PBS KIDS Sprout

PBS Kids Sprout is a U.S. digital cable

Digital cable

Digital cable is a generic term for any type of cable television distribution using digital video compression or distribution. The technology was originally developed by Motorola.-Background:...

 television channel

Television channel

A television channel is a physical or virtual channel over which a television station or television network is distributed. For example, in North America, "channel 2" refers to the broadcast or cable band of 54 to 60 MHz, with carrier frequencies of 55.25 MHz for NTSC analog video and...

, video-on-demand (VOD)

Video on demand

Video on Demand or Audio and Video On Demand are systems which allow users to select and watch/listen to video or audio content on demand...

 service, and website

Website

A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...

 providing PBS Kids

PBS Kids

PBS Kids is the brand for children's programming aired by the Public Broadcasting Service in the United States founded in 1993. As with all PBS programming, PBS Kids programming is non-commercial. It is aimed at children ages 2 to 10...

 shows and original programming for preschoolers

Nursery school

A nursery school is a school for children between the ages of one and five years, staffed by suitably qualified and other professionals who encourage and supervise educational play rather than simply providing childcare...

 and their families. Sprout launched initially as a VOD service on April 1, 2005, and later as a cable and satellite channel on September 26, 2005.

Sprout is co-owned by Sesame Workshop

Sesame Workshop

Sesame Workshop, formerly known as the Children's Television Workshop , is a Worldwide American non-profit organization behind the production of several educational children's programs that have run on public broadcasting around the world...

, HIT Entertainment

HIT Entertainment

Hit Entertainment is a British-American entertainment distribution company established in 1989, and originally the international distribution arm of Jim Henson Productions called Henson International Television...

, PBS

Public Broadcasting Service

The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....

 and NBCUniversal, through their licensee, Children's Network, LLC.

Wiggly Waffle

• The Wiggles
  The Wiggles
  The Wiggles are a children's group formed in Sydney, Australia in 1991. Their original members were Anthony Field, Phillip Wilcher, Murray Cook, Greg Page, and Jeff Fatt. Wilcher left the group after their first album...
  
   host this new show from 6:00 AM to 9:00 AM. The Wiggles are:
• Murray Murray Cook
  Murray Cook
  Murray James Cook AM is an Australian vocalist, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known as one of the founding members of the children's band The Wiggles...
  
  
• Anthony Anthony Field
  Anthony Field
  Anthony Donald Field AM is an Australian musician and actor. He is best known as a member of the children's group The Wiggles and the 1980s and 90s band The Cockroaches with his brothers, Paul and John and another future Wiggle, Jeff Fatt.Field was the youngest of seven children, and grew up in...
  
  
• Jeff Jeff Fatt
  Jeff Fatt
  Jeffrey Wayne "Jeff" Fatt AM , is a Chinese Australian musician and actor. He is best known as a member of the children's band The Wiggles and the 1980s and 90s band The Cockroaches...
  
  
• Sam Sam Moran
  Sam Moran
  Sam Moran is an Australian entertainer best known for being a member of the children's band The Wiggles. He was born in Sydney and raised in Wagga Wagga.-Career:...
  
  
• Dorothy the Dinosaur Leanne Ashley
• Wags the Dog Edward Rooke
• Captain Feathersword Paul Paddick
  Paul Paddick
  Paul Paddick is an Australian actor. Paddick is best known for his portrayal of Captain Feathersword, "the friendly pirate," a character associated with the children's band The Wiggles....
  
  
• Henry the Octopus Elisha Burke
• Officer Beaples Leanne Halloran
• JB Lachlan McCarthy

The Sunny Side Up Show

The Sunny Side Up Show is aired from 9:00 AM to 12noon.

Current hosts

• Kelly (Kelly Vrooman), Sean (Sean Roach), Dennisha (Dennisha Pratt) and Liz (Liz Filios) are the four human hosts of The Sunny Side Up Show, which premiered on September 26, 2007. On a rotating schedule (one of them hosts each week), they introduce programs and lead themed activities, along with co-host puppet Chica and an occasional guest co-host such as Elmo
  Elmo
  Elmo is a Muppet character on the children's television show Sesame Street. He is a furry red monster and currently hosts the last full 15 minute segment on Sesame Street, Elmo's World, which is aimed at toddlers. His puppeteer, Kevin Clash, uses falsetto to produce his voice...
  
