DC Super Hero Girls (TV series)
DC Super Hero Girls | |
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![]() Promotional poster featuring (from left to right) Zatanna, Supergirl, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Bumblebee, and Batgirl. | |
Genre | |
Based on | Characters by DC |
Developed by | Lauren Faust |
Voices of | |
Opening theme | "Super Life" by Kay Hanley and Michelle Lewis |
Composers |
|
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 2 |
No. of episodes | 78 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producers |
|
Producers | Leanne Moreau Lisa Furlong-Jones |
Animators | |
Editors | Torien Blackwolf Michael G. Buck |
Running time | 11 minutes |
Production companies | |
Original release | |
Network | Cartoon Network |
Release | March 8, 2019 October 24, 2021 | –
Related | |
DC Super Hero Girls (2015) |
DC Super Hero Girls is an American animated superhero television series created and developed by Lauren Faust and produced by Warner Bros. Animation and DC Entertainment for Cartoon Network. Based on the web series and franchise of the same name, the series premiered on March 8, 2019, with a one-hour special.[1][2][3]
The series follows the adventures of teenage versions of Wonder Woman, Batgirl, Bumblebee, Supergirl, Green Lantern, and Zatanna who are students at Metropolis High School.
Premise
[edit]The show focuses on six female teenage superheroes with secret identities: Diana Prince / Wonder Woman (voiced by Grey Griffin); Barbara "Babs" Gordon / Batgirl (voiced by Tara Strong); Kara Danvers / Supergirl (voiced by Nicole Sullivan); Zee Zatara / Zatanna (voiced by Kari Wahlgren), Jessica Cruz / Green Lantern (voiced by Myrna Velasco); and Karen Beecher / Bumblebee (voiced by Kimberly Brooks). The six girls meet at Metropolis High School and form a superhero team dubbed the "Super Hero Girls".
The show tells the coming-of-age stories of the Super Hero Girls, dealing with their choices and decisions regarding their superhero identities and their secret identities.[4] The show focuses on physical comedy, emotional storylines, and a large gallery of villains.[5]
Episodes
[edit]The new incarnation of DC Super Hero Girls debuted at the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con with the theatrical short #TheLateBatsby which screened in theaters before the film Teen Titans Go! To the Movies.[6] The online "Super Shorts" debuted on January 17, 2019, with #SuperSleeper on YouTube.[7] The TV series debuted with the one-hour special #SweetJustice on March 8, 2019.[8]
Season | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
First aired | Last aired | |||
Theatrical short | July 27, 2018 | |||
Shorts | 52[9] | January 17, 2019 | March 19, 2020 | |
1 | 52 | March 8, 2019 | December 27, 2020 | |
2 | 26 | June 6, 2021 | October 24, 2021 | |
Crossovers | 3 | December 19, 2020 | May 28, 2022 | |
DC FanDome shorts | 2 | September 12, 2020 |
Production
[edit]Lauren Faust was approached by Warner Bros. to create and develop DC Super Hero Girls into a television series, after previously working on Super Best Friends Forever.[4] The television iteration of the web series DC Super Hero Girls was announced in May 2017. Tara Strong and Nicole Sullivan reprise their roles as Batgirl and Supergirl respectively from Super Best Friends Forever, while Grey Griffin, who previously voiced Wonder Girl (Donna Troy) from the DC Nation Shorts, reprises her role as Wonder Woman from the web series.[10] A year later, a poster showing the first look of the main characters was released.[1] The series is animated by the Canadian studio Jam Filled Entertainment and Hasbro's Boulder Media from Ireland.
The writers chose to model each character and their personalities after a teenager archetype, while also drawing inspiration for several characters on their incarnations from the Silver Age of Comic Books. However, for the more modern Jessica Cruz, the writers heavily altered her characterization due to her original backstory contrasting heavily with the series' lighthearted tone.[11]
Several writers for this series had previously worked on My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, another show created and developed by Faust. Also, her series is the second collaboration of Tara Strong and John de Lancie, who respectively voiced Twilight Sparkle and Discord on Friendship Is Magic.
Natalie Wetzig, a director on DC Super Hero Girls, referred to the second season of the show in an interview at the 2020 Annie Awards,[12] but later clarified on the second half of season 1.[13] Co-executive producer Amanda Rynda said the crew is "introducing lots of new villains and pushing the needle on new storylines" for season 2.[5]
Broadcast
[edit]The show premiered on Cartoon Network UK on 6 July 2019.[14] It began airing on CITV in September 2020. All 52 episodes of season 1 were available to watch on Netflix, but have since been removed.
Video games
[edit]- DC Super Hero Girls Blitz — Budge Studios created a DC Super Hero Girls mobile game for Android and iOS devices which was released on August 8, 2019.[15] It is a collection of microgames with difficulty-increasing-with-speed featuring the main heroines from the show, but some microgames needed to be bought separately each heroine to unlock those microgames.
