Apple TV+: winter highlights for kids & families

Apple TV+ has announced winter premiere dates for a slate of all-new original series, specials, shorts and returning fan favourites for kids and families.

The all-new winter shows kick off on Friday, 8 July with the premiere of Duck & Goose, an animated series based on The New York Times best-selling books by Tad Hills.

Hello, Jack! The Kindness Show
All-New Special and Shorts: Friday, 24 June
Jack and his friends set out to solve a kindness mystery: Who’s behind the random acts of kindness popping up all over town? Plus four shorts where Jack interviews real kids about their acts of kindness in their hometowns, and gives them a DIY bird feeder kit they can hang up as a symbol of being a Kindness Ambassador. “Hello, Jack! The Kindness Show” is co-created and executive produced by McBrayer and Santomero. The series is produced by Emmy Award-winning 9 Story Media Group (“Blue’s Clues & You!,” “Daniel Tiger’s Neighbourhood”) with animation by its Oscar-nominated studio Brown Bag Films (“Doc McStuffins,” “Vampirina,” “Karma’s World”). Jax Media also produces. Wendy Harris and Vince Commisso serve as executive producers alongside showrunner and Emmy Award nominee, Guy Toubes. Tony Hernandez and John Skidmore executive produce for Jax Media. Junlei Li, the Saul Zaentz senior lecturer in Early Childhood Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, serves as the kindness and human connection expert on the series through Apple TV+’s changemakers initiative.

Duck & Goose
Season One Premieres: Friday, 8 July
Inspired by the New York Times bestselling books by Tad Hills, “Duck & Goose” is a preschool series that celebrates the unique friendship of Duck and Goose, two best feathered friends that don’t always see beak to beak. That is until they discover that embracing and appreciating each other’s differences can help them think up entirely new ideas to help solve everyday challenges, both big and small. “Duck & Goose” was directed by Brian Muelhaupt (“Sesame Street”) with Jane Startz (“Ella Enchanted”), Douglas Wood, Chris Prynoski (“Harriet the Spy”), Shannon Prynoski (“Harriet the Spy”), Ben Kalina (“Harriet the Spy”), Antonio Canobbio (“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”) and Tad Hills (“Duck & Goose”) executive producing. Peabody Award winner Douglas Wood (“Bob the Builder,” “Little Einsteins”) served as showrunner. Cathy Davidson, Ph.D., founding director of the Futures Initiative and a distinguished professor in the Ph.D. Program in English at the Graduate Center, CUNY, and Christina Katopodis, Ph.D., executive director and postdoctoral associate at Transformative Learning in the Humanities, serve as the transformative learning experts on the series through Apple TV+’s changemakers initiative.

Best Foot Forward
Season One Premieres: Friday, 22 July
Based on the book “Just Don’t Fall” by real life paralympic athlete, author, motivational speaker and comedian, Josh Sundquist, the live-action series follows 12-year-old Josh Dubin as he goes from homeschool to public school, eager to experience everything middle school has to offer! But along the way, Josh also faces a brand-new set of challenges, including how to get an entire school of kids to see past his prosthetic leg, and get to know him for who he is. With the support of his parents and the help of his best friends, Kyle and Gabriella, Josh learns, laughs and grows, eager to come back every day for more. The series was developed for television by Matt Fleckenstein (“iCarly,” “Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn”) with the first four episodes directed and executive produced by Victor Nelli Jr. (“The Wonder Years”). An Apple Production in association with Muse Entertainment, “Best Foot Forward’ stars Logan Marmino, Stephen Schneider (“Players”), Joy Suprano (“Fleishman Is In Trouble,” “Hightown”), Peyton Jackson (“American Refugee”) and Trinity Jo-Li Bliss (“Avatar: The Way of Water”). Sundquist serves as an executive producer alongside Muse Entertainment’s Joel S. Rice (“Single All the Way”) and Meghan Mathes Jacobs.

Amber Brown
Season One Premieres: Friday, 29 July
Based on the best-selling book series by Paula Danziger, with over 10 million copies in print, Amber Brown is an unfiltered look at a girl finding her voice through art and music in the wake of her parents’ divorce. Directed and written by Bonnie Hunt (“Life with Bonnie,” “The Bonnie Hunt Show”), the series stars Carsyn Rose (“The Rookie,” “Cousins for Life”), Sarah Drew (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Cruel Winter”) with an ensemble cast including Darin Brooks (“Blue Mountain State,” “The Croods: Family Tree”) as Max, and newcomer Liliana Inouye (“The Slows”) as Brandi Colwin. “Amber Brown” is produced by Boat Rocker. Bob Higgins (“A Tale Dark and Grimm,” “The Who Was? Show”) and Jon Rutherford (“A Tale Dark and Grimm,” “Daniel Spellbound”) are executive producing for Boat Rocker.

