The Hit Animated Preschool Series Visits The Real World!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Andrea Blain
847-933-9884
ablain@aol.com

The Hit Animated Pre-school Series Visits The Real World!
DRAGON TALES:
LET'S START A BAND

Fun-Filled Adventure Featuring Real Kids
Interacting With Their Favorite Dragon Tales Friends
Plus Special Musical Guests Erykah Badu & Dan Zanes
Coming To VHS & DVD On April 1

   
Culver City, CA (March 24, 2003) – Cassie, Ord, Emmy, Max, Quetzal, Zak & Wheezie are back in a brand new full-length combination animated and live action musical special DRAGON TALES: LET'S START A BAND (co-produced by Sesame Workshop and Sony Pictures Television) available on videocassette for $12.95 SLP and DVD for $14.95 SLP, as well as special in-pack premium versions for $14.95 VHS and $19.95 DVD on April 1 from Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment.

DRAGON TALES: LET'S START A BAND is an all-new adventure where real kids make music with their favorite Dragon Tales friends, along with special musical guests Erykah Badu and Dan Zanes. It's a great day, but Nina and the neighborhood kids need something to do. When Nina suggests that they start a band, the kids don't know where to begin. But with a little help from Nina and her friends, they discover it's as easy as clapping their hands, stomping their feet, playing instruments and using their voices. Then the Dragon Tales characters make a surprise visit to lend a hand and make an afternoon of fun become a musical celebration! With 15 of the most popular Dragon Tales songs it is sure to be a hit with moms and kids.

Dragon Tales has consistently ranked as one of the top-rated programs on PBS among kids ages 2-5 and 6-11 since its launch in September of 1999 by helping guide children through challenging situations and supporting their growth and development. The series is a recipient of the highly coveted Parents' Choice Silver Honor Award as well as the KIDS FIRST! Seal of Approval from the Coalition for Quality Children's Media. It has also been nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award® for "Outstanding Children's Animated Program."

Newsweek Magazine's November 11, 2002 cover story named Dragon Tales as one of the top television shows for children. The series' success is also evident by VEE Entertainment Corporation's Dragon Tales LIVE national touring show reaching 80 markets.

DVD SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE:
·5 Sing-Alongs
·Bonus Trailers

STRONG NATIONAL MARKETING SUPPORT
Children will be wishing on a dragon scale during Dragon Tales' national "I Wish, I Wish" promotion. Running through May 31, 2003, the national sweepstakes invites families to wish for one of three magical prizes. Cassie will grant one lucky child a $10,000 college savings bond and a Compaq home computer; Ord offers an incredible 4-day, 3-night trip for four to Universal Orlando Resort; and Zak & Wheezie will help a child make music with a Yamaha piano and a year of piano lessons. The "I Wish, I Wish" promotion is supported by national advertising, retail displays, and online activities.

The Dragon Tales franchise will be supported by a three-month kids meal promotion with Sbarro Restaurants from April 1 –June 30, 2003 at over 700 locations nationwide. The kids meal will include 4 collectible toy premiums and will be supported with in-store POP of table toppers, counter cards and pizza boxes.

In addition, Dragon Tales will be featured on 6 million Welch's collectible jelly tumblers beginning in January 2003. There will be 6 different themed jar designs featuring the Dragon Tales characters. This will be supported by a ˝ page FSI in April, exposure on Welch's bottled juice and squeezable product, as well as online activities.

The Dragon Tales musical special will also have national broadcast exposure by being a featured part of the March PBS Station pledge drive. 350 stations will participate from March 1 –16 with the video and DVD to be a special pledge gift.

DRAGON TALES: LET'S START A BAND will also be available in a separate SKU with a special on-pack premium offer featuring an exclusive set of 5 collectible glow-in-the-dark wall stickers.

Not Rated
Color
Close Captioned
Running Time: 40 minutes
SLP: $9.95 VHS; $14.95 DVD
Special Premium SLP: $14.95 VHS; $19.95 DVD

Dragon Tales is funded in part by a grant from the Department of Education through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and underwritten in party by Kellogg's Rice Krispies and Frosted Flakes Cereals.
Sesame Workshop is a nonprofit, educational organization making a meaningful difference in children's lives around the world. Founded in 1968, the Workshop changed television forever with the legendary Sesame Street. Today, the Workshop continues to innovate on behalf of children in 120 countries, using its proprietary research methodology to ensure its programs and products are engaging and enriching. Sesame Workshop is behind aware-winning programs like Dragon Tales and Sagwa, The Chinese Siamese Cat and ground breaking multi-media productions in South Africa, Egypt and Russia. These are among many Workshop endeavors recognized for their deep understanding of children's developmental needs and the most effective ways to address them. Find the Workshop online at www.sesameworkshop.org.

Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment is a Sony Pictures Entertainment company. SPE is a division of Sony Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; digital content creation and distribution; worldwide channel investments; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of filmed entertainment in 67 countries. Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.sonypictures.com.


Sony Pictures Television is one of the television industry's leading content providers. SPT produces and distributes top-rated award-winning programming in every genre, including series, movies and family entertainment for network and cable television; first-run syndicated series; off-net syndicated programs; and theatrical releases. Animated series produced by SPT include Jackie Chan Adventures and Men in Black: The Series for Kids' WB!; Dragon Tales, co-produced with Sesame Workshop, on PBS' Ready to Learn block; Harold and the Purple Crayon for HBO Family; Stuart Little, premiering March 1 on HBO Family; and Spider-Man, premiering this summer on MTV. SPT (http://www.sonypicturestelevision.com) is a Sony Pictures Entertainment company."

Visit Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment on the Web at www.cthe.com
For more information on DRAGON TALES, please visit:
www.dragontales.com

XXX


For More Information Contact:


Andrea Blain
Andrea Blain Public Relations
9750 Crawford Ave
Skokie, IL 60076
847-933-9884 phone
847-673-5836 fax
ablain@aol.com




This article courtesy of http://www.bestdragonguide.com.
You may freely reprint this article on your website or in
your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and the author
name and URL remain intact.

Submit Your Article