Granny Ranny's Coming Attractions

“Halloween is an exciting time for kids to explore new things – meeting new people and even taking on new identities – and to share these experiences with friends,” said Lesli Rotenberg, SVP Children’s Media, PBS. “Our Halloween content is filled with teamwork and sharing – critical growth areas for young children as they begin understanding the importance of friendship – and PBS’ children’s characters are perfect guides for this adventurous time.”

Beginning October 9 on PBSKIDSGO.org, kids can watch their favorite Halloween-themed episodes on the PBS KIDS GO! video player at PBSKIDSGO.org/video. The themed channel will include clips from ARTHUR, CYBERCHASE, MARTHA SPEAKS and POSTCARDS FROM BUSTER. In addition, PBSKIDSGO.org will feature costume ideas, spooky games, e-cards and more. On PBSKIDS.org/halloween, preschoolers and their parents can see what’s inside SID THE SCIENCE KID’s mystery lunchbox, play counting games with The Count from SESAME STREET, share favorite Halloween stories on Dot’s Story Factory, or view clips from favorite Halloween-themed episodes of CURIOUS GEORGE, SID THE SCIENCE KID, DINOSAUR TRAIN and more.

For parents and caregivers, PBS Parents (PBSPARENTS.org) is offering a free exclusive costume pattern for “Buddy,” the T-Rex star from the new hit PBS KIDS series DINOSAUR TRAIN. The full-body sewing pattern, designed by the artists of Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, is available in two sizes for ages 3 to 5.

PBS Parents is also launching a new crafting column, “Craft Apparent,” in early October. The first weekly column on October 8 will share some budget-friendly costume ideas, followed by a column on how parents and children can make a fun, festive Halloween treat bag together. In addition, parents can find tips and articles on having a fun and safe Halloween, alternative trick-or-treat giveaways, themed recipes, activities and Halloween book recommendations. Parents can also get great ideas and tips for a safe and happy Halloween from Twitter.com/PBSParents and from other parents on Facebook/PBSParents.

On October 30, PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS GO! will offer a spooktacular array of Halloween-themed episodes where kids can join their favorite characters from CURIOUS GEORGE, SUPER WHY!, SID THE SCIENCE KID, DINOSAUR TRAIN, ARTHUR, CYBERCHASE, MAYA & MIGUEL and more as they celebrate Halloween with costume parties, trick-or-treating, and nighttime adventures while learning a few important friendship lessons such as sharing and teamwork along the way. A new episode from WORDGIRL will broaden kids’ vocabulary as WordGirl protects the holiday from Tobey and his Robots and helps save the day.

Friday. October 30 (check local listings)
On PBS KIDS for preschoolers:
CURIOUS GEORGE – “The Fully Automatic Fun Hat / Creatures of the Night”
The Fully Automatic Fun Hat – George wants to have a hat as fun as the Man with the Yellow Hat’s yellow hat. But picking the right headgear is hard, and no one seems to recognize him in a fedora or Bavarian fishing hat. After a day of unsuccessful hat shopping George takes matters into his own hands and makes a super hat from craft supplies and toys right at home. Using levers, pop-up techniques and some trial and error, George engineers the Ultimate Yellow Monkey Fun Hat – fully equipped with food dispenser, prop launcher, and animal inflator. But what will happen when the Man accidentally wears the monkey hat at his big presentation?

Creatures of the Night – George thought it was odd that all the food was gone from the bird feeder in a single night. Who or what is eating it all? Could the small animal tracks be a clue? Determined to solve the mystery George stays up all night and finds a baby possum who has lost his family. The two set off on a night journey to find the possum’s home and meet some other nocturnal animals (and some very tired “day animals”!) on the way. And because their night shadows strike a scary resemblance to the legendary Lake Creature of Lake Wanasink Lake – whose tale Mr. Quint is broadcasting to the entire town on this same night – the furry twosome cause quite a stir.

SID THE SCIENCE KID – “My Mushy Banana”
Sid wants to know why his beloved yellow banana has turned brown and mushy. After exploring how fruits and vegetables slowly change, Sid learns that it’s natural for his banana to ripen and turn brown and mushy. Over time, fruits and vegetables decay! In the live action segment, kids can see what happens when pumpkins start to go bad.

SUPER WHY! – “The Ghost Who Was Afraid of Halloween”
It’s Halloween in Storybrook Village and Pig is so frightened, he won’t go trick-or-treating with his friends! The Super Readers pay a storybook visit to Little Ghost, who’s a bit of a scaredy cat himself, to teach him there’s more to Halloween than meets the eye!

