Business Opportunities Weblog

October 15, 2007 by Angela Shupe | 1 Comment

PR Web:

Ten years ago three moms from San Diego were raising small children and noticed that there was limited television programming for preschoolers. Around this same time, they visited a friend’s farm and met an adorable young calf named Wilbur. Their kids fell in love with Wilbur and his farm, and the moms thought that this was the perfect setting for a preschool program.

The budding mom entrepreneurs, Kim Anton, Jill Luedtke and Tracey Hornbuckle (who had left full-time jobs to raise their children) then set up a production company in their hometown of San Diego. The moms created three children’s videos starring Wilbur the Calf and distributed the videos and Wilbur plush toys out of one of their garages. Wilbur videos were an instant success winning many awards and receiving rave reviews from educators, parents and the media.

With the video success came offers from major studios for a Wilbur TV show, but the mom creators would have to relinquish creative control and that was not an option. They wanted the Wilbur to remain true to their vision of a show that gets early learners excited about books and reading.

After an incredible ten years filled with seeking financial backing; researching television production, and distribution; and learning about puppet technology, WILBUR debuted this past April on Discovery Kids (11:00 a.m. ET) and TLC (7:30 a.m. ET/PT) during the award-winning, commercial free Ready Set Learn! block of preschool programming.

A new, fright-free Halloween episode of WILBUR airs Oct. 29 on Discovery KIds and on Oct. 31 on TLC. In this “Funny Dress-Up Night” episode, Wilbur and his friends are hosting a costume party of their own. Hilarious costumes abound, but Wilbur’s friend Dasha hasn’t found one yet and the party is about to start! Wilbur reads a story that helps Dasha learn that using your imagination can sometimes be the trick (or treat) that solves the problem.

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