  , Barney
  Barney & Friends
  Barney and Friends, also referred to by HiT Entertainment as Barney the Friendly Dinosaur, is an independent children's television show produced in the United States, aimed at children from ages 1-8...
  
  , or Big Bird
  Big Bird
  Big Bird is a protagonist of the children's television show Sesame Street. Big Bird, like many of the other Sesame Street characters, is a Muppet character. He is sometimes referred to simply as "Bird" by his friends....
  
  . Regular features include "The Good Egg Awards", celebrating the accomplishments of "Sproutlets" (viewers); "Manners With Molly", a weekly etiquette question appropriate for the preschool set; and a several-times-daily celebration of viewer birthdays, with a crawl of names and ages traveling across the bottom of the screen.

• Chica is a chicken puppet who co-hosts The Sunny Side Up Show with Kelly, Sean, Dennisha and Liz. She lives in a place called The Sunshine Barn, and has a voice which resembles a kazoo. Her character was introduced on the aforementioned premiere of The Sunny Side Up Show. She also makes occasional appearances on the "Sprout Sharing Show".

• Mr. Mailman is a cartoon character who delivers birthday cards and mail. Originally a part of The Birthday Show, the character was then featured in The Many Adventures of Mr. Mailman. Mr. Mailman and his daily duties were absorbed into The Sunny Side Up Show on September 26, 2007.

Previous hosts

• Kevin (Kevin Yamada) left the show on December 25, 2009. During his final appearance, he informed viewers that he was moving away to the big city and he wasn't going to play with Chica in the Sunshine Barn anymore. He hosted the Birthday Show before The Sunny Side Up Show. He was replaced by Dennisha Pratt.

Good Night Show

The Good Night Show

Good Night Show

The Good Night Show is a television programming block on PBS KIDS Sprout which premiered on September 26, 2005. Programming starts at 6:00pm ET each evening...

is aired from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM and is reaired from 9:00 PM to 12midnight and from 12midnight to 3:00 AM.

Current hosts

• Nina (Michele Lepe
  Michele Lepe
  Michele Lepe , is a Hispanic actress who spent her early childhood in England and grew up in San Antonio, Texas. She became the new permanent host of PBS KIDS Sprout's The Good Night Show playing the role of "Nina" the Goodnight Guide....
  
  ) is the current host of Good Night Show. She also makes occasional appearances on The Sunny Side Up Show .

• Star, a star-shaped puppet, puppeteered and voiced by actress Stacia Newcomb, is the co-host of Good Night Show. Star serves as the child character of the show, asking questions about the evening's theme, or encouraging viewers to follow him as he performs nighttime routines such as brushing his teeth or reading a bedtime story.

• Lucy is a firefly puppet used to introduce shows on Good Night Show. She is also featured in games, such as "Lucy Light the Way"; in this game, viewers are shown parts of a picture (as though they were illuminated by a firefly's light) and viewers then guess what the picture represents. Her puppet was updated in mid-2009.

• Hush is a real-life goldfish who was used to introduce episodes on Good Night Show. He currently still appears at the end of every show, as Nina closes the show by "saying good night to Hush" and reciting a poem in which viewers are encouraged to "make a wish". Hush fish are purchased by the dozen because they die so often.

Previous hosts

• Melanie was the original host of Good Night Show when it premiered in 2005. She was portrayed by Melanie Martinez
  Melanie Martinez
  Melanie Martinez is a television and stage actress. She is most famous for playing Melanie, host of the Good Night Show, on PBS KIDS Sprout from 2005 to 2006.In 1994, she graduated from the Tisch School of the Arts....
  
  . She was fired from the show in 2006, reportedly due to concerns over inappropriate content (sexual innuendo) in a satirical film she had appeared in while in college.

• Leo, played by Noel MacNeal
  Noel MacNeal
  Noel MacNeal is a puppeteer, writer, and director of children's television, best known as the voice and puppeteer of Bear in Bear in the Big Blue House and Breakfast with Bear...
  
  , was the interim host of The Good Night Show after Melanie's dismissal. He filled in as guest host of Good Night Show until Nina became the new host of Good Night Show in late 2006.

External links

• Comcast, PBS Plan New Service (Frank Ahrens, Washington Post, April 5, 2005)
• Saluting Sprout's Launch: PBS Sprouts a Kids Triumph (Debra Kaufman, TelevisionWeek, December 5, 2005)
• Kids Sprout Takes Root as Leader in Genre (Allison J. Waldman, "TelevisionWeek", Nov 27, 2006)