Mickey Takes the Wheel in New Disney Series

TV Kids talks to Rob LaDuca, executive producer on Mickey and the Roadster Racers, and Mark Seidenberg, co-exec producer and supervising story editor, about the new animated preschool series.

Mickey and his friends Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, Daisy and Donald use transforming vehicles to go on high-spirited races around the world in Mickey and the Roadster Racers, a new animated preschool show on Disney Channel and Disney Junior. The adventure series, set in Hot Dog Hills, is aimed at youngsters between the ages of 2 and 7. It will feature the voices of such recurring guest stars as NASCAR’s Jimmie Johnson, Danica Patrick and Jeff Gordon, as well as TV personality Jay Leno, Tim Gunn (Project Runway) and Gordon Ramsay (MasterChef), to name a few.

Among the creative talent behind the Disney Television Animation production are Rob LaDuca as executive producer, and Mark Seidenberg as co-exec producer and supervising story editor. The Emmy-winning pair previously collaborated on the Disney Junior hits Jake and the Never Land Pirates and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

“Both Rob and I were producing Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and we wrote an episode that was called ‘Road Rally,’” says Seidenberg. “In that episode we gave all the characters little cars and they were in a little race, and it turned out to be a really popular story for our audience. So we started talking with Nancy Kanter, who’s the [head] of Disney Junior, and we thought it would be fun to give all the characters not just cars, but this time hotrods.”

“We already had their little cars designed, so we thought this would be fun,” adds LaDuca. “And Mark and I are both car fanatics, so it really made us very happy to develop a show about cars and Mickey.” He points out that while Mickey and the Roadster Racers is set in the same universe as Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, it is “very different,” and “a bit more grown-up” and “complex than Clubhouse, but still with the same endearing, wonderful characters.”

The most important themes that are explored in the series are friendship and teamwork, according to Seidenberg. “Mickey’s always very loyal to his friends,” he says. “He brings the goodness out of everybody around him…. He’s super energetic, he’s enthusiastic and he’s always coming up with great ideas for fun races and trips.”

Seidenberg notes that the show isn’t always centered on racing, though. “Minnie and Daisy also have a side business,” he says. “They’re called the Happy Helpers—anybody around the world who has a problem can call them up and they’ll take on that job, whether they know how to do it or not. They’re kind of like Lucy and Ethel.”

Mickey and the Roadster Racers will make its television premiere in a simulcast on Sunday, January 15, at 9 a.m. and 9:25 a.m. on Disney Channel and Disney Junior. Two additional episodes will broadcast the following day at the same times on Disney Channel. Episodes will also become available on the Disney Junior app and Disney Junior VOD on January 15, and iTunes as of January 16. The series will debut internationally throughout the year, with a variety of brand extensions planned, including games, toys, storybooks, apparel and home décor.

Not only has Mickey Mouse been around for nearly a century, he is also one of the most recognizable characters around the globe, which is why Seidenberg and LaDuca are confident that this new show will resonate with young viewers worldwide. “He’s everywhere and he’s interpreted so many different ways,” says LaDuca. “Kids grow up with Mickey just like Rob and I grew up with Mickey,” adds Seidenberg. “It’s fun to see Mickey trying out new things and new experiences, and we live in a world that is basically a big car culture. I think kids will really enjoy being behind the wheel with Mickey.”