Children's author Theodor Seuss Geisel, who wrote under the pen name Dr. Seuss, died 30 years ago.
There was even an attempt to "cancel" him recently, over imagery in six books that some found outdated and offensive.
But, the legacy of the creator of the Grinch and the Cat in the Hat is still going strong -- and it's hitting streaming in a big way.
Preschoolers are now treated to Seuss stories via Netflix, as the streaming giant joins the franchise to bring five stories to the screen to delight and entertain youngsters.
“Netflix is a trusted home for characters kids love, and generations of kids love the characters imagined by Dr. Seuss," said Heather Tilert, director of preschool content at Netflix.
"These beloved stories have been a core part of families’ libraries for many years and it gives me great pride that we are bringing them to our catalog of Netflix shows, in a fresh and modern way that resonates with audiences today,”
Seuss already had a home on Netflix, with the 2019 premiere of the series version of Green Eggs and Ham, which returns for a second season in April.
Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media wrote about the series, “Charming book-inspired series has cross-generational appeal.”
Besides that series, Netflix will add the following projects to its Seuss lineup:
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
This series follows the adventures of two loveable fish who are different in every way. Red and Blue consistently find themselves in comedic situations that allow them to introduce oppositional vocabulary to our preschool viewers.
Wacky Wednesday
In an otherwise perfectly normal town, whenever Wednesday rolls around, things suddenly get wacky! Luckily, this town has a 10-year-old Wacky Expert who knows that humor inspires creativity and never fails to solve every wacky problem with an equally wacky solution.
Horton Hears a Who!
This series follows a young Horton as he explores the Jungle of Nool with his two best friends: going on daring adventures, helping their community and learning how to stand up for what’s fair.
In addition to those series, which consist of short episodes to hold the attention of preschoolers, Netflix will air two 45-minute specials:
The Sneetches
As long as there have been Sneetches on beaches, the Star-Bellies and Moon-Bellies have lived separate lives. But when two young Sneetches form an unlikely friendship, they teach their communities that differences don’t need to be avoided, they can be celebrated.
Thidwick The Big-Hearted Moose
When a grumpy moose leader decides that he wants to be the happiest moose in the pack, he calls upon sweet Thidwick to help him. As this unlikely duo embarks on a comical adventure, Thidwick discovers that the key to happiness is being kind to others.
In other Seuss-on-streaming news, Amazon Prime Video has announced a rare unscripted project based on the Seuss brand.
As announced March 17, 2022, at Deadline.com:
The streamer is developing a baking competition around characters from The Grinch and The Cat in the Hat.
The untitled series will see some of America’s best bakers step into the mind of Theodor Seuss Geisel and use their imaginations to craft cakes inspires by his beloved characters, which also includes Horton the elephant and the Lorax.
The as-yet-untitled show is currently casting contestants. Producing it is Super Delicious (Cupcake Wars), Amazon Studios, and Dr. Seuss Enterprises for Prime Video.
Image: Netflix
Francine Brokaw is a longtime journalist, covering entertainment, product reviews and travel, and is the host of Beyond the Red Carpet on Village Television and YouTube.
Keep up with Family Theater Productions on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
