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.