DINOSAUR TRAIN – “Night Train/Fossil Fred”
Night Train – Dad, Buddy and Tiny take a special ride on the Dinosaur Train at night, learning about animals that are active after dark, culminating at the Big Pond for a nature walk under the full moon.
Fossil Fred – Buddy, Tiny and Don play “detective” and search around the Big Pond for fossils. The kids end up finding an entire skeleton of a Jurassic dinosaur.

WORDWORLD – “A Kooky Spooky Halloween / Sheep’s Halloween Costume”
A Kooky Spooky Halloween – The WordFriends get their share of scares the night before Halloween when Pig sleepwalks and everyone thinks he’s a ghost!
Sheep’s Halloween Costume – It’s Halloween – Sheep’s favorite day of the year. Sheep likes nothing more than to dress up, so she always goes out of her way to make herself a special costume. But what will she do when her WordFriends need pieces of her costume for their own costumes?

BARNEY & FRIENDS – “Guess Who / Sweet Treats”
Guess Who – BJ and Baby Bop decide to get Halloween celebrations underway with a costume party. But when it comes to picking costumes, Riff just can’t decide! That night, as the festivities get underway, Riff makes a grand entrance proudly wearing a costume that suits him perfectly!
Sweet Treats – Barney and his friends go trick-or-treating in the park. One of Barney’s friends discovers all his candy is gone…he has a hole in his bag! BJ shares his candy and everyone learns how nice it is to share with friends!

CAILLOU – “After Dark”
Things get a little scary today. Caillou and his new neighbors, Jason and Jeffery, are playing hide-and-go-seek in the backyard, until dusk brings out the shadows. A flashlight and Mommy help chase the shadows away. That evening, Caillou can’t fall asleep when he hears scary “scratchy monster” noises and thinks there’s a monster in his room. Daddy shows him that a tree branch brushing against the window is making the noises and the only monster in Caillou’s room is Gilbert. Later, a bad dream about a scary monster leads to a restless night for Caillou. Mommy and Daddy help him learn to fall asleep safely in his own bed. And, finally, when Caillou sleeps over at Leo’s house for the first time, he has fun until it’s time to go to sleep. A phone call to Mommy reminds Caillou that Teddy was looking forward to spending the night. Together they rest easily.

On PBS KIDS GO! for early elementary school children:
WORDGIRL – “Tobey’s Tricks and Treats / Escape Wham” (NEW)
Tobey’s Trick and Treats – After losing the costume contest at school, Tobey sets his Robots on a candy-stealing spree and vows to ruin Halloween. Becky and Violet (in her WordGirl costume) plot to save the holiday… and the city.
Escape Wham – When both Chuck and the Whammer attempt to steal famous, priceless Henry VIII artifacts, WordGirl assumes they’re partners in crime. But instead of working together the two villains end up battling each other. Wham!

CYBERCHASE – “The Halloween Howl”
The annual “Halloween Howl” bash in Castleblanca promises to be spooktacular…until Hacker takes over the Mayor’s Castle and brings its seven stone gargoyles to life. Obeying Hacker’s every command, the gargoyles capture the Mayor and imprison him in the dungeon. To gain control of the creepy creatures, the CyberSquad must figure out how to use division to evenly split up bunches of garlic and rock candy. But can they do it in time to rescue the Mayor and save The Halloween Howl?

ARTHUR – “Hic or Treat / Mr. Alwaysright”
Hic or Treat – D.W. gets a case of the hiccups that just won’t go away. No matter how much advice she gets from Arthur and his friends, she just can’t find the right cure. (Well, at least her Halloween costume as “Hiccup Girl” is all set…) Will D.W. ever get relief – or will she have the hiccups for the rest of her life and set the world record?
Mr. Alwaysright – It seems that Brain is always right about everything and it’s really starting to get on Buster’s nerves. But Buster is convinced that someday Brain will make a mistake – and when he does, Buster will be waiting. But is friendship really about being right or wrong?

