FLiPtm for Reading

February 16, 2010 - Popular and innovate VTech gave parents and kids a Valentine's Day treat when it announced the first-ever animated e-reader, FLiP^tm. The e-reader's product line features downloadable classic tales and stories based on the adventures of favorite characters. VTech's initial offering 100 titles, some of which will be free. Additional titles will be added to the FLiP^tm library. All will be available to download at Vtech Kids' website.

Each story is animated, narrated, and features character voices and graphics that engage the young readers as they practice these necessary life skills. Kids will be able to customize their FLiP^tm readers with avatars, play interactive reading games, and use the dictionary to build vocabulary to better understand the context of each story. Parents can create progress reports and print certificates to congratulate their budding reader.

The first 11 titles are:

The Little Engine That Could
Disney/Pixar's Cars
Shrek
Dora the Explorer
Disney/Pixar's Toy Story 3
Disney Princesses
Olivia
Disney Fairies
Mr. Men and Little Miss
Scooby-Doo
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

Suggested Retail Price: $59.95

Appropriate for ages 3-7.

Browse Vtech Products

Capitol Fourth '09

The annual Independence Day celebration will air Saturday, July 4, 8:00-9:30 PM ET on most PBS stations (check local listings). The 29th concert will also be broadcast to our troops overseas via the American Forces Radio and Television Network. You can also listent to the concert live on NPR stations across the country.

Jimmy Smiths returns as the concert's host. Among the guest stars are Elmo and other Sesame Street characters, including Big Bird, Cookie Monster, and Oscar the Grouch, who'll sing for the crowd. The iconic children's show is now in its 40th year.

Joining them in the celebration of America's 233rd birthday are the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin; the cast of Jersey Boys; Michael Feinstein; classical pianist Andrew von Oeyen; and Natasha Bedingfield. Barry Manilow will open and close the concert broadcast with a medley of patriotic classics and hit songs. The National Symphony Orchestra and Choral Arts Society of Washington will, of course, perform throughout the concert.

The skyline of the nation’s capital will come alive with vibrant and booming pyrotechnics, set against silhouettes of national landmarks the U.S. Capitol, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials. A Capitol Fourth will capture this stunning fireworks display from every vantage point with eighteen TV cameras stationed around the city – including the U.S. Capitol, the White House, the Washington Monument and across the Potomac River. Capping off the show will be a rousing rendition of Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture” complete with live cannon fire provided by the United States Army Presidential Salute Battery, an audience favorite and now A Capitol Fourth tradition. Also participating in the event will be The U.S. Army Herald Trumpets, The U.S. Army Ceremonial Band, The U.S. Army “Old Guard” Fife and Drum Corps and the Armed Forces Color Guard provided by the Military District of Washington, D.C.

Commented Smits, “I am honored to be asked once again to host this year's special party to celebrate our great country's birthday…and what a 'guest list!' The music itself embraces so many genres – we’ve got pop, we’ve got classical and we’ve got soul. Throw in an anniversary celebration of Sesame Street, topped off with the biggest fireworks display around and we’ve got quite a show!”

A Capitol Fourth is a co-production of Jerry Colbert of Capital Concerts and WETA, Washington, D.C.

A Capitol Fourth 2009 is made possible by grants from The Boeing Company, the National Park Service, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Department of the Army, the National Endowment for the Arts, PBS and public television stations nationwide. Air travel is provided by American Airlines.

Photo (c) 2009 PBS. All rights reserved.

Source: PBS Press.

Merlin: Ep. 102

Valiant
Series Premiere, Pt. 2
June 21, 8:00 PM ET - NBC

With a shield of magical snakes, evil Knight Valiant (Will Mellor) arrives in Camelot to enter the annual sword-fighting tournament where he’ll face reigning champion, Arthur (Bradley James). Meanwhile, Merlin (Colin Morgan) comes to terms with his duties of being Prince Arthur’s new man-servant and brings to Arthur’s attention some valuable information about Knight Valiant. When they can’t prove anything to Uther (Anthony Head), Arthur is humiliated and fires Merlin. Can Merlin save Prince Arthur without revealing his magical powers? Richard Wilson, Katie McGrath and Angel Coulby also star.

Rated: TVPG.

Merlin: Ep. 101

Call of the Dragon
Series Premiere, Pt. 1
June 21, 7:00 PM ET - NBC
With a letter from his mother revealing his innate ability to practice magic, Merlin (Colin Morgan) arrives in the city of Camelot to find Gaius (Richard Wilson), the Court Physician. Gaius takes Merlin under his wing to keep him out of trouble. Eager to discover his new surroundings, Merlin sets out to see the sites of Camelot and meets Arthur (Bradley James), a young bully who challenges him to a duel. After being thrown in jail for standing up to Arthur, Merlin attracts the attention of others in Camelot, including Gwen (Angel Coulby), Morgana’s (Katie McGrath) young maid and most importantly, King Uther Pendragon (Anthony Head), who will forever change the course of Merlin’s destiny.

Rated: PG.

Merlin: The Series

NBC continues their tradition of airing adaptations of classic stories. Last Fall, it was Robinson Crusoe. This summer, it's Merlin, premering Sunday, June 21, 7:00-9:00 PM ET/PT. The series will air on CTV in Canada.

Set in the mytical kingdom of Camelot before history began, legendary beasts and mysterious people lived in a dangerous land where magic has been banned. Camelot is ruled by the tyrant Uther Pendragon.

