Netflix and Dr. Seuss Enterprises have teamed up to bring all the fun and whimsy of the beloved author’s work to life in a lineup of five new animated preschool series and specials.
Currently, the slate includes the classic stories One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish; Horton Hears a Who!; The Sneetches; Wacky Wednesday, and more. In addition to these titles, expect to see many lovable characters, which include Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose, whose story is about friendship and being kind to others presented with a mix of comical adventure. The story of the Moon-bellies and the Star-bellies in The Sneetches illustrates to children that differences shouldn’t keep people apart, because our differences are what makes the world such a great place to live. Wacky Wednesday follows a relatively normal town that gets a little crazy only on Wednesdays that must be solved with equally wacky solutions.
This news comes in light of the partnership’s original production of the critically acclaimed animated series, Green Eggs and Ham, which was released in 2019; a second season will premiere on April 8. Executive Producer Dustin Ferrer, known for children’s programming like Esme & Roy and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, is expected to serve as the showrunner for all upcoming series. Other showrunners will be announced sometime in the coming weeks.
All five series will expand the pre-school-focused library for the streaming platform and will touch on concepts of foundational learning and the importance of diversity and respect for others all while keeping true to the stories’ original styles and rhythmic patterns.
Heather Tilert, Director of Preschool Content at Netflix, released the following statement regarding the upcoming productions:
Netflix is a trusted home for characters kids love, and generations of kids love the characters imagined by Dr. Seuss. These beloved stories have been a core part of families’ libraries for many years and it gives me great pride that we are bringing them to our catalog of Netflix shows, in a fresh and modern way that resonates with audiences today.
Tilert wasn’t the only one to comment on the pre-school expansion. Susan Brandt, President and CEO of Dr. Seuss Enterprises, had this to say about the creative partnership as well:
Dr. Seuss Enterprises is proud of the collaborative relationship we share with Netflix. We are always looking for new and engaging ways to share our stories, characters and messages with the next generation of fans, and Netflix has a unique ability to create original, delightful adaptations of our timeless classics with an emphasis on imagination, fun, and education. Our partnership has been very prosperous thus far with our award-winning animated series Green Eggs and Ham. We hope to continue that success with our upcoming projects.
Dr. Seuss, born Theodor Geisel in 1904, was an artist and writer whose works include political cartoons, poems, animation, and film. During his early career, he worked for magazine publications, like Vanity Fair and Life, as well as making various film productions during World War II, the most notable being a documentary called Design for Death which won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 1947. However, he is best known for his work as an American children’s author. He published over 60 books under his pen name, many of which are considered the most popular children’s books of all time. His works have sold over 600 million copies that have been translated into 20 languages at the time of his death in 1991. Several adaptations have been made of his work, and it’s safe to say that Dr. Seuss has remained an important literary figure around the world.
via Collider