PBS KIDS Greenlights Its First Series Built Around Autistic Characters

PBS KIDS has commissioned Fuzzytown Productions and Spiffy Pictures to produce Carl the Collector, its first series featuring a cast of characters who are on the autism spectrum.

Set for a fall 2024 premiere, this 2D-animated concept for four- to eight-year-olds was created by New York Times bestselling author/illustrator Zachariah OHora (My Cousin Momo).

Carl the Collector centers around an autistic raccoon who is smart and energetic, but who struggles with anxiety in new situations and when things don’t go according to plan. He has a huge collection of things (from the perfect fake mustache for a disguise, to a soft plushie when a friend is in need) to help him solve whatever problems his friends, who are both on and off the spectrum, are facing.

The PBS greenlight is for 40 x 22-minute episodes (each one tells two 11-minute stories). Canadian studio Yowza! Animation (Green Eggs and Ham) will handle the animation, Spiffy Pictures co-founder Adam Rudman (Donkey Hodie ) is working on scripts as head writer, and OHora will executive produce.

Advisors on board include Dr. Geraldine Oades-Sese, a licensed child psychologist and kids book author; and Stephen Shore, an autistic professor of special education at New York’s Adelphi University. “Carl the Collector will become a great tool for both autistic and non-autistic people to gain insight on autism,” says Shore.

New Channel Alert (Rumour): Soweto TV's Ladies In Heels And Faith Cooking To Resurface On Upcoming DStv Channel

During the day, MultiChoice had begun work on another TV channel using the test cards of a untitled movie channel likely from M-Net Movies. Currently there's only four shows that had been registered: Faith Cooking, Dingo Untamed, Ladies In Heels and Kasie Vibes.

From what we can make here this is not the full 24 hour lineup as the schedule runs through Sunday and thereafter not much is seen by then. Similar to Zambezi Reloaded, it's currently unknown whether this would will eventually surface on their platform by the looks of the EPG.

But from what two of the shows on the list Ladies In Heels and Faith Cooking entails, this could be an additional channel for Soweto TV. I mean why not Tshwane TV and GauTV are both managed by Zallywood Inc. so why not give Soweto TV a sibling of its own.

Although this section of DStv is very much discarded, Soweto TV was ranked as the leading community stations when it started out in 2008. It was also an eye grabber to various international shows like Maury, Curb Your Enthusiasm and even Steve Harvey.

In other developments, MultiChoice will be rolling 1FSTV to the DStv platform in the coming weeks. It doesn't seem like very much of a coincidence that they'd roll yet another community channel in the decade to sort of compliment the existing offering.

Development Alert: Jessica's Big Little World Cancelled After 20 Episodes On Cartoonito, Could Batwheels And Bugs Bunny Builders Follow?

During the week, it was reported that Warner Bros. Discovery had halted further production of original preschool programming. This comes after the company had opted not to move forward with Max originals Scooby-Doo And The Mystery Pups and Tom And Jerry Time.

According to a staff member of Craig Of The Creek, Jessica's Big Little World will conclude after 20 Episodes ahead of its international debut on Cartoon Network and Cartoonito as Warner Bros. Discovery no longer wants to produce content for preschoolers.

The series follows the titular character as she navigates her way through a world where everything seems much bigger than she is; inspired by the grown-ups around her, she persists in conquering monumental children's tasks.

It had also been implied/speculated that Batwheels and Bugs Bunny Builders would also conclude in the same manner. This comes after Batwheels one of Max's leading preschool shows on the streamer was renewed for second season which could potentially be scrapped.

Batwheels not moving forward with a second season wouldn't seem far fetched. This wouldn't be the first show from Warner Bros. Discovery to gotten front row seats only to get culled off as another show Mao Mao: Heroes Of Pure Heart went on hiatus for 2 years before cancellation.

Theoretically, it is believed that Cartoonito's remaining shows will be folded under Cartoon Network ahead of their demise. Internationally, the brand has garnered traction with several shows currently in the works including Silly Sundays and Spookies.

