Premieres Monday, June 17 (8:00 A.M. & 11:30 A.M., ET/PT)

The international phenomenon "The Wiggles" -- an Australian group that sings and dances to original, upbeat songs promoting values and social behavior for preschoolers -- will join Disney Channel's popular learning-based programming block, Playhouse Disney, as a summertime daily half-hour series, it was announced today by Rich Ross, President, Entertainment, Disney Channel.

"The Wiggles" premieres Monday, June 17 (8:00 a.m., ET/PT) and will be featured weekdays (8:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., ET/PT) and weekends (8:00 a.m., ET/PT). Disney Channel premiered songs by "The Wiggles" in interstitial programming last January.

"The band's training in Early Childhood Education greatly influences their approach to kids' entertainment and their engaging songs, simple dances and age-appropriate humor are a perfect complement for our Playhouse Disney programming. We've had the opportunity to witness boys' and girls' tremendous reaction to The Wiggles as well as parents' appreciation for their wholesome appeal and look forward to their legion of fans enjoying them on Disney Channel," said Ross.

"We're thrilled that Disney Channel will be airing The Wiggles' half-hour shows this summer," said Charlie Caminada, president of global sales and marketing for HIT Entertainment, whose Lyrick Studios division distributes The Wiggles programming. "We've seen a substantial rise in awareness for the group since the interstitials began airing earlier this year, and the longer-form episodes are sure to attract an even greater audience."

"The Wiggles" have written and recorded a special song and music video for Disney Channel to herald their entry onto the Playhouse Disney schedule. Entitled "Imagine What We Can Learn," it begins airing in interstitial programming next week.

Since "The Wiggles" debuted in 1991, the Sydney-based group has reigned as Australia's most popular children's entertainers and have added several million CDs and videos to kids' caches throughout the world -- striking sales gold at home and abroad with 10 albums, 13 videos, one DVD, a movie and regular live shows including a headlining concert currently touring through North America. The group's members are known by the signature color of their T-shirts: Greg Page wears yellow, Anthony Field wears blue, Murray Cook is in red, and Jeff Fatt is in purple. They have won multiple honors including several prestigious ARIA (Australian Recording Industry) awards for children's song writing.

"The Wiggles" television series, 39 half-hour episodes, is a mixture of live action and animation. With the combination of scriptwriter Don Arioli ("Sesame Street") and The Wiggles songs and characters -- Dorothy the Dinosaur, Wags the Dog, Henry the Octopus and Captain Feathersword the friendly pirate -- the series explores the world of The Wiggles where anything can happen. Each episode encompasses a different theme relevant to the world of a young child including food, friendship, the body and family -- all with a healthy dose of fun.

Distributed by Lyrick Studios, a division of HIT Entertainment PLC, the series airs on international Disney Channels in Australia, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, parts of Asia and Saudi Arabia, as well as other channels throughout the world.

Established in 1989, the U.K.-based HIT Entertainment PLC is one of the world's leaders in quality family entertainment. HIT Entertainment acquired U.S.-based Lyrick Studios in 2001. HIT Entertainment is a fully integrated global studio, which incorporates production, distribution, publishing, licensing and merchandising.

Disney Channel's morning/early afternoon programming block Playhouse Disney is designed for preschool age children, their parents or caregivers, with an emphasis on "whole child" development. Disney Channel, combining original series and movies with timeless classics, is the first full-time general entertainment television network designed for kids and families. Available in over 80 million homes, Disney Channel is a division of ABC Cable Networks Group, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company.

Episodes of "Bear in the Big Blue House" continue to air at 6:30 a.m. and "The Book of Pooh" continues to air at 11:00 a.m.

--Posted June 12, 2002