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New on Family in June

A.N.T. Farm (Disney Channel Original Series) Season Three One-Hour Premiere

The Next Step (Canadian Original Series) Mid-season Finale

Finding Nemo (Feature Film)

Gravity Falls (Disney Channel Original Series) Strange But True Marathon Read More

Disney Junior continues to deliver the best in preschool programming and services to its viewers by announcing the arrival of Disney Junior HD. Launching today on Rogers (channel 479) and EastLink (channel 748), the new English-language channel is available free of charge to eligible customers who already subscribe to the Disney Junior standard definition service. The launch of Disney Junior HD with other service providers will be announced in the coming weeks.  Read More

Disney Junior gets roar-some this month with the debut of the new animated series Henry Hugglemonster. Premiering Sunday, April 21 at 12:30 p.m. ET, Henry Hugglemonster follows the everyday adventures of fun loving Henry, the five-year-old middle child in a happy and chaotic, close-knit monster family. In advance of the premiere, join Mickey and the gang in “Quest For The Crystal Mickey,” a special episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse debuting at 12 p.m. ET.   Read More

Astral Kids is giving the whole family a break this month with the March Free Preview, a complimentary sampling of its kids networks including Family Channel, Disney Junior and Disney XD available throughout March. Delivering an unmatched roster of kids programming in Canada, Astral Kids gives viewers the opportunity to experience all three channels, which feature comedy, educational and adventure programming respectively, via linear, OnDemand and broadband services. Read More

There’s a new girl in crown this month as Astral’s Disney Junior debuts the new animated series Sofia the First on Saturday, January 19 at 7 p.m. ET. Featuring Disney’s first little girl princess, the series follows the adventures of Princess Sofia as she adjusts to her new life and the unexpected challenges that come with it. Ahead of the series premiere, viewers can catch the network debut of the classic Disney Princess feature film,Cinderella.

Sofia the First tells the story of a regular girl who becomes an overnight princess after her mom marries the king of Enchancia. Sofia discovers the regal lifestyle is not as easy as it seems, but with the help of family and friends she learns that qualities like honesty, loyalty and compassion define a true princess. Classic Disney Princesses Ariel, Aurora, Belle and Jasmine make special appearances throughout the series to offer Sofia words of wisdom.

In the premiere episode, “Just One of the Princes,” Sofia sets her sights on becoming the first princess member of her school’s flying derby team. Faced with the challenge of an overly-anxious horse named Minimus (voiced by Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family), Sofia learns she can accomplish anything as long as she believes in herself. Following the premiere, Sofia the First will air in its regular timeslot, weekends at 11:30 a.m. ET from January 26.

Sofia the First features the voices of Ariel Winter (Modern Family) as Sofia; Sara Ramirez (Grey’s Anatomy) as Queen Miranda, Sofia’s loving and supportive mother; Wayne Brady (Let’s Make A Deal) as Clover, the wise-talking rabbit sidekick; and Tim Gunn (Project Runway) as Baileywick, the castle’s royal steward. Winter’s Modern Family co-star, Eric Stonestreet, guest stars in the premiere episode as the voice of Sofia’s flying horse, Minimus. Other notable guest stars throughout the season include: Viola Davis (The Help), Bonnie Hunt (Cars), Ellie Kemper (Bridesmaids), Megan Mullally (Will & Grace), Kiernan Shipka (Mad Men) and Jeffrey Tambor (Arrested Development).

Prior to the premiere of Sofia the First, Disney Junior will air the network premiere of Cinderella at 5:45 p.m. ET. When Cinderella’s cruel stepmother prevents her from attending the Royal Ball, she gets some unexpected help from her woodland friends and a magical Fairy Godmother.

The enchantment continues on DisneyJunior.ca/SofiaTheFirst where viewers are invited to play games and learn more about Sofia’s royal family and friends.Disney Junior OnDemand also offers new episodes of Sofia the First as they become available weekly starting January 25.

The series was developed by Craig Gerber (Pixie Hollow Games), who also serves as co-executive producer and story editor. Jamie Mitchell (Special Agent Oso) is executive producer and director. John Kavanaugh (Winnie The Pooh: Springtime with Roo) serves as songwriter/music director and Kevin Kliesch (Tangled Ever After) is the composer. Sofia the First is a production of Disney Television Animation.

On November 24, 2012, the television movie Sofia the First: Once Upon A Princess introduced a record number of viewers to Disney’s first young princess, debuting as Disney Junior’s #1 rated telecast of all-time with kids 2-5¹ and girls 2-5², as well as being crowned the most-watched telecast ever with the P2+ audience³. It was the #1 telecast of the week (November 19-25, 2012) on Disney Junior and was the #2 telecast for all television programming during this week with kids 2-5 and girls 2-5, behind the CFL Grey Cup.

