A few years ago, we had a yorkie named Buster. He was cute and cuddly and everything you could imagine in a four-legged friend. Eventually, we rehomed Buster (to my sister) because of our traveling lifestyle and hectic after-school schedule. But still, to this day, my children ask to see Buster and often question when we will adopt a new pet.
Since I don’t know that we have the time to dedicate to a pet right now, we are excited to tune into Puppy Dog Pals, a new series on The Disney Channel!
Puppy Dog Pals is an animated series about two fun-loving pug puppy brothers, Bingo and Rolly, whose thrill-seeking appetites take them on adventures around their neighborhood and beyond.
On a recent press event to San Francisco, our group was lucky enough to see the first 2 episodes of Puppy Dog Pals, and let me tell you, I’m ready to pack my bags and go on one of these adventures!
After watching the premiere episode, our group interviewed Sean Coyle, Executive Producer, and Diane Ikemiyashiro, Disney Junior Creative Executive! It was interesting to hear the thought process and back-story of the show:
We asked Sean who the target audience was for the show:
“We’re aiming for two to five, as sort of the sweet spot. I’m a parent of two little kids, and I’m very picky with what they watch because it has to be something that I don’t mind spending time with either. And so that was really a focus for myself and a lot of the crew members too. The writers, the directors, the designers just want to create something that kids would love but also something that people 2 to 80 could also enjoy spending 25 minutes with.”
We then asked him about the message “Puppy Dog Pals” conveys to children?
Sean: We aimed to tell the best stories possible, create the cutest little characters possible, and really treat these 11-minute shorts as like little 11-minute movies.
Diane: At the core of this show, it’s all about the family unit. The two pug puppies they’re brothers, and they love each other. They are very rambunctious, they really, really support each other, and they have different personalities. They have friends all throughout the neighborhood and all around the world. So it’s about family bonds, being friends, making friends and being a good brother. (*I love that!)
And even though Puppy Dog Pals isn’t necessarily considered an educational show, Sean told us they are hopeful children will pick up inspirational references. “like the interactions between the brothers or when they’re out in the world meeting other characters. There’s a little bit of education, but in an entertaining, storytelling way.” He added, “We hope with this show, the different adventures they go on show them that the world is a fun place. It’s a diverse place. It’s a wonderfully, colorful, amazing place with, you know, all sorts of different things to see.”
And I enjoyed this quote, “We make a point in our world of never refer to any of the dogs by breed. The only time we ever mention pug would be in the title of an episode. Like “Hawaii Pug-0” for example. So all the animals in this world, our main characters, they never refer to each other as a specific animal or as a specific breed, or as a specific anything. Everybody’s a friend or family.”
Didn’t I tell you it was cute and adorable?
About Bingo and Rolly
Bingo and Rolly are siblings, ready to create memories together. They are two creative and adventurous puppies who live with their owner, Bob, an inventor who spends his days out of the home. They also have a four-legged feline big sister named Hissy who is cranky at times but loves her little brothers.
In the show, you will also meet A.R.F. (Autodog Robotic Friend) who was created by Bob to help meet Bingo and Rolly’s needs while he is away. Throughout the season, additional characters will be introduced including a junkyard dog (pitbull) who acts like the neighborhood big brother.
Show Content
Each airing of Puppy Dog Pals includes two 11 minute episodes back-to-back. Each show will contain a fun adventure or activity, as well as some type of musical tune. The adventures are spurred by something that Bob says or news they hear on tv/radio. In the premiere episode, you’ll see the two head to Hawaii to collect sand, while in another they look for a missing masterpiece in China. Is it okay to secretly hope they have an adventure in Texas soon?
Puppy Dog Pals Premieres Friday, April 14
Puppy Dog Pals debuts tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. ET/PT, with two back-to-back episodes on Disney Channel. The premiere episode will also become available that same day on the Disney Junior app and Disney Junior YouTube page.
Visit Disney Junior on Facebook and Twitter for more Puppy Dog Pals fun.
Leave a Reply