PBS Kids is set to air the new animated series “Elinor Wonders Why.” The STEM show is currently in production for 40 30-minute episodes and will premiere on Labor Day, 7th September 2020. “We’re so excited to invite audiences nationwide into the fascinating world of Animal Town and introduce them to Elinor and her friends as they ask questions and explore the remarkable ways that our everyday lives are connected to nature,” Linda Simensky, Head of PBS KIDS Content, PBS, said. “Elinor Wonders Why’ will spark preschoolers’ curiosity with an innovative science inquiry curriculum and will encourage the adults in children’s lives to help them answer their questions by exploring together.”
The multiplatform series was produced in partnership with Pipeline Studios and co-created by Jorge Cham and Daniel Whiteson. It will debut nationwide on PBS stations, the PBS KIDS 24/7 channel and PBS KIDS digital platforms Monday, September 7, 2020, with a special one-hour premiere that kicks off a week of new episodes. Funding for ELINOR WONDERS WHY was provided by a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and a grant from the U.S. Department of Education as part of the Ready To Learn Initiative, a federal program that supports the development of innovative educational television and digital media targeted to preschool and early elementary school children and their families.
“Elinor Wonders Why” was created by Cartoonist and Robotics Engineer, Jorge Cham and Physicist and Educator, Daniel Whiteson, to help develop children’s ability to use critical thinking skills, follow their curiosity, wander for answers to their questions, and exploring their surroundings. The show is targeted at children between the ages of 3 and 5 years old.
The show follows adventures of Elinor and her friends, Ari and Olive. The one-hour premiere on September 7 features four stories, including “Hiding in Plain Sight,” “Owl Girl,” “Backyard Soup,” and “Colorful and Tasty,” each containing a lesson. Each episode includes two 11-minute stories with accompanying interstitial content.