New Animated Series from Creator Aaron Augenblick and Future Brain Media Centered on Teaching Children How Communities Work to Join PBS KIDS’ Growing Library of Short-Form Content
Arlington, VA, October 19, 2022 – CITY ISLAND, a new series of animated digital shorts for early elementary school-aged children, will be coming to audiences across the U.S. starting December 26, 2022 on PBS KIDS. From creator Aaron Augenblick, founder of animation studio Augenblick Studios, and Future Brain Media, the new shorts will feature a civics curriculum, highlighting topics like cooperation, conflict resolution, and city planning, helping to foster young viewers’ understanding of how cities and communities work. The series stars Kimia Behpoornia and Kimiko Glenn, with guest appearances that include Amy Schumer, Julio Torres, James Adomian, and Debi Mazar.
Set in City Island, a thriving metropolis with local organizations, government institutions, and a diverse citizenry, every car, tree and building is a fun character with its own name, voice, and distinctive personality. The introduction of CITY ISLAND will add to PBS KIDS’ expanding roster of engaging and educational short-form content that aims to support and teach children key concepts anywhere, anytime.
“PBS KIDS is committed to meeting kids where they are and making learning accessible in multiple formats,” said Sara DeWitt, Senior Vice President and General Manager, PBS KIDS. “We’re excited to continue building our short form content library, and to tackle civics with CITY ISLAND in such a vibrant and engaging way.”
“After years of making cartoons, CITY ISLAND is my dream project. It’s a love letter to all my favorite kids' shows. Best of all, CITY ISLAND is a world where we can explore dynamic visuals and important themes. Working with PBS KIDS has been an extremely rewarding process,” said creator Aaron Augenblick.
The shorts star Watt, a little lightbulb with big ideas. In each episode Watt meets all the cheerfully optimistic members of the community and learns about how they make the city run, exploring different locations like the library, airport, planetarium, art museum and more, all while working together to find the best solutions to simple problems. CITY ISLAND is a living city where the infrastructure and town objects are all characters and members of the community – from fire trucks and mail carriers to cafes, plants, bicycles, and even the roads themselves. Watt’s best friend is Windy, a flying kite who lives in the floating City Island neighborhood of Skytown, and matches his thirst for exploration and adventure. In addition to civics, the series also touches on a social studies curriculum, including geography and economics. The new CITY ISLAND shorts highlight the benefits of a community that works together and shows that great ideas are one of our most precious resources.
CITY ISLAND comes to PBS KIDS from creator and Executive Producer Aaron Augenblick and Executive Producers Daniel Powell and Gemma Correll, who also serves as Art Director. Augenblick is an animator, writer, director, and founder of Augenblick Studios, with notable productions including Ugly Americans, The Jellies, Wonder Showzen, Headspace Guide to Meditation, and Losers. Powell is the Emmy and Peabody winning co-President of TV & Film production company Irony Point. The style of City Island is based on the comics of Gemma Correll. Gemma has written and illustrated several books, including: “A Pug’s Guide to Etiquette,” “The Feminist Activity Book,” and “The Worrier’s Guide to Life.” Augenblick and Powell founded and launched children’s animation studio Future Brain Media in 2021. The theme song and score for the series are composed by Tunde Adebimpe, who is best known as the lead singer for the experimental rock and roll band TV on the Radio. The series of shorts, produced with major funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), will include 20 three-minute episodes. The first ten will stream free on PBS KIDS beginning December 26, with the remaining ten debuting on January 20, 2023.
CITY ISLAND joins PBS KIDS’ growing collection of fun and engaging shorts. PBS KIDS will also debut new MOLLY OF DENALI: THE BIG GATHERING shorts starting November 7. The latest shorts from the groundbreaking animated series will feature 20 stories that follow Molly and the people of her hometown of Qyah as they prepare for “The Big Gathering,” an annual festival for Indigenous peoples inspired by the real-life Alaskan Federation of Natives Convention in Anchorage. The first ten shorts will stream free on PBS KIDS starting November 7, with the remaining ten launching on November 21.
The first nationally distributed children’s series to feature a Native American lead character, the Peabody Award-winning MOLLY OF DENALI centers on Alaska Native Molly Mabray, a feisty and resourceful 10-year-old Gwich’in/Koyukon/Dena’ina Athabascan girl, who takes viewers ages 4-8 along on her adventures, helping to boost their literacy skills along the way. With an emphasis on family and intergenerational relationships, MOLLY OF DENALI models Alaska Native values, such as respecting others, sharing what you have, and honoring your elders, while showcasing contemporary aspects of rural life, including strong female role models and how technology aids in communication. MOLLY OF DENALI and the new shorts are a part of the CPB and PBS Ready To Learn Initiative with funding from the U.S. Department of Education. The Ready To Learn Initiative is a federal program that supports the development of innovative educational television and digital media targeted to preschool and early elementary school children and their families.
Other shorts in the PBS KIDS library include those from Emmy-winning ARTHUR and ODD SQUAD, as well as XAVIER RIDDLE AND THE SECRET MUSEUM, JELLY, BEN & POGO and ELINOR WONDERS WHY.
About PBS KIDS
PBS KIDS believes the world is full of possibilities, and so is every child. As the number one educational media brand for kids, PBS KIDS helps children ages 2-8 learn lessons that last a lifetime. Through media and community-based programs, PBS KIDS wants children to see themselves uniquely reflected and celebrated in lovable, diverse characters who serve as positive role models, and to explore their feelings and discover new adventures along the way. Families can stream PBS KIDS for free anytime, no subscription required. A large collection of mobile apps and pbskids.org provide accessible content that spark kids’ curiosity. PBS KIDS and local stations across the country support the entire ecosystem in which children learn and grow – including their teachers and caregivers, parents, and community – providing resources accessible anytime and anywhere. For more information, visit pbs.org/pressroom, or follow PBS KIDS on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
About Future Brain Media
Future Brain Media is a joint venture between veteran animation producers Aaron Augenblick and Daniel Powell, focused on bringing a unique perspective and aesthetic to the children's media landscape. Future Brain combines the infrastructure of Augenblick Studios, Irony Point, and Great City Post to form a full service production company that can handle every aspect of production, from development through delivery.
About CPB
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a private, nonprofit corporation authorized by Congress in 1967, is the steward of the federal government’s investment in public broadcasting. It helps support the operations of more than 1,500 locally managed and operated public television and radio stations nationwide. CPB is also the largest single source of funding for research, technology, and program development for public radio, television, and related online services. For more information, visit www.cpb.org and follow us on Twitter @CPBmedia, Facebook, LinkedIn, and subscribe for other updates.
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Contacts:
PBS | Lubna Abuulbah | labuulbah@pbs.org
Grand Communications | Alison Grand | alison@grandcommunications.com / Gabrielle Torello | gab@grandcommunications.com
The contents of MOLLY OF DENALI and MOLLY OF DENALI: THE BIG GATHERING were developed under a grant from the Department of Education. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. The project is funded by a Ready To Learn grant [PR/Award No. S295A200004, CFDA No. 84.295A] provided by the Department of Education to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.