“Franklin and Friends” Joins Nickelodeon Starting February 13
The CGI animated preschool series Franklin and Friends will make its United States premiere on Nickelodeon starting Monday, February 13 at 9:30am ET/PT.
The original Franklin animated series, which started on the Nick Jr. preschool programming block on Nickelodeon in 1998, still airs on the Nick Jr. channel today.
Franklin and Friends is produced by Nelvana and premiered in Canada on Treehouse TV in 2011.
UPDATED 2/8/12 – Below is a press release via Nickelodeon:
NICKELODEON LAUNCHES NEW CG-ANIMATED SERIES,
FRANKLIN AND FRIENDS, PREMIERING MONDAY, FEB. 13
Beloved Preschool Character Franklin Grows Up in New Series That Encourages Kids To Explore Their World
NEW YORK, Feb. 8, 2012 – Franklin is back and better than ever in the brand-new CG-animated preschool series, Franklin and Friends, premiering Monday, Feb. 13, at 9:30 a.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon. Based on the best–selling children’s book series by Paulette Bourgeois and Brenda Clark, published by Kids Can Press, the half-hour series follows a turtle named Franklin as he experiences adventures and milestones, learning lessons along the way with his pals Snail, Rabbit, Beaver, Fox, Goose and best friend Bear. The series emphasizes the importance of family, friendship, community, personal growth and helping others. Franklin and Friends, produced by Nelvana and Infinite Frameworks Pte. Ltd., will regularly air weekdays at 9:30 a.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon.
“Franklin is older, wiser and coming out of his shell in this updated version that encourages kids to learn from their mistakes and discover the world around them,” says Teri Weiss, SVP, Nickelodeon Preschool. “Franklin and Friends is filled with lovable characters and rich story-telling that will surely appeal to today’s preschool audience.”
“Franklin is one of Nelvana’s most popular and beloved international characters and this stunning new CG series takes the show to a whole new level,” adds Colin Bohm, Managing Director, Nelvana Enterprises. “We are confident that kids and their families in the U.S. will continue to be loyal fans of Franklin as they follow him and his Woodland friends on their daily adventures, learning important life lessons along the way.”
Through interesting and age appropriate stories, the series tackles issues related to personal empowerment, socialization, self-esteem, nature appreciation, and school issues.
The series strives to teach children:
- To nourish children’s ability to make their own decisions and accept the consequences of those decisions.
- To encourage the child to communicate and create bonds with people around him/her including extended family.
- To support the child in the development of skills for self-management and self-control.
- To support the child in the development of self-esteem.
- To encourage the child to learn about nature, the environment and conservation.
- To encourage the child to adopt attitudes and behaviors that will promote school success.
In the new series, Franklin has grown in numerous ways: he has overcome some of his fears, developed new skills, but mostly he has deepened his friendships. Franklin isn’t perfect but he strives to learn from his mistakes and his daily adventures encourage kids to be curious about their world. Each episode of Franklin and Friends features two 11–minute stories. Children can watch Franklin and his friends as they play and interact with their families and the Woodland community.
The schedule for the Feb. 13 premiere week for Franklin and Friends is as follows (all times are 9:30 a.m. ET/PT):
- Monday, Feb. 13 “Franklin and the Gecko Games/Franklin’s All Ears” (SERIES PREMIERE)
Franklin and Beaver want to look after the Nature Nut’s pet gecko, Gordon. So, Goose creates the Gecko Games to find out who would be the best pet-sitter. Beaver is disappointed when she loses, so Franklin gives his win to her. Then, Franklin and Snail overhear their friends talking about a party, but with no balloons, no music and no yummy treats! When they find out that there is no party, Snail and Franklin throw a party for everyone instead.
- Tuesday, Feb. 14 “Franklin Helps Out/Franklin’s Partner”
Franklin fulfils a promise to help Aunt T with her chores and has unexpected fun. Then, Franklin and Bear combine their ideas to make a great bumpy buggy.
- Wednesday, Feb. 15 “Franklin and the Mystery of the Berry Bogie/Franklin Sees a Storm”
Franklin must get the Super Cluepers to work together to find the mysterious Berry Bogie. Then, a storm hits Woodland destroying the tree holding the tree fort and Franklin and his friends must find a new place to play.
- Thursday, Feb. 16 “Franklin and the Wonder/Franklin the Little Bubble”
Franklin and Aunt T help Rabbit overcome his fear of public speaking. Then, Franklin sabotages Aunt T’s party because he thinks she will embarrass him.
About Nelvana
Nelvana 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, television broadcasting, children’s book publishing and children’s animation. The Company’s multimedia entertainment brands include YTV, Treehouse, Nickelodeon (Canada), W Network, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network (Canada), CosmoTV, Sundance Channel (Canada), Movie Central, HBO Canada, Nelvana, Kids Can Press and radio stations including CKNW AM 980, 99.3 The FOX, Country 105, 630 CHED, 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 Stock Exchange (CJR.B). Experience Corus on the Web at www.corusent.com.
About Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon, now in its 32nd 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 and feature films. Nickelodeon’s U.S. television network is seen in more than 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 17 consecutive years.