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Carl the Collector

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Carl the Collector
Created byZachariah OHora
Written byAdam Rudman
Ava X. Rigelhaupt
Joey Mazzarino
Jill Cozza-Turner
Samantha Berger
Lisa Whittick
Zachariah OHora
Kelly DiPucchio
Corey Womack
Bob Shea
Directed byLisa Whittick
StarringKai Barham
Peter Laurie
Abigail Oliver
Beatrice Schneider
Antonina Battrick
Maddy Mcilwain
Theme music composerEraserhood Sound
ComposerEraserhood Sound
Country of origin
  • United States
  • Canada
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes14 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Zachariah OHora
  • Caroline Bandolik
  • Heather Walker
Running time23 minutes
Production companies
  • Spiffy Pictures
  • Yowza! Animation
  • Fuzzytown Productions
Original release
NetworkPBS Kids
ReleaseNovember 14, 2024 (2024-11-14) –
present (present)

Carl the Collector is an children's animated television series created by Zachariah OHora from PBS Kids.

Premise

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Set in the fictional and peaceful Fuzzytown, Carl the Collector centers on the life of Carl, an autistic child racoon with a special interest in creating collections of various items, and his friends. Carl's friends include Sheldon, a compassionate beaver and Carl's best friend; Lotta, a shy and autistic fox with an artistic talent and hypersensitivity to sound; Forrest, a hyperactive squirrel; and Nico and Arugula, identical twin bunny sisters with opposing personalities. Episodes often involve Carl and his friends working together and learning lessons to overcome new situations.

Cast

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  • Kai Barham as Carl, an autistic grey racoon with a special interest in collecting.
  • Heather Bambrick as Maude, Carl's mother.
  • Peter Laurie as Sheldon, a compassionate brown beaver and Carl's best friend.
  • Abigail Oliver as Nico, a brash pink rabbit and identical twin to Argula.
  • Beatrice Schneider as Arugula, a nice pink rabbit and identical twin to Nico.
  • Antonina Battrick as Forrest, a hyperactive and impulsive grey squirrel with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and a tree nut allergy.[1]
  • Maddy McIlwain as Lotta, an autistic red fox with an artistic talent.

Production

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Zachariah OHora is a New York Times bestselling children's author and illustrator known for his picture books featuring bipedal animals such as Wolfie the Bunny, Niblet & Ralph, and My Cousin Momo.[2] In c. 2015, during a time when PBS Kids was searching for "creators outside its usual pool of talent",[3] Natalie Engle, the Director of Content for Children’s Programming, approached OHora, liking his art style, to create a television series. At the time, OHora had created a raccoon character called "The Collector", based on OHora's own collecting habits, who had not been used in any of OHora's stories at the time.[2] OHora's concept for the series was inspired by a school that his two non-autistic sons went to and that centered around the inclusion model.[2][3] OHora described his experiences with the school as a "lightbulb moment", as he felt that the stigma surrounding disabilities would diminish if children were exposed to the "spectrum of humanity".[3][4]

The series was animated using Toon Boom Harmony.[3] Fuzzytown, the fictional setting of Carl the Collector, is modeled after Narberth, Pennsylvania, the residence of the show's creator.[5]

Episodes

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Main article: List of Carl the Collector episodes
SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
114November 14, 2024 (2024-11-14)December 5, 2024 (2024-12-05)

Broadcast and reception

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Carl the Collector was first announced on November 2023 as the first PBS Kids series to be led by an autistic character.[6] Targeted toward children ages 4–8,[4] Carl the Collector premiered on November 14, 2024, on PBS Kids.[7] On Common Sense Media, Ashley Moulton gave Carl the Collector four stars, commending the series' characterization and sensitivity in handling autism. Moulton described the characters as relatable and praised the series' representation of the autism spectrum by demonstrating how the characters of Carl and Lotta experience autism differently and how autistic traits manifest without othering the characters.[8]

References

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  1. ^ Starks, Tiara (November 4, 2024). "Creative team of PBS KIDS' Carl the Collector talk autism representation, illustrations, and authenticity". The Parent Watch. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Davis, Victoria (December 11, 2024). "Carl the Collector: A Lovely Walk Inside the Mind of Autism". Animation World Network. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d Zahed, Ramin (November 11, 2024). "'Carl the Collector' Celebrates Friendship & Fun Across the Spectrum on PBS Kids". Animation Magazine. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Graeber, Laurel (November 22, 2024). "Carl the Collector Puts an Autistic Child (Well, Raccoon) in the Lead". The New York Times. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  5. ^ Giordano, Rita (November 13, 2024). "In PBS Kids' first show with major characters on the autism spectrum, a Philly-area town has a major role". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
  6. ^ White, Abbey (November 9, 2023). "Carl the Collector, PBS Kids' First Series Led by an Autistic Character, to Premiere in Fall 2024 (Exclusive)". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  7. ^ Pederson, Erik (December 16, 2024). "2024 Premiere Dates For New & Returning Series On Broadcast, Cable & Streaming". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  8. ^ Moulton, Ashley. "Parents' Guide to Carl the Collector: Is It Any Good?". Common Sense Media. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
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