‘Arthur’ Creator’s Next Kids’ Show Lands at Max
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The creator of Arthur is creating another world of anthropomorphic animals for TV.
Max has greenlit a preschool series called Hop from Marc Brown — whose many Arthur books were the source material for the beloved and long-running PBS series — and Arthur series veterans Peter K. Hirsch and Tolon Brown. The series order comes a year after Arthur concluded a 25-year run on PBS.
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Hop, targeted at preschoolers, will center characters with disabilities, including its title character, a 6-year-old frog with one leg shorter than the other.
“Even before Arthur ended, I was nurturing a new project about a little frog named Hop, for a younger audience,” Brown said in a statement. “As Hop’s world grew in my imagination, I drew inspiration from the great work my friend Fred Rogers had done. With Arthur, we occasionally introduced characters with disabilities, but they never became part of the ensemble cast in any meaningful way. But the characters in Hop reflect many kids who are underrepresented in the media. Some of our characters have disabilities, but they never define who they are or what they can achieve. Kids are kids and each one is unique and filled with potential. And kids love to have fun — that’s what Hop is all about.”
Epic Story Media (Pocoyo) will produce the series, with animation by Loomi Animation. RespectAbility, a disability advocacy group, will consult on the show.
Hop will be voiced by stage actor David Connolly, the first amputee to perform on Broadway. The show’s characters also include Hop’s older sister Penny (Moneesha “Misha” Bakshi); a fun-loving owl named Hoot (Makeda Bromfield); a fiercely intelligent squirrel named Filipa (Charlotte Walker) who is neurodivergent; a timid alligator named Benny (Jake Shannon); and a wide-eyed young beaver named Alfred (Bromfield). They all live in the community of Fair Village, where they have adventures “to discover that they can overcome any obstacle with perseverance, creativity, and teamwork,” per the show’s description.
“We’re extremely proud of our work and collaboration with industry experts on representing characters in an inclusive way,” said Epic Story Media founder Ken Faier. “It is an honor to have developed Hop with Marc, Peter and Tolon, who know how to engage not only today’s youth, but parents looking for quality content. We believe Hop will have longevity in the marketplace for many years to come.”
Added Michael Ouweleen, president of Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and Boomerang, “Marc is a legend in children’s programming, having created one of the most iconic television shows that has garnered almost every honor imaginable. Hop exudes everything families love about Arthur, but with a fresh cast of modern characters that authentically represent the sundry of little eyes watching TV.”
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