Here at Collider, we cover a lot of stuff, be itStar Wars, superheroes, or cinephile fare, and everything from movies and TV, to video games and web series. There’s something for everyone. But there’s so much stuff out there that sometimes our younger audience members get left out. So every once in a while, we’d like to shine a spotlight on some family-friendly content that parents and caregivers can confidently watch with the little ones.
In today’sCollider Kidssegment, we’ve actually got a lot to cover. First up is the news that hit Disney seriesPhineas and Ferbis now available to stream in its entirety on the DisneyNOW app! And if that’s not enough streaming content for the kiddos, Kanopy has just launched Kanopy Kids–free to library card holders–to offer a lot more children’s programming. We’ve also got Disney Junior premiering the first kids television program in space thanks to a screening ofMiles from Tomorrowlandon the International Space Station, and much more news from the world of kids' content. Read on below for more!
Disney’s global hit animated seriesPhineas and Ferbis now available in its entirety on DisneyNOW. The first season will be available for all users, while the subsequent three seasons will be available for verified users.
Disney XD will also air the entirePhineas and Ferblibrary – 126 episodes, seven one-hour specials and the record-breaking Disney Channel Original MoviePhineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension– throughout the month of May. Episodes will air weekdays, beginning Tuesday, May 1st (5:00-8:00 p.m. EDT/PDT), leading into aPhineas and FerbMemorial Day weekend marathon, Friday, May 25th (5:00 p.m. EDT/PDT) through Monday, May 28th (8:30 p.m. EDT/PDT).
ThePhineas and Ferbvoice cast includesVincent Martellaas Phineas Flynn;Thomas Brodie-Sangsteras Ferb Fletcher;Ashley Tisdaleas Candace Flynn;Mitchel Mussoas Jeremy;Caroline Rheaas mom Linda Flynn-Fletcher;Richard O’Brienas dad Lawrence Fletcher;Dee Bradley Bakeras Perry the Platypus;Alyson Stoneras Isabella;Jeff “Swampy” Marshas Major Monogram and creator/executive producerDan Povenmireas the nefarious Dr. Doofenshmirtz.
Kanopy Launches ‘Kanopy Kids’ to Stream Children’s Programming
We are excited to tell you about the launch ofKanopy Kids, a new programming block fromKanopy, the video-on-demand streaming service available to public library card holders for free. In other words, it’s kind of like Netflix, but free! And it’s got alotof excellent content for both adults and kids alike.
In addition to Kanopy’s main catalog that offers tens of thousands of documentaries, feature films, rare titles, and classic movies, Kanopy Kids will offer content for children aged preschool and up featuring a curated selection of educational and enriching videos with developmentally appropriate age-based ratings fromCommon Sense Media.
Kanopy Kids categories include TV Series, Learning Languages, Animated Storybooks, Anime Favorites, Classic Films and Movies for the Whole Family. Key titles includeArthur,Babar,Franklin & Friends,Maya The Bee,Wild Kratts,Between the Lions,Little Pim, and Nigerian-animatedBino & Fino. The collection also highlights Classic Films fromCharlie ChaplinandBuster Keatonand Oscar® nominated titles includingA Cat in ParisandThe Secret of Kells, plus family-friendly documentaries,Girls RockandThe Endless Summer.
Kanopy Kids brings invaluable learning material to children of all ages, entirely free through a public library account. The catalog highlights films and TV series that inspire, inform, and helps children develop empathy, mindfulness, and self-esteem through entertaining and educational videos. With the launch of Kanopy Kids, Kanopy expands its mission to provide thoughtful entertainment to everyone, from young students to lifelong learners with approximately 500 children’s titles at launch and more than 100 to be added each month. Both Kanopy and Kanopy Kids are available on any computer, television, or mobile device with apps for Roku, Chromecast, Apple TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, iOS, and Android and can be found at most major U.S. public libraries including Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, Brooklyn, Queens, Austin, New Orleans, San Francisco, Annapolis, Philadelphia, Oklahoma City, Kansas City, and Phoenix.
Disney Junior Screens ‘Miles from Tomorrowland’ Episode on the International Space Station!
Lauded for inspiring young viewer’s imaginations about space, science and technology, Disney Junior’s “Mission Force One,” the latest chapter of acclaimed seriesMiles from Tomorrowland, marked the first kids television premiere in space, when an episode entitled “The Space Station Situation” debuted to astronauts on board the International Space Station earlier this week. The episode, which features an exact replica of the space station using NASA’s original designs, was also shown at a private screening event at the nonprofit Space Center Houston, the official visitor center for NASA Johnson Space Center, this past weekend before making its television debut Monday, May 7th (5:30-6:00 p.m. EDT), on Disney Junior and in the DisneyNOW app.
In the episode, young adventurer Miles and his friends travel back in time to prevent the International Space Station from getting stuck in the future, with help from the astronauts on board. Revered space and science figures voicing themselves include NASA astronautsScott Kelly,Jeanette EppsandYvonne Cagle; the European Space Agency’s astronautSamantha Cristoforetti from Italy; Russian cosmonautMikhail Kornienko; NASA space station flight directorHolly Ridings; and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’sRandii Wessen,Diana Trujillo,Bobak FerdowsiandKevin Hand.Bill Nyerecurs as Professor Rubicon and the episode also features GRAMMY Award-winning, world-renowned banjo playerBela Fleck.
“Mission Force One” follows Miles Callisto as he leads a highly skilled team of friends, each with their own unique STEAM abilities, on exciting outer space expeditions. Experts from NASA, NASA’s JPL, the Space Tourism Society and Google serve as consultants on the series, which incorporates unique space and science facts into each storyline.
Created and executive produced by Emmy®-nominatedSascha Paladino(Henry Hugglemonster), the series is a production of Wild Canary in association with Disney Junior.
‘The Boxcar Children: Surprise Island’ Featurette Introduces the Voice Cast
The beloved Boxcar Children are headed to the silver screen! The new animated feature filmThe Boxcar Children - Surprise Islandhits theaters nationwide for a special one-day event on May 8th. This exciting after-school event is a partnership between Fathom Events, Shout! Kids, and Legacy Classics, and it will also offer moviegoers an exclusive introduction with actorGriffin Gluckand DirectorDan Chubaexplaining the process of adapting the book to film, and the process of animating.
Moviegoers will be able to enjoy the film in approximately 700 select U.S. movie theaters. A complete list of theater locations will be available at Fathomevents.com. Tickets forThe Boxcar Children - Surprise Islandare on sale now and can be purchased online or at participating theater box offices.
The Boxcar Children - Surprise Island, the highly-anticipated movie adaption of the popular children’s book of the same name, stars Golden Globe®-winning actorMartin Sheenas James Alden, Oscar®-winnerJ.K. Simmonsas Dr. Moore,Dane DeHaanas the mysterious Joe,Joey Kingas Jesse Alden,Carter Sandas Benny Alden,Gil Birminghamas Lonan Browning,Griffin Gluckas Henry Alden,Stephen Stantonas Capt. Daniel andTalitha Batemanas Violet.
The Boxcar Children - Surprise Islandfollows the adventures of the orphaned Boxcar Children as they spend an entire summer living on their Grandfather’s small, nearly uninhabited island. There they meet Joe, who is friendly and helpful, and inexplicably living on their island. Does their new friend have a secret?
The Boxcar Children - Surprise Islandis fun for the whole family, and is Dove approved for all ages. It is directed by Dan Chuba and Mark Dippé, and is produced by Legacy Classics and co-produced by Shout! Factory, Albert Whitman & Company and Blueberry Pictures.The Boxcar Children - Surprise Islandis the first of three new animated features to be adapted from the “The Boxcar Children” book series, as part of a partnership between Shout! Kids and Legacy Classics.
“The Boxcar Children” byGertrude Chandler Warneris one of the best-selling children’s book series of all time. Having just marked its 75th anniversary, over 70 million books have sold world-wide. There are 150 books in the series, and over 1 million kids read the books in schools across North America every year.
It’s going to be WILD!
