'Bubble Guppies' take on mythical adventure in 'The Puppy and the Ring'

The hit animated preschool series Bubble Guppies is going on a whole new magical adventure in the one-hour holiday special The Puppy and the Ring, airing Thursday night at 7 p.m. ET.

In anticipation of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and inspired by The Lord of the Rings franchise, the special welcomes young viewers to Bubbledom, a land of secrets and sorcery where the magical Ring of the Sun has always kept night and day in perfect balance. But when the evil Night Wizard, voiced by Jeffrey Tambor, takes the Ring from the benevolent Sun King, Bubbledom could be thrown into darkness forever! It’s up to Molly and Gil as they accompany their puppy on a quest through three magical realms so they can return the Ring of the Sun to its rightful owner by sundown.

“I am going to be a hero in my own household,” Tambor said. “My twin boys will go ballistic when they hear Daddy. Ah, to be ‘cool’ in one’s own living room.”

Families can get more involved at NickJr.com with printable Bubble Guppies games and activities. Additionally, the special will be available for download beginning Friday on iTunes, Amazon, Xbox, Playstation, Vudu, Target Ticket, Samsung, and VDIO.

Check out this exclusive clip below:

The Puppy and the Ring airs Thursday night at 7 p.m. ET on Nickelodeon.