Author and illustrator Marc Brown is not resting on his laurels after the conclusion of Arthur. On Monday, Warner Bros. Discovery announced that it has partnered with Brown for a new animated series aimed at preschool-age audiences. The show is called Hop, and will premiere exclusively on Max.
Brown is best known for creating Arthur, the series of children’s books that spawned a beloved cartoon on PBS. Now, the 76-year-old has set out to create something brand new with Hop, a series about a young frog learning to live in a fantastical community called Fair Village. Hop is an enthusiastic learner but sometimes struggles because one of his legs is shorter than the other. However, he and his “eclectic group of besties” aim to teach preschool audiences to embrace the things that make them different.
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“Even before Arthur ended, I was nurturing a new project about a little frog named Hop, for a younger audience,” Brown said on Monday. “As Hop’s world grew in my imagination, I drew inspiration from the great work my friend Fred Rogers had done. With Arthur, we occasionally introduced characters with disabilities, but they never became part of the ensemble cast in any meaningful way. 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!”
According to WBD, Hop “is grounded in emotional reality but soars into the world of fantasy, populated by dragons, trolls, talking banjos, and magic crayons. With a gentle balance of humor and heart, our heroes go on fun escapades to discover that they can overcome any obstacle with perseverance, creativity, and teamwork.”
Brown co-created Hop with fellow Arthur alum Peter K. Hirsch and Tolon Brown. The show is produced by Epic Story Media with input from the nonprofit organization RespectAbility – a group that advocates for the advancement of people with disabilities. The show has already been cast as well – David Connolly is the voice of Hop, while his costars include Misha Bakshi, Makeda Bromfield, Charlotte Walker, and Jake Shannon.
There’s no word yet on when Hop will premiere, as the show has just been officially greenlit. In the meantime, fans can still find Arthur airing frequently on PBS, or they can stream some episodes on Prime Video, Hoopla, or the PBS KIDS app.
