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NEWS
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TOY ISLAND AND NICKELODEON & VIACOM CONSUMER PRODUCTS CARVE OUT THEIR 2009 PORTFOLIO WITH WOODEN TOY SETS BASED ON NETWORK'S MOST POPULAR PRESCHOOL SERIES
Play Sets and Toys Based on Nick Jr.'s Hit Preschool Television Series The Wonder Pets! and Ni Hao, Kai-lan Will be Added to Their 2009 PortfolioNew York, NY December 3, 2008 - Toy Island, a leader in creating productions for children worldwide, and Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products (NVCP), the world's leading television-based licensing organization, today announced a multi-year deal to create a line of high-quality wood products inspired by several hit Nick Jr. series. The announcement was made by George Vorkas, President of Toy Island; and Manuel Torres, Senior Vice President, Toys, Interactive and Consumer Products Electronics, for NVCP. The new line of products will be based on some of the most recognizable and popular characters from Nickelodeon's library of hit series, including The Wonder Pets!; Go, Diego, Go!; Dora the Explorer, The Backyardigans; and Ni Hao, Kai-lan. Featured items will include: lacing bead sets; bead chasers; vehicles; figures; and figure play-sets, which will make their retail debut in specialty stores worldwide in 2009. "Being able to tap into Nickelodeon's remarkable brand power is always a wonderful opportunity for Toy Island," said George Vorkas, President of Toy Island. "We are thrilled to expand on our partnership by creating this line of wood toys for these great characters." "We are happy to work with Toy Island to produce a line of unique wooden toys and playsets based on shows and characters that kids identify with and truly love," said Manuel Torres, Senior Vice President, Global Toys, Video Games and Consumer Electronics, NVCP. "Pretend play encourages children to invent and create, expanding their minds as well as their imaginations, and we're pleased to help kids bring their favorite adventures from the television screen to their play rooms as we expand our partnership with Toy Island." An international phenomenon, Dora the Explorer is broadcast all over the world, teaching the majority of her viewers English rather than Spanish. Syndicated to TV broadcasters in 125 markets and translated in 24 languages, Dora the Explorer is among one of the top rated preschool shows in nearly every major television market around the world across broadcast and cable. Dora is proudly bilingual and uses her knowledge of English and Spanish to communicate with her friends, overcome obstacles and reach her goals. In each episode of Go, Diego, Go!; Diego (Jake T. Austin) receives a call for help at his Animal Rescue Center in the rainforest. With help from his friends, high-tech gadgets and viewers at home, Diego identifies and locates the animal in trouble and the adventure begins. Diego is joined by his 11-year-old sister Alicia (Serena Kerrigan), a computer whiz who is also bilingual and easily switches between speaking English and Spanish. Baby Jaguar is the animal closest to Diego's heart, and his youthful eagerness sometimes puts him in precarious situations. The Backyardigans are five high-spirited neighbors who meet in their adjoining backyards and use their imaginations to transform themselves into different locations for epic adventures. The Backyardigans are: Pablo, an energetic, enthusiastic and excitable penguin; Pablo's best friend Tyrone, an easy-going, confident young moose; Uniqua, a one-of-a-kind character with an adventurous nature; Tasha, a deceptively sweet and girlish hippo; and Austin, a resourceful and shy kangaroo. Emmy award-winning The Wonder Pets!, from creator/executive producer Josh Selig of Little Airplane Productions, Inc., is TV's first mini-operetta for preschoolers and the first preschool series to feature an extensive lineup of Tony award-winning and nominated Broadway composers. The Wonder Pets! chronicles the adventures of three funny, singing classroom pets: Linny the Guinea Pig (Sofie Zamchick), Ming-Ming Duckling (Danica Lee) and Turtle Tuck (Teala Dunn), who travel the world and use teamwork to save baby animals in distress. Ni Hao, Kai-lan, created by Karen Chau and executive produced by Mary Harrington, is an original, half-hour series that teaches Mandarin words and phrases to preschoolers. Ni Hao, Kai-lan is Nick Jr.'s first play-along, think-along series to feature an intergenerational family. Through the eyes of a playful, adventurous and bi-lingual five-year-old with a big heart, named Kai-lan, the series explores the colorful aspects of her upbringing and background, her relationships with her family and friends and the world around her. About Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products Nickelodeon, now in its 29th 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 96 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 14 consecutive years. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B). About Toy Island Press Contacts: Nickelodeon |