Sprout's Spring Surprise

Sprout's Spring Surprise
Launched	April 14, 2006
Closed	April 30, 2006
Cast	Big Bird of Sesame Street The Birdketeers

Sprout's Spring Surprise was a half-hour block which ran from 9AM to 12PM ET in which Sproutlets could send in a craft leaf with their wishes for a better Earth to Sproutletsgrow.com and see them on TV. It premiered on PBS KIDS Sprout on April 28, 2006 (Arbor Day), back when the channel had 18 million viewers. The special was hosted by Big Bird of Sesame Street and his club The Birdketeers. Sprout's Spring Surprise was filmed on location at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in New York City.

Summary

Summary of the special from Tulsa World:

"Friday is Arbor Day, a point on the calendar that doesn’t get much attention – we don’t hang our clogs on the mantelpiece, and chopping down a nice tree for the living room would just be wrong. But Sprout (digital channel 177) has come up with a program to commemorate the date, and they’ve signed up some big-name talent for the event. Titled “Sprout’s Spring Surprise,” the three-hour block mostly consists of episodes of Sprout’s regular recycled-from-PBS programming (Sesame Street, Dragon Tales, Jay Jay the Jet Plane, Thomas & Friends, and others) that feature nature-themed storylines. It’s entertaining stuff, no doubt, but on its own not what makes for a noteworthy spot on the schedule. It’s the wraparound material that makes this special special. That’s a series of original segments featuring guest host Big Bird, filmed expressly for this Sprout event. With his fan club of feathered kiddies, the Birdketeers, in tow, the tall yellow one will share songs and games with young viewers. He’ll also plant trees and pass along words of wisdom about caring for the environment. A nice additional touch is the opportunity afforded young fans with Internet access to log on to the Sprout web site (www.sproutletsgrow.com) and create virtual leaves that bear their own special wishes about the environment. During the show, Big Bird will display a tree covered with 3-D versions of those leaves. The Spring Surprise block will air Friday from 8-11 a.m. and again from 2-5 p.m., with additional encores at 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday and 2-5 p.m. April 30."

From Sproutletsgrow.com:

"This is a really fun way to show you care about the Earth. Big Bird and the Birdketeers will be reading wishes and promises from Sproutlets like you on TV on Arbor Day, April 28th!" (link)

Notes

• A promo for the special aired on Sprout during commercial breaks, and was usually paired with the Sproutletsgrow.com promo, partially due to both promos having an instrumental version of "See What the Animals Do."

External links

• Parents and Kids Share Together commentary