Nickelodeon Orders 20 New Episodes of 3-D Animated Series Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends(TM)

Nickelodeon Orders 20 New Episodes of 3-D Animated Series Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends(TM)

Based on David Kirk's Bestselling Books and Co-Produced By Nelvana/Absolute Pictures, Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends(TM) Airs Weekdays at 10 a.m. (ET/PT), on Nick Jr.

NEW YORK, June 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Nickelodeon has announced that the network has ordered 20 new episodes of Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends(TM), a 3-D animated series based on the beloved book series by David Kirk (published by Callaway & Kirk). The show, a co-production from Nelvana/Absolute Pictures, airs regularly weekdays on Nick Jr. at 10 a.m. (all times ET/PT).

"Miss Spider's message of friendship and kindness to fellow bugs is an important one for all of us ... bug or human!" said Brown Johnson, Executive Creative Director, Nickelodeon Preschool Television. "It's great to be working with Nelvana and David Kirk on another season of this beautiful series."

"We are thrilled that Miss Spider and the bugs of Sunny Patch have found a broadcast home on Nick Jr. for their continued adventures," said Scott Dyer, Nelvana's Executive Vice President of Production and Development.

In its inaugural season on Nick Jr., the show ranked third among all new preschool series on commercial television, right behind number-two show The Backyardigans, another Nick Jr. series also co-produced by Nelvana. (Source: NHI Galay Explorer, 9/20/04-6/02/05, K2-5 AA%, Ranked on rating. Excludes specials.)

Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends(TM) (a Nelvana/Absolute Pictures co-production in association with Callaway Arts & Entertainment), follows the adventures of Bounce, Squirt and the rest of Miss Spider's brood as they explore the marvelous, miniature wonderland of Sunny Patch.

Nick Jr. is a specially designed programming block airing on Nickelodeon weekdays from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. (ET/PT) and weekends on CBS (check local listings). Completely dedicated to preschoolers ages 2-5, Nick Jr.'s Emmy, Peabody and Parents' Choice Award-winning programs are curriculum based, fun and commercial free. At Nick Jr., kids play to learn with innovative, original shows created just for them.

Nickelodeon, now in its 26th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, magazines and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in more than 89 million households and has been the number- one-rated basic cable network for more than nine consecutive years. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.

Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends(TM) and all related characters are copyrights, trademarks, and/or registered trademarks of Callaway & Kirk Company LLC.

Nelvana Limited is one of the world's leading international producers and distributors of children's programming and products. Its current stable of franchise properties includes Emmy Award(R)-winning and globally renowned brands such as Rolie Polie Olie, Babar, Franklin and Beyblade. Nelvana is owned by Corus Entertainment, a Canadian-based media and entertainment company. Corus is a market leader in both specialty TV and Radio. The company's other interests include music, television broadcasting and advertising services. A publicly traded company, Corus is listed on the Toronto (CJR.NV.B) and New York (CJR) Exchanges. Corus' website can be found at http://www.corusentertainment.com/ .

Source: Nickelodeon

CONTACT: Lauren Sklar of Nick Jr., +1-212-846-7653, lauren.sklar@nick.com; Amanda Burgess of Nelvana, +1-416-530-2247, amanda.burgess@corusent.com

Web site: http://www.nick.com/ http://www.corusentertainment.com/

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