• Dora the Explorer is an animated children's program produced by Nickelodeon and broadcast in both English and Spanish. The show, which debuted in the summer of 2000, is primarily geared toward pre-school age viewers.NPR: Dora: An Explorer in Modern America (April 14, 2008)

  In March 2009, Mattel and Nickelodeon announced that they would introduce a new toy line of 'fashion' dolls and an online network called "Dora's Explorer Girls". The new dolls and website feature a more grown up version of Dora, aimed at the "tweenage" market.Business Wire: Mattel and Nick. Launch Online Dora Brand for Girls Age 5 and Up (March 6, 2009) Renderings of the doll were released on March 17, 2009, and several parenting groups complained that the new doll was too sexy. Nickelodeon and Mattel reassured those concerned that the new doll would still reinforce the values that Dora was founded on.EW.com: Is the new Dora the Explorer doll too sexy? (March 17, 2009)

• 1. First episode: 2000NPR: Dora: An Explorer in Modern America (April 14, 2008)
  2. Created by: Chris Gifford, Valerie Walsh, Eric WeinerNPR: Dora: An Explorer in Modern America (April 14, 2008)
  3. TV rating: TV-Y
  4. First name shortened for of Spanish term for a female explorer: "Exploradora"
  5. Last name a tribute to Columbian writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez
  6. Merchandising in 2004 yielded $1 billion in sales
  7. Characters include Dora, the talking Backpack, The Map, Boots the monkey, Tico and Swiper the fox
  8. The show Go Diego Go! is a spin off of Dora the Explorer

• Premise of the Show

  In each episode, the courageous 7-year-old girl Dora Marquez goes on some kind of quest, assisted by her best friend Boots, an affectionate monkey who wears red boots. Like many programs for the pre-school set, the show emphasizes themes such as generosity and cooperation—but it also promotes multiculturalism more explicitly than most previous kids' shows. Dora the character is Latina and the program teaches both Spanish and English phrases to viewers. While Dora is portrayed as enjoying her heritage, she is also inquisitive about other people and their customs and backgrounds.

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