{"id":26232,"date":"2023-11-10T10:00:43","date_gmt":"2023-11-10T15:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev2.worldscreen.com\/tvkids\/pbs-kids-reveals-first-show-led-autistic-character\/"},"modified":"2023-11-10T12:00:25","modified_gmt":"2023-11-10T17:00:25","slug":"pbs-kids-reveals-first-show-led-by-autistic-character","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvkids\/pbs-kids-reveals-first-show-led-by-autistic-character\/","title":{"rendered":"PBS KIDS Reveals Its First Show Led by Autistic Character"},"content":{"rendered":"

PBS KIDS has ordered Carl the Collector<\/em>, its first show featuring a lead character on the autism spectrum, from Fuzzytown Pictures and Spiffy Pictures.<\/p>\n

Created by best-selling illustrator and author Zachariah OHora (My Cousin Momo!<\/em>), the new show follows the everyday adventures of Carl, an autistic raccoon who loves collecting things. His vast collection has something for every occasion and comes in handy for solving problems around the neighborhood.<\/p>\n

Though Carl has a lot of energy and is very logical, he often struggles with anxiety in new situations and has trouble when things do not go according to plan. His friend group includes both neurotypical and neurodivergent characters, each with different traits, behaviors, learning preferences and challenges. With Carl, they come to understand that there is no right or wrong way to be themselves.<\/p>\n

The production team features neurodiverse and neurotypical writers, advisers and voice talent. Advisers include Dr. Geraldine Oades-Sese, Ph.D, a licensed psychologist, children\u2019s book author and adjunct associate professor of pediatrics at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School; Dr. Stephen Shore, professor at Adelphi University and adjunct professor at New York University Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development; and Deborah Farmer Kris, M.A., educator, author, parenting columnist and consultant for PBS KIDS for Parents.<\/p>\n

Carl the Collector<\/em> is slated to premiere in fall 2024 on PBS KIDS.<\/p>\n

\u201cCarl the Collector<\/em> values inclusion and empathy while modeling relationship-building and social skill development, wrapped up in humor, heart and incredible visual design,\u201d said Sara DeWitt, senior VP and general manager at PBS KIDS. \u201cWe are excited for children to get to know Carl and his group of friends, who believe that the best experiences occur when we honor the things that make each of us unique.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy hope for Carl and his diverse group of Fuzzytown friends is that they will inspire neurodiverse and neurotypical kids alike to foster a world in which neurodiversity is not only recognized as a benefit to society but is celebrated as exemplifying the full spectrum of what it means to be human,\u201d OHora said.<\/p>\n

Caroline Bandolik, supervising producer and VP of production for Spiffy Pictures, commented, \u201cIn today\u2019s world, inclusivity and representation in programming is more important than ever, especially for the youngest of viewers. We instantly fell in love with this beautiful Fuzzytown world Zachariah created, filled with engaging and relatable characters and funny, heartfelt stories.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs an autistic person, I continue to be amazed at the level of detail and effort the team expends to assure that Carl and Lotta are authentic to the autistic experience,\u201d said adviser Shore. \u201cIn addition to being an interesting series, Carl the Collector<\/em>\u00a0will become a great tool for both autistic and non-autistic people to gain insight on autism. Although designed for young kids, I plan on using relevant excerpts to supplement my university teaching and presentations around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is about time for a children\u2019s show like Carl the Collector<\/em>, which embraces the diversity of children’s experiences and showcases an inclusive and relatable world,\u201d added adviser Oades-Sese. \u201cThe show doesn\u2019t shy away from having its main characters experience common mental health challenges such as anxiety, fear, sadness and the need for acceptance and belonging. Carl and his Fuzzytown friends take viewers on fun and humorous adventures that will help them understand and empathize with the characters and ultimately extend that understanding and compassion for others.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

PBS KIDS has ordered Carl the Collector, its first show featuring a lead character on the autism spectrum, from Fuzzytown Pictures and Spiffy Pictures.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1412,"featured_media":26233,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[8702,8703,8704,8705,146,8473,1982,8706,8707],"class_list":["post-26232","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-top-stories","tag-carl-the-collector","tag-caroline-bandolik","tag-fuzzytown-pictures","tag-geraldine-oades-sese","tag-pbs-kids","tag-sara-dewitt","tag-spiffy-pictures","tag-stephen-shore","tag-zachariah-ohora","pmpro-has-access"],"yoast_head":"\nPBS KIDS Reveals Its First Show Led by Autistic Character - 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\/pbs-kids-reveals-first-show-led-by-autistic-character\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"PBS KIDS Reveals Its First Show Led by Autistic Character - TVKIDS\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"PBS KIDS has ordered Carl the Collector, its first show featuring a lead character on the autism spectrum, from Fuzzytown Pictures and Spiffy Pictures.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvkids\/pbs-kids-reveals-first-show-led-by-autistic-character\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"TVKIDS\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-11-10T15:00:43+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-11-10T17:00:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvkids\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/07\/PBSKIDS-CarltheCollector-1123.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"338\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jamie Stalcup\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jamie Stalcup\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvkids\/pbs-kids-reveals-first-show-led-by-autistic-character\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvkids\/pbs-kids-reveals-first-show-led-by-autistic-character\/\",\"name\":\"PBS KIDS Reveals Its First Show Led by Autistic Character - TVKIDS\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvkids\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2023-11-10T15:00:43+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-11-10T17:00:25+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvkids\/#\/schema\/person\/0da12602224807cc7b179b8405018deb\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvkids\/pbs-kids-reveals-first-show-led-by-autistic-character\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvkids\/pbs-kids-reveals-first-show-led-by-autistic-character\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvkids\/pbs-kids-reveals-first-show-led-by-autistic-character\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvkids\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"PBS KIDS Reveals Its First Show Led by Autistic Character\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvkids\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvkids\/\",\"name\":\"TVKIDS\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvkids\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvkids\/#\/schema\/person\/0da12602224807cc7b179b8405018deb\",\"name\":\"Jamie Stalcup\",\"description\":\"Jamie Stalcup is the executive editor of World Screen. 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