Series From WGBH Boston Will Premiere September 28 on PBS KIDS Digital Platforms

Today at the Television Critics Association Press Tour, PBS KIDS announced that this fall, the star of the classic series FETCH! WITH RUFF RUFFMAN returns in THE RUFF RUFFMAN SHOW, an all-new short-form animated digital series designed to help kids ages 4-8 learn core science concepts through videos, game-play and hands-on activities. The PBS KIDS series stars canine host extraordinaire Ruff Ruffman, who, along with his assistants Blossom and Chet, answers questions from real kids, takes on challenges and learns the value of perseverance—all while modeling science inquiry skills.

All 20 videos of THE RUFF RUFFMAN SHOW will be available September 28 on PBS KIDS digital platforms, including the free PBS KIDS Video App and pbskids.org. The videos will roll out on the PBS KIDS YouTube channel starting on September 28, and segments from the series will air on the new PBS KIDS 24/7 channel and live stream this fall. PBS stations will also engage families with the content in underserved communities across the U.S.

Related games will be available on the free PBS KIDS Games App and pbskids.org, and a RUFF RUFFMAN app will be available on a variety of tablet and mobile devices. One of the RUFF RUFFMAN games, Fish Force, will offer hundreds of possible levels and features that can be tailored to the child, based on performance and behavior. Developed in collaboration with adaptive-learning company Kidaptive, Fish Force is the first of many new adaptive games for young children that PBS KIDS will roll out in the coming months.

“At PBS KIDS, we’re always looking for ways to innovate across platforms through new formats and interactive content to meet the needs of today’s kids,” said Lesli Rotenberg, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Children’s Media and Education, PBS. “We’re excited to offer THE RUFF RUFFMAN SHOW through digital shorts to introduce children to a variety of science concepts that allow them to learn from challenges and failure. Ruff is a character kids can relate to, modeling skills they can apply to their own daily curiosities.”

THE RUFF RUFFMAN SHOW was developed as part of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and PBS Ready To Learn Initiative with funding from the U.S. Department of Education. Ready To Learn is a federal program that supports the development of innovative educational television and digital media targeted at preschool and early elementary school children and their families.

“WGBH is dedicated to creating opportunities for children to discover and learn, and Ruff Ruffman is the ideal character to engage kids in science experimentation,” said Terry Fitzpatrick, WGBH Vice President for Children’s Media and Education. “We’re delighted that he is joining the CPB-PBS Ready to Learn Initiative to introduce real-world science experiences that are essential building blocks for lifelong achievement.”

Produced by WGBH Boston, the series is part of a multiplatform, playful learning media experience themed around four kid-friendly physical science topics: wearable science, sports science, kitchen chemistry and structures. Research has shown that the more children are exposed to foundational STEM skills early on in life, the more successful they are in other areas of learning in the future.*

“Public media’s free and high-quality educational programs introduce important learning concepts to children in innovative ways,” said Deb Sanchez, CPB’s Senior Vice President for Education and Children’s Content. “THE RUFF RUFFMAN SHOW demonstrates for young learners how to think like scientists, promoting positive perceptions of themselves as explorers of their world and learners.”

THE RUFF RUFFMAN SHOW: Ruff Ruffman is voiced by five-time Emmy®-nominated actor/writer Jim Conroy, the voice of every character in the Ruff Ruffman family since its debut in 2005. Carol Greenwald, Executive Producer; Marcy Gunther, Senior Producer; Bill Shribman, Digital Executive Producer; Glen Berger, Script Writer.

*Source: National Association for the Education of Young Children

About PBS KIDS

PBS KIDS, the number one educational media brand for kids, offers all children the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television, digital platforms and community-based programs. Kidscreen- and Webby Award-winning pbskids.org provides engaging interactive content, including digital games and streaming video. PBS KIDS also offers mobile apps to help support young children’s learning. The PBS KIDS Video app is available on a variety of mobile devices and on platforms such as Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Xbox One and Chromecast. For more information on specific PBS KIDS content supporting literacy, science, math and more, visit pbs.org/pressroom, or follow PBS KIDS on Twitter and Facebook.

About WGBH

WGBH Boston is one of America’s preeminent public broadcasters and the largest producer of PBS content for TV and the Web, including Frontline, NOVA, American Experience, Masterpiece, Antiques Roadshow, and Arthur, as well as other children’s, primetime, and lifestyle series. WGBH also is a major supplier of programming for public radio, and a leader in educational multimedia for the classroom, supplying content to PBS LearningMedia, a free national broadband service for teachers and students. WGBH is a pioneer in technologies and services that make media accessible to those with hearing or visual impairments. WGBH has been recognized with hundreds of honors: Emmys, Peabodys, duPont-Columbia Awards and Oscars. Find more information at wgbh.org.

About the Corporation for Public Broadcasting

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967, is the steward of the federal government’s investment in public broadcasting. It helps support the operations of nearly 1,500 locally owned and operated public television and radio stations nationwide. CPB is also the largest single source of funding for research, technology and program development for public radio, television and related online services. For more information, visit www.cpb.org and follow us on Twitter @CPBmedia, Facebook and LinkedIn, and subscribe for email updates.

About The Ready To Learn Initiative

The Ready To Learn Initiative is a cooperative agreement funded and managed by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Innovation and Improvement. It supports the development of innovative educational television and digital media targeted to preschool and early elementary school children and their families. Its general goal is to promote early learning and school readiness, with a particular interest in reaching low-income children. In addition to creating television and other media products, the program supports activities intended to promote national distribution of the programming, effective educational uses of the programming, community-based outreach and research on educational effectiveness.

Contacts:

Maria Vera Whelan, PBS; 703.739.3225; mverawhelan@pbs.org

Bara Levin, WGBH; 617.300.5391; bara_levin@wgbh.org

The contents of this release were developed under a grant from the Department of Education. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. [PR/Award No. U295A150003-16, CFDA No. 84.295A]