Disney Junior has unveiled new original content, including four series and two shorts, that will be launching across the preschool channel and Disney+ through 2024.
New co-productions Hey A.J., RoboGobo, Kindergarten: The Musical, and SuperKitties are joining the kidcaster’s programming lineup targeting the two-to-seven demo.
The announcements were made by Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded TV, at the first Disney Junior Fun Fest on April 29.
Hey A.J., based on the books by Martellus Bennett, is produced by LA-based Surfing Giant Studios in association with Disney Junior. The series features seven-year-old girl A.J., who uses her imagination to find excitement in ordinary activities. Bennett, Jeff “Swampy” Marsh and Michael Hodges will serve as EPs.
The kidscaster is also teaming up with Dublin-based Brown Bag Films on Robogobo. The series follows a group of adopted pets who become superheroes with the help of robo-suits from a kid inventor named Jax. Robogobo is being developed for TV by Matt Hoverman, who is also a co-EP and story editor, while creator Chris Gilligan also serves as an EP and supervising director.
LA-based Oddbot Entertainment will bring Broadway to the classroom with Kindergarten: The Musical, a co-pro with Disney Junior. The series enters the world of five-year-old Birdy who tackles everyday challenges by expressing her emotions through musical numbers. Creators Michelle Lewis and Charlton Pettus will serve as EPs along with Tom Warburton, Kay Hanley, and Dan Petty. Co-EP Laurie Israel is also attached as story editor.
The kidcaster is also co-producing SuperKitties with New York- and London-based Silvergate Media to tell the story of four superhero kittens who take on bad guys and hope to make Kittydale a “pawesome” place. Creator Paula Rosenthal will serve as EP with Kirk Van Wormer attached as co-EP.
Two short-form series Me & Mickey and Winnie the Pooh (working title) were also announced. While the former will feature Mickey Mouse in a vlog-inspired format, the latter is described as a musical series starring Winnie the Pooh and his friends.
The formats and release dates of the series and shorts have not been released.
In other news, Disney also confirmed a second season of Alice’s Wonderland Bakery, produced by Disney Television Animation, at the Fun Fest. Meanwhile, the House of Mouse announced the new 2022 series Eureka! will debut on June 22 while August will see the arrival of 22-minute tentpole special Mickey Mouse Funhouse: Pirate Adventure (pictured) and the second season of Marvel’s Spidey and his Amazing Friends.
Last year, Disney Junior greenlit the series Firebuds (produced by Disney Television Animation) and Pupstruction (produced by LA-based studio Titmouse in association with Disney Junior), which are set to premiere in 2022 and 2023 respectively. More recently, the kidcaster announced Tiny Trailblazers, a co-pro with Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine.