SuperKitties Soars into Second Season with Sarah Mullervy

SuperKitties has been working on instilling lessons on empathy, kindness, friendship and resilience since it first debuted early last year on Disney Junior. Its second season, now airing, furthers the adventures of its kitty superheroes to continue promoting these values to preschoolers and their families.

“In our new SuperKitties adventure, we continue to explore the multifaceted characters of our world, heroes and villains alike, as we delve into situations and emotions that many preschoolers (and some of us grown-ups, too) experience,” Sarah Mullervy, executive producer of the series, tells TV Kids.

Throughout the new set of episodes, the SuperKitties learn a slew of relatable lessons, from Ginny realizing that it’s OK for her best friend to make a new friend to Sparks discovering that expressing your emotions to your friends can make you feel better.

The villains the heroes battled in the first season return to give further glimpses into their personalities and motivations. While their evildoings are mild and wacky—e.g., using high-tech devices to obtain cheese—they are all “motivated by relatable preschool emotions: not wanting to share, trouble dealing with change, etc.,” Mullervy explains. “We start with a real preschool emotion and, through the villains’ personalities, take it to its most absurd and extreme. So, our evildoing is mild, but hopefully, it’s also super silly and helps kids understand and empathize with our misguided baddies.”

The cast features a wide array of talented names who add their own charm to the show, from the voices of the SuperKitties—Emma Berman, Cruz Flateau, JeCobi Swain and Pyper Braun—to the season one guest cast of Justin Guarini, Jeremy Jordan and Isabella Crovetti, among others. The new season brings even more talent to the table.

Anika Noni Rose (The Princess and the Frog, Dreamgirls), Pamela Adlon (King of the Hill, Louie, Recess) and Eric Bauza (Looney Tunes Cartoons, Bugs Bunny Builders) are among the newest additions to the cast. They each play characters who bring out and expand on traits of the existing protagonists and villains, showing how people aren’t defined by one characteristic but are multifaceted and can have both good and bad qualities.

Rose plays Sassy, Cat Burglar’s cousin, “a sweet talkin’ country kitten [who] is not only a fabulous character in her own right but also helps reveal a sweet side to Cat Burglar,” Mullervy says. Adlon plays “Zsa-Zsa’s dramatic aunt, and we’ll finally see where Zsa-Zsa gets her commanding personality,” while Bauza stars as Wiggles, a new robot friend “who Sparks creates as a fun dancing toy and a companion for the SuperKitties.”

The SuperKitties themselves get a few enhancements to add to the fun of the series, with new powersuits and a special Su-Purr Charge that allow them to upgrade their “already pawesome superpowers to become even more super,” Mullervy explains. “The SuperKitties use their Su-Purr Charge when they need a power boost, usually during an adventure when the villain seems to be gaining the upper hand.”

Mullervy is no stranger to producing a hit kids’ show, having begun her career at Sesame Workshop working on various Sesame Street spin-offs and later helping develop shows such as Pinky Dinky Doo, The Upside Down Show and The Electric Company, as well as adaptations of hit IP like Peter Rabbit.

Across these many projects, “the biggest thing I’ve learned is that television takes a village,” Mullervy stresses. “Everyone along the process brings their own little spark to the show, and good ideas can come from anywhere. SuperKitties is truly a team effort, and I continue to marvel at how each member of the team elevates and enriches the work.”

Disney Junior has recognized the value and entertainment SuperKitties provides to preschoolers and their families and the hard work the team has put into the show and already ordered a third season from series producer Sony Pictures Television—Kids.

“We are already hard at work writing the third season, and it promises to be our biggest and most daring yet,” Mullervy teases. Until then, families can catch new episodes of season two on Disney Junior every Friday.