PBS Kids today announced Carl The Collector, an animated series for children ages four to eight and its first show featuring a lead character on the autism spectrum.
The new series was created by New York Times best-selling illustrator and author Zachariah OHora (My Cousin Momo!) and is produced by Fuzzytown Productions and Spiffy Pictures. Through its stories, the series celebrates the diverse ways kids think and express themselves, while helping them develop a strong sense of self and community. It is is slated to premiere in Fall 2024 on PBS Kids.
Carl The Collector follows the everyday adventures of Carl, a warm-hearted autistic raccoon who loves collecting things. His talents – a laser-focus pursuit of his goals, attention to detail, and a distinctive way of looking at and experiencing the world around him – have helped him amass a collection for just about every occasion (e.g., the perfect fake mustache or a soft plushie for a friend in need), and come in handy for solving problems around the neighborhood with his friends. Carl has a lot of energy and is logical and precise, yet he often struggles with anxiety in new situations and has difficulty when things don’t go according to plan. Like all of his friends, he is learning that there is no right or wrong way to be himself.
“Carl The Collector values inclusion and empathy, while modeling relationship-building and social skill development, wrapped up in humour, heart, and incredible visual design,” said PBS Kids general manager and senior vice president Sara DeWitt. “We are excited for children to get to know Carl and his group of friends, who believe that the best experiences occur when we honour the things that make each of us unique.”
“My 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 recognised as a benefit to society, but is celebrated as exemplifying the full spectrum of what it means to be human,” said the series creator and executive producer Zachariah OHora.
In the series, Carl’s friends include both neurotypical and neurodiverse characters, each with different traits, behaviours, learning preferences, and challenges. In Fuzzytown, everyone is coming to understand something about themselves and each other. Carl’s best friend, Sheldon, is a beaver who is a flexible thinker with a knack for connecting people and looking out for the underdog. Lotta, a quiet and self-assured fox, artist, and musician, is also autistic. She experiences hypersensitivity to loud sounds, powerful smells, and certain food textures. Nico and Arugula are twin bunny sisters who, despite being identical in appearance, couldn’t be more different in personality. And Forrest, a hyperactive and impulsive squirrel with a tree nut allergy, is always up for an adventure – the more unexpected, the better.
“In today’s world, inclusivity and representation in programming is more important than ever, especially for the youngest of viewers,” said Spiffy Pictures supervising producer and production vice president Caroline Bandolik. “We instantly fell in love with this beautiful Fuzzytown world Zachariah created, filled with engaging and relatable characters and funny, heartfelt stories.”
Carl The Collector was created by OHora and is produced by Fuzzytown Productions and Spiffy Pictures. The series is animated by Emmy- and Annie Award-nominated Yowza! Animation. Bandolik is supervising producer. Jesse McMahon is content producer. Adam Rudman, Emmy-winning writer and co-founder of Spiffy Pictures, is head writer. The team of contributing writers include the Emmy-nominated television and picture book writer Samantha Berger, advocate and actress Ava X. Rigelhaupt, the Emmy-winning writer, director, and puppeteer Joey Mazzarino, and award-winning children’s book authors Kelly DiPucchio, and Bob Shea.
The series brings together a diverse production team of neurodiverse and neurotypical writers, advisors, and voice talent. Advisors include licensed psychologist, children’s book author, and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School adjunct associate professor of pediatrics Dr. Geraldine Oades-Sese, Ph.D; Adelphi University professor and New York University Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development adjunct professor Dr. Stephen Shore; and M.A., educator, author, parenting columnist, and PBS Kids for Parents consultant Deborah Farmer Kris.
“As 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,” said Dr. Shore. “In addition to being an interesting series, Carl The Collector will 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.”
“It is about time for a children’s show like Carl The Collector, which embraces the diversity of children’s experiences and showcases an inclusive and relatable world,” said Dr. Oades-Sese. “The show doesn’t 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 empathise with the characters, and ultimately, extend that understanding and compassion for others.”