MAYA & MIGUEL – “La Calavera”
When Maya wants to add some oomph to her presentation about Mexico for school, she consults her Abuela Elena, who allows her to borrow a prized possession: a calavera, or skull made of sugar, that is used in the yearly Day of the Dead celebration. Maya promises to let nothing happen to this special calavera. Her presentation goes well, but Maya loses the calavera! After Theo, Maggie, Chrissy and Andy each share their fantastical ideas about how the lost calavera will make Abuela feel, Maya herself feels horrible. She promised her Abuela that she wouldn’t let anything happen to it! Then, as luck would have it, Maya discovers that she accidentally switched backpacks with another student, and the calavera is recovered. An excited Maya can’t contain herself, and while jumping up and down, breaks the calavera! Maya is determined not to let her Abuela down, and goes to great lengths to have the calavera re-made. Unfortunately, this too is a disaster. When Abuela is finally told the truth, Maya is surprised – Abuela is happy! Not about the calavera, but about Maya’s good grade on her presentation. And though Abuela misses the calavera, she thinks that rebuilding it together would make her even happier.

Willy Wonka & The Chocolate FActory Blu-ray (October 6) KIDS FIRST! Top 100 List

Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! Wubbzy’s Christmas Adventure. (Oct 20)
The holidays are coming, and everyone in Wuzzleburg is getting ready for Winter Wonder Wubb Club fun! In this all-new Wubbzy collection, everyone’s favorite bendy-tailed buddy pitches in to decorate The Figgity-Fig Tree, fix Walden’s snow sculpture and even solve the mystery of the Snow Shoo-Shoo! There s plenty of singing, dancing, hoopty-horns and slippery-sledding too, all in the DVD that celebrates the ultimate Wow! Wow! season of caring, sharing and friendship! DVD.

Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas. (Oct. 13)
Inspired by the famous holiday book by Dr. Seuss, audiences are introduced to a magic world called Whoville that is populated by the Who’s who absolutely adore Christmas. This classic Christmas story has built-in meanness by the Grinch counterbalanced by Cindy Lou Who – who has her own doubts about the holiday, believing that the true meaning of Christmas may have become lost amidst the holiday rush and the hubbub. Ultimately it delivers a little magic that places it among other holiday favorites.

Miracle on 34th Street. (Oct 6)
Six-year-old Susan doubts childhood’s most enduring miracle, Santa Claus. Her mother told her the “secret” of Santa a long time ago, so Susan does not expect to receive the most important gifts on her Christmas list. But after meeting a special department store Santa, who is convinced he is the real thing, Susan is given the most precious gift of all–something to believe in. Blu-ray.

March of the Penguins (Oct. 27)
March of the Penguins is narrated by Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman (Million Dollar Baby) and chronicles the lives of the emperor penguins and their remarkable journey to find a mate and start a family. The film is an all-age, true-life adventure touched with humor, with breathtaking photography that puts you in the middle of the drama of devoted parent penguins who, in the face of fierce polar winters, take turns guarding their eggs and trekking to the ocean in search of food. They will risk starvation and attack by dangerous predators, under the harshest conditions on earth, all to find true love and guard their adorable chicks.

Elmo’s Animal Adventures (10/6/09)

There’s fun around every turn in these joyful wintertime adventures! Catch the holiday spirit as Thomas & Friends prepare for the grand opening of the Toy Workshop. Laugh and play along as Percy tries to fool his friends into believing he’s Jack Frost. And hold on tight for some of Thomas’ most thrilling races and rescues in this heartwarming holiday collection.

Barney™: Tee-riffic Holiday Collection (Oct. 13)

Bob the Builder™: Building Crew Holiday Collection (Oct. 13)
Just in time for the holidays, discover why “the fun is in getting it done” in these action-packed, fun-filled adventures! Join Bob and the Can-Do Crew as they rescue their friend from a winter storm in “Bob’s White Christmas.” Then it’s time to build a log cabin and smooth the ice rink for the Winter Games. Finally, come along as Bob and Scoop hunt for buried treasure — and make some amazing discoveries — in this one-of-a-kind collection that’s the perfect holiday treat for Bob the Builder fans.

Bob The Builder: Christmas to Remember (Oct. 13)
The Movie. Bob’s Can Do-Crew is busy decorating for the holidays and building a concert stage for rock stars Lennie and the Lazers. And guess who is coming home for Christmas? Bob’s twin brother Tom, all the way from the Arctic Circle! Unfortunately, things don’t go as planned. Spud is up to his usual pranks, Lennie can’t sing, Bob forgot his Santa costume and it seems Tom won’t be home after all. Much to Bob’s surprise, Elton John and a mysterious appearance by Santa make it a special Christmas to remember!

