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[via press release]

FIVE GIRLS DESTINED TO DEFEND THE UNIVERSE ARE INTRODUCED IN IMAGINATIVE ADVENTURE “W.I.T.C.H.,” AN ORIGINAL ANIMATED TV SERIES BASED ON HIT GLOBAL COMIC MAGAZINE

BURBANK, CA – November 1, 2004 . . . Five diverse middle school girls, Will, Irma, Taranee, Cornelia and Hay Lin, learn their amazing fate — they are the new generation of an ancient and honorable group, The Guardians, and each has latent powers over one of five elements: energy, water, fire, earth and air. Although the girls can now transform into magical guardians, they must lead a double life as ordinary teens while mastering their newfound skills, all while facing their first challenge – preventing infiltration of Earth by the evil Prince Phobos of the Kingdom of Meridian, a parallel universe filled with enchantment and mythological creatures, in “W.I.T.C.H.,” a new animated series based on the stories told in the hit global comic magazine and U.S. chapter books from Hyperion Books for Children.

A one hour preview presentation of “W.I.T.C.H.” airs SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18 (12:00 noon, ET/11:00 a.m., PT) on the ABC Television Network and SUNDAY, DECEMBER 19 during the JETIX action/adventure programming blocks on ABC Family (9:30 a.m., ET/PT) and Toon Disney (8:00 p.m., ET/PT).

The series will first be previewed with four sequential one-minute “W.I.T.C.H.” short stories airing during November on JETIX. “W.I.T.C.H.” premieres in its regular timeslots SATURDAY, JANUARY 15 during JETIX on ABC Family (9:30-10:00 a.m., ET/PT) and Monday, January 17 on Toon Disney (8:30-9:00 p.m., ET/PT). “W.I.T.C.H” will also premiere in three languages in Spring 2005 on JETIX Europe and Latin America.

“W.I.T.C.H” is produced in a two-dimensional animation style that resembles Japanese anime. Geared towards boys and girls age 6-11, the story begins in the town of Heatherfield, on Earth. “W.I.T.C.H.” (an acronym of the heroine’s names) introduces 13-year-old Will Vandom, the new student at Sheffield Institute as she befriends Irma Lair, Taranee Cook, Cornelia Hale and Hay Lin Lin.

It’s Hay Lin’s grandmother who reveals to the girls that they’re the next generation of The Guardians and she and a group of women like her will now pass knowledge, power and responsibility to them. The girls also receive The Heart of Candrakar, an amulet that most astonishingly, amplifies their powers and physically transforms them — whenever they want — into grown-up creatures with powers unlike any human, and a duty to uphold what’s right. The Heart itself selects Will as the group’s leader and before long, the girls receive a magical map that helps them in their quest to protect the world from evil.

The girl’s distinct personalities are mirrored in their unique special powers:

“Will has the power of energy and is a natural leader. She is calm and cool yet occasionally rambunctious. Her parents are divorced and she lives with her mother. Will keeps the Heart of Candrakar and as leader, holds the group together. Her color is fuchsia.

“Irma has the power of water. She is the goofball among the girls and is somehow always having fun, reveling in making other’s laugh. Irma lives with her mother and father (a policeman) and her younger brother. Her color is turquoise.

“Taranee has the power of fire. She is a deep thinker, never quick to judge or to act. Of African descent, she is smart and a good listener. Her mother is a judge and her father is a psychologist. Taranee is also telepathic and her friends look to her for comfort and common sense. Her color is red.

“Cornelia has the power of earth. She is popular, confident and beautiful. Although she sometimes comes across as aloof, she is very loyal and caring. Her father is a banker and her mother is a house renovator. Her color is green.

“Hay Lin has the power of air. She is an artist and a free-spirited friend. Of Chinese descent, she is optimistic and her friends gain strength from her sunny demeanor. Her parents run a restaurant and her paternal grandmother lives with them. Her color is silver.

When they’re at home and school, Will, Irma, Taranee, Cornelia and Hay Lin face universal teen issues including self-confidence, trendy clothing and friendship, notably with the one other best friend who cannot know their secret, the brilliant artist and popular cheerleader Elyon. When they transform into The Guardians and cross The Veil into Meridian, the girls embark on adventures filled with action, suspense, mythology and responsibilities of greater proportion.

Meanwhile, in Meridian, the oppressive Prince Phobos is desperate to find his sister, the rightful heir to the throne. She was spirited away from Meridian while still an infant and is now living safely on Earth. The prince is beset at every turn by The Rebellion, a group tired of his tyranny and determined to thwart him. One of the young rebels is Caleb who the girls meet in the first suspenseful story arc that sets off the battle for the universe, to find the missing sister before Prince Phobos does and to learn the intricate secrets of Meridian. It will be up to The Guardians to fend off Phobos, his lieutenant — a morphing humanoid/lizard named Cedric — and his guards, menacing creatures known as Lurdens.

The voice cast is: Kelly Stables as Will; Candi Milo as Irma; Kittie (cq) as Taranee; Christil Khalil as Cornelia; Liza Del Mundo as Hay Lin; Dee Bradley Baker as Cedric; Greg Cipes as Caleb; Steve Blum as Blunk, Mitchell Whitfield as Phobos; Lauren Tom as Grandma and Serena Berman as Elyon.

The writers are Andrew Nicholls, Darrell Vickers, Nancy Neufeld Callaway, Trey Callaway, Steve Sullivan, Andrew Guerdat, Robert Dolan Smith, Julie Dufine, Lisa Rosenthal, Amanda Rudolph Schwartz and Marc Gordon-Bates. The director is Marc Gordon-Bates. The executive producers are Olivier Dumont, Jacqueline Tordjman, Andrew Nicholls and Darrell Vickers. The series is produced by SIP Animation in Paris, France.