TV Talk: New ‘Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood’ spin-off debuts in May

The latest spin-off from “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” puppet show “Donkey Hodie,” debuts on PBS stations, including WQED-TV, on May 3.

Produced by Spiffy Pictures and Pittsburgh-based Fred Rogers Productions, “Donkey Hodie” is the second series inspired by “Neighborhood” characters, following animated PBS Kids series “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood,” which premiered in 2012 and is still in production.

Like “Daniel,” “Donkey Hodie” is a next generation series that’s centered on Donkey Hodie, granddaughter of the original Donkey Hodie (now known as Grampy Hodie) from 59 episodes of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” that debuted between 1968 and 1993.

“Donkey Hodie,” a co-production between FRP and Chicago’s Spiffy Pictures (“Nature Cat”), has been in production on its 40-episode first season of episodes in Chicago for more than a year. The show features new, original music and reimagined versions of songs penned by Fred Rogers.

Linda Simensky, head of PBS Kids content, said the show’s educational component focuses on teamwork, empathy and resilience. FRP chief creative officer Ellen Doherty said “Donkey Hodie,” aimed at children ages 3-5, also includes an emphasis on perseverance, critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

“Donkey Hodie” takes place in the whimsical land of Someplace Else, previously visited from The Neighborhood of Make-Believe on “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.”

In addition to the yellow-hued donkey of the title, “Donkey Hodie” also features puppet characters Purple Panda, Donkey’s best friend; practical, quick-thinker Duck Duck and Bob Dog, an energetic canine (previously played by the late Bob Trow on the “Neighborhood”).

In January 2020, Doherty said the “Donkey Hodie” series idea launched with a discussion about other characters from “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” that could star in a new program. She said the name Donkey Hodie, a play on “Don Quixote,” jumped out due to its silly sound.

While most PBS Kids series are animated, FRP is responsible for the only two current live-action series on the public broadcaster, “Odd Squad” and now “Donkey Hodie.”

“You get so much great comedy and drama from puppets that is different from animation,” Doherty said in January 2020, “the flailing and exaggeration. It’s so much fun. It’s great to be back in this world and having puppets that are really the cutest and fuzzy and so much texture. It’s a world that’s huggable.”

In addition to “Donkey Hodie,” FRP has another animated series in the works for PBS. “Alma’s Way,” expected to premiere as part of the PBS Kids programming block this fall, is created by actor/writer Sonia Manzano, who played Maria on “Sesame Street.”

“Alma’s Way,” aimed at children ages 4-6, has a curriculum that emphasizes problem-solving, expression of thoughts and feelings and perspective-taking. The series follows 6-year-old Alma Rivera, a Puerto Rican girl who lives in the Bronx with her parents and younger brother and a diverse group of friends and family.

This week FRP announced it hired Olubunmi Mia Olufemi, a veteran of PBS’s “Molly of Denali,” as supervising producer of “Alma’s Way.” She’ll report to FRP’s Doherty, the show’s executive producer, and oversee all phases of production on “Alma’s Way” and serve as FRP’s liaison with the show’s animation studio and PBS.