Primos’ Natasha Kline

The brand-new Disney animated series Primos explores the inner workings of a large, lively and multicultural family in Los Angeles. Set to premiere on Disney Channel on July 25 and Disney+ the next day, the comedy is told through the eyes of a young Tater Ramirez Humphrey, whose dream summer is thwarted when her 12 cousins come to visit. While the show is based heavily on the childhood of creator and executive producer Natasha Kline (Big City Greens, The LEGO Ninjago Movie), its specificity is key to its relatability and appeal. Kline talks with TV Kids about working with a powerhouse like Disney, the importance of diverse representation on-screen, breaking into the kids’ market with new IP and more.

TV KIDS: Talk to me about the creation of Primos. How much of the show is based on your own childhood in the suburbs of Los Angeles?
KLINE: Much of it is based on that. When I first started conceiving the show, it was a long time ago. I [have] wanted to make a TV show since I was a child; I knew I wanted to be an animator around the age of 5. It was the Nicktoons that really made me realize that you could make your own show. Back in the ’90s, when I was a child, there weren’t a lot of animated shows that I thought reflected me or my family. Even as a kid, I thought, I want to make a show about my specific family. We’re all from L.A. It’s a large family—I have over 20 cousins, many aunts and uncles. It’s a very multicultural family, as many families in L.A. are. I always thought that all these individuals are special and unique. They’re funny, and they’re weird.

I was always working toward that goal of making a show. My goal was to become an animator. I tried to learn how to draw in school, and luckily, my first job after I left CalArts was at South Park. But, during those 15 years of my career, the goal was always in the back of my mind of making a show about my family. I didn’t want to pitch it right away, though, because I wanted to get my skills up. After 15 years of working, I finally felt like I had the skills. I am ready as a storyteller to bring this to life.

TV KIDS: Tell me about your role as both creator and executive producer. How is it to work with a heavy-hitting partner like Disney?
KLINE: It is extremely exciting that Disney wanted to bring me on to tell the story. Every animator’s dream is to work with Disney. Having worked in various different production pipelines and then working at Disney, I saw the quality that was there. They have a really intense pipeline; it’s very complex and established. The productions I worked on at Disney felt a lot smoother than many other productions I had worked on that were starting up. Disney’s casting, music department, the script department and the producers are the cream of the crop. It’s been an amazing experience to be part of that and to know that I’m adding to the heritage of Disney.

As the creator and executive producer, my day-to-day is pretty busy because I get to oversee every part of the show. I pitched every storyboard myself for nearly every episode. I get to look at everything and sign off on it. I feel lucky to be doing it.

TV KIDS: Let’s discuss the representation shown on-screen in Primos. How do you think representation in kids’ TV is faring today overall?
KLINE: We’re making steps, but there’s a lot still that could be done. There’s a long road ahead of us. Representation is something that’s incredibly close to my heart and always has been, from that very first moment as a kid when I said, How come I don’t see myself represented on-screen? Now, it’s been 35 years wondering if I’ll ever see me or my family on-screen. I said, I guess I have to do it myself. It shows how much time has gone by and how much work we still have to do.

TV KIDS: Moving into the financial side—the whole film and television industry is weathering a financial squeeze, and kids’ content is obviously no exception. What helped Primos overcome the current hurdles to being produced, especially as a new IP?
KLINE: It was amazing luck. The genesis, development and greenlight of my show happened way before the industry experienced the current slump that it’s in. We skated right by before things started getting troubling. Luckily, we were also deep enough into production that it wasn’t the kind of thing where they were going to turn us off. That also showed Disney’s support and how much Disney believes in the project.

My heart goes out to everybody who’s experiencing [the slowdown] right now. It’s a really hard time to be an animator.

TV KIDS: Looking toward the future with the series, what’s your vision for it following the run of this first season?
KLINE: I want the classic Disney treatment. It would be really nice to have multiple seasons, a movie. The sky’s the limit in terms of my hopes and dreams for this. I would really love to see a character at the park—maybe a Tater walking around.