Production has begun on Disney Junior's "Goldie & Bear," a fairytale-inspired animated series for preschoolers. Slated to debut in Fall 2015, the series follows the adventures of newfound friends Goldie and Bear, following the renowned porridge incident of "Goldilocks and The Three Bears." The announcement was made today by Nancy Kanter, Executive Vice President, Original Programming and General Manager, Disney Junior Worldwide.
Kanter said, "Disney Junior embraces strong storytelling and memorable characters, and nothing reflects that more than classic fairytales. We are excited to continue the story of 'Goldilocks and The Three Bears' from a new perspective and hope to inspire kids to create their own 'happily-ever-afters' by giving them new stories featuring classic characters they already know and love."
Set in the Fairytale Forest, the series follows the adventures of plucky Goldie and her best friend, Bear, as they encounter well-known characters from fairytales and nursery rhymes, including Little Red Riding Hood, Humpty Dumpty and The Three Little Pigs.
Maria Tatar, John L. Loeb Professor of Germanic Languages and Literatures at Harvard University and Disney Junior Advisory Board Member, serves as the series consultant, advising on storytelling, fairytales and folklore. The importance of storytelling is central to the show's curriculum, with episodes referencing original fairytales and nursery rhymes while providing new insights into their narratives and underlying messages. Throughout the series, Goldie and Bear model friendship and community, demonstrate creative problem-solving and exhibit critical thinking skills such as logic and strategy.
Natalie Lander ("The Middle") stars as Goldie, alongside Georgie Kidder ("Star Wars: The Clone Wars") as Bear. Recurring guest stars include Lesley Nicol ("Downton Abbey") as Fairy Godmother and Debby Ryan ("Jessie") as Thumbelina. Miles Brown and Marsai Martin ("black-ish") appear as Jack & Jill.
"Goldie & Bear" was created by children's book author Jorge Aguirre ("Giants Beware!" series) and developed for television by Aguirre and Rick Gitelson ("Handy Mandy"). Joe Ansolabehere ("Recess") is story editor, and songs are composed by Rob Cantor (from the band Tally Hall). Chris Gilligan ("Frankenweenie") serves as supervising director and executive producer. The series is produced by Milk Barn Productions in association with Disney Junior.
Disney Junior reflects the emotional connection generations of consumers have to Disney storytelling and Disney characters, both classic and contemporary. It invites mom and dad to join their child in the Disney experience of magical, musical and heartfelt stories and characters, while incorporating specific learning and development themes designed for kids age 2-7. Disney Junior's series blend Disney's unparalleled storytelling and characters kids love deeply with learning, including early math, language skills, healthy eating and lifestyles, and social skills. In the U.S., Disney Junior is a daily programming block on Disney Channel and a 24-hour channel reaching over 73 million U.S. homes. In total, there are 34 Disney Junior channels in 25 languages around the world.
