'Arthur' creator Marc Brown to launch new preschool series 'Hop'

The creator of the popular children's show Arthur, Marc Brown, is venturing into a new project called Hop.

Max production company, has greenlit the preschool series, which will feature anthropomorphic animals. Marc Brown, along with Arthur series veterans Peter K. Hirsch and Tolon Brown, will be involved in the creation of the show. This comes a year after Arthur concluded its 25-year run on PBS.

Hop is specifically aimed at preschoolers and will focus on characters with disabilities.

The titular character, Hop, is a 6-year-old frog with one leg shorter than the other. Marc Brown expressed his inspiration for the new series, stating that even before Arthur ended, he had been nurturing the idea of Hop.

“Even before Arthur ended, I was nurturing a new project about a little frog named Hop, for a younger audience,” Brown said in a statement.

“As Hop’s world grew in my imagination, I drew inspiration from the great work my friend Fred Rogers had done. With Arthur, we occasionally introduced characters with disabilities, but they never became part of the ensemble cast in any meaningful way. But the characters in Hop reflect many kids who are underrepresented in the media. Some of our characters have disabilities but they never define who they are or what they can achieve. Kids are kids and each one is unique and filled with potential. And kids love to have fun, that’s what Hop is all about.”

Epic Story Media, known for its work on Pocoyo, will produce the series, while Loomi Animation will handle the animation. The show will also receive consultation from RespectAbility, a disability advocacy group.

The character of Hop will be voiced by David Connolly, a stage actor and the first amputee to perform on Broadway. The cast also includes characters like Hop's older sister Penny, a lively owl named Hoot, an intelligent squirrel named Filipa who is neurodivergent, a timid alligator named Benny, and a curious beaver named Alfred.

They all reside in the community of Fair Village and embark on adventures where they learn to overcome obstacles through perseverance, creativity, and teamwork.