Disney Channel to Premiere Fifth Season of DOC MCSTUFFINS

Season five of Disney Junior's Peabody Award-winning "Doc McStuffins" will premiere FRIDAY, OCT. 26 (11:00-11:30 a.m. EDT/PDT), on Disney Channel and the DisneyNOW app. The series, which tells the story of a young girl who aspires to be a doctor like her mom and communicates with and heals toys, has been lauded by parents, educators and health-care professionals around the world for having a lasting impact on how children see themselves and their future.

The new season will bring the series to a total of more than 150 episodes, shorts and specials. Included in season five will be "The DOC MCSTUFFINS Christmas Special," premiering this December on Disney Junior. The special, which is part of Disney|ABC Television's annual "25 Days of Christmas" programming event, will also air on Disney Channel, ABC and FreeForm throughout the holiday season.

"Doc McStuffins" premiered in March 2012 and since then has become one of the most beloved preschool television properties of all time. Described by Emmy® Award-winning producer, socio-political comedian and dad to three girls, W. Kamau Bell, as "one of the most important shows in the history of television," the series has been credited by many health-care professionals for helping to allay children's fears of going to the doctor. "Doc McStuffins" has also been cited in recent reports, including a study done by The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media in partnership with IF/THEN, an initiative of the Lyda Hill Foundation, for having a positive impact on young kids' aspirations, particularly girls, to pursue STEM careers.

Shortly after the series launched, a group of female African-American physicians began a "movement" they coined "We Are Doc McStuffins." Seeing a reflection of themselves in the Doc character and the opportunity to inspire young girls, the group grew to form the Artemis Medical Society, an organization which now boasts a membership of over 4700 women physicians of color from around the world, and has a mission of providing the foundation necessary to create a diverse physician workforce.

In addition to critical acclaim, "Doc McStuffins" has inspired an immersive traveling museum exhibit designed for kids age 2-7, spreading the show's messages of care and compassion directly into local communities. The series is currently featured in the "Disney Junior Dance PARTY ON Tour" live concert experience, which began its second leg of the U.S. tour last month, and the popular "Disney Junior Dance Party!" attraction at Disney California Adventure park, which will also be opening at Disney's Hollywood Studios at WALT DISNEY WORLD Resort later this year. Additional brand extensions for the series include books, comics, activity books and a magazine from Disney Publishing Worldwide; multiple DVD releases from Walt Disney Studios and various soundtracks from Walt Disney Records. The multiple award-winning toy line is available at retailers nationwide, with new products debuting this fall.

In 2Q18, the series reached over 133 million viewers worldwide and aired in 157 countries in 28 languages. In its fourth season, "Doc McStuffins" generated over 37 million views on YouTube, more than 79 million views on the Disney apps and 25 million views on VOD.*

The series was created and is executive produced by Humanitas Prize and Emmy Award-winner Chris Nee. Emmy-winning Norton Virgien serves as supervising director and co-executive producer. The Hollywood Health & Society division of the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center serves as the series' health and medical consultants, advising on basic health issues that are relevant to young kids and families. "Doc McStuffins" is a production of Academy Award®-nominated Brown Bag Films in association with Disney Channel.

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