Nick Jr Introduces Fátima Ptacek as New Voice of Dora

NICKELODEON’S EMMY AWARD-WINNING PRESCHOOL SERIES

DORA THE EXPLORER RETURNS WITH WEEK OF BRAND NEW EPISODES

BEGINNING MONDAY, JAN. 30, AT 10:00 AM (ET/PT)

Star-Studded Premiere Week Features Andy Garcia and Jason Alexander;

Introduces Fátima Ptacek as New Voice of Dora

NEW YORK, Jan. 26, 2012 – Nickelodeon invites kids to join Dora and Boots on brand-new interactive adventures during a special premiere week, Monday, Jan. 30 – Friday, Feb. 3, at 10:00 a.m. (ET/PT).  The week of new episodes will feature Andy Garcia as the voice of famed literary character, Don Quixote, and Jason Alexander as the voice of a greedy owl.  The premiere week kicks off a new season (season 7) and introduces 11-year-old actress Fátima Ptacek as the new voice of the iconic Latina heroine, Dora the Explorer.  Throughout season seven, Dora and the viewers will explore and learn different concepts from the areas of music, art, science, geography, and classic literature.  The new season will also incorporate a refreshed and enhanced look for Dora the Explorer, which after 11 years remains the most watched preschool program on television.  

“Dora the Explorer is a role model and best friend to children around the globe and in the new episodes she continues to invite preschoolers on her exciting and educational adventures,” said Teri Weiss, SVP, Nickelodeon Preschool. “We are thrilled to welcome Fátima Ptacek into the Nickelodeon family as the new voice of the world’s most beloved Latina heroine.” 

The Dora the Explorer premiere week schedule is as follows (all times are 10:00 a.m. ET/PT):

·        Monday, Jan. 30 - “Dora and Diego Save Atlantis” (Jason Alexander Guest Stars)

Dora, Diego, Boots and Unicornio leave the Enchanted Forest to end an ancient feud between the unicorns and dragons and save the lost continent of Atlantis.  Meanwhile, a greedy owl (voiced by Jason Alexander) is given the opportunity to act as king and watch over the forest.

·        Tuesday, Jan. 31 – “The Big Red Chicken’s Magic Wand”

The Big Red Chicken is doing magic tricks and for his first trick, he turns Boots into a chicken.  When he tries to turn him back into a monkey, he lets out a big sneeze that propels the magic wand into Magic Land.  Dora and friends set off on a magic-filled journey in order to get the wand fixed so Boots can become a monkey again.

·        Wednesday, Feb. 1 – “Swiper’s Favorite Things”

Swiper is packing all of his favorite things for a sleepover at his Grandma’s House -- his pajama trunk, his favorite puppy book, and his very special funny bunny.  Just as he is about to leave, a big wind gust comes in and blows everything away! Dora and Swiper journey to Crocodile Lake, through the Jumbled Trees, and race to Strawberry Hill to get Swiper’s favorite things back. 

·        Thursday, Feb. 2 – “A Ribbon For Pinto” (Season 7 Premiere) 

Pinto is really excited about the Big Horse Show and he’d like to win his very first blue prize ribbon.  Dora, Boots, and Pinto are taking a train to the show, but the train breaks down and they worry they won’t be able to make it!  

·        Friday, Feb. 3 – “Dora’s Knighthood Adventure” (Andy Garcia Guest Stars)

Boots loves to hear stories about knights who go on heroic adventures and Don Quixote (Andy Garcia) tells Dora and Boots that anyone can be a knight as long as they help others.  Boots would love to be a knight and so would his friends Rocinante the horse and Dapple the donkey, but they need someone to rescue. Dora takes out her spotting scope and they discover a princess calling out for help from the Royal Garden.  Dora, Boots, Rocinante and Dapple set out through the Puppet Stage, past Tico’s Carousel to get to the Royal Garden and save the princess. 

Fátima Ptacek was born in New York City and is of Ecuadorian and European heritage.  She is fluent in English and Spanish, and is studying Mandarin Chinese.  Fátima has been cast in lead roles in several soon to be released feature films, including Anything’s Possible, Tio Papi, The Miracle of Spanish Harlem and Curfew. She has appeared in such TV shows as Saturday Night Live, Sesame Street, A Gifted Man, and Royal Pains among others.  Since launching her acting career five years ago, Fátima has appeared in more than 60 television commercials.   She is also an accomplished fashion model signed with the renowned New York modeling agency, Wilhelmina.  Fátima attends an academy in New York City for intellectually gifted children and is an avid reader.  She is also a competitive gymnast, an accomplished equestrian and enjoys participating in charitable causes. 

Preschoolers and their parents can visit www.nickjr.com, Nickelodeon's award-winning website, to watch a sneak peek of Dora's Knighthood Adventure, play games and download printable activities and coloring pages.

Emmy award-winning Dora the Explorer is a play-along, animated adventure series starring Dora, a seven-year-old bilingual Latina heroine whose adventures take place in an imaginative, tropical world filled with jungles, beaches and rainforests.  Dora explores her world just as preschoolers do every day, and the show is designed to actively engage its audience in an interactive quest using a variety of learning techniques.  In every episode, Dora and Boots invite the audience to participate in an exciting adventure, where each step of their journey consists of a problem or puzzle that Dora and the audience must think their way through in order to solve the next problem.  Dora is proudly bilingual and uses her knowledge of English and Spanish to communicate with her friends, overcome obstacles and reach her goals.  In each episode, Dora teaches a Spanish word or phrase to the viewers and then asks them to use it to solve a problem and forge ahead.  Dora the Explorer was created by Chris Gifford, Valerie Walsh and Eric Weiner. 

Nickelodeon, now in its 32^nd year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon’s U.S. television network is seen in 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 16 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB).