HILARY DUFF GUEST STARS IN BRAND-NEW DORA THE EXPLORER PRIMETIME SPECIAL, "DORA'S ICE SKATING SPECTACULAR," PREMIERING MONDAY, NOV. 25, AT 7:00 P.M. (ET/PT)

Figure Skating Superstar Johnny Weir Appears in New Dora the Explorer Promotional Spot

NEW YORK - Nov. 19, 2013 - 'Tis the season for an icy adventure as Nickelodeon debuts the brand-new Dora the Explorer primetime special, "Dora's Ice Skating Spectacular," on Monday, Nov. 25, at 7 p.m. (ET/PT). The half-hour special features actress Hilary Duff as the Ice Witch who has taken everyone's ice skates in the Snowy Forest and Dora must skate against her to get them back. Two-time Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir appears in a new "Dora's Ice Skating Spectacular" promotional spot as Dora's Ice Skating coach, currently airing on Nickelodeon.

Emmy Award-winning Dora the Explorer continues to be the most watched preschool show on TV drawing 72.9M total viewers and 11.7M preschoolers year to date. Nickelodeon is currently the number-one rated cable network among K2-5 with five of its preschool series (Paw Patrol, Bubble Guppies, Dora the Explorer, Team Umizoomi, Peter Rabbit) ranked in the top 10 on all TV.

"I had so much fun playing the role of the 'Ice Witch' on Dora the Explorer, a show that is loved by so many children around the world including my own son," said Duff. "Dora is such a positive role-model for kids and it was an honor to be featured alongside the coolest little explorer around."

At NickJr.com, Nickelodeon's award-winning website, parents and preschoolers can get ready for Dora's Ice Skating Spectacular with print-and-play ice skating activities like Dora Ice Skating Puzzles, mazes, and make a cool iron-on Dora Ice Skating decal. Additionally, they can go to the NickJr.com Photo Booth to upload and decorate photos with Dora and her friends and play the new Dora Ice Skating Game.

Dora the Explorer, created by Chris Gifford, Valerie Walsh Valdes and Eric Weiner, is a play-along, animated adventure series starring Dora (Fátima Ptacek), a seven-year-old Latina heroine whose adventures take place in an imaginative, tropical world filled with jungles, beaches and rainforests. She explores her world just as preschoolers do every day, and the show is designed to actively engage its audience in an interactive quest using a variety of learning techniques.

In every episode, Dora and Boots invite the audience to participate in an exciting adventure, where each step of their journey consists of a problem or puzzle that Dora and the audience must think their way through in order to solve the next problem. Dora is proudly bilingual and uses her knowledge of English and Spanish to communicate with her friends, overcome obstacles and reach her goals. In each episode, Dora teaches Spanish words or phrases to the viewers and then asks them to use it to solve a problem and forge ahead. Ultimately, Dora and her best friend, Boots, triumph, and the story always ends with a "We Did It!" anthem.

About Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon, now in its 34th 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 in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in almost 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 18 consecutive years. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB).