PBS Kids is expanding “Super Why’s Comic Book Adventures,” which debuted in 2023 as a series of shorts, into a full half-hour series set to debut in 2026.
A spinoff of “Super Why,” which ran on PBS Kids for 103 episodes from 2007 to 2016, “Super Why’s Comic Book Adventures” focuses on literacy. Per a release from the children’s broadcaster, recent research has shown that children’s reading scores are dropping, with a growing percentage of children reading below their grade level. The new 39-episode series is aimed at preschoolers and kindergarteners, and is based around curriculum meant to build skills including letter-sound knowledge, phonological awareness, spelling, vocabulary and comprehension. In addition to the episodes, which each feature songs that enforce the reading lessons, PBC Kids will release four new games and three digital storybooks on its website and app.
“Super Why’s Comic Book Adventures” is centered around Power Paige, who is described as “the newest Super Reader,” in addition to characters from the original series: Super Why, Wonder Red, Princess Presto and Alpha Pig. Per the official logline, “each reading hero uses their own unique literacy powers and gadgets to protect Reader Valley from a group of silly Super Villains, including The Eraser, who loves to make things disappear; Mr. More, who likes to add “more” to everything; The Shuffler, who wreaks havoc by mixing up the order of letters and sounds in words; and Outta Space, an extraterrestrial visitor who flies around looking to remove space between letters and sounds in words.”
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The series is created by Angela C. Santomero, Sarah Wallendjack and Alex Breen, and developed by Jill Cozza-Turner. Sean Calligan serves as director. 9 Story Media Group produces the series, and holds worldwide distribution and consumer products rights. Brown Bag Films animates.
“’Super Why’s Comic Book Adventures’ supports literacy and reading skills through fun and fresh stories that will immediately draw kids into the vibrant world and characters that our viewers have come to know and love,” said Sara DeWitt, senior vice president and general manager of PBS KIDS. “We’re delighted to bring this multiplatform series to ‘super readers’ across the country next year.”
“We regularly hear that ‘Super Why!‘ has been hugely helpful in teaching kids foundational reading skills and remains a valuable resource for parents, caregivers and teachers,” said Coral Schoug, vice president of production for Brown Bag Films. “We’re thrilled to introduce this latest ‘Super Why!’ series and help further support children’s early literacy development in ways that are fun and effective.”
PBS Kids has also set a new premiere date for “Phoebe and Jay,” a new animated series that had been postponed.
In a statement, DeWitt said, “Support for PBS KIDS is more important now than ever. The recent rescission in federal funding and elimination of the Department of Education’s Ready to Learn Grant, which made ‘Phoebe & Jay’ possible, delayed its release and will continue to have ripple effects on the creation and distribution of high-quality, research-backed PBS KIDS series like it that have been shown to positively impact critical educational skills kids need for success in school and life, like literacy, math, and more.”
“Phoebe & Jay” follows 6-year-old fraternal twins Phoebe and Jay Yarber and, per the official description, “highlights a variety of texts that preschoolers encounter in their daily lives–from labels and signs to posters and more to foster their early literacy skills and help them navigate the world around them.”
The series is created and executive produced by Genie Deez and Thy Than and is produced by Phoebe & Jay Productions and Mainframe Studios. Tanya Green is serves as supervising producer, with Than as supervising director. Co-directors include Mike Alcock and Mark Sinclair, while Aydrea Walden is head writer. Executive producers include Michael Hefferon and Kim Dent Wilder for Mainframe as well as Wendy Moss Klein and Nancy Steingard.