The Snoopy Show
Season Two New Episodes Premieres: Friday, 5 August
The world’s most iconic dog is ready for his close-up. Dive into new adventures with the happy-dancing, high-flying, big-dreaming beagle, who’s joined by best friend Woodstock and the rest of the Peanuts gang. Produced for Apple TV+ by Peanuts and WildBrain, the series is directed by Rob Boutilier (“Snoopy in Space”) and executive produced by Craig Schulz, Paige Braddock, Josh Scherba, Stephanie Betts, Mark Evestaff and Anne Loi, and produced by Kimberly Small.

Peanuts Classics
Platform Debut on Friday, 5 August
The Peanuts gang will also be available in classics from Mendelson/Melendez Productions including “A Charlie Brown Celebration,” “He’s A Bully, Charlie Brown,” “He’s Your Dog, Charlie Brown,” “It Was A Short Winter, Charlie Brown,” “It’s Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown,” “There’s No Time For Love, Charlie Brown,” “Why, Charlie Brown, Why?,” “You’re In Love, Charlie Brown,” and “You’re The Greatest, Charlie Brown.”

Lucy’s School
All-New Family Special Premieres: Friday, 12 August
The Peanuts gang are anxious about starting at a new school in the autumn, inspiring Lucy to start her own school instead – but teaching isn’t as easy as it sounds. “Lucy’s School” is a love letter to teachers and an appreciation of what makes teaching such a noble and fulfilling profession. It explores the fear of change, and shows Lucy facing and overcoming her fears with the support of her friends. Produced for Apple TV+ by Peanuts and WildBrain, the special is directed by Raymond S. Persi (“It’s the Small Things, Charlie Brown”) and executive produced by Craig Schulz, Bryan Schulz, Cornelius Uliano, Paige Braddock, Josh Scherba, Stephanie Betts, Amir Nasrabadi and Anne Loi, and produced by James Brown and Timothy Jason Smith.

Surfside Girls
Season One Premieres: Friday, 19 August
From WGA Award winner and Daytime Emmy Award nominee May Chan (“American Girl: Corinne Tan,” “The Astronauts”), and based on the best-selling graphic novel series of the same name by author Kim Dwinell, the live-action series is about best friends Sam and Jade as they solve supernatural mysteries in their sleepy California beach town. These best friends must combine their polar-opposite strengths of imagination and logic in order to solve the seemingly supernatural mysteries that hide just beneath the surface of their town. Starring Miya Cech (“Marvelous and the Black Hole,” “Rim of the World”) and YaYa Gosselin (“We Can be Heroes,” “FBI: Most Wanted”) with Spencer Hermes-Rebello (“Troppo”), “Surfside Girls” is produced by Endeavor Content and IDW Entertainment, and co-developed, written and executive produced by Chan, who also serves as showrunner. Paul Stupin (“Switched at Birth,” “Dawson’s Creek”) serves as executive producer. Alex Diaz and Julie Sagalowsky Diaz (“The Shannara Chronicles,” “What’s Up Warthogs!”) co-developed and serve as writers and executive producers. America Young (“Roswell, New Mexico,” “Legacies”) directs and executive produces the first two episodes. Lydia Antonini (“Locke & Key,” “Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn,” “October Faction”) also serves as executive producer on the series. Paul Davidson and Jeff Brustrom serve as executive producers on behalf of IDW.

Life By Ella
Season One Premieres: Friday, 2 September
Ella returns to school with a brand new perspective, excitement for what the future holds, and a major seize the day mentality. With her best friend by her side, she is ready to tackle everything she was too afraid of before and determined not to let the minutia of fake friends and social media status distract her. Created and written by Jeff Hodsden (“Bunk’d”) and Tim Pollock (“Bunk’d”), “Life By Ella” was directed by Emmy Award nominee Linda Mendoza (“Ugly Betty,” “Harlem”) and stars Lily Brooks O’Briant (“The Big Show Show,” “The Tick”), Artyon Celestine (“Drama Club”, “Claws”), and Vanessa Carrasco (“Irreplaceable You”) with an ensemble cast including Kevin Rahm (“Madam Secretary,” “Mad Men”), Mary Faber (“Parks and Recreation,” “Kidding”), Aidan Wallace (“You,” “The Kids Are Alright”), Kunal Dudheker (“Better Things,” “Shang Chi”) and Maya Lynne Robinson (“The Connors,” “The Unicorn”). Hodsden and Pollock also executive produced the series.