Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho. It's off to Disney Junior we go?
Following in the footsteps of Captain Hook and Mr. Smee
(i.e. the villains of Disney's 1953 feature-length version of "Peter Pan." Who have recently found themselves reinvented as comic foils on that highly successful new animated series, "Jake
and the Never Land Pirates"), Disney's first feature film stars – the Seven Dwarfs
– may have just gotten themselves a new gig.
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At today's Disney Kids and Family Upfront 2011-12 event in
New York City, Nancy Kanter – Senior Vice President, Original Programming and
General Manager, Disney Junior Worldwide – will reveal that the Mouse House is developing
a pilot for a brand-new television program which may star Doc, Happy, Sneezy,
Bashful, Sleepy, Grumpy and Dopey.
Mind you, "7D" (that's the proposed title for this new TV
series) would chronicle the Seven Dwarfs' adventures before they met up with Ms.
White. Back when Doc & Co. still lived in the kingdom of Jollywood and were
regularly recruited by Queen Delightful to come help out around the castle.
Now I know that there are animation purists out there who
will scream bloody murder just as soon as they learn that the Dwarfs may soon have their very own animated series. But know this: Disney Junior has
recruited a first-class creative team for "7D." Emmy Award-winning Tom Ruegger of
"Animaniacs" fame will be directing this pilot. Former Jim Henson Company
staff writer Craig Shemin has put together a whimsical & winning script for
this test episode. And Noah Z. Jones (who is probably best known these days as
the creator of the Disney Channel's hit animated series "Fish Hooks") is
handling "7D" 's character design.
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The end result will hopefully be an original animated series
that still feels familiar to Disney Junior's 2 to 7-year-old target
audience. "7D" – as Nancy Kanter describes it – is supposed to be a …
… comic take on the world of fairytales and storybooks …
(where the Seven Dwarfs) are (Queen Delightful's) go-to guys. (But) what the
queen doesn't realize is that while (the Dwarfs) do eventually save the day,
it's less about their skill and more about their ingenuity and luck that gets
them through.
Anyway, the pilot for "7D" has just gone into production. Later
this year, Ms. Kanter and her team at Disney Junior Worldwide will formally review
this test episode and then make a decision about whether or not they should proceed
with full-blown production of a new animated series which would star the Seven Dwarfs.
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Which – again, I know – will sound like a bizarre idea to some.
But if you seriously doubt that Kanter & Co. can pull this off, then
go watch an episode or two of "Jake and the Never Land Pirates." Which has done
a brilliant job of transferring Peter Pan's magical realm to the small screen.
Creating this brand-new animated series that not only appeals to Disney Junior's
2-7 year-old demographic but also manages to entertain their parents as well.
That's the type of program that Disney executives really
hope "7D" will turn out to be. But what do you folks think? Are you ready for a
Seven Dwarfs television series? Especially one (I'm quoting from the press
release now) set in "a comic and contemporary storybook world" where these much-beloved
Disney characters will then take part in "music-filled stories"?
Your thoughts?