{"id":20617,"date":"2021-05-07T09:00:44","date_gmt":"2021-05-07T13:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev2.worldscreen.com\/tvkids\/worldscreen.com\/"},"modified":"2021-05-10T09:27:19","modified_gmt":"2021-05-10T13:27:19","slug":"donkey-hodie-delivers-messages-of-perseverance-resilience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvkids\/donkey-hodie-delivers-messages-of-perseverance-resilience\/","title":{"rendered":"Donkey Hodie Delivers Messages of Perseverance & Resilience"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fred Rogers Productions’ Ellen Doherty and Spiffy Pictures\u2019 Adam Rudman talk to <\/em>TV Kids about the Fred Rogers-inspired series <\/em>Donkey Hodie, which has bowed on PBS KIDS in the U.S.<\/em><\/p>\n

The whimsical puppet series Donkey Hodie<\/em>, produced by Fred Rogers Productions and Spiffy Pictures, debuted earlier this week on PBS KIDS in the U.S. The show follows the adventures of Donkey Hodie, granddaughter of the original Donkey Hodie character from Mister Rogers\u2019 Neighborhood<\/em>, and is inspired by the quirky, funny side of Fred Rogers.<\/p>\n

\u201cPaul Siefken, president and CEO of Fred Rogers Productions, and I had an idea to do a preschool show about perseverance that focused on a little donkey with big dreams,\u201d says Ellen Doherty, chief creative officer at Fred Rogers Productions and executive producer of Donkey Hodie<\/em>, which she also developed. \u201cWhen we decided it should be a puppet show, we called Adam Rudman and David Rudman at Spiffy Pictures to see if they\u2019d like to work with us on it. Happily, they said yes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were so honored when Fred Rogers Productions approached us to develop a show together about Donkey Hodie, one of Fred Rogers\u2019 original characters,\u201d recalls Adam Rudman, Spiffy Pictures\u2019 co-founder and co-creator and executive producer of Donkey Hodie<\/em>. \u201cThe name cracked us up. We were immediately in. We started with a deep dive into Fred Rogers\u2019 archives. As we learned more about Fred\u2019s quirkier side and discovered all of these other funny characters he created, the more ideas we had for developing this show.\u201d<\/p>\n

The colorful series is set in the land of Someplace Else, created by Rogers on Mister Rogers\u2019 Neighborhood<\/em>, and targets kids 3 to 5 with social-emotional learning. The central character, Donkey Hodie, is described by Doherty as \u201creally fun and optimistic. She\u2019s a loyal friend who will move mountains\u2014and giant lemons!\u2014to help her pals. But she\u2019s not perfect; I think kids will relate to Donkey\u2019s struggles to persevere even when it feels like there\u2019s no hope of success.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike kids, Donkey is bursting with hope and dreams, and she does everything in her power to make those dreams come true, which is also a great example of how the character will be a role model for young viewers,\u201d adds Rudman. \u201cDonkey is also such a funny and endearing character that kids (and their parents) will root for her to succeed, and laugh themselves silly along the way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rather than animation, the show features puppet characters, which include, along with Donkey Hodie, Purple Panda, her loyal and empathetic best friend who wears his big heart on his sleeve; Duck Duck, a practical, quick-witted young mallard who loves to figure things out; and Bob Dog, an energetic and eager canine who is always ready to boogie to music or fetch a ball. Episodes include songs that reinforce the stories\u2019 positive messages and fun adventures.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe chose to do the show with puppets because we thought that the \u2018big feelings\u2019 expressed by Donkey Hodie and her pals would feel really relatable to kids if the characters were fuzzy, huggable puppets,\u201d says Doherty.<\/p>\n

Spiffy Pictures is also behind PBS KIDS\u2019 Nature Cat<\/em>, which is animated, \u201cso it was fun getting back into the studio and shooting a live-action series with puppets,\u201d says Rudman. \u201cWhat we love about this show is everything from the puppets to the props to the world are handmade. Kids watching at home will feel like they can actually visit Someplace Else and hug Donkey and Panda.\u201d<\/p>\n

The characters and stories are meant to \u201cempower young viewers to dream big and overcome obstacles in their own lives, by modeling hard work and perseverance in the face of adversity,\u201d he adds. \u201cThrough the stories, the characters also impart lessons about resourcefulness and problem-solving.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEach episode has a core message tied to perseverance, resilience and problem-solving,\u201d agrees Doherty. \u201cDonkey and friends model how to persist even when it feels hard to do so. They also demonstrate kindness to each other and an emerging empathy for the feelings of others.\u201d<\/p>\n

There are many nods to Mister Rogers\u2019 Neighborhood<\/em>, Doherty explains, starting with the characters themselves. \u201cDonkey Hodie, Purple Panda, Bob Dog and Harriett Elizabeth Cow are all reimagined characters from the Neighborhood of Make Believe. The land of Someplace Else was also dreamed up by Fred Rogers. The music in the show includes some songs written by Fred Rogers, as well as many new songs that are original to Donkey Hodie. Also, the art department has done an amazing job including \u2018Easter eggs\u2019 on the set, such as a porch swing at Grampy\u2019s house (just like in Mister Rogers\u2019 television house) and little cubby holes at Donkey Hodie\u2019s windmill that showcase treasures like a fish tank, traffic light and a model of Trolley.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the same time, much of the show is new and original, Rudman explains. \u201cWhat makes this blend of elements come together so perfectly is our environment, the fantastical world of Someplace Else, a quirky place where everyone comes to make their dreams a reality.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Fred Rogers Productions’ Ellen Doherty and Spiffy Pictures\u2019 Adam Rudman talk about the Fred Rogers-inspired series Donkey Hodie, which has bowed on PBS KIDS in the U.S. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":350,"featured_media":20618,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,21],"tags":[6010,5257,5126,3658,146,1982],"class_list":["post-20617","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-profiles","category-top-stories","tag-adam-rudman","tag-donkey-hodie","tag-ellen-doherty","tag-fred-rogers-productions","tag-pbs-kids","tag-spiffy-pictures","pmpro-has-access"],"yoast_head":"\nDonkey Hodie Delivers Messages of Perseverance & Resilience - TVKIDS<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvkids\/donkey-hodie-delivers-messages-of-perseverance-resilience\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Donkey Hodie Delivers Messages of Perseverance & Resilience - 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