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Jack Black, Rachel Dratch, Jimmy Eat World, Melora Hardin, Jack McBrayer, Andy Samberg, Amy Sedaris, Amare Stoudemire, The Ting Tings and The Roots Among the Celebs Getting Down With The 'Gabba' Gang on New Season of Nick Jr.'s Hit Live-Action Music Series, Yo Gabba Gabba!

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080908/NYM149 )

Guest stars for season two include Jack Black, Melora Hardin (The Office), The Ting Tings ("Shut Up and Let Me Go"), The Roots, Andy Samberg (SNL), Jack McBrayer (30 Rock), Amy Sedaris (Strangers with Candy), MGMT, Rachel Dratch (SNL), Paul Scheer (30 Rock), Sal Masekela (E!'s Daily 10), Amare Stoudemire (Phoenix Suns), Jimmy Eat World ("The Middle"), Chromeo, Paul Williams ("Rainbow Connection"), Mates of State, Mix Master Mike (Beastie Boys), Ladytron, Datarock and Money Mark. In addition, Biz Markie is back with his regular "Biz's Beat of the Day" segment teaching preschoolers how to beat-box, and singer/illustrator/composer Mark Mothersbaugh returns in his recurring "Mark's Magic Pictures" drawing segment.

The schedule for the season two premiere week of Yo Gabba Gabba! is as follows (all times are ET/PT):

-- Monday, Sept. 22 (11:30 a.m.) -- "Birthday" -- Melora Hardin teaches "Dancey Dance"; The Ting Tings perform; Mark Mothersbaugh makes a cameo; Biz Markie in "Biz's Beat of the Day" segment.

-- Tuesday, Sept. 23 (11:30 a.m.) -- "Games" -- Mates of State perform; Mark Mothersbaugh in "Mark's Magic Pictures" segment.

-- Wednesday, Sept. 24 (11:30 a.m.) -- "Talent" -- Amare Stoudemire teaches "Dancey Dance"; Hot Hot Heat performs; Mark Mothersbaugh in "Mark's Magic Pictures Segment."

-- Thursday, Sept. 25 (11:30 a.m.) -- "Animals" -- Jimmy Eat World performs; Mark Mothersbaugh in "Mark's Magic Pictures" segment.

-- Friday, Sept. 26 (11:30 a.m., 12:00 p.m.) -- Encores of "Birthday" and "Talent."

Nick Jr. will also kick off the launch of Yo Gabba Gabba! across the following Nickelodeon Preschool platforms in Sept.:

-- Beginning Monday, Sept. 15, Nick Jr. Video, Nick Jr.'s broadband video service available on Nickjr.com, will stream a two-minute sneak-peek from the season two premiere episode "Birthday," as well as feature music videos, shorts and instant replays of the premiere week episodes.

-- Beginning Monday, Sept. 15, a two minute sneak-peek from "Birthday" plus shorts and song clips from season two will be available on various wireless carriers.

-- Throughout the month of Sept., Yo Gabba Gabba! season two episodes will be available on Nick Jr. Video on Demand via Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Charter, Cablevision, Verizon FiOS and Cox.

Nick Jr.'s award-winning website (www.nickjr.com) will feature a brand-new convergent online game to complement the season two launch of Yo Gabba Gabba!. Beginning Sept. 17, preschoolers can go online and play the "Yo Gabba Gabba Magic Word Game" to help the Gabba gang recover a star that has fallen from DJ Lance's hat. Additionally, NickJr.com will feature Yo Gabba Gabba! themed activities, printables, crafts and more.

Yo Gabba Gabba!, executive produced by Charles Rivkin and Jon Berrett, stars host DJ Lance Rock (Lance Robertson) who brings to life four friendly monsters and a robot in a colorful land of music and laughter. The series highlights simple life lessons for preschoolers, through original song in short thematically linked segments, featuring animation, walk-around puppets and real kids. Yo Gabba Gabba! features an eclectic mix of music genres for preschoolers including, Pop, 80s, Electronic, New Wave, British Invasion, Hip Hop and more. Each episode culminates with an original music remix that summarizes the lessons learned. The characters are: Muno the red cyclops, Foofa the pink flower bubble, Brobee the little green one, Toodee the blue cat-dragon and Plex the robot, who are all ready to sing, play and dance along with the viewers as soon as they hear the magic words, "Yo Gabba Gabba!"

They physically engage preschoolers with interactive play and encourage them to get up and dance to the music. Yo Gabba Gabba! also features pretend-along games that teach shapes and colors, ask questions and teach new dance steps while keeping preschoolers laughing throughout the episode.

In the first season, Yo Gabba Gabba! features a recurring role by Hip Hop legend Biz Markie in a "Biz's Beat of the Day" segment teaching preschoolers how to beat-box, and a recurring role by singer, illustrator and composer Mark Mothersbaugh (Devo) in a "Mark's Magic Pictures" drawing segment. Additional guest stars include, Elijah Wood, Tony Hawk, Laila Ali, Sean Kingston, The Shins, Sugarland, Mya, Rahzel, Nikki Flores, Hector Jimenez, The Aquabats, Smoosh, The Aggrolites and Cornelius.

The Magic Store was founded in 2005 by Christian Jacobs and Scott Schultz, the 30-something dads, musicians and creators of the hit series Yo Gabba Gabba!, which was initially produced independently in two half-hour episodes. After creating an online viral frenzy with the trailer, the show ultimately found a home on Nick Jr. The Magic Store's mission is to produce ground- breaking, fresh, wholesome and fun entertainment properties that parents can enjoy along with their kids.

Founded in 1994, W!LDBRAIN (www.wildbrain.com) is an award-winning entertainment company that develops and produces unique and compelling content across the media spectrum. Powered by its distinctive pool of talented animators and directors renowned for blending traditional animation methods with state-of-the-art computer graphics, the studio and its creative team have consistently won top industry awards. In film, W!LDBRAIN has garnered numerous awards including an Annie for its computer graphics short film Hubert's Brain and currently has a number of film projects in development. In television, the studio has produced an exceptional slate of original work including the hit series Yo Gabba Gabba!, airing weekdays on Nick Jr., Nickelodeon's award-winning programming block for preschoolers and Higglytown Heroes, the top-rated and critically acclaimed animated series airing daily on the Disney Channel. As one of the nation's foremost producers of animated commercials, W!LDBRAIN has won Clios, Addys, BDA Awards and Annies for their commercial work, reinvigorating classic brands and developing cutting-edge spots for leading companies including The Coca-Cola Company, Honda, Kraft and Nike. Additionally, W!LDBRAIN creates and distributes collectible merchandise through its subsidiary Kidrobot, planet Earth's premier creator and retailer of limited edition toys, clothing, mini-figures, artwork and books.

Nick Jr. is a specially designed programming block airing on Nickelodeon weekdays from 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. (ET/PT). Completely dedicated to preschoolers ages 2-5, Nick Jr.'s Emmy, Peabody and Parents' Choice Award-winning programs are curriculum based, fun and commercial free. At Nick Jr., kids play to learn with innovative, original shows created just for them.

Nickelodeon, now in its 29th 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 inthe United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, magazines and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in more than 96 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for more than 14 consecutive years. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B).

SOURCE Nickelodeon