Disney Jr. to Debut JAKE & THE NEVER LAND PIRATES Special, 9/19

Disney Junior will debut the primetime special JAKE AND THE NEVER LAND PIRATES: JAKE SAVES BUCKY on International Talk Like A Pirate Day, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 (7:00-8:00 p.m., ET/PT) on Disney Channel. In the family night special event episode, Peter Pan returns to Never Land once again to help Jake and his crew win back their ship after losing Bucky in a race against Captain Hook and the Jolly Roger. The series' first primetime special, "Jake and the Never Land Pirates: Peter Pan Returns," debuted in February 2012 and was the most-watched cable telecast in nearly 10 years in Kids 2-5.

The short-form series "Playing With Skully," which invites viewers at home to help Jake's popular pirate lookout parrot Skully solve an array of pirate problems, will debut the same day during the Disney Junior programming block on Disney Channel (9:55 a.m., 10:25 a.m., 10:55 a.m., 11:55 a.m., 12:25 p.m. and 12:55 p.m. ET/PT) and will also air on Disney Junior. David Arquette voices the role of Skully.

Beginning Friday, August 31, DisneyJunior.com/JakeSavesBucky will launch "Jake's Heroic Race," a collection of four mini-games themed to the primetime special, as well as a pirate name generator where kids will be presented with various scenarios and then assigned a pirate name based on their unique responses. New printable coloring pages will depict Jake demonstrating his heroic characteristics including bravery, confidence, kindness, loyalty and helpfulness.

A full-length preview of "Jake and the Never Land Pirates: Jake Saves Bucky" will become available via Disney Channel on Demand on September 12. WATCH Disney Channel will simulcast the special in conjunction with the television premiere on September 19 on Disney Channel. The special will also be available the following day on WATCH Disney Junior and DisneyJunior.com.

"Jake and the Never Land Pirates: Jake Saves Bucky" stars the voices of Colin Ford as Jake; Madison Pettis as Izzy; JoNathan Morgan Heit as Cubby; David Arquette as Skully; Corey Burton as Captain Hook; Jeff Bennett as Mr. Smee and Bones; Loren Hoskins as Sharky; Adam Wylie as Peter Pan; Dee Bradley Baker as Brightly and the Dragon; and Russi Taylor as Gilly. Rob LaDuca is executive producer, Mark Seidenberg is producer/story editor and Howy Parkins is the director. The special is a production of Disney Television Animation.

"Jake and the Never Land Pirates" is a music-filled interactive treasure hunt that revolves around a crew of kid pirates - leader Jake and pals Izzy and Cubby - and follows their Never Land adventures as they work to outwit two infamous characters, the one and only Captain Hook and Mr. Smee, from Disney's classic "Peter Pan." The series, which emphasizes teamwork, features original pirate rock music performed by Sharky and Bones of The Never Land Pirate Band.

Disney Junior reflects the emotional connection generations of consumers have to Disney storytelling and Disney characters, both classic and contemporary. It invites mom and dad to join their child in the Disney experience of magical, musical and heartfelt stories and characters, while incorporating specific learning and development themes designed for kids age 2-7. Disney Junior's series blend Disney's unparalleled storytelling and characters kids love deeply with learning, including early math, language skills, healthy eating and lifestyles, and social skills. Disney Junior launched in February 2011 with a daily programming block on Disney Channel. In its first year, Disney Junior posted the network's biggest yearly audience in the daypart in Total Viewers, Kids 2-5, Boys 2-5 and Women 18-49, increasing by double-digit margins among preschooler demographics over year-ago levels. On March 23, 2012 Disney Junior added a cable and satellite channel in the U.S. bringing the total number of channels to 30 worldwide.