Family Channel and Playhouse Disney Canada order new episodes of Canadian
original productions Wingin' It and Stella and Sam

BANFF, AB, June 14 /CNW/ - Astral's Family Channel and Playhouse Disney Canada today announced the commissioning of new episodes for two Canadian Original Productions. Family Channel has ordered a second season of live-action comedy, Wingin' It, from Temple Street Productions while Playhouse Disney Canada has commissioned, from Radical Sheep Productions, new episodes of the animated series Stella and Sam, for both the English language network and the newly-launched Playhouse Disney Télé. Slated for broadcast in 2011 both series will begin production on new episodes in Toronto later this summer.

"For Family and Playhouse Disney we are dedicated to finding shows that resonate with our key audiences and engage with them in ways that are consistent with our brand. For Family that means using humour and interesting characters to offer kids the 'never a dull moment' experience; for Playhouse Disney that means leveraging characters and concepts that infuse our programs with learning while being fun and highly entertaining," said Michael Goldsmith, Director, Original Programming. "Wingin' It has already struck a real chord with Family viewers and is performing extremely well, while Stella and Sam, with its stunning visual style and beloved source material, is sure to be a perfect fit for our Playhouse Disney viewers across Canada."

SERIES SYNOPSIS - FAMILY CHANNEL

WINGIN' IT (13 episodes x 30 minutes)

Wingin' It follows 16-year-old Angel-In-Training Porter Jackson (Demetrius Joyette, The Latest Buzz, Roxy Hunter). In order to get his angel's wings, Porter has been assigned the task of transforming 15-year-old Carl Montclaire (Dylan Everett, How to be Indie) into the most popular student at Bennett High. Porter finds his task to be trickier than he first imagined as not only is Carl incredibly unlucky but he also isn't keen on having an angel meddle in his life. Wingin' It is created by Frank van Keeken (Billlable Hours, The Dating Guy, Seinfeld) and is produced by Temple Street Productions. Episodes from the first season of Wingin' It currently air Saturday and Sunday at 6:50 p.m. ET/PT on Family Channel.

SERIES SYNOPSIS - PLAYHOUSE DISNEY CANADA

STELLA AND SAM (13 episodes, each comprising two 11-minute segments)

Stella and Sam focuses on the relationship between the inquisitive but shy four-year old Sam and his outgoing big sister, Stella. As they explore the world around them, each encounters fun, adventure and ultimately self-discovery. Based on the best-selling book series by Montreal-based author and illustrator Marie-Louise Gay, Stella and Sam is produced by Radical Sheep Productions. Season one of Stella and Sam is set to premiere on both Playhouse Disney and Playhouse Disney Télé in fall 2010.

Family Channel is a premium, commercial-free network offering the best in family television entertainment in 6 million homes across Canada. Dedicated to celebrating family life and providing a fun experience for all, Family airs a unique mix of series, movies and specials, with a large portion of programming supplied by Disney. Family Channel also offers Family OnDemand in select areas, a Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) service that features hit Disney movies and series, top-rated Canadian series and Playhouse Disney programming, and Family OnLine, a broadband service offered to Bell TV subscribers. Visit us at Family.ca.

Playhouse Disney is a commercial-free channel available in French and English to subscribers across Canada. Committed to offering engaging, educational and development-based programming for younger children, the channel offers exclusive, first-run programs from Disney together with celebrated Canadian series to create an environment for fun and learning. Visit us at www.playhousedisney.ca.

Family Channel and Playhouse Disney are members of the Astral family. Astral is one of Canada's largest media companies. It operates more than 100 of the country's most popular pay and specialty television, radio, out-of-home advertising and digital media properties. Astral plays a central role in community life across the country by offering diverse, rich and vibrant programming that meets the tastes and needs of consumers and advertisers. To learn more about Astral, visit astral.com.

For further information: For additional information contact: Kate Dickson at 416 956 8584 or [email protected]; For access to Family Channel's media room, please visit http://tv.astral.com