Young fans and their families nationwide are in store for even more adventure on the creature trail when the world-famousKratt Brothershit the road with an all-new stage adventure!Wild Kratts LIVE 2.0 – Activate Creature Power!, the theatrical production starringMartin and Chris Kratt, based on the Emmy-nominated hit PBS KIDS series, will bring audiences along on a “wild” ride with a dynamic mix of live-action and animation. The stage show will begin roaring into venues across the country this September. Tickets are now available, and a list of 2018 tour dates, ticket links, and more information can be found atwww.wildkrattslive.com. Additional dates and cities for 2019 will be announced soon.
“We are so excited to introduce our new live stage show and meet our fellow ‘creature adventurers’ in cities across the U.S. this fall,” saidChris Kratt, creator, producer and co-star of the Wild Kratts series and co-founder of The Kratt Brothers Company. “Wild Kratts LIVE 2.0 is perfect for explorers of all ages. It features all the excitement and interactive elements that Wild Kratts fans love, plus awesome new Kratt Brothers twists and turns to keep them on the edge of their seats.”
In Wild Kratts LIVE 2.0, Chris and Martin take to the stage to activate new Creature Powers and go “off to the creature rescue!” With some help from Aviva and the rest of the Wild Kratts team, who will be animated and on screen at the Tortuga HQ, the brothers confront a comic villain and once again save the day, sharing fascinating tidbits about some of the world’s most amazing creatures along the way.
Audience members are encouraged to bring along their animal knowledge and participate in the action right from their seats by calling out answers to the questions posed by the Kratt Brothers during the show.
Wild Kratts 2.0 – Activate Creature Power!2018 tour dates include:
Cities and dates for 2019 will be announced soon.
Since their original Wild Kratts LIVE! touring show launched in 2014, Chris and Martin have performed to wildly-enthusiastic crowds of hundreds of thousands of fans – many of them sporting their own Creature Power Suits, just like the Kratt Brothers do in the popular series – in more than 135 cities across North America.
Produced by The Kratt Brothers Company and 9 Story Media Group, the popular live-action and animated Wild Kratts television show just received its sixth Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Children’s Animated Series. The show airs daily on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings) as well as the new PBS KIDS 24/7 channel and live stream. Now in its sixth season, Wild Kratts is one of the top 3 rated shows on PBS KIDS and the #1 show site and streaming site onpbskids.org. The series is also a top performer on Amazon Prime.
Wild Krattsfollows the animated versions of the Kratt Brothers and their friends on hilarious expeditions with wild animals from around the world, complete with animal-inspired gadgets and awesome Creature Power Suits that enable the adventurers to get close to the creatures. Every episode explores an age-appropriate science concept central to an animal’s life and showcases a spectacular wildlife moment, presented with engaging stories of mystery and rescue as well as the Kratt Brothers’ signature brand of laugh-out-loud comedy. The real-life Chris and Martin introduce each episode with a live-action segment that imagines what it would be like to experience a never-before-seen wildlife occurrence and sets the story in motion.Wild Krattsairs in more than 180 countries and is available in 18 languages.
‘The Steam Engines of Oz’ Blu-ray Release Date and Details Revealed
Since Dorothy found herself on the Yellow Brick Road in 1939, there have been countless adaptations of the treasured film, but this June, Cinedigm will unveil an imaginative new take on the classic Oz mythology withThe Steam Engines of Oz. Based on the graphic novel of the same name by Arcana Studio,The Steam Engines of Ozis a thrilling animated adventure with a modern steampunk twist. Featuring the voice talents of Ron Perlman, William Shatner and Julianne Hough, it’s a journey perfect for the whole family, and it steams into retail on June 5th in a Blu-ray+DVD Combo Pack, and will also be available via Digital through all leading platforms and VOD.
Set a century after Dorothy first clicked her ruby slippers together, the Emerald City is no longer a magical land but a toxic, heavily industrialized wasteland ruled by the iron fist of the once beloved hero, the Tin Man, who has seemingly lost all heart. Oz’s only hope rests with a young engineer named Victoria Wright, who assembles a motley crew of ill-mannered munchkins, mischievous flying monkeys and, of course, the not-so-Cowardly Lion and Scarecrow for a quest to find the tin man’s heart. Along their journey, they ultimately learn that friendship and determination can overcome any obstacle, and together end, up teaching everyone in Oz that a heart should not be judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others.
