The creator of Arthur is creating one other world of anthropomorphic animals for TV.

Max has greenlit a preschool sequence known as Hop from Marc Brown, whose many Arthur books have been the supply materials for the beloved and long-running PBS sequence, and Arthur sequence veterans Peter Okay. Hirsch and Tolon Brown. The sequence order comes a 12 months after Arthur concluded a 25-year run on PBS.

Hop, focused at preschoolers, will heart characters with disabilities, together with its title character, a 6-year-old frog with one leg shorter than the opposite.

“Even earlier than Arthur ended, I used to be nurturing a brand new mission about just a little frog named Hop, for a youthful viewers,” Brown stated in an announcement. “As Hop’s world grew in my creativeness, I drew inspiration from the good work my good friend Fred Rogers had finished. With Arthur, we often launched characters with disabilities, however they by no means grew to become a part of the ensemble forged in any significant method. However the characters in Hop mirror many youngsters who’re underrepresented within the media. A few of our characters have disabilities however they by no means outline who they’re or what they’ll obtain. Children are youngsters and each is exclusive and crammed with potential. And youngsters like to have enjoyable, that’s what Hop is all about.”

Epic Story Media (Pocoyo) will produce the sequence, with animation by Loomi Animation. RespectAbility, a incapacity advocacy group, will seek the advice of on the present.

Hop can be voiced by stage actor David Connolly, the primary amputee to carry out on Broadway. The present’s characters additionally embody Hop’s older sister Penny (Moneesha “Misha” Bakshi); a fun-loving owl named Hoot (Makeda Bromfield); a fiercely clever squirrel named Filipa (Charlotte Walker) who’s neurodivergent; a timid alligator named Benny (Jake Shannon); and a wide-eyed younger beaver named Alfred (Bromfield). All of them reside locally of Honest Village, the place they’ve adventures “to find that they’ll overcome any impediment with perseverance, creativity, and teamwork,” per the present’s description.

“We’re extraordinarily pleased with our work and collaboration with trade consultants on representing characters in an inclusive method,” stated Epic Story Media founder Ken Faier. “It’s an honor to have developed Hop with Marc, Peter and Tolon who know how you can have interaction not solely immediately’s youth however mother and father in search of high quality content material. We imagine Hop may have longevity within the market for a few years to return.”

Added Michael Ouweleen, president Cartoon Community, Grownup Swim and Boomerang, “Marc is a legend in youngsters’s programming, having created one of the iconic tv reveals that has garnered nearly each honor conceivable. Hop exudes every little thing households love about Arthur, however with a recent forged of recent characters that authentically characterize the sundry of little eyes watching TV.”