This week, most of my fellow PBS KIDS VIPs (Very Involved Parents) are in Austin, Texas attending the PBS Annual Meeting. While I had to miss this year’s meeting, the news is still flowing, and today comes the full details on this Fall’s next big hit, NATURE CAT! First reported here on THE ROCK FATHER back in January, NATURE CAT is a new series from creators David Rudman (“Cookie Monster” and “Baby Bear” on SESAME STREET; “Scooter” and “Janice” on THE MUPPETS) and Adam Rudman (TOM & JERRY, SESAME STREET, CYBERCHASE), that aims to encourage children ages 3-8 to explore and develop connections with the natural world. The series is now set to debut on November 25 on PBS KIDS (check local listings for times), and will feature a very familiar voice cast…
The all-star line-up of comedic actors in the voice cast will include Saturday Night Live stars Taran Killam (Nature Cat), Kate McKinnon (Squeeks), Bobby Moynihan (Hal) and Kenan Thompson (Ronald); and Kate Micucci (Scrubs, The Big Bang Theory) as Daisy.
NATURE CAT follows Fred, a house cat who dreams of exploring the great outdoors. In each episode, once his family leaves for the day, Fred transforms into Nature Cat, “backyard explorer extraordinaire.” Nature Cat can’t wait to get outside for a day of backyard nature excursions and bravery, but there’s one problem: He’s still a house cat with no instincts for nature. With the help of his animal friends, Nature Cat embarks on action-packed adventures full of nature investigation, “aha” discovery moments and humor, all while inspiring children to go outside and “play the show.”
NATURE CAT is a co-production of Spiffy Pictures and WTTW Chicago. Major funding for the series will be provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and the Van Eekeren Family, founders of Land O’Frost.
Stay tuned for more!
