Apple TV+: Spring highlights for kids & families

Apple TV+ has announced a spring slate for kids and families, featuring original series, new on-screen imaginings of popular properties, as well as returning fan-favourites.

New original series coming to platform this spring include Sago Mini Friends, an animated series based on characters from the Sago Mini World app; Slumberkins, a mixed media puppet / 2D animation program produced by The Jim Henson Company; Circuit Breakers a futuristic anthology series that tackles kid-relatable issues through a sci-fi lens; and Interrupting Chicken, an animated preschool series which illuminates for children the joy of reading, writing, and storytelling, and stars the voice talents of Sterling K. Brown.

Peanuts Anthology II
Friday, 9 September
Fans of the beloved Peanuts gang will have more classics available to watch from Mendelson/Melendez Productions and Peanuts Worldwide including “He’s A Bully, Charlie Brown,” “He’s Your Dog, Charlie Brown,” “It Was A Short Summer, 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.”

Sago Mini Friends
Friday, 16 September
“Sago Mini Friends” is a new preschool animated series produced by Daytime Emmy Award-nominated Spin Master Entertainment and animated by 9 Story Media Group’s Emmy Award-winning studio Brown Bag Films – Toronto, based on the charming characters and artful designs featured in the award-winning Sago Mini World app, developed by Sago Mini. The “Sago Mini Friends” series is an adorable nod to gratitude, featuring Harvey the floppy-eared dog and his best friends, Jinja the cat, Jack the rabbit, and Robin the bird. Along with a unique cast of residents as colourful as their own whimsical world, the four friends play, explore, imagine and celebrate daily in their joyful town of Sagoville. In each episode, Harvey and all his friends express their true thankfulness for all things, big and small, through optimism, kindness, preschool-friendly humour and unforgettable original songs! “Sago Mini Friends” is executive produced by Daytime Emmy Award nominees Jennifer Dodge (“PAW Patrol”), Ronnen Harary (“PAW Patrol”), Tone Thyne (“Wonder Pets!”), and Dustin Ferrer (“Esme & Roy”). Daytime Emmy Award nominees Laura Clunie (“PAW Patrol”), and Toni Stevens (“PAW Patrol”) serve as executive producers, with Chad Hicks (“Kingdom Force”) as series director. Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky, distinguished professor of Psychology at the University of California, Riverside and expert in the science of happiness, serves as the gratitude expert on the series through Apple TV+’s changemakers initiative.

Wolfboy and the Everything Factory
Friday, 30 September
Inspired by the work of visual artist Toff Mazery, co-created by Emmy Award winner Edward Jesse (HITRECORD’s “Create Together”), developed by Emmy winner Michael Ryan (“All Hail King Julien,” “Kung Fu Panda”), and executive produced by Emmy winner Joseph Gordon-Levitt (“Mr. Corman”), HITRECORD and FOX Entertainment’s Bento Box Entertainment, the second season of the animated epic “Wolfboy and the Everything Factory” takes Wolfboy (voiced by Kassian Akhtar), to a new realm underneath the Everything Factory that is responsible for all of the destruction in the universe. With his Spryte friends and new allies, Wolfboy engages in a quest to unite the forces of creation and destruction, and realises that being different is what makes him special – and ultimately, it’s the oddballs and dreamers who change the world.

Get Rolling with Otis
Friday, 30 September
Based on the Penguin Random House book series by Loren Long, “Get Rolling With Otis,” is an animated adventure series from 9 Story Media Group and Brown Bag Films welcoming young viewers to Long Hill Dairy Farm, home to Otis the tractor and all his friends. Otis may be little, but he has a big heart. Whenever he sees a friend in need, he hits the brakes, asks how they’re feeling, and rolls into action to help! Get rolling with new adventures, new friends, and a little tractor who’s big on helping others. The series is executive produced by Vince Commisso, Wendy Harris, author Long, Darragh O’Connell, Jane Startz and Angela C. Santomero. Dr. Michele Borba, internationally renowned educational psychologist, best-selling author, frequent media contributor on TODAY show, and an expert in parenting, bullying, and character development serves as the compassionate action expert on the series through Apple TV+’s changemakers initiative.

