Disney/ABC Encourages Audiences to 'Choose Kindess' with Original Programming

By: Sep. 23, 2016
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Disney|ABC Television Group encourages viewers to "Choose Kindness" during October's National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month through original programming that reinforces the importance of being kind, and customized public service announcement (PSA) campaigns that will air on multiple platforms across ABC, ABC-owned television stations, Freeform, Disney Channel, Disney XD and Radio Disney. The "Choose Kindness" campaign is designed to inspire kids, families and change-makers around the country to put an end to bullying in collaboration with the efforts of nonprofit partners' campaigns including GLSEN's "Ally Week," GLAAD's "Spirit Day," PACER's "Unity Day" and the Ad Council's "I Am A Witness" campaign.

Beginning Saturday, October 1, four customized PSAs that encourage acts and words of kindness as a way to combat bullying will begin airing on ABC, ABC-owned television stations, Freeform, Disney Channel, Disney XD and Radio Disney including stars from their respective networks. Radio Disney enlisted Def Jam recording artist Alessia Cara to lend her uplifting anthem, "Scars to Your Beautiful," to multiple "Choose Kindness" PSAs. A fifth PSA, produced by Radio Disney and featuring Cara, will debut Monday, October 3, on Disney Channel.

Among the stars featured in the PSAs are: Viola Davis ("How to Get Away with Murder"), Kiefer Sutherland ("Designated Survivor"), Minnie Driver ("Speechless"), Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross ("black-ish") and more on ABC and ABC-owned television stations; Troian Bellisario ("Pretty Little Liars") and Hayden Byerly ("The Fosters") on Freeform; Rowan Blanchard ("Girl Meets World"), Veronica Dunne ("K.C. Undercover"), Benjamin and Matthew Royer ("Best Friends Whenever") on Disney Channel; Brandon Severs ("Walk the Prank"), Felix Avitia and Sophie Reynolds ("Gamer's Guide to Pretty Much Everything") on Disney XD.

Disney Channel, Disney XD and the Disney Channel app will also feature programming that underscores the importance of choosing kindness with episodes that model positive examples of conflict resolution and raises awareness about preventing different forms of bullying.

The "Choose Kindness" multi-platform programming rollout is:

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
• GIRL MEETS WORLD - "Girl Meets She Don't Like Me"
(8:30 - 9:00 p.m. EDT on Disney Channel)
Riley is ready to make new friends in high school, but everyone is not as friendly as she expects.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
• Bizaardvark - "Pretty-Con"
(8:30 - 9:00 p.m. EDT on Disney Channel)
When the annual beauty convention Pretty-Con comes to Vuuugle, Amelia becomes obsessed with beating nine-year-old beauty guru Didi for the coveted Golden Powder Puff Award. It takes popular lifestyle vlogger Meredith Foster to remind Amelia what true beauty and choosing kindness is all about.
Guest starring Youtube sensation Meredith Foster as herself and McKenna Grace ("Designated Survivor") as Didi.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28
• "Choose Kindness" Collection Debuts on the Disney Channel app: Between Wednesday, September 28, and throughout the month of October, "Choose Kindness"-related episodes and PSAs will be available to verified users on the Disney Channel app for smartphones, tablets and connected TVs. The content includes new episodes of "Girl Meets World," "Bizaardvark" and "Best Friends Whenever."

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1
• Customized "Choose Kindness" PSAs begin airing Saturday, October 1 through October 31, on ABC, ABC-owned television stations, Freeform, Disney Channel, Disney XD and Radio Disney.

• Beginning October 1 through October 31, Disney XD will present encore airings of eight anti-bullying episodes from animated and live-action series including "Gravity Falls," "Wander Over Yonder," "Phineas and Ferb," "Lab Rats" and "Kirby Buckets."

MONDAY, OCTOBER 3
• BEST FRIENDS WHENEVER - "The Friendship Code"
(9:00 - 9:30 p.m. EDT on Disney Channel)
When Shelby and Barry compete against each other to have their latest innovations win at the Dax Fraggins Tech Pitch Fair, the aspiring scientist's ego causes him to be a jerk to fellow contestants and even his friends.
Guest starring Jason Earles (Disney XD's "Kickin' It") as Dax Fraggins.

Viewers age 13 and older are invited to participate in the campaign on social media by sharing how they choose kindness using #ChooseKindness and #BeInspired. More information including how viewers can participate in bullying prevention campaigns from GLSEN, GLAAD, PACER and the Ad Council is available at www.Disney.com/BeInspired.

About Disney|ABC Television Grou The Disney|ABC Television Group is composed of The Walt Disney Company's (NYSE: DIS) global entertainment and news television properties, cable networks, owned television stations, and radio stations. This includes ABC Entertainment Group, ABC News, ABC-Owned Television Stations, Disney Channels Worldwide and Freeform, as well as Disney|ABC Domestic Television and Disney Media Distribution.

Photo Credit: Disney|ABC*



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