Sprout Adds Mighty Jungle Series During Earth Week

PBS Kids Sprout will debut Mighty Jungle, a new live-action puppet series, on Friday, April 24, at 5:30 p.m. ET during a week-long "Mighty Earth Week" celebration.

Set in a world deep in the mighty jungle, through leafy vines and under a canopy of chattering birds, Mighty Jungle is a world for preschoolers to explore. Through the use of lively, colorful puppet animals, the show, from DHX Media's Decode Enterprises, reflects the spirit of its preschool audience through adventure and play.

In each 11-minute episode, three jungle friends, a meerkat named Babu, a gorilla named Bruce and a rhino named Rhonda have adventures in a lush, beautiful and endlessly exciting world - the Mighty Jungle. The silly situations that the friends find themselves in, the fantastical characters that they come into contact with and the mayhem that ensues are created, or inspired by real kids.

The jungle heroes experience the same challenges, obstacles, emotions, victories, discoveries and social situations that most preschoolers face... except they're creatures of the jungle, so the places they play in are really cool. And because there's a level of "make believe" in every story, they can do anything without ever being in any real danger - the Mighty Jungle is a safe and fun place.

"Mighty Jungle is the perfect addition to Sprout's programming line-up, especially since each episode was inspired by real preschoolers," Andrew Beecham, SVP of programming at Sprout, said in a release.

Beginning Monday, April 20, Sprout's live morning program The Sunny Side Up Show will celebrate the planet on "Mighty Earth Week" by talking about different ways parents and children can care for the Earth, sharing ideas for creative recycling, craft-making and planting, and showcasing viewer ideas and photos on-air reflecting how they care for the planet.