Molly of Denali is an American-Canadian animated television series created and produced by Atomic Cartoons and WGBH Kids for PBS Kids (US) and CBC Kids (Canada). It premiered on July 15, 2019. The show is the first-ever nationally distributed children's show to feature an Alaska Native as the main character.
Plot
The show follows the adventures of feisty and resourceful 10-year-old Molly, an Alaska Native girl. Each episode follows Molly, her dog Suki and her friends Tooey and Trini on their daily adventures in Alaska, from fishing to building snow forts to delivering a camera to friends on a volcano via dog sled.
Cast
Main cast
- Sovereign Bill as Molly Mabray
- Sequoia Janvier as Tooey Ookami (Season 1 Only)
- Zane Jasper as Tooey Ookami (Since Season 2)
- Vienna Leacock as Trini Mumford
- Jules Arita Koostachin as Layla Mabray
- Ronnie Dean Harris as Walter Mabray
- Lorne Cardinal as Nat Mabray
Supporting cast
- Hyuma Frankowski as Kenji Ookami
- Luc Roderique as Daniel Mumford and The Announcer
- Adeline Potts as Midge Marsh
- Pawaken Koostachin-Chakasim as Oscar Marsh
- Shawn Youngchief as Mr. Patak, Maurice, Eugene Pike, Olin Benedict, and Finnegan King
- Katrina Salisbury as Nina
- Ellen Kennedy as Connie Williams, Mindy Moose, and Video Voice
- Taran Kootenhayoo as Randall (He voiced him until his death in 2020)
- Nyla Carpentier as Atsaq
- Anna Dickey as Vera Malakas
- Brenden Sunderland as Jake
- Michelle Thrush as Merna and Shyahtsoo
- Tai Amy Grauman as Renate Marsh
- Clay St. Thomas as Travis Hightower and Mr. Rowley
- Various voices as the Cruisers
Guest cast
Episodes
Each episode of Molly of Denali includes two 11-minute stories as well as interstitial content – including live-action segments featuring real children and regions in Alaska. The series is currently in production of 38 half-hour episodes and a one-hour special. [1]
Main article: List of Molly of Denali episodes
Production
The series is co-produced by WGBH (now known as GBH) and Atomic Cartoons. Molly of Denali is developed and produced with funding from Homer (Early airings), the T. Rowe Price College Savings Plan (Early airings), the Ready to Learn Grant from the US Department of Education, Ikea (in some airings), and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting."[1] as of Season 2 and 3 except for Season 4 The Arthur Vinning Davis Foundations and GBH catalyst fund funded the series. In November 2016, Princess Daazhraii Johnson was hired as creative producer and writer. On November 7, 2016, Rochelle Adams was hired as story advisor and Alaska Native advisor. In January 2017, Uwe Rafael Braun was hired as director. In November 2017, Douglas Wood was hired as writer and Olubunmi Mia Olufemi was hired as producer. On November 26, 2017, Vera Starbard was hired as writer. In December 2017, Heather Renney was hired as supervising producer. In February 2018, Kassia O'Connor was hired as production manager and was promoted to line producer in November 2018. In July 2018, Amanda Fillion was hired as animator
Trivia
- Denali is a place in Alaska, which is where the main setting of the show is set at. Denali is also typically pronounced as "Den-al-ee”. However, because the main character is named Molly, in the show’s title’s case, it is pronounced as "duh-nal-ee” in order to make it rhyme with Molly’s name (As Molly of "den-al-ee" does not rhyme).
- In the logo, the "M” in Molly is shaped like a mountain, probably to further describe her life in Alaska (as Alaska has mountains).
- Common Sense Media gave the show a 5/5 and a Common Sense Seal.[2]
- At one point, the show would've been about Molly traveling the world with her parents on a boat instead of setting it in Alaska.
- In 2020, it won a Peabody Award.