim Henson Company, Julie Phillips and Merrill Puckett-Miller of Herschend Enterprises, as well as John Tartaglia, Michael Shawn Lewis and Jill Shinderman. Tom Keniston is producer and David Skelly is supervising director. The Jim Henson Company oversees all distribution and merchandising for the property and Herschend Enterprises administers all themed entertainment rights. 


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 The Jim Henson Company 
The Jim Henson Company has remained an established leader in family entertainment for 60 years and is recognized worldwide as an innovator in puppetry, animatronics and digital animation. Best known as creators of the world famous Muppets, Henson has received over 50 Emmy Awards and nine Grammy Awards. Recent credits include the Emmy®-nominated Sid the Science Kid, Dinosaur Train, and Pajanimals, as well as the CG-animated preschool series Doozers and the upcoming digital citizen series for preschoolers Dot., and the upcoming Netflix series for young preschoolers Word Party. Features include Disney’s Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, as well as The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, and MirrorMask. Television productions include Fraggle Rock, the sci-fi cult series Farscape, Henson Alternative’s No, You Shut Up! and the recent TV film Jim Henson’s Turkey Hollow. 

With additional locations in New York and London, The Jim Henson Company is headquartered in Los Angeles on the historic Charlie Chaplin lot, complete with soundstage and postproduction facilities. The Company is home to Jim Henson’s Creature Shop™, a pre-eminent characterbuilding and visual effects group with international film, television, theme park and advertising clients, as well as Henson Recording Studios, one of the music industry’s top recording facilities known for its world-class blend of state-of-the-art and vintage equipment. The Company’s Henson Alternative brand is currently touring Puppet-Up! – Uncensored, a live puppet improvisational show.
http://www.henson.com 
www.facebook.com/hensoncompany 
www.twitter.com/hensoncompany

About Herschend Enterprises 
Committed for more than half-a-century to Creating Memories Worth Repeating®, Herschend Enterprises is the largest family-owned attractions corporation in the U.S. Our team of more than 10,000 employees works daily to create wholesome, immersive entertainment experiences with soul and depth for every generation. With a focus on bringing families closer together, we create, develop and operate entertainment, tourism and hospitality properties spanning 24 locations in seven states, attracting over 14 million people annually. 

Today, our properties include the world famous HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS, award-winning theme parks like SILVER DOLLAR CITY in Branson, MO, and DOLLYWOOD, our partnership with Dolly Parton in Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains, top tier aquariums – NEWPORT AQUARIUM and ADVENTURE AQUARIUM, water parks, hotels, and other highly entertaining standalone attractions. As of Summer 2015, guests can also experience genuine Southern hospitality and storytelling from Dolly’s front porch with a visit to DOLLYWOOD’S DREAMMORE RESORT. For more information, visit www.hfecorp.com. 


About CPB 
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967, is the steward of the federal government’s investment in public broadcasting. It helps support the operations of 1,500 locally owned and operated public television and radio stations nationwide. CPB is also the largest single source of funding for research, technology, and program development for public radio, television, and related online services. For more information, visit www.cpb.org and follow on Twitter @CPBmedia, Facebook, and LinkedIn