HIT Ravorites: Frosty Friends (Oct 6)
Bundle up with your favorite preschool pals in fun-filled wintertime tales with HIT Favorites: Frosty Friends flurrying onto DVD October 6, 2009 from Lionsgate and HIT Entertainment. Join Barney™, Bob the Builder™, Pingu™, Thomas & Friends™ and Kipper™ as they enjoy playful adventures in the snow. Learn the true meaning of Christmas with your best friend Barney, build a snowman with Bob, go sledding with Kipper, whistle down the tracks with Thomas and laugh along as Pingu plays hilarious tricks on his friends.

Barney: Christmas Star. (Oct 13)
‘Tis the season to be jolly and celebrate Christmas with Barney and his friends. Join the holiday fun as they trim the Christmas tree in the snow covered park. But something is missing – the shiny, gold star for the treetop! So it’s “over the river and through the woods” to grandmother’s attic to search for the missing star. Imagine all the treasures they discover – little drummer boys and an antique typewriter that’s perfect for writing a letter to Santa. After re-enacting the classic poem, “The Night Before Christmas,” the children celebrate with friends and family as Barney places the Christmas star atop the tree.

On the evening of September 24, five of the original actors who played Munchkins in “The Wizard of Oz” will make a rare appearance, their first ever in Manhattan; Lorna Luft will honor her mother’s legacy with a special musical tribute performing “Rock-A-Bye Your Baby” as well as a Wizard of Oz medley composed especially for the Gala; and Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter and actress Ashanti, who recently played Dorothy in City Center Encores! production of The Wiz, will sing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” All this will take place at Warner Bros. Entertainment’s highly anticipated Emerald Gala at Manhattan’s historic Tavern on the Green in celebration of the 70th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz. At sundown, the famed lights of the Empire State Building will glow emerald green in honor of the American film classic’s milestone.

The Emerald Gala will launch the last season of extravaganzas under the LeRoy family’s ownership of the iconic restaurant, known and loved by patrons from New York and the world over since 1974. The entire restaurant and surrounding grounds will transform for a night into the Emerald City, replete with a winding “Yellow Brick Road,” fields of poppies, and a special appearance by the seven-and-a-half story stunningly decorated Wizard of Oz Hot Air Balloon.

Multi-platinum recording sensation Ashanti will grace the stage to perform Somewhere Over the Rainbow and The Way That I Love You at the star-studded gala event, highlighted by the charitable auction of Warner Bros. Consumer Products’ Ruby Slipper Collection and select pieces from Inspirations of Fine Art Collection to benefit long time philanthropic partner, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF). Joining the stage with Ashanti will be a full band and four talented musical prodigies from a local New York high school. The orchestra members, Joshua Epstein, Kathryn Mattner, Joanna Rose-Gross and Jenny Yiu, were hand picked from North Shore High School by Musical Director, Marvin Floyd.

The Munchkins – Ruth Duccini (Villager), Jerry Maren (Lollipop Guild Member), Margaret Pellegrini (Flowerpot Hat Dancer), Meinhardt Raabe (Coroner and oldest living Munchkin, who proclaims “The Witch is Dead”); and Karl Slover (1st Trumpeter) — have not appeared together publicly since their 2007 Walk of Fame honors and prior to that at a 2005 screening at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills, CA.

In honor of the film’s anniversary, Ashanti has recorded Somewhere Over the Rainbow as a single, which will be released through all standard online outlets, beginning September 24. “It’s an honor to be a part of this great tribute to such an iconic American film classic,” said Ashanti. “To be able to sing Somewhere Over the Rainbow is a way for me to pay homage to Judy Garland, a distinct pioneer of all time.”

Noted Ms. Luft, “I am truly looking forward to performing at this historic event honoring one of the greatest movies ever made.”

Also making a special appearance at the grand affair will be the cast of the highly celebrated The National Tour of The Wizard of Oz, with Dorothy and Toto, Scarecrow, Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion, all adding fun and excitement down the “Yellow Brick Road.” The cast will perform If I Only Had a Brain on the main stage in the Garden of Tavern on the Green.

“We are pleased to have our cast take part in the Warner Bros.’ 70th Anniversary celebration of The Wizard of Oz,” said Seth Wenig, Executive Producer, The Wizard of Oz National Tour. “The movie is in its 70th year, and we will bring this beloved American classic to life on stage in more than 70 cities across the nation! Everywhere from Pittsburgh to Anchorage, we are thrilled to be a part of that!”