Hello, Jack! The Kindness Show
Friday, 7 October
Jack is one of Clover Grove’s most thoughtful and caring residents, greeting everyone with kindness and humour. His ability to spread compassion, creativity, and imagination inspires everyone in town to do the same. A new season of kindness creates more incredible change. “Hello, Jack! The Kindness Show” is co-created and executive produced by Jack McBrayer (“30 Rock,” “Phineas and Ferb,” “Wreck-It Ralph” franchise) and Angela C. Santomero (“Blue’s Clues,” “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood”). The series is produced by Emmy Award-winning 9 Story Media Group (“Karma’s World,” “Blue’s Clues & You!,”) with animation by its Oscar-nominated studio Brown Bag Films (“Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood,” “Doc McStuffins,” “Vampirina”). Jax Media also produces. Wendy Harris and Vince Commisso from 9 Story Media Group and Tony Hernandez and John Skidmore from Jax Media serve as executive producers, alongside showrunner and Emmy Award nominee Guy Toubes. Dr. 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.

Ghostwriter
Friday, 21 October
Emmy Award-winning “Ghostwriter” returns for a third season with an entirely new cast and a new adventure! When a ghost haunts a bookstore and releases fictional characters into the real world, a group of friends works to solve a mystery surrounding the ghost’s unfinished business. A reimagining of the 1992 hit series from Sesame Workshop, the modern-day “Ghostwriter” maintains a city-based, multicultural cast, inviting children ages 6-11 to see themselves on screen as they learn to appreciate a range of new and classic literature. Starring Princess Mapp (“Sydney to the Max,” “The Unicorn”), Nour Assaf (“The Casagrandes”), and Daire McLeod (“Danger Force”), the series was developed for television by J.J. Johnson and Andrew Orenstein with Academy Award winning and DGA Award-nominated Luke Matheny directing the first episode. Matheny and Orenstein executive produce alongside Johnson, Christin Simms, and Blair Powers for Sinking Ship Entertainment and Kay Wilson Stallings for Sesame Workshop.

Slumberkins
Friday, 4 November
Embark on adventures with Bigfoot, Unicorn, Sloth, Yak, and Fox as they explore a world of feelings in this Jim Henson Company mixed media puppet / 2D animation series that empowers the emotional wellness of children through supportive storytelling. Based on the leading children’s emotional learning brand Slumberkins, the series brings to life some of the beloved characters from the Slumberkins books as they explore new stories of friendship, confidence and connection to model healthy relationships. “Slumberkins” was created for television by Alex Rockwell (“Word Party,” “Pajanimals”). The Jim Henson Company’s Halle Stanford is executive producer along with Rockwell. Callie Christensen, MIT in Elementary Education and Special Education and Kelly Oriard, M.S. in Counselling and Marriage Therapy & School Counselling, creators of the Slumberkins education brand, are co-executive producers. Dr. Dan Siegel, executive director of the Mindsight Institute and clinical professor of Psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine and the founding co-director of the Mindful Awareness Research Centre at UCLA, and author of multiple New York Times bestsellers, serves as an expert in understanding how attachment experiences affect behaviour through the Apple TV+ changemaker initiative.

Circuit Breakers
Friday, 11 November
“Circuit Breakers” is a half-hour futuristic anthology series that tackles kid-relatable issues through a sci-fi lens. But not everything is as it seems, and their curiosity leads to chaos. The series was created by Melody Fox with executive producer Matt Hastings directing the pilot episode. “Circuit Breakers” is executive produced by Andrew Orenstein, Cottonwood Media’s Sarah Haasz, David Michel and Cécile Lauritano, Aircraft Pictures’ Anthony Leo and Andrew Rosen, and Todd Berger.

Interrupting Chicken
Friday, 18 November
This animated preschool series based upon the 2011 Caldecott Honour-winning book series written and illustrated by David Ezra Stein “Interrupting Chicken” introduces children to the joy of creative writing – starting with a young little chicken named Piper who has a habit of interrupting storytime! Every time Piper hears a story, she can’t help but jump in, ask questions and let her imagination run wild as she tries to fill in details, guess what happens next or insert herself in the middle of the action to help save the day. “Interrupting Chicken” was developed by Emmy Award winner Ron Holsey who serves as executive producer. In partnership with Mercury Filmworks, the series stars the voice talents of three time Emmy Award winner Sterling K. Brown (“This Is Us,” “Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul”) and is executive produced by Holsey, Stein, Loris Kramer Lunsford, Clint Eland and Chantal Ling. Dr. Lucy Calkins, Founding Director of the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project and the Richard Robinson Professor of Children’s Literature at Teachers College, Columbia University, serves as our reading and writing expert through the Apple TV+ changemaker initiative.