At a time when most art funding is being slashed by the government, it’s a relief to see the Corp. for Public Broadcasting donating its largest single grant for a children’s show to the new PBS animated sitcom The Misadventures of Maya and Miguel. Produced by Scholastic Entertainment, the shop behind other PBS hits Clifford the Big Red Dog and The Magic School Bus, the new toon will focus on the lives of a pair of 10-year-old twins and will premiere in the fall of 2004.
The series, which will be broadcast in both English and Spanish, is the recipient of a $9.2 million donation from CPB, and another $5 million from PBS and the Department of Education.
According to Deborah A. Forte, president of Scholastic, the show was originally developed with commercial broadcasting in mind, but when the company discovered that CPB was looking to fund a children’s program, the new plans were brought into place.
Maya and Miguel will help build viewers’ language skills, understanding and tolerance, and will also explore how the Latino twins try to leave their mark on the culturally diverse world around them.
