"Dinosaur Train" to Debut on PBS Kids"Dinosaur Train" to Debut on PBS Kids

The Jim Henson Company's new CGI-animated series "Dinosaur Train" is set to premiere on Sept. 7 on PBS Kids.

The series, created by Craig Bartlett ("Hey Arnold!"), will also launch a companion Web site at www.pbskids.org/dinosaurtrain.

"PBS is thrilled to build on its commitment to provide more science-based content for our youngest audience with the addition of 'Dinosaur Train,'" says Linda Simensky, vice president of children's programming at PBS. "The Jim Henson Company does a fantastic job at leveraging children's natural interests in dinosaurs and trains while encouraging preschoolers to learn how to think, talk and act like paleontologists, which can open the door to a lifelong interest in science."

In other Jim Henson Company news, Asheville, N.C.-based Kamibashi's collectible figure brand The String Doll Gang will be represented by Henson's newly-formed licensing division for third-party properties The Hub.

The Hub, headed by Melissa Segal, senior vice president of global consumer products, seeks licensing opportunities for the series in large-scale dolls, apparel, accessories, home furnishings, stationery, gifts, crafts, personal care, publishing and video games. The Jim Henson Company is also on board to develop the toy brand further into features, television and new media. Currently, the collection, which debuted in North America in May 2005, consists of nearly 100 2-and-a-half-inch characters, sold for $10 each.

"The Hub is a perfect licensing agency partner for Kamibashi because of The Jim Henson Company's long history of creating and developing dynamic characters across all platforms whether it be entertainment or consumer products," says Segal. "The String Doll Gang has become an international sensation and is in over 1,000 U.S. retail stores. The brand lends itself perfectly to an expanded universe of products for all ages and will only continue to rise in popularity."