The groundbreaking, Peabody Award-winning animated series Molly of Denali is kicking off Season 3 on PBS KIDS with a trio of premiere episodes in honor of Native American Heritage Month (November). Each episode, which will also be available to stream, feature the wildlife-centered outdoor adventures, celebrations of Alaska Native culture, emphasis on family & community and innovative informational text curriculum that kids and parents look for in the series.
You can check out a sneak peek below, featuring some soaring sledding for the Qyah kids!
In addition, Molly of Denali: The Big Gathering, a series of 20 brand new shorts, will begin rolling out next week. The shorts follow Molly and the people of Qyah as they prepare for “The Big Gathering,” an annual festival for Indigenous peoples inspired by the real-life Alaskan Federation of Natives Convention in Anchorage. The first 10 shorts will stream free on PBS KIDS starting November 7, with the remaining ten launching on November 21.
Following the adventures of 10-year-old Molly Mabray, a curious and resourceful Alaska Native girl who lives in the fictional village of Qyah, Alaska, Molly of Denali is the first nationally-distributed children’s program to feature Native American and Alaska Native lead characters. The pioneering show incorporates Alaska Native voices in all aspects of the production, both on screen and behind the scenes as voiceover actors, writers, producers, musicians, animators and story and language advisors.
Season 3 of the standout series begins when Molly and her best friend Tooey realize they’ve never seen an Alaska Native superhero before, so they decide to dream up their own! The premiere week continues with Molly’s family hosting a Yup’ik exchange student, Molly and Tooey working to solve the mystery of what happened to the endangered beluga whales in Cook’s Inlet, and the discovery of the perfect remedy for boredom during a blizzard: a yuuyuuk — or, an Alaska Native yoyo.
New Episodes:
Mon., Nov. 7
- “Homemade Heroes”: When Molly and Tooey realize they’ve never seen an Alaska Native superhero before, they decide to make a few of their own! Oscar and Vera convince them to enter a superhero design contest, but they can only enter one hero. Whose will it be?
- “Molly & the Snow Hawk”: Trini’s sled is a slowpoke on the slopes, and Molly wants to give her something more Alaska-worthy. She and Tooey plan to surprise Trini by fixing up Molly’s old sled, the Snow Hawk, but is Molly ready to give away something so special?
Tues., Nov. 8
- “Story of the Story Knife”: Molly’s family is hosting a Yup’ik exchange student, Willow, and Molly is super excited to spend the week with her! But when Willow loses her prized story knife, Molly must try to find a replacement before Willow goes home.
- “Raven Saves the Birthday Party”: Oscar wants to be a storyteller one day, but he’s not sure he can remember all the stories his elders want to share with him. While he works on remembering the old stories, Uncle Jack, Aunt Merna and Auntie Midge help him tell a new one.
Weds., Nov. 9
- “A Whale of a Time”: Molly and Tooey volunteer to help Nina count the endangered beluga whales in Cook Inlet. But when the whole day goes by and they still haven’t spotted a single whale, they have a mystery to solve: What happened to the belugas?
- “That’s Snow Fun”: Molly is ready for a day of snow adventures with Trini when a blizzard forces them to stay inside. Luckily, an old box full of treasures from Mom’s childhood has the perfect remedy for boredom: a yuuyuuk, or an Alaska Native yoyo!
