PBS Kids is set to expand its popular initiative, “Super Why’s Comic Book Adventures,” which initially premiered in 2023 through a series of animated shorts, into a comprehensive half-hour series scheduled for release in 2026.
This new series acts as a spinoff of the beloved “Super Why,” which aired on PBS Kids for an impressive 103 episodes from 2007 through 2016. “Super Why’s Comic Book Adventures” continues its focus on literacy, responding to recent research indicating a troubling decline in children’s reading scores. Alarmingly, a growing number of young learners are reading below their appropriate grade level. This upcoming series, consisting of 39 episodes, targets preschoolers and kindergartners and is grounded in a curriculum that aims to enhance vital skills such as letter-sound recognition, phonological awareness, spelling, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. In conjunction with the episodes, PBS Kids plans to launch four interactive games and three digital storybooks accessible on its website and mobile application.
The narrative of “Super Why’s Comic Book Adventures” revolves around Power Paige, referred to as “the newest Super Reader.” The show also features familiar characters from the original series: Super Why, Wonder Red, Princess Presto, and Alpha Pig. According to the official description, “each reading hero employs their unique literacy powers and tools to safeguard Reader Valley from an amusing cast of Super Villains. These include The Eraser, who delights in making things vanish; Mr. More, who finds joy in adding ‘more’ to everything; The Shuffler, infamous for mixing up letters and sounds in words; and Outta Space, an alien visitor intent on eliminating spaces between letters and sounds.”
“Super Why’s Comic Book Adventures” is being brought to life by the creative talents of Angela C. Santomero, Sarah Wallendjack, and Alex Breen, with development by Jill Cozza-Turner. The series is produced by 9 Story Media Group, which also manages global distribution and consumer product rights, while Brown Bag Films handles animation.
Sara DeWitt, senior vice president and general manager of PBS Kids, remarked, “’Super Why’s Comic Book Adventures’ promotes literacy and reading skills through engaging and innovative stories that will captivate young audiences while connecting them with characters they recognize and adore. We are excited to deliver this multiplatform series to ‘super readers’ nationwide next year.”
Coral Schoug, vice president of production at Brown Bag Films, added, “We often hear that ‘Super Why!’ has played an instrumental role in teaching foundational reading skills to children, proving to be an invaluable resource for parents, caregivers, and educators. We are enthusiastic about launching this latest series, which aims to further enhance children’s early literacy development in enjoyable and effective ways.”
In addition to “Super Why’s Comic Book Adventures,” PBS Kids has announced a fresh premiere date for “Phoebe and Jay,” another animated series that faced delays. It is now slated to debut on February 2.
DeWitt expressed the pressing need for ongoing support, stating, “Support for PBS Kids is now more crucial than ever, especially given the recent cutbacks in federal funding and the discontinuation of the Department of Education’s Ready to Learn Grant, which facilitated the creation of ‘Phoebe and Jay.’ These changes have not only postponed its release but will likely affect the development and availability of high-quality, research-driven PBS Kids programming critical to fostering essential educational skills like literacy and math.”
“Phoebe and Jay” follows the adventures of fraternal twins Phoebe and Jay Yarber, aged six. The series aims to highlight various texts that preschoolers encounter in everyday life—from labels and signs to posters—to nurture their early literacy skills and aid their navigation of the surrounding world.
The show is produced and executive directed by Genie Deez and Thy Than, with Phoebe & Jay Productions collaborating with Mainframe Studios on the project. Supervising producer Tanya Green, along with supervising director Than and co-directors Mike Alcock and Mark Sinclair, lead a talented team, while Aydrea Walden serves as the head writer. Key executive producers include Michael Hefferon and Kim Dent Wilder for Mainframe, in addition to Wendy Moss Klein and Nancy Steingard.
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