Sprout, the first 24-hour preschool network, today introduced "Dial Darryl," a new recurring segment on The Sunny Side Up Show, created specifically for Sprout Host Hunt winner Darryl Williams. Dial Darryl will highlight different ways preschoolers and their families communicate and interact with loved ones in this digitally evolving age. Since children under six are 12 times more likely than the general population to have used Skype in the past month, each week, The Sunny Side Up Show hosts and Chica, the world's most famous chicken, will connect with their newest castmate for a live video chat. Dial Darryl will tap into everyday parenting questions, show themes and more.
The new segment will officially debut in January 2014. Darryl will also be making an appearance on The Sunny Side Up Show on Monday, November 11 during Sprout's "Hooray for Heroes" celebration.
Every day on The Sunny Side Up Show, the hosts use technology to communicate live with viewers as they explore different themes like friends, letters or animals. When they need a little bit of outside help, they Dial Darryl who will assist them while in The Middle of real-life situations any stay-at-home parent can relate to.
Darryl was first discovered as a contestant in Sprout's Host Hunt competition this past summer, which offered aspiring actors and fans alike the opportunity to audition for a role on The Sunny Side Up Show. The 24-year old O'Fallon, IL native and military veteran was a fan favorite, receiving tremendous social support from Sprout's audience.
"Darryl quickly captured the attention of our producers and the hearts of the Sprout audience," said Andrew Beecham, Senior Vice President of Programming for Sprout. "We couldn't help but notice the amazing reaction Darryl brought to Sprout parents across our social platforms, and it's due to our incredibly engaged fan base that we found the perfect home for him on The Sunny Side Up Show."
A stay-at-home dad, Darryl served four years in the United States Air Force. While serving in the Air Force, he met his wife, Jeniffer, who is currently in her fifth year of service. Together they have a one-year old boy named Jayden who loves soccer. Before joining the military, Darryl went to Hardaway High School in Columbus, GA. He serves as a mentor to youth and is socially active within the O'Fallon community.
The Sunny Side Up Show is a live, three-hour television block, dedicated to helping moms prepare preschoolers for their day. Children, their parents and caregivers can interact with the hosts through SproutOnline.com, by sharing birthday wishes, crafts, games, show-and-tell and more. The show incorporates hosted segments and also links to Sprout's gold-standard shows, such as The Chica Show, Barney & Friends and Super Why.
Sprout is the first 24-hour preschool destination available on TV, on demand and online for children ages 2-5 and their parents and caregivers. Available in 60 million homes, the 24-hour digital channel is the only network that follows the day of a preschooler from breakfast to bedtime with its distinctive, interactive programming and original hosted daypart blocks that parents and kids share together. Viewers are encouraged to submit artwork, birthday wishes, videos and more through SproutOnline.com (http://www.sproutonline.com/), which has received over five million viewer interactions to-date. Sprout's VOD offering is the #1 on demand service for younger children with over 1.5 billion views.
The network's program lineup of gold-standard, curriculum-based preschool series includes originals like The Chica Show, Noodle and Doodle, and Pajanimals (co-produced with The Jim Henson Company), as well as Sesame Street, Barney & Friends, The Wiggles, Caillou, Thomas & Friends, LazyTown, and more. Sprout is a partnership among NBCUniversal, PBS and Apax Funds.
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