Disney Junior's Sofia the First Makes her Royal Debut on January 19

CLASSIC DISNEY PRINCESSES ARIEL, AURORA, BELLE AND JASMINE MAKE SPECIAL APPEARANCES

ALL-STAR GUEST VOICE CAST INCLUDES ERIC STONESTREET, VIOLA DAVIS, BONNIE HUNT, ELLIE KEMPER, MEGAN MULLALLY, KIERNAN SHIPKA AND JEFFREY TAMBOR

TORONTO, Jan. 7, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - 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).

To view the complete release, please visit the Disney Junior media room at http://press.astral.com/disneyjunior/.

SOURCE: DISNEY JUNIOR

For additional information contact: Jaime Werby at 416-956-8547 or [email protected]
For access to Family Channel's media room, please visit http://press.astral.com