Backpacks, big feelings and a plush new sidekick named Cupcake are heading to preschoolers everywhere.
Disney Jr. and Disney+ announced Thursday that MEGAN AND CUPCAKE READY FOR PRESCHOOL, a hybrid live-action and animated series, is currently in production and will debut on Disney Jr. before streaming on Disney+ this fall.
Star Megan (Piphus) Baptist knows firsthand what it means for kids to see themselves on screen.
“I want young children seeing themselves represented on television to be filled with confidence and to know they are special,” Baptist told Her Agenda in a past interview about her work in children’s media.
That mission fits neatly into her new role. The Emmy® Award-winning puppeteer, producer and children’s book author plays herself alongside Cupcake, a brand-new puppet character she also voices, guiding kids through hands-on lessons in the WOW Workshop — “equal parts invention lab and playhouse,” according to Disney’s press release.
The timing carries some weight for Movieguide® readers. Just last year, Eric Schrier, head of Disney Television Studios, admitted the company was pulling back on kids’ programming, telling producers the studio was “not really developing shows for kids and family” — a decision Movieguide® called both disappointing and financially shortsighted. A brand-new preschool franchise from Disney Jr. suggests the door for family-friendly content hasn’t closed nearly as fast as that comment implied.
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Baptist is no stranger to breaking ground in children’s entertainment. She has voiced Gabrielle, a 6-year-old Muppet, on SESAME STREET since 2020 and became the first Black female puppeteer to perform on the show in 2021.
Her path there wasn’t a straight line. Baptist spent years working in commercial real estate finance before walking away to pursue puppetry full time.
“I just felt God nudging me and I heard different confirmations, from people I didn’t know, about pursuing the gifts that God has given you,” she told Her Agenda, describing the leap of faith behind her career change.
Ten one-minute “Megan and Cupcake” live-action shorts introducing the WOW Workshop began rolling out Thursday on Disney Jr.’s YouTube channel, ahead of the full series’ fall premiere. The longer episodes will wrap new live-action segments starring Megan and Cupcake around existing “Ready for Preschool” shorts, a collection that has racked up more than 150 million views since launching in 2019.
Riverstreet Productions produces the series in association with Disney Jr. Jason Hopley and Brian Clark developed the project and serve as executive producers alongside Riverstreet co-founders Michael Blum and Tracy Pion.
MEGAN AND CUPCAKE READY FOR PRESCHOOL joins a growing lineup of early-learning programming on Disney+, including MICKEY MOUSE CLUBHOUSE and the viral kids’ music sensation GRACIE’S CORNER, which landed on Disney Jr. and Disney+ earlier this summer.
For parents weighing screen time against real preparation for the classroom, a show built around hands-on activities and gentle confidence-building is an encouraging sign — one more reason to believe Hollywood can still get early childhood content right when it tries.
Parents can preview the WOW Workshop now on YouTube, with the full hybrid series set to premiere on Disney Jr. and Disney+ later this fall.
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