- DC Super Hero Girls: Teen Power — a Nintendo Switch game published by Nintendo on June 4, 2021.[16][17]
Reception
[edit]![]() | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (April 2022) |
The series received generally mixed to positive reviews from critics. Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media described the series as fast-paced, focusing on teen heroes who use teamwork, and noted that strong messages about "girl power and the value of friendship" within the series.[18]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Milligan, Mercedes (May 21, 2018). "First Look at DC Super Hero Girls Designed by Lauren Faust!". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on May 5, 2019. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
- ^ Barr, Calvin (February 15, 2019). "DC Super Hero Girls: Sweet Justice Trailer Previews Cartoon Network Series". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on May 5, 2019. Retrieved February 24, 2019.
- ^ Boucher, Geoff (February 14, 2019). "DC Super Hero Girls: Trailer Arrives For New Cartoon Network Series From Producer Lauren Faust". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 17, 2019. Retrieved February 24, 2019.
- ^ a b Angie Dahl (August 1, 2018), DC Super Hero Girls Reboot Was Lauren Faust's 'How Could You Say No' Moment, CBR.com, archived from the original on November 13, 2021, retrieved March 25, 2020
- ^ a b Jee Yee Tan (March 20, 2020), Balancing fun and female power: Catching Up with DC Super Hero Girls Season 2 showrunner Amanda Rynda, DeconRecon, archived from the original on March 25, 2020, retrieved March 25, 2020
- ^ Baltimore Lauren (July 20, 2018), Wonder Woman is Valedictorian and Supergirl is a Rebel: DC Super Hero Girls at SDCC, Bleeding Cool, archived from the original on March 25, 2020, retrieved March 25, 2020
- ^ Ottawa Film Office (January 18, 2019). "Check out #SuperSleeper, the first of 52 #DCSuperHeroGirls shorts animated by #Ottawa's own @JamFilledStudio! ⬇️ #ottawaanimation". Twitter. Archived from the original on March 2, 2022. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
- ^ Mercedes Milligan (February 25, 2019), Cartoon Network Revs Up the Girl Power in March, Animation Magazine, archived from the original on May 15, 2021, retrieved March 25, 2020
- ^ Ottawa Film Office (January 18, 2019). "Check out #SuperSleeper, the first of 52 #DCSuperHeroGirls shorts animated by #Ottawa's own @JamFilledStudio! ⬇️ #ottawaanimation". Twitter. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
- ^ Pedersen, Erik (May 23, 2017). "DC Super Hero Girls: Cartoon Network Sets Toon Series For 2018". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 25, 2022. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
- ^ "SDCC '18: Talking Humor, Heart, and Heroics with the Cast & Crew of DC SUPER HERO GIRLS". 25 July 2018. Archived from the original on 2022-02-05. Retrieved 2022-02-05.
- ^ Bionic Buzz (January 26, 2020), DC Super Hero Girls Director Natalie Wetzig Interview at Annie Awards 2020, YouTube, archived from the original on November 14, 2021, retrieved June 1, 2021
- ^ Natalie Wetzig (January 29, 2020), Hi! The next batch of episodes are finishing up in post :) thanks for watching! The 27-52, Twitter, archived from the original on April 22, 2022, retrieved June 1, 2021
- ^ RegularCapital [@RegularTweetsUK] (May 30, 2019). "1/ Cartoon Network UK July 2019 Highlights: NEW: DC SUPERHERO GIRLS: Starts Saturday 6th July, airs Weekends at 8.30am..." (Tweet). Retrieved June 29, 2019 – via Twitter.
- ^ "DC Super Hero Girls Blitz (2019)". DC. 2019-08-08. Archived from the original on 2021-09-21. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
- ^ "DC Super Hero Girls: Teen Power Is A Great Kids Game". Kotaku. June 9, 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-06-10. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
- ^ "DC Super Hero Girls: Teen Power Review". IGN. 22 June 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-06-22. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
- ^ Ashby, Emily (February 27, 2022). "DC Super Hero Girls Review". Common Sense Media. Archived from the original on March 28, 2022. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
External links
[edit]- 2010s American animated television series
- 2010s American high school television series
- 2019 American television series debuts
- 2019 animated television series debuts
- 2020s American animated television series
- 2020s American high school television series
- 2021 American television series endings
- American children's animated action television series
- American children's animated adventure television series
- American children's animated comedy television series
- American children's animated fantasy television series
- American children's animated superhero television series
- American children's animated supernatural television series
- Animated Justice League television series
- Animated superheroine television shows
- Animated television shows based on DC Comics
- Cartoon Network original programming
- DC Super Hero Girls
- American English-language television shows
- Teen animated television series
- Teen superhero television series
- Television series by Jam Filled Entertainment
- Television series by Warner Bros. Animation
- Television series created by Lauren Faust
- Wonder Woman in other media