Disney Branded Television has announced the premiere date for the highly anticipated animated musical series Disney Jr.’s Ariel. Inspired by The Little Mermaid,” the series will debut on Saturday, 29 June, on Disney Junior at 8.30am CAT on DStv, Channel 309. Additionally, new recurring cast members were announced, including Yvette Nicole Brown, Melissa Villaseñor and Ron Funches.
To help build excitement for Disney Jr.’s Ariel, it was also announced that a new series of shorts titled Disney Jr.’s Ariel: Mermaid Tales will be featured across Disney Jr. beginning Monday, 24 June. Each two-minute short will highlight a different aspect of Ariel’s life in Atlantica.
Set in the Caribbean-inspired fairytale kingdom of Atlantica, the series follows young mermaid princess Ariel (Mykal-Michelle Harris) as she embarks on underwater adventures with her family and friends, including King Triton (Taye Diggs), Ursula (Amber Riley), Flounder (Gracen Newton) and mer-friends Fernie (Cruz Flateau) and Lucia (Elizabeth Phoenix Caro).
Each episode highlights themes of self-expression, curiosity and resourcefulness and celebrates the multicultural elements of the Caribbean through food, fashion, language and folklore. Dr. Patricia Saunders, professor of English and hemispheric Caribbean studies and director of graduate studies at the University of Miami, serves as cultural consultant on the series.
In addition to Brown as Aquatica, Villaseñor as Navi, and Funches as Delfino, the series recurring cast includes Kevin Michael Richardson as Sebastian, Parvesh Cheena as Ravi, Danni Washington as Tantie Chantale, Alanna Ubach as Cristina Cuttles, and Dana Heath and Jessica Mikayla as Ariel’s twin sisters Ayanna and Alanna, respectively.
Music plays an integral role in the series, with original songs inspired by the diverse genres of Caribbean music. The acclaimed songwriting teams are comprised of Anthony M. Jones (Tone), Sofia Quinn, Olivia Waithe, Chantry Johnson, Michelle Zarlenga and Rosemarie Tan. EmmyⓇ Award winner Christopher Willis serves as composer. Sean Skeete, dean of the Professional Performance division at Berklee College of Music, is the Caribbean music consultant.
Disney Jr.’s Ariel is executive produced by Lynne Southerland and is produced by Wild Canary in association with Disney Jr.
