Film & TV

Atlanta – October 05, 2026 -- GoNoodle, the movement platform used in 88% of U.S. public and private elementary schools, has launched a new video and nationwide contest tied to Warner Bros. Pictures Animation's The Cat in the Hat, which hits theaters November 6.

A new video teaches kids the movie's invented movement language

The video, titled Let's Speak Thinglish!, teaches children the wordless body-percussion language used by the Things in the film. Created with the movie's choreographer, Christopher Scott, the lesson walks kids through Thinglish terms for "hello," "goodbye," "yes," and "no," then has them invent their own Thinglish names. The video is available on the Dr. Seuss channel on GoNoodle.com alongside the platform's existing library of Dr. Seuss content.

Palmetto, Fla. – October 02, 2026 -- Monster Jam fans can catch new weekly episodes of Monster Jam Primetime for free starting Thursday, October 1, at 8 p.m. ET, with two fresh episodes dropping every Thursday on the Monster Jam Channel.

The series streams across nine free ad-supported streaming (FAST) platforms: Amazon Prime Video, The Roku Channel, VIZIO WatchFree+, Pluto TV, LG Channels, Plex, Local Now, Rakuten TV, and the newly added Xumo Play. Episodes also premiere simultaneously on the Monster Jam YouTube channel, where they remain available on demand.

Encore airings give fans a second chance to watch.

Each episode repeats the following Thursday starting at 6 p.m. ET, with additional re-airs on select Saturdays surrounding live Monster Jam event coverage.

Nashville, Tenn. – October 01, 2026 -- Minno, a Christian streaming platform for kids, has premiered a new animated series called Laugh and Grow Bible for Kids: Jesus Stories, with a companion book arriving October 13 and a screen-free audio version also available on the platform.

The series launched October 2 and expands Minno's existing Laugh and Grow Bible for Kids franchise, which already includes more than 65 animated episodes, a Bedtime Stories series, a Learning Series, music, holiday specials, and bestselling books translated into Spanish, Portuguese, and American Sign Language.

Santa Monica, Calif. – September 30, 2026 -- STARZ says Verizon Fios customers could lose access to all STARZ channels, STARZ On Demand and the STARZ app unless the two companies reach a new distribution agreement soon.

Negotiations remain unresolved as a deadline looms

Alison Hoffman, President of STARZ Networks, said the company has been negotiating in good faith with Verizon but warned that viewers "should be prepared for Verizon to remove STARZ" unless a deal is struck imminently.

Losing the deal would cut off several exclusive shows

A removal would block Verizon Fios subscribers from the full "Power" Universe and the upcoming "Power: Origins," every episode of "Outlander" and its prequel "Outlander: Blood of my Blood," the next season of "P-Valley," the current season of "S.W.A.T. Exiles," and the upcoming premiere of "Tip Toe."

Fans would also lose STARZ's film library, including the global hit Michael.

Shelton, Conn. – September 30, 2026 -- Timex has launched Timex Tales, an AI-powered storybook app built to teach children ages 5 to 10 how to read a traditional analog clock, using Google Gemini technology.

A Timex survey found 2 in 5 kids struggle with analog clocks

The company commissioned a survey showing that two in five children ages 6 to 9 struggle to confidently read an analog clock, a gap Timex says its new tool is designed to close.

Stories personalize learning through a cast of animal characters

Using Google's Nano Banana image generation, Timex Tales creates personalized adventures where children follow characters including a tiger, dolphin, penguin, dog, and axolotl through settings like castles, cities, and outer space. The stories teach kids to distinguish hour and minute hands, tell AM from PM, and link time to daily routines like morning and evening.

Boulder – September 29, 2026 -- The Sundance Film Festival will leave Park City after more than four decades and debut in Boulder, Colorado, running January 21-31, 2027.

Boulder's Chautauqua Auditorium becomes an official festival venue

Set beneath the Flatirons, Boulder pairs the festival's screenings and premieres with immediate access to hiking trails at Chautauqua Park. Downtown, the pedestrian-only Pearl Street will mark its 50th anniversary in 2027, and the city's dining scene has drawn recognition from the MICHELIN Guide.

Estes Park offers elk sightings and quiet winter trails near Rocky Mountain National Park

As the basecamp for Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park turns into a snowshoe-friendly landscape in winter, with elk commonly seen around town and mule deer spotted in the surrounding area. The Riverwalk trail follows the Big Thompson and Fall rivers through downtown.

Canary Islands, Spain – September 28, 2026 -- The four astronauts of NASA's Artemis II mission — Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen — will receive the Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication on October 17, 2026, during the opening of STARMUS VIII in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

The crew turned a lunar mission into a global science lesson

Organizers cite the astronauts' use of interviews, social media, live communications, educational initiatives and public appearances to explain the science and technology behind Artemis II. STARMUS says the crew went beyond technical milestones, sharing the preparation, risks, teamwork and international cooperation behind the mission, and helped younger audiences engage with science and space exploration.

Chicago – September 28, 2026 -- Two new picture books from the Princess Penelope's Purse of Preposterous Things series hit shelves on November 3, 2026, expanding a children's media franchise built by Emmy-winning creator Angela C. Santomero.

"Bunny Lala's Big Song" and "Pirate Argh's Treasure Hunt" arrive from 4U2B Books & Media, an imprint of Loyola Press, following the success of the show's earlier titles and its YouTube Kids series, which has drawn over 12 million views.

Santomero built her career on Blue's Clues and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood

Santomero, also known for creating Super Why!, developed Princess Penelope's Purse of Preposterous Things as her latest project. The franchise now includes four books total after this release.

Cangzhou – September 27, 2026 -- The 12th China Cangzhou International Wushu Competition wrapped up on September 13 at Cangzhou Stadium, drawing 4,352 athletes and coaches from 295 teams across 40 countries and regions. Competitors ranged from 4-year-old newcomers to an 82-year-old master, spanning four generations on a single stage.

Ahead of the competition, Cangzhou released an AI-generated short film called Iron Lion: The Sentinel of Time on September 5. The 17-minute production blends fictional characters with the city's wushu heritage, urban landscape and Grand Canal history, aimed at introducing the tradition to international viewers.

The AI film has racked up more than 5.51 million views since release

The short has spread across multiple platforms, prompting online reactions. One viewer, identified as "Siwei Jiaoyu," wrote that they never expected AI could produce such an atmospheric kung fu film.

Los Angeles – September 24, 2026 -- Crunchyroll subscribers will see Part 2 of "The Exiled Heavy Knight Knows How to Game the System" continue streaming dubbed and subtitled this fall, following the reveal of a new key visual, main trailer, theme songs and four additional cast members.

Four new adventurers join the story as Part 2 shifts to the city of Lacoryna

Kosuke Tanabe voices Kelt, a B-rank Hunter; Tsugumi Sakuragi voices Maebel, a C-rank Priest; Misaki Kuno voices Hilde, a B-rank Magic Swordsman; and Kengo Kawanishi voices Carlos, an A-rank Magic Swordsman known as the "Black Flame Blade." The new trailer opens after the battle with Malice, as protagonists Elymas and Ruche arrive in Lacoryna, described as the city of adventurers.