By Taylor Rice
On the platform’s spring kids and family lineup, Apple TV+ announced it will be hosting a new animated adaptation of Frog and Toad.
Set to premiere Friday, April 28, the series is based on the iconic Caldecott and Newbery Award-winning children’s books by Arnold Lobel. Rob Hoegee (previously worked on Teen Titans, Slugterra, Storm Hawks, and many more) is the series showrunner with Titmouse producing the animation. Hoegee executive produces alongside Adrianne Lobel, Adam Lobel, Titmouse Chris Prynoski, Shannon Prynoski, Antonio Cannobio and Ben Kalina.
According to the Apple synopsis: “Frog is a frog. Toad is a toad. They have a lot in common … but they are also very different. Frog and Toad are best friends who know that the true secret to friendship is not only enjoying the things you have in common but embracing the things that make you different. Our differences are what makes us special, and Frog and Toad celebrate them in what makes them unique.”
This synopsis is a great tribute to the actual book series. The nostalgia factor will play a big role for adults who read these books as children who will notice the little nuances; and it’s still vague enough for new readers or people who haven’t read the series at all.
The voice cast includes Nat Faxon (Our Flag Means Death) and Kevin Michael Richardson (The Simpsons) as Frog and Toad. The series also has voice appearances from Ron Funches (Trolls), Fortune Feimster (Good Fortune), Cole Escola (At Home with Amy Sedaris), Aparna Nancherla (The Great North), John Hodgman (Up Here), Yvette Nicole Brown (Disenchanted), Stephen Tobolowsky (The Goldbergs), Tom Kenny (SpongeBob SquarePants), Selene Luna (Coco), Margaret Cho (Fire Island) and Betsy Sodaro (Duncanville).
While we can’t be certain what exactly the series will hold, we can certainly hope that this brilliant team will bring our childhood nostalgia to life.
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