Arthur Creator and Max Team for Hop, Preschool Animated Series About Embracing Differences
Max and Arthur creator Marc Brown are teaming up on Hop, a preschool animated series that is described as a “heartwarming comedy about embracing people’s differences.”
The cast of characters is led by the titular Hop, an enthusiastic, empathetic frog with one leg shorter than the other.
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Hop marks Brown’s first television show since Arthur’s 25-year run came to a close in February 2022. He co-created the series with fellow Arthur alums Peter K. Hirsch and Tolon Brown.
Set in the community of Fair Village, every Hop episode is said to be “grounded in emotional reality but soars into the world of fantasy, populated by dragons, trolls, talking banjos, and magic crayons.” With a balance of humor and heart, the characters embark on fun escapades to discover that they can overcome any obstacle with perseverance, creativity and teamwork.
Epic Story Media, which is producing Hop with Loomi Animatio, has engaged RespectAbility – a nonprofit organization that fights stigma and advances opportunity for people with disabilities — to consult.
The main cast of characters includes:
Hop (voiced by David Connolly), an outgoing six-year-old frog with one leg shorter than the other, who lives on a houseboat with Penny and runs a retro-diner called the Lilypad that doubles as the gang’s clubhouse.
Penny (voiced by Moneesha “Misha” Bakshi), Hop’s slightly older sibling and the clown of the group.
Hoot (voiced by Makeda Bromfield), a scatterbrained character with big dreams and a bigger heart, who lives on an organic farm with disobedient chickens, a playful cow and a talking car named Jinx.
Filipa (voiced by Charlotte Walker), a fiercely intelligent squirrel who lives in the woods in an elaborate treehouse which she built with the help of her magical crayon Grape Lightning. Although no one has ever diagnosed her, Filipa is neuro-divergent, with a disdain for loud noises and big crowds.
Benny (voiced by Jake Shannon), an alligator who may look fearsome, but is the sweetest, shyest and most neurotic member of the group.
Alfred Beaver (voiced by Makeda Bromfield), the youngest member of the group — and even though his snooty older brother and sister disapprove of him hanging with such frivolous characters.
“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 (of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood) had done.
“With Arthur, we occasionally introduced characters with disabilities, but they never became part of the ensemble cast in any meaningful way,” Brown added. “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!”
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