PBS KIDS has announced special and new episodes of DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD, created around COVID-19 pandemic, starting 17 August.
The fifth season of the award-winning kids show will also take off with a Sing-Along Special to support families in these unprecedented times, followed by a week of new episodes.
Preschoolers and their families can “ride along” with Daniel Tiger, his family, and friends on a brand-new season that’ll explore big feelings, learning, and having fun. The Emmy-winning animated series from Fred Rogers Productions will premiere on PBS stations nationwide, the PBS KIDS 24/7 channel, and PBS KIDS digital platforms.
Season five will premiere with “DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD: Won’t You Sing Along with Me?, that will address some of the challenges and disappointments kids and their families may be experiencing due to the Coronavirus outbreak.
In the special, when Daniel learns he can’t gather with all of his neighbours at the Neighborhood Carnival this year, it leads to a lot of big feelings and questions, including what to do when he misses the people he loves, how to keep himself and others healthy, and how to find ways to enjoy the extra time at home with his family. Mom and Dad Tiger then resort to new fan-favourite songs from the series to help reassure him – as well as the young viewers and their parents. The special was created with major funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Commenting on the same, PBS chief programming executive and Children’s Media and Education general manager Lesli Rotenberg said, “As COVID-19 continues to pose challenges to families across the country, PBS KIDS is uniquely positioned to meet the needs of children, parents, and caregivers. Learning lies at the heart of our mission, and we’ve been proud to be able to step in and offer at-home learning solutions, content and resources, like this timely special from DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD, that reach kids where they are with age-appropriate lessons – especially in areas where families may have limited or no access to broadband internet.”
In addition, five new episodes, including a 22-minute special, Daniel’s Substitute Teacher, will premiere throughout the week. A new digital game from DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD will be available later this summer on pbskids.org and the PBS KIDS Games app.
In the episode, Dance Party, kids can dance along with Daniel and his friends, follow their dance moves, and have a fun time. To further support families and educators as school time approaches, whether it be at-home learning or an adjusted back-to-school schedule, new DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD activities and resources will be available on PBS KIDS for Parents and PBS LearningMedia.
Fred Rogers Productions CEO and president Paul Siefken added, “Season five of DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD will showcase even more relatable storylines and fresh musical strategies to help keep preschoolers learning, growing, and navigating the world around them. In addition to the upcoming special, the season will include episodes about sudden changes at school, separation from family members, staying safe, hospital stays, respecting one’s personal space, disappointment, generosity, and grown-ups taking care of you.”
