Handy Manny Begins 3rd Season – Nov 7th

Disney Channel will debut the third season of its Emmy-nominated multicultural series for preschoolers “Handy Manny” starring Wilmer Valderrama, on SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7 (8:30 a.m., ET/PT). The third season will include a new primetime special, a new short-form series and the introduction of 10 new tool characters.

Guest stars include Rosario Dawson as a marine biologist, Dale Earnhardt Jr. as a race car driver, Jim Belushi as a drawbridge operator and Giada De Laurentiis as the owner of a pizza parlor. Lance Bass returns in the recurring role of klutzy “surfer dude,” Elliot.

In addition to 31 brand new episodes, the third season will include the debut of the series’ second primetime special. The first primetime special, “Handy Manny Motorcycle Adventure,” delivered the series’ largest Total Viewer audience ever (Source: NTI, U.S. ratings, 10/4/09).

A new short-form series, “Handy Manny School for Tools” will debut in mid-2010. The three-minute shorts will star Manny and his team of trusty tools alongside a group of 10 new tools: a jackhammer, a power screwdriver, a power socket wrench, a shop vac, a pair of needle nose pliers, a deluxe tool box, a laser level and a trio of crescent wrenches. Their names will be announced shortly.

A Top 10 TV series with preschoolers age 2-5, “Handy Manny,” which is set in a multicultural, multi-generational community and follows a curriculum that models problem solving, is available in over 135 countries and in 23 languages.

In addition to imparting life lessons about working together, communication and setting goals, the series also teaches viewers Spanish words and phrases and exposes them to aspects of Latin culture.

Starring are: Wilmer Valderrama as Manny, Carlos Alazraqui as Felipe, Dee Bradley Baker as Turner, Grey Delisle as Flicker, Nika Futterman as Stretch and Squeeze, Tom Kenny as Mr. Lopart and Pat, Kath Soucie as Dusty, Fred Stoller as Rusty and Nancy Truman as Kelly.

The series’ cultural consultant is Marcela Davison Aviles, president and CEO of Mexican Heritage Corporation. Language specialist Dr. Rose Marie Garcia Fontana is the series’ language consultant. Rick Gitelson is executive producer and story editor of “Handy Manny.” “Handy Manny” is a production of Nelvana Limited in association with Disney Channel.

“Handy Manny” airs weekdays at 9:00 a.m., ET/PT and weekends at 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., ET/PT during Disney Channel’s Playhouse Disney programming block for preschoolers. The series carries a TV-Y parental guideline.

Playhouse Disney, seen in a daily programming block on Disney Channel U.S. and on 21 Playhouse Disney channels around the world, encourages preschoolers to imagine and learn through original series, short-form and acquired programming that includes song, movement and entertainment. Guided by an established curriculum, Playhouse Disney supports multiple areas of child development: physical, emotional, social and cognitive; thinking and creative skills as well as moral and ethical development through carefully constructed themes, storylines and endearing characters.

Courtesy of the Disney Channel