MUMBAI: Disney Channel from the Disney Network is adding a renowned animation series to its programming line-up. Doc McStuffins, is an animated series about six-year-old Dottie “Doc” McStuffins, who communicates with and heals stuffed animals and toys out of her backyard clinic.
The show is produced by Brown Bag Films and is primarily targeted at pre-school kids between ages two and seven. It was created and executive produced by Humanitas Prize and Emmy Award-winner Chris Nee and premiered on 23 March, 2012 on Disney Channel and Disney Junior.
Sharing her views on premiering the series, Disney India kids channels director programming Devika Prabhu says: “We are dedicated in developing and building properties that appeal to kids, parents along with the entire family and with its unique story models a strong sense of community and the importance of lending a helping hand, or paw, when people and stuffed animals need it most. Last year, we launched Sofia the First with movies and series and completely dedicated ourselves to making her relevant to kids and families and now we are bringing another wonderful series with Doc Mcstuffins”.
The show revolves around the concept that stimulates the imagination of a kid, and encourages them to adopt and live their dreams. Additionally, the show also aims to inculcate values among the kids and will premiere on Saturday, 1 March 2014 at 10:00 am and run for 26 episodes every Saturday.
“We believe that heartwarming stories with relatable characters have an universal appeal and resonate with kids and families. Doc Mcstuffins’, very interestingly, is a marriage of every kid’s dream of their toys coming to life with valuable lessons about health and wellness,” adds Prabhu.
The series chronicles a six-year-old girl named Dottie McStuffins who, one day, wants to become a doctor like her mother. As a kid, she imagines playing a doctor and fix toys and dolls (because of which, everyone calls her ‘Doc’). In the series, when she puts on her stethoscope, toys, dolls, and stuffed animals magically come to life and she is able to communicate with them.
With a little help from her stuffed animal companions, Stuffy, Hallie, Lambie and Chilly, Doc helps toys feel better by giving them check-ups and checking their illnesses with ‘The Big Book of Boo Boos’. Each 11-minute episode includes original songs, the Time for Your Check-Up song the I Feel Better song and Tell Me What’s Wrong song. There is also an additional song about things you must do with a doctor’s check-up. During ending credits in Season One, Doc gives advice to viewers about staying healthy as well.
Prabhu expounds: “Helping their kids live a healthy lifestyle is a top priority for every parent, irrespective of the geography and we are confident that Doc’s relatable warmth and charm will ease young viewers’ natural anxieties about familiar situations, including visiting a doctor and taking medicines.”
On 5 June 2012, Disney Junior renewed the series for a second season, which is currently on air and beginning 10 March 2014, Disney Junior has renewed Doc McStuffins for a third season in US.
The program has been a hit on Disney Junior in US. The series premiere attracted 1.08 million children aged two to five, and the show has attracted an average of 918,000 viewers in the same demographic.
It has also attracted large amounts of positive attention for older males as well. The series is also a huge cultural impact, generating loud applause on parent blogs, Facebook and even in academia for its positive vocational message for African-American girls.
Disney Channel India is confident that the show will be a hit among young minds between the ages two to seven years.
