12 leading American charities and government organizations join in supporting season one, premiering on Public Television April 1, 2016
Los Angeles, California, February 26, 2016 – Beginning April 1, 2016 Mack & Moxy, a new series of specials produced by Socially Dynamic Entertainment, will begin airing on Public Television stations nationwide. This children’s media property was created to inspire the next generation of great humanitarians. Mack & Moxy creator and executive producer is Brahm Wenger (17-year veteran of Walt Disney Pictures) and the concept for the show is inspired by the award-winning Dewey Doo-it books written by Wenger and Alan Green. Mack & Moxy celebrates the joy of helping others and teaches kids life-long lessons of charity and compassion. Distributed by American Public Television (APT) and presented by Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB), Mack & Moxy has teamed with many of America’s leading charitable organizations which serve as advisors for each subject presented in the segments. Designed for kids ages 3-7, the multiplatform program premieres this April on PBS stations (check local listings), followed by a spring home video release through NCircle Entertainment (a subsidiary of Alliance Entertainment) and a fall 2016 streaming video debut.Mack & Moxy combines state-of-the-art 3D animation, live action puppets and celebrity role models including Hank Azaria, Josh Duhamel, Eva LaRue and Rachael Ray. Through fun adventures, humor and music, each episode is inspired by the kindness of those great humanitarians among us who make the world a better place.
Mack & Moxy features a social and emotional service learning curriculum and a robust community outreach program supporting each show. Each episode of Mack & Moxy will feature two 14-minute segments that focus on two important causes.
In each story, Mack, a lovable moose-like lummox and Moxy, a feisty whirlwind of a raccoon/fox-inspired go-getter find engaging ways to speak to kids about a range of issues, including: literacy, hunger, wildlife preservation, emergency preparedness, heart health and lifestyle, physical activity and good nutrition, autism, land conservation, first responders, seatbelt safety, the power of play and STEM education. These important issues are explored as Mack & Moxy, together with a helpful Trooper, set out to rescue another Great Helpee in a far-off mystical place called HelpeeLand.
In season one, Mack & Moxy meet a wide variety of new Friends-in-Need, including: a bird-like creature who has autism; a loveable puffball who has no pals to play with; a cornstalk kid who’s planning his emergency exit in case he hears a smoke alarm; a little tiger-type tyke who wants to save his natural habitat; and others.
The adventure in HelpeeLand isn’t without its challenges, though. Shelfish Sheldon (voiced by Hank Azaria of The Simpsons, Family Guy) lurks nearby, scheming and plotting to capture the Great Helpee so that he can keep all its happiness for himself. The Great Helpee Heroes, led by Mack & Moxy, thwart him every time!
Mack & Moxy is produced by Socially Dynamic Entertainment in association with Vancouver, Canada-based animation studio Bardel Entertainment (Jake and the Neverland Pirates; Puss in Boots; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles).
Twelve of America’s leading nonprofits and government organizations have partnered with Mack & Moxy for season one: American Heart Association; American Red Cross; Citizen Schools; Easter Seals; Feeding America; National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; National Park Foundation; Orange County Sheriff’s Department; Playworks; President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition; Save the Children and World Wildlife Fund.
“Mack & Moxy is the first kids’ show to focus exclusively on introducing children to important causes like hunger awareness, autism or emergency preparation,” said Brahm Wenger, executive producer and creator. “We have many wonderful partners and sponsors that have joined us on this amazing adventure. And now, we’re all very excited to roll out the first episodes to our young audience.” Wenger added, “The show will be available through public TV broadcasts and by way of the national and regional charities involved with each episode. The characters Mack and Moxy are fun, enthusiastic heroes eager to help and learn . . . just like our kids today. We wanted to create a series full of discovery and adventure, infused with strong themes and causes. When we presented the idea to our charity partners, we were overwhelmed by their support and enthusiasm. These nationally recognized organizations are committed to supporting Mack & Moxy through promotion and awareness-building campaigns within their own national, regional and, in some cases, international communities.”
The idea for Mack & Moxy began more than a decade ago when Wenger and Green wrote their award-winning Dewey Doo-it book series about important causes. From there, they set out to develop a media property for children offering kids and families an entertaining TV series that also spoke directly to them about important issues facing their peers and communities.
The producers understood from the beginning that in order to create an authentic learning experience, they needed to form partnerships and educational alliances with America’s leading charities – organizations that specialized in a wide variety of causes. For example, to help kids know what to do when they hear a smoke alarm, no one knows better how to keep people safe than the American Red Cross. For children to understand the impact of hunger on their peers and where to find hunger relief in their community, no one has more expertise than Feeding America. For the most up-to-date information on autism awareness, Easter Seals is the nation’s leading authority.
Each charity and government organization has been involved with the production of their Mack & Moxy episode since its inception. Embedded as part of the creative team, each organization has worked hard to ensure that every carefully constructed Mack & Moxy story incorporates the core messages of their respective organizations. It’s a true partnership. The charity brings their expertise to each issue, while the producers and writers bring their entertainment skills to weave these causes into an engaging story for kids.
The Mack & Moxy television series will first premiere in April on public TV stations nationwide; charities, government organizations and Public Television stations will have the opportunity to use these episodes within their communities to help create awareness and generate events for kids, families and teachers to explore the different themes within each episode. There will be a coordinated, national promotion campaign between the producers of Mack & Moxy and the charity partners and underwriters to help support the station’s broadcast and encourage tune-in for this innovative new children’s animated series. Mack & Moxy has partnered with NCircle Entertainment on a home video distribution deal this spring and is finalizing a streaming video distribution deal for Fall 2016.
Mack & Moxy‘s major underwriters for season one include: SanDisk, IKEA, Elizabeth Pang Fullerton, the Deeann and Al Baldwin, ConAgra Foods, Graco Children’s Products, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, QVC and True Drinks.Additional funding provided by Pacific Gas & Electric Company, San Diego Gas & Electric, Edison International, Bernard P. Novak Foundation, and Mendability.
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