Warner Home Video’s September 29 Blu-ray and DVD release of The Wizard of Oz 70th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Editions will mark an historic benchmark in the Blu-ray format as the studio continues to maximize what Blu-ray can do for picture and sound. With six times higher resolution than standard DVD along with unparalleled sonic excellence, the film will be at its absolute pristine best, packed with treasured collectibles and brand-new bonus content.

Guests at The Emerald Gala and around the world have the opportunity to bid on Warner Bros. Consumer Products’ renowned Ruby Slipper Collection and select works from The Inspirations of Oz Fine Art Collection at rubyslipperauction.com, with proceeds benefiting EGPAF. The auction opened September 10, with final bids closing and tabulated on September 30.

HIT Favorites: Trick or Treat Tales and Shaun the Sheep: Little Sheep of Horrors will be released just in time for Halloween on September 1, 2009.

· Thomas & Friends – “Flour Power!”
· Barney & Friends™ – “Guess Who?”
· Bob the Builder – “Trix’s Pumpkin Pie”
· Fifi and the Flowertots – “Pirate Primrose”
· Angelina Ballerina – “The Costume Ball”
· “Cat Magic” – a bonus episode of Fireman Sam

Shaun the Sheep: What’s black and white and goes bump in the night? Don’t be scared – it’s your woolly friend, Shaun the Sheep! Join Shaun as he leads his fearless flock through six adventures that mix the spooky, the kooky, and the just plain funny. A troublesome tractor, freaky farm noises and sleepwalking sheep are only a few of the weird and wonderful surprises waiting for Shaun and his barnyard pals as they creep, sneak and make mayhem in this laugh-filled collection.

* “Little Sheep of Horrors” – Intrigued by a horror film on TV, Timmy wanders into the Farmer’s House, and Shaun’s rescue mission wreaks panic.

* “Abracadabra” – When the Farmer decides to throw out his magic set, Shaun decides to put on a show – but things get out of hand when the flock start disappearing!

* “Things That Go Bump” – On a dark and stormy night the flock cannot sleep – Shaun discovers the culprits.

* “Heavy Metal Shaun” – The farmer inspects the lawn with a metal detector. When Shaun and Bitzer try it, they discover a metallic threat behind a hedge.

* “Troublesome Tractor” – The tractor seems to be ready for the scrap heap and the farmer wishes he could afford to buy a new one. So the sheep overhaul it…

* “Sheepwalking” – It is a peaceful night at the farm, until Shaun starts to walk in his sleep. The Flock cannot resist their natural instinct to follow, and chaos soon ensues.

DVD SPECIAL FEATURES
· Sheep-Shearing Game
· Whack-A-Pig Game

I love this DVD. It really puts things into perspective. The world is a very big place with so many faces in so many places, too many to picture, let alone know. But what if you could take the world’s population – over 6 billion – and see it within the confines of one united community of 100? Find out in the delightful and insightful If the World Were a Village, a story about the world’s people coming to DVD September 8, 2009 from Master Communications, Inc.

For example, out of 100 people:
· 61 would be from Asia, 13 from Africa, 5 from North America, 8 from Central and South America, 12 from Europe and 1 from Oceania (Australia, South Pacific, etc).
· More than half would speak one of eight languages: Chinese, Hindi, English, Spanish, Portuguese, Bengali, Arabic and Russian.
· Represented faiths would include Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, Muslim and non-organized religions.
· 39 people would be under 19 years of age, 42 would be between ages 20-49, 18 would be older than 50 and 1 would be older than 80.

If the World Were a Village is a unique and objective resource, inspiring children to discover that life in other nations is often very different from their own. The compartmentalized stats, along with Smith’s tips on building “world-mindedness,” will encourage viewers to embrace the bigger picture and help establish their own place in the international landscape.

Chapters include: Welcome to the Global Village; Nationalities; Languages; Ages; Religions; Food; Air and Water; Schooling and Literacy; Money and Possessions; Electricity; Village in the Past; Village in the Future; Teaching Children About the Global Village; a Note on Sources; and How the Calculations Were Made.

If the World Were a Village has been honored as a 2006 Prix Jeunesse International Finalist, a 2006 Gemini Award Nominee for Best Direction and won the 2007 Alliance for Children & Television Award of Excellence and the 2007 Canadian Screenwriting Award.

The DVD is approximately 25 minutes and is available in English, Spanish or French

The Barbie animated films offer excellent stories and excellent animated production values. This new release is sure to please young Barbie fans. Here’s more about it:

DVD. 75 minutes. Ages 5-8
From UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOME VIDEO