Second season pickups are the order of the day for Disney Branded Television at the 2023 Winter Television Critics Association press tour.
Disney Branded Television has greenlit second seasons of its newest animated series Firebuds and SuperKitties, as well as a Season 2 for the series Pupstruction prior to its Season 1 premiere later this year. The announcement was made today by Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded Television, during the Disney Branded Television presentation at the 2023 Winter Television Critics Association press tour at the Langham Hotel in Pasadena, California.
Home to Marvel's Spidey and his Amazing Friends, and Mickey Mouse Funhouse, Disney Junior is building out its slate of programming for preschoolers to reflect the connection many consumers have to Disney storytelling and Disney characters, both classic and contemporary.
Following a team of young first responders and their talking vehicle sidekicks, Firebuds premiered in September 2022. According to the studio, since launch, the series has ranked #1 with Kids and Girls 2-5 on Disney Junior. SuperKitties, which debuted this week (January 11), follows four fierce and furry superhero kittens. The series theme song, which was released three weeks ago, has since racked up over 500,000 views on Disney Junior YouTube. Debuting later this year, Pupstruction follows the adventures of the world's first all-dog construction company and centers on an innovative young corgi who might be the smallest pup on the crew but proves that you don't need big paws to have big dreams or big ideas.
“Firebuds, SuperKitties, and Pupstruction all encompass what Disney Junior does best," said Davis. "Each of these series embrace signature Disney qualities of imagination, adventure, and heart, with music you can sing along to, and fun, energetic characters that embody positivity, optimism, and the power of teamwork."
Firebuds:
Created and executive produced by Emmy Award winner Craig Gerber (Disney's Elena of Avalor and Sofia the First), the series follows a group of friends - all children of first responders, who embark on adventures to help their community, discovering what it truly means to be a hero. Episodes are two 11-minute stories showcasing the importance of teamwork, helping fellow citizens, and volunteerism. Produced by Disney Television Animation with series extensions including a soundtrack from Walt Disney Records; storybooks from Disney Publishing, coming later this year; and a toy line from Spin Master launching in summer 2023.
SuperKitties
Created and executive produced by Emmy Award winner Paula Rosenthal (Peter Rabbit), with Emmy Award-winning producer, director, and storyboard artist Kirk Van Wormer (Transformers: Prime) as co-executive producer, the show is an action-packed series about four fierce and furry superhero kittens — Ginny, Sparks, Buddy, and Bitsy — who are on a mission to make their town of Kittydale a more caring and "pawesome" place by defeating villains and imparting messages of kindness, empathy, friendship, resilience, and problem-solving.
Sony Pictures Television – Kids (formerly known as Silvergate Media) produced the series in association with Disney Junior. The digital soundtrack for Disney Junior Music: SuperKitties, was released by Walt Disney Records in conjunction with the series premiere on January 11.
Pupstruction
Created and executive produced by Travis Braun (T.O.T.S.), with Victor Cook (T.O.T.S) serving as executive producer; Emmy Award winner Robyn Brown (Muppet Babies) serves as co-producer/story editor for Season 1, and executive producer/story editor on Season 2. The new series is about the first all-dog construction company, Pupstruction. The show centers on Phinny, an innovative young corgi, who along with his crew, Luna, the spontaneous sheepdog; Roxy, an adventurous rottweiler; and Tank, the lovable mastiff, pour their mud, sweat, drool, and plenty of heart into keeping his beloved town of Petsburg in tip-top shape. Pupstruction is produced by Titmouse in association with Disney Junior.
Firebuds and SuperKitties are now airing on Disney Channel and Disney Junior, with some episodes also available to stream on Disney+. Pupstruction debuts summer 2023 on Disney Channel, Disney Junior, and Disney+.
Source: Disney Branded Television
Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.