Disney Junior is a commercial-free channel available in English and French to subscribers across Canada. Committed to offering the best in engaging and development-based programming for younger children, Disney Junior showcases series with a focus on magical, musical and heartfelt stories that feature beloved classic and contemporary characters. Presenting exclusive, first-run programs from Disney together with celebrated Canadian series, Disney Junior is also available through Disney Junior OnDemand and Disney Junior OnLine.

Disney Junior is a member of the Astral family.

TV Ratings Sources:

1.    Source: BBM Canada: K2-5 AMA Total Canada 116,900 – November 24, 2012 – Disney Junior. Total confirmed data.

2.    Source: BBM Canada: G2-5 AMA Total Canada 87,700 – November 24, 2012 – Disney Junior. Total confirmed data.

3.    Source: BBM Canada: P2+ AMA Total Canada 358,000 – November 24, 2012 – Disney Junior. Total confirmed data.

Astral’s popular children’s channel, Disney Junior, will launch today on Shaw Direct, channel 167 Advanced/538 Classic. Dedicated to providing the best in engaging, educational and entertainment-based series and short-form content for younger viewers and their families, Disney Junior’s programming will also be available to Shaw Direct subscribers via Disney Junior OnDemand. Read More

Enter a new and enchanted land created by the magic of Disney Junior with Disney’s first little girl princess, Sofia, in the animated television movie Sofia the First: Once Upon A Princess debuting on Saturday, November 24 at 7 p.m. ET. This delightful music-filled presentation, with a special appearance by Disney Princess Cinderella, will be available on Disney Junior OnDemand beginning November 30. Following the television movie event, a new Sofia the First series will premiere in early 2013. Read More

Astral’s Disney Junior embarks on a colossal adventure with the premiere of the Canadian original series Justin Time on Sunday, September 16 at 8:30 a.m. ET. Showcasing friendship, teamwork and imaginative storytelling, Justin and his pals, Olive and Squidgy, star in the biggest adventures of all time told from every corner of the world. Viewers can catch a sneak peek on Saturday, September 8 at 9:50 a.m. ET, following the 45-minute Handy Manny special “Firefighter Manny.”

Justin Time follows Justin and his make-believe friend, Squidgy, as their imagination takes them on bite-size adventures to historical places. From riding rockets into space to building a giant stone monolith, these pals stumble upon exciting challenges and put their problem solving skills to the test with every opportunity. Each episode features two 11-minute stories where Justin and Squidgy are joined by their friend Olive who acts as their congenial tour guide offering a wealth of knowledge to help them reach their goal.

In the premiere episode, “You Forgot to Say Arrgh!,” Justin, Squidgy and Olive are on the lookout for buried treasure but are being followed by the meanest looking pirate on the high seas. Justin quickly realizes that he had the wrong impression of Captain Redbeard when they discover that he’s actually a friendly singing pirate. Following the premiere, Justin Time will air in its regular timeslot weekend mornings at 8:30 a.m. ET.

Commissioned by Family Channel, Justin Time is produced by Guru Studio (The Backyardigans, Guess with Jess, Mudpit). The series is created and developed by Brandon James Scott, Frank Falcone and Mary Bredin. The Justin Time voice cast features Gage Munroe (Immortals, Murdoch Mysteries) as Justin, Jenna Warren (The Doodlebops) as Olive and Scott McCord (Yin! Yang! Yo!, Babar and the Adventures of Badou)as Squidgy.

For more exciting escapades, viewers can journey over to the Justin Time supersite, now live on DisneyJunior.ca, where they can learn how to make their own Squidgy-like friend or try their hand at a number of games, including the interactive “Wave-Along Adventures” game. The sneak peek of Justin Time will also be available on DisneyJunior.ca and Disney Junior OnDemand beginning September 8, with a new episode available weekly on Disney Junior OnDemand beginning September 16.

Disney Junior is a commercial-free channel available in English and French to subscribers across Canada.

Astral’s Disney XD and Disney Junior have commissioned two Canadian original productions for the 2012/2013 season. Disney Junior has commissioned the animated shorts Yub Yubs from Radical Sheep Productions for both its English and French language networks, while Disney XD has ordered its first original movie from Fresh TV with the live-action film Bunks. Slated for broadcast in 2013, production on both properties will begin in Toronto later this summer. Read More

Disney Junior is taking a summer vacation to Never Land this August with its Yo Ho, Let’s Go Summer! Week. Every day, from August 15 until August 19, the network will air two back-to-back episodes of Jake and the Never Land Pirates, beginning at 5:00 p.m. ET, including a new episode featuring the debut of the Pirate Princess, voiced by Tori Spelling (Beverly Hills, 90210). In addition to the special week-long programming lineup, viewers are invited to set sail for DisneyJunior.ca where they will find more treasures in the form of new Jake and the Never Land Pirates games and activities.
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