The popular puppet series inspired by ‘Mister Rogers' Neighborhood’s characters is slated to hit Spring 2023; show is designed to help kids learn resilience, persistence, and problem solving.
PBS Kids has greenlit Season 2 of Donkey Hodie, a puppet series inspired by characters from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Produced by Fred Rogers Productions in collaboration with Spiffy Pictures, the series is a social-emotional learning series for kids ages 3-5 emphasizing skills to promote resilience, persistence, and problem solving. The new season will consist of 25 half-hour episodes including two specials and is slated to debut Spring 2023.
“Woven into every light-hearted Donkey Hodie story is the central theme of resilience, which is an essential skill for children — and it’s one that can be learned,” noted Fred Rogers Productions chief creative officer Ellen Doherty. “Donkey and her pals model positivity and persistence through stories focusing on being flexible and adapting to change, cooperating with your friends, managing big feelings, and more. Giving young children examples of how to overcome obstacles is especially important now given the unique challenges of the last two years.”
Donkey Hodie is set in the whimsical land of Someplace Else. The puppet series follows the adventures of Donkey Hodie, an enthusiastic and charming go-getter and her pals: Purple Panda, her loyal and empathetic best friend; Duck Duck, a practical, quick-witted young; and Bob Dog, an energetic and eager canine.
“We are excited to tell more silly, surprising, and endearing stories as we dive deeper into these beloved characters’ backstories and introduce kids and their families to some new neighbors and locales of the whimsical world of Someplace Else,” added Spiffy Pictures co-founders Adam Rudman and David Rudman.
“Since its premiere last year, Donkey Hodie has brought engaging stories full of fun, humor, and important life lessons to kids across the country, helping them to see a world of possibilities,” shared Sara DeWitt, senior vice president and general manager, Children’s Media and Education, PBS. “We couldn’t be happier to bring a second season of adventures from Donkey and her friends to PBS Kids.”
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing is the show’s publishing partner and began rolling out a wide range of books December 2021. Licensing Street, the U.S. licensing agent for the brand, is developing a full-scale merchandising program with Jada Toys, the series’ master toy licensee.
The show’s first album, Here Comes Donkey Hodie, produced in partnership with Warner Music Group’s Arts Music division, debuted April 8, 2022. The album is available on all digital platforms and features 16 tracks from the series, including the theme song as well as three reimagined Fred Rogers songs from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.
Donkey Hodie is created, and executive produced by Adam Rudman and David Rudman. The series’ developer Ellen Doherty also serves as executive producer. Supervising producers are Kristin DiQuollo (Fred Rogers Productions) and Caroline Bandolik (Spiffy Pictures).
Source: PBS Kids
Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.