Merlin is a young man gifted with magical powers. When he comes to Camelot, he quickly makes enemies, including Prince Arthur, the heir to Uther's crown. But Uther's physician, Gaius, befriends Merlin, who quickly learns not only how to defend himself with his powes, but also how to unlock the secrets of Camelot. Surprisingly, one of those secrets is that he and Prince Arthur must share destiny.

The series stars Colin Morgan as Merlin, Bradley James as Prince Arthur, Anthony Head as King Uther, Richard Wilson as Gaius, Katie McGrath as Morgana and Angel Coulby as Gwen, “Merlin” is an imaginative and enthralling new twist on a legend that is as old as time.

"Merlin" is produced by the award-winning team behind Hex and Sugar Rush, Julian Murphy, Johnny Capps, Jake Michie and Julian Jones and directed by James Hawes.

More about the series can be found at NBC's website.

Casting Calls - The Biggest Loser

Audtions begin June 27 for the ninth season of The Biggest Loser. Casting teams will be visiting Chicago, Detroit, San Jose, Tampa, Atlanta, Mobile, New York City, San Antonio, Dallas, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Oklahoma City, Des Moines, and Los Angeles. Season 9 premieres in early 2010 (Season 8 begins this September.)

Casting producers are looking for outgoing and charismatic family teams of two, especially those who have the personality, desire and competitive edge to vie for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to lose weight, change their lives forever and compete for a grand prize of $250,000. Individuals who don't have a partner can audition on their own. Candidates must be at least 18 years of age and legal residents of the United States.

Casting teams will try to see everyone, especially the first 500 people in line. Lines will not be allowed to start until three hours before the open calls begin. Each candidate should bring a photograph of them and their partner. Photos are not returnable.

June 27
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Chicago
NBC Tower
454 N. Columbus Drive
Chicago, IL 60611

June 27
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Detroit
Gardner White Furniture
45300 Hayes Rd.
Macomb, MI 48044

June 27
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
San Jose
24 Hour Fitness
1610 Crane St.
San Jose, CA 95112

June 27
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tampa
Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center
1010 N. W.C. MacInnes Place
Tampa, FL 33602

July 11
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Atlanta
Dave & Buster's
4000 Venture Dr.
Duluth, GA 30096

July 11
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Mobile
Veets Bar And Grill
66 South Royal Street
Mobile, AL 36602

July 11
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
New York City
NBC Experience Store
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York City, NY 10112

July 11
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
San Antonio
Nix Downtown
414 Navarro
San Antonio, TX 78205

July 18
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Dallas
Dave & Buster's Stemmons
10727 Composite Drive
Dallas, TX 75220

July 18
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Kansas City
Nebraska Furniture Mart
1601 Village West Parkway
Kansas City, Kansas 66111

July 18
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Philadelpha
NBC 10
10 Monument Rd.
Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004

July 18
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Phoenix
Radisson Fort McDowell Resort & Casino
10438 N Fort McDowell Rd.
Fort McDowell, AZ 85264

July 25
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Oklahoma City
TBA

July 25
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Des Moines
Valley West Mall
1551 Valley West Drive
West Des Moines, IA 50266

Aug. 1
9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Los Angeles
Citadely Outlets
100 Citadel Dr.
Los Angeles, CA 90040

To check for the latest updates and casting calls, or for information on how you can apply, if you cannot make one of the open casting calls, visit www.nbc.com/casting and www.thebiggestlosercasting.com.

Hop on Board Songs and Stories

Thomas and Friends' newest release is a delightful music-filled compiliation of favorite songs and scenes from the series. An added bonus are two stories narrated by the rich, deep voice of the late George Carlin!

The songs are subtitled, helping readers sing-along and read-along. However, the lyrics are sung clearly enough that even non-readers will learn them.

This DVD was originally titled "Formerly titled Thomas & Friends Sing-Along and Stories."

DVD Synopsis
It’s a magical musical ride when Thomas and his engine friends travel the tracks on the Island of Sodor with the toe-tapping DVD+Bonus Music CD Set, Thomas & Friends™: Hop on Board Songs and Stories, steaming into stores June 16, 2009 from Lionsgate and HIT Entertainment. The set is fully-loaded with fan favorites including 2 classic Thomas & Friends stories, 7 sing-alongs and a bonus music CD featuring 5 songs!

Teaching timeless life lessons of discovery, friendship and cooperation, the Thomas & Friends animated series invites children to enter a world of imagination through the tracks of a train and the words of a story.

Life on the Island of Sodor is extremely busy for the engines. While Thomas and his friends are hard at work, they like to listen to music and sing-along. Now you can join in on all the fun with this DVD collection of Thomas & Friends songs and episodes, including a bonus music CD featuring 5 songs: “The Roll Call Song,” “Let’s Have a Race,” “Toby,” “The Island Song” and “He’s a Really Useful Engine.”
Follow the bouncing steam cloud to read the words and sing along to Thomas’ Anthem, “Let's Have a Race,” “Gone Fishing” and four other Island of Sodor favorites. You’ll also enjoy two classic Thomas & Friends episodes “Peter Sam and the Refreshment Lady” and “Bulldog”, as well as a bonus sing-along, "It’s Great to Be an Engine.” Hop on board for toe-tappin’ fun with Thomas & Friends: Hop on Board Songs and Stories.


Rating: NR
Genre: Children/Family/Ages 2-5
Closed Captioned: English Closed Captioned
Format: Full Screen
Feature Running Time: 60 minutes
DVD Audio Status: 2.0 Dolby Digital

Thomas & Friends: Hop on Board - Songs and Stories