Rumour: Warner Bros. Discovery Will No Longer Be Producing Original Programming For Preschoolers, International Cartoonito Remains Safe

Last year, WarnerMedia and Discovery Inc. formalised their merger which lead to the creation of Warner Bros. Discovery which saw properties such as HBO, TNT, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Cartoonito, TLC, Discovery Channel, Investigation Discovery and HGTV fold under one hub.

Of course, this merger had also stirred up controversy as the current CEO of the brand David Zaslav had axed various productions from the Warner part of the brand including Mao Mao: Heroes Of Pure Heart and Batman: Caped Crusader on Cartoon Network and Cartoonito's entire catalogue of original shows.

Cartoonito was introduced in 2021 as rival to Disney Junior and Nick Jr. with Warner Bros. Discovery planning to conceive 50 preschool programs by 2023. So far only Batwheels and Bugs Bunny Builders were introduced alongside the recently launched Jessica's Big Little World.

According to sources on Reddit, Jessica's Big Little World will end after its current season as Warner Bros. Discovery will no longer be producing original preschool programs and this follows last year's move which saw them scrap further production of live-action kids and family shows.

This news doesn't come as a surprise considering the amount of exposure Cartoonito is given on Cartoon Network. Although Warner Bros. Discovery had never disclosed the ratings for the block, Cartoonito's airtime has declined from last year initially 6 hours dropped to 1.5 hours part of which may to do with the purge.

In Africa, Warner Bros. Discovery content from its kids multiplex dominates the Top 20 shows across all kids’ channels. More than 105 000 children watch CoComelon with almost 90 000 watching Interstellar Ella on average. Batwheels and Bugs Bunny Builders rank as the #5 and #6th most watched shows in thez a market.

All of which might not have any impact pertaining to the future of these shows. If it's any consolation, Cartoonito will most likely continue to broadcast in most parts of Europe seeing as it was structured as a family channel which is probably the most safest thing for the brand right now.

Prior to this development, Max acquired rights to Hop (from Marc Brown, creator of Arthur) and Barney's World based from the Barney And Friends franchise. It's likely that Cartoonito will continue (without original programming) or get scrapped before any of this is released.

Reminder: Discovery Cameras Venture Into Controversial Off-Grid Community For New Series The Garden: Commune Or Cult Premiering in Africa On Wednesday, 22 November At 20:00 CAT

An infamous off-grid community that went viral on social media for disturbing allegations is now the subject of a six-part limited series, THE GARDEN: COMMUNE OR CULT, arriving on Wednesday, 22 November at 20:00 CAT on Discovery Channel.

 

On 22 acres of backcountry land in the American South lies The Garden – a community that lives by its own laws, free from the pressures of modern society. They maintain an open-door policy to anyone seeking to join their ranks, but new people must submit to an initiation period. Some barely last a week, others are forced to leave, and a chosen few will call The Garden home for good. Questions continue to arise about the cult-like vibes of the controversial community, but this spring is different. Cameras have been granted unprecedented access to The Garden, documenting its spread to new locations deep in the Ozarks.

 

Founded as a cooperative, ‘leaderless’ community, The Garden could be viewed as a post-apocalyptic wonderland free of societal rules. However, when potential members arrive, they quickly realize there’s more than meets the eye. New initiates include Tyler, a veteran and self-described doomsday prepper; Tisheila, a truck driver survivalist; ‘Oak’, who wants to toughen up after years behind a desk; and Jessica, a former cheerleader looking to reconnect with nature. 

These newcomers have ten days to prove to The Garden that they have what it takes to be part of the community. Did they join a commune working towards a sustainable, off-grid way of life? Or have they just surrounded themselves with members of a mind-controlling cult?

 

Produced for Warner Bros. Discovery by Hot Snakes, The Garden: Commune or Cult airs on Discovery Channel from Friday, 22 November up to Monday, 25 December 2023.