The Saddle Club™ Girls Are Back!
The Fun Begins in September - All-New Cast, Adventures, Friends, Music, Fun and Horses
Series 3 of International Hit TV Series Premieres on
Public Television Stations September 2008 through
APT Exchange and CPTV
TORONTO, ON (August 8, 2008) – Millions of kids have been waiting for the new adventures of Carole , Stevie and Lisa , the girls who formed the Saddle Club and their favorite horses Starlight, Belle and Prancer. Now, their wait is over! Series 3, "The Saddle Club Rides Again!" , of the international hit TV series based on the popular books by Bonnie Bryant will premiere on public television stations across America September 2008 through APT Exchange and Connecticut Public Broadcasting, Inc .
The excitement about the new series is shared by author Bonnie Bryant, who said, “It just keeps getting better and better.” And, by the “new girls” – the three young actors who play the leads: “We were thrilled to be chosen to play the roles of Carole , Stevie and Lisa in the new series. They’re best friends and they became our role models.”
The live-action series, co-produced by Crawford Productions Pty Ltd. and Protocol Entertainment, Inc. , follows the ever-changing world of three 12-year-olds - Carole , Stevie and Lisa - who formed the Saddle Club and vowed to stick together against all odds. Set against the excitement of the horse-world the three girls face plenty of challenges in every episode. Along with peer and family pressures, school and riding competitions, the girls cope with the emotional issues of growing up, boy trouble and their favorite adversary Veronica , and her new sidekick Desi .
The 26×30 all-new adventures feature a new cast, location, stories, music, fun with horses and a miniature donkey named Trouble . Shot in HD in Australia, the new series has all the fun, intrigue and action that made the first two series a hit with kids worldwide.
“The new Saddle Club series keeps all the wonderful elements of Bonnie Bryant’s books and her characters and in a new Pine Hollow setting with the same wonderful horses, great music and a few surprises,” said Nick McMahon, CEO of Crawford Productions.
Each episode of the new series contains a Saddle Club Video Journal. The SC Video Journals are an entertaining and educational part of the public television broadcasts. For Series 3, 26 new “Behind-the-Scenes Video Journals” were produced on location in Australia with members of the new cast and crew, and special guest Bonnie Bryant.
“We are proud that The Saddle Club ™ has found a home on public television stations across America,” said Steve Levitan, CEO and president of Protocol Entertainment. “The series has ridden away with the hearts of tweens and we are seeing a passionate loyalty among the public television fans that mirrors our experience around the world.”
About The Saddle Club ™
The Saddle Club ™ is an Australia-Canada co-production based on the popular book series by Bonnie Bryant. Produced by Crawford Productions Pty Ltd. (Australia) and Protocol Entertainment, Inc. (Canada). To date, 78 half-hour episodes of the TV series have been produced. The series premiered on public television stations in the US in September, 2006 through American Public Television (APT Exchange) in association with Connecticut Public Broadcasting, Inc . (CPTV). Series 2 premiered on public television stations, September, 2007 and the new series will premiere September 7, 2008.
For information on The Saddle Club™ visit www.saddleclubtv.com .
About the Producers
Crawford Productions Pty Ltd. is Australia’s most established and respected television production company. Now part of the WIN television group, the Crawford’s Australia name is synonymous with high quality, locally-produced entertainment. Crawfords Australia pioneered television in Australia, with programs ranging from police dramas, sitcoms, mini-series and children’s drama. Based in Melbourne, the company has produced over 4,000 hours of television programming, including the internationally acclaimed The Flying Doctors .
Protocol Entertainment, Inc. is one of Canada’s most celebrated producers of popular and critically-acclaimed children’s entertainment television programming. The company is recognized worldwide for producing high quality, audience and award-winning series for kids and families based on best-selling book properties. The producer of the smash hits Goosebumps ™, Animorphs ™, Dear America ™ and The Saddle Club ™ television series, Protocol Entertainment, Inc. is based in Toronto.
About Connecticut Public Broadcasting, Inc. (CPTV)
Connecticut Public Broadcasting, Inc (CPTV), a service of the Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network, is a nationally recognized producer and presenter of quality public television programming. CPTV played an historic role in bringing a number of landmark programs to public television, including Barney & Friends ™, Bob the Builder ™, Thomas & Friends ™, and Alan Alda in Scientific American Frontiers . The station’s latest educational and entertainment offerings are The Saddle Club ™, Blue Man Group: Inside the Tube , Landscapes Through Time with David Dunlop and Lomax: The Hound of Music . Now in its 45th year, CPTV remains committed to bringing the best in educational programming and services to Connecticut and the nation.
About American Public Television (APT)
American Public Television (APT) has been a prime source of programming for the nation’s public television stations for 45 years. APT Exchange distributes more than 10,000 hours of programming, including Globe Trekker , Rick Steves Europe , Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home , America’s Test Kitchen , The Big Comfy Couch , The Saddle Club ™ and classic movies. APT is known for identifying innovative programs and developing creative distribution techniques for producers. In its more than four decades of operation, it has established a tradition of providing public television stations nationwide with program choices that enable them to strengthen and customize their schedules.
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Contact: Karin Lippert
Protocol Entertainment, Inc.
Tel: (416) 966-2711, ext. 235
E-mail: karin@protocolent.com
