Nickelodeon Brings Beloved Beatrix Potter Book Series Peter Rabbit To TV With Debut Of New Holiday Special "Peter Rabbit's Christmas Tale" Friday, Dec. 14, At 7 pm (ET/PT)

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Nov 28, 2012, 12:25 ET

NEW YORK, Nov. 28 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Peter Rabbit hops on to the TV screen with the premiere of Nickelodeon's brand-new primetime holiday special, "Peter Rabbit's Christmas Tale," Friday, Dec. 14, at 7 p.m. (ET/PT). Told with humor and heart, the special is a fresh re-imagining of the classic Beatrix Potter children's books, which have sold over 250 million copies worldwide and been translated into 35 languages. Peter Rabbit is produced in conjunction with Silvergate Media and animated by Brown Bag Films.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121128/NY20301 )

"Nickelodeon is thrilled to bring this beloved book series to life on TV so kids can experience Peter Rabbit in a whole new way this holiday," said Teri Weiss, EVP, Production and Development, Nickelodeon Preschool. "We have captured the spirit of the Peter Rabbit stories, while modernizing for today's preschoolers through high-stakes adventures, comedic characters and vibrant CG-animation."

In "Peter Rabbit's Christmas Tale," Peter Rabbit and his friend Benjamin Bunny take over for Mr. Bouncer when he gets sick and can't make the important holiday supply delivery. They brave a blizzard and a sneaky fox, Mr. Tod, in order to deliver important gifts and supplies to the residents of the Lake District. Along the way, Peter and Benjamin meet a new friend, Lily Bobtail. Inspired by Beatrix Potter, Lily is strong, smart, independent, curious, a nature-lover and artist who is just as willful and playful as her male counterparts.

Set in Potter's treasured Lake District, Peter lives in a world where behind every rock there is a surprise to discover and where dangers (be it a sly fox or bad-tempered badger) lurk around every corner. Peter Rabbit features educational goals that encourage preschoolers to learn problem-solving and interpersonal skills, self-efficacy, resilience, positive re-framing and fostering an interest in and respect for nature.

Nickelodeon's award-winning website, www.nickjr.com, currently offers parents and preschoolers a sneak peek of the holiday special plus Peter Rabbit coloring pages, stickers and mazes. On Monday, Dec. 3, nickjr.com will launch "Presents from Peter," where users will be able to go online every day to unlock a new special gift from Peter Rabbit such as holiday ornaments, holiday cards, activity packs and more.

About Silvergate Media

Silvergate Media is a privately-held creative company, formed in October 2011 through the purchase of the rights to two preschool properties: Peter Rabbit and The Octonauts. Upon formation, Silvergate immediately resumed production of the Peter Rabbit animated series and greenlit Season 2 and Season 3 of The Octonauts. Silvergate Media exploits its properties across a range of formats, from new television productions to toys, apparel and licensed merchandise.

About Brown Bag Films

Brown Bag Films® is an award-winning animation studio, producing high quality animation for the international market. Established in 1994 by Cathal Gaffney and Darragh O'Connell, Brown Bag Films remains a creative-led company. Their numerous awards include Oscar nominations for Give Up Yer Aul Sins (2002) and Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty (2010), and Bafta and Emmy nominations for The Octonauts (2012). Employing more than 120 full time staff in their Dublin-based headquarters, with a second office in LA, Brown Bag Films are committed to producing the highest-quality, cross-platform animation with strong stories and engaging characters.

Recent productions include Chorion's Olivia for Nickelodeon US, Enid Blyton's Noddy in Toyland for Chorion/FIVE UK, The Octonauts for Silvergate Media/BBC and Disney Junior's Doc McStuffins, which is currently the No. 1 rating preschool cable show in America. Current productions include Henry Hugglemonster for Disney Junior, Peter Rabbit for Silvergate Media/Nickelodeon/CBeebies, and second seasons of The Octonauts and Doc McStuffins.

About Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon, now in its 33^rd year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in more than 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 17 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B).

(*Artwork available via nickpress.com; screeners available upon request)

SOURCE Nickelodeon