Sheira & Loli's Dittydoodle Works is an exciting half-hour weekly series for preschoolers featuring engaging characters, catchy songs, and life lessons, airing on WLIW21 New York Public Television on Saturdays at 9:30am as well as public television stations nationwide (check local listings)

Rag doll twins Sheira and Loli are the engaging and lively hosts in the unique world they share with their friends: resident visual artist Miss Molly, Doodles the wise-cracking crayon, eccentric but brilliant Professor Eeky Eeky Kronk, the good-natured troublemaker Zippy the Kwirk, and the child-like factory helpers, the Funkins (Pink-a-Dink and Bluedles). Celebrity guests for the first season include Oscar, Grammy, Tony and Emmy-winning songwriter/composer Marvin Hamlisch, who helps a discouraged Loli with her piano lessons in "Practice, Patience and Persistence" (episode #104), and Grammy-winning R & B singer Chaka Khan as Mother Nature in "Four Leaf Clover" (episode #115).

Sheira & Loli's Dittydoodle Works features puppets created by experts from Jim Henson's Creature Shop, and award-winning music written and performed by the real-life inspiration for the series' main characters, twins Sheira and Leora "Loli" Brayer. The sisters are two-time winners of Billboard magazine's National Songwriter's Award, and their performances on Sheira & Loli's Ditties for Little Kiddies-Volume #1, and Dittydoodle Works Celebrates the Holidays garnered two iParenting Media Awards. Dittydoodle Works is set in a magical musical factory where the only product is educational fun. The show is driven by upbeat, catchy original songs with clever lyrics and designed to both stimulate young children and entertain their parents. "We've always had a passion for children and creating music that motivates, inspires and educates," says Sheira, "Now our music will teach and inspire millions through the power of public television."

The characters' diverse personalities provide opportunities to teach positive emotional, social, and educational lessons as young viewers learn, along with the characters, about self-esteem, cooperation, relationships, fitness, and concepts about nature, the physical world, and literacy. Sheira & Loli's Dittydoodle Works will also feature taped segments with real children in the real world. The series premiere, "Sheira's Pen Pal," introduces the main cast members performing their very own theme songs for Sheira as she prepares a "video letter" for her new pen pal, Val.

"The show is intended to prepare kids for success in school by offering an enriching experience that explores both life lessons and intellectual concepts they can enjoy with their parents and caregivers," said Cory Rosenberg, CEO of Rogar Studios. "We don't think of Dittydoodle Works as a 'kids show,' but as a 'family show.' We were determined to create a series that embraces parents and gets them to participate in the viewing of the show along with their children." The Parents Television Council and American Medical Association agree that, "Parents or older siblings who co-view television with children can make the experience worthwhile. Adults who watch with children and offer comments and interpretations of content improve the amount that children learn from educational programs. Adult explanation also improves children's understanding of plots, characters, and events."

In discussing the use of music in Sheira & Loli's Dittydoodle Works, Dr. Daniel Anderson, a psychologist who has done extensive research on the effects of television on children and who has worked with PBS, Nick Jr and Jim Henson Productions, stated, "Music is considered a 'basic intelligence'. It is in many ways complementary to language. Music is by itself a motivator, setting moods. Music helps provide the matrix within which the curriculum is laid."

Dittydoodle Works' educational consultant, Jean Ramsden, explains, "Through my experience as a consultant, educational researcher and producer for organizations like PBS, Children's Television Workshop, Pricewaterhouse Coopers and Warner Bros., I have never come across a preschool program filled with so much get-up-and-go and song and dance!" She continues, "Through splashes of adult-level humor, catchy songs and real-life lessons, parents and teachers will actually want to watch the episodes with their children or class."

Tri-state area families may be familiar with the characters and songs from the award-winning music video shorts that aired on WLIW21 and were nominated for a New York Emmy and received a New York State Broadcasters Award for outstanding achievement in children's programming. The premiere of a one-hour special that aired on WLIW21 during one of its membership campaigns drew fundraising support on a par with such hit shows as Sesame Street. In addition, a live stage show that was performed at the Westbury Music Fair (now North Fork Theatre at Westbury) on Long Island in 2002 was touted as "The best children's show ever at Westbury," by Jason Stone, EVP at ClearChannel.

The creative team includes veterans of some of the most notable and award-winning productions to come out of Broadway, dance, film, and public and cable television. This multiple Emmy Award-winning team includes Mark Saltzman, a former writer at Sesame Street for nearly a decade; Alan Adelman, lighting designer of numerous television and stage productions, including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Great Performances, Live from Lincoln Center, and more; and Dean Gordon of the popular PBS children's series Between the Lions. Joseph Baker, one of Broadway's most sought-after composers and arrangers, oversees the series' music with Sheira Brayer. Baker has worked on such Broadway hits as Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, and Lion King. The series is executive produced by Cory Rosenberg of Rogar Studios, and Roy A. Hammond, VP of National Productions of WLIW New York.

Families are invited to further explore the world of Sheira & Loli's Dittydoodle Works on the web at www.dittydoodle.com , where they will find show information, episode lists, parent resources, games, art projects, educational resources for parents and teachers, merchandise, newsletters, tour dates, and more.

Dittydoodle Works is a co-production of WLIW New York Public Television and Rogar Studios, Inc.
Dittydoodle Works title, logo and characters are copyrights and trademarks owned by Rogar Studios, Inc. and no reproduction or use may be made of copyrights or trademarks of Rogar Studios, Inc. without its prior written approval.