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sleepykittypaws · 1 year

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2024 TV Holiday Premieres

No Longer Being Regularly Updated As Of June 14, 2023

ABC

The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration (musical performances and holiday celebrations from various Disney properties) - Nov. 30

Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade (annual holiday parade/musical showcase taped in Disney World, Disneyland and other Disney Parks worldwide) - Dec. 25

Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2025 (LIVE annual Times Square ball drop celebration hosted by Seacrest) - Dec. 31

CMA Country Christmas (annual holiday concert special) - TBA (Website)

The Great Christmas Light Fight (season 12 of the reality competition featuring outrageous holiday displays) - TBA (Facebook)

NBC

135th Rose Parade (Annual New Year’s parade LIVE from Pasadena, Calif., hosted by Hoda Kotb and Al Roker.) - Jan. 1

A Saturday Night Live Thanksgiving Special (highlights from SNL’s best Thanksgiving sketches) - Nov. 27

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (official parade coverage, LIVE) - Nov. 28

The National Dog Show (taped coverage of the 2024 National Dog Show from Oaks, Pennsylvania, hosted by John O’Hurley) - Nov. 28

101st Annual Christmas in Rockefeller Center (annual New York City tree lighting, LIVE) - Dec. 4

A Saturday Night Live Christmas Special (highlights from SNL’s best Christmas sketches) - Dec. TBA

CBS

The Thanksgiving Day Parade on CBS (unofficial coverage of the Macy’s parade, LIVE) - Nov. 28

Byron Allen Presents a Merry Soulful Christmas (musical special hosted by Byron Allen; originally announced for December 2023 but delayed) - TBA

PBS

Call the Midwife Christmas Special 2024 (special holiday episode of the 13th season of the long-running BBC series, airing same day as in the UK) - Dec. 25

Hallmark

Holidazed (limited holiday series starring Erin Cahill, Ian Harding, Nansen Contractor, Giles Panton, Noemi Gonzalez, Sarah-Jane Redmond, Loretta Devine, Lillian Lim, Tim Perez, Barry Levy and Jacob Insley; written by Claudia Grazioso; Six Oregon families living in the same cul-de-sac deal with the highs and lows of the holidays; filmed in Victoria and Duncan, B.C.) - TBA

Lifetime

Merry Liddle Christmas Vacation (holiday sequel to 2019′s Merry Liddle Christmas, 2020′s Merry Liddle Christmas Wedding and 2021′s Merry Liddle Christmas Baby; starring Kelly Rowland, LaTonya Williams, Bresha Webb, Jaime M Callica, Nathan Witte, Thomas Cadrot and Debbi Morgan; written by Andrea Stevens and King Hassan; The Liddle family goes on a holiday vacation to celebrate Tyler and Jacquie’s birthday and their toddler twins birthdays; announced in 2022 but delayed due to the strikes; filmed in B.C.) - TBA

Great American Family (formerly GAC)

⚠️ Want all to be aware there is more to GA Family, née GAC, than G-rated Christmas movies. Though I’m including dates and details here in the spirit of being a completist, worth noting the funding and founding of this channel, which comes from the Donald Trump-aligned Hicks Equity Group, brings with it an explicit anti-diversity agenda, hiding under guise of harmless sounding words like “family-friendly” and “safe” programming. More detailed explanation here (bottom of page), and additional more recent thoughts, for those who want it. And if you’re looking for outside sources on GAF’s political affiliations and lack of inclusion, see these stories from The Daily Beast, Vulture, the L.A. Times and Bloomberg.

A Sound of Music Christmas (holiday movie inspired by the Sound of Music; written and directed by Michael and Janeen Damian; filmed in Austria) - TBA

TV One

In the Kitchen with Tamar & Evelyn Braxton (holiday cooking special featuring the mother-daughter duo’s own recipes from every holiday) - TBA

Max

The Naughty One (action-comedy written by Zach Helm and produced by Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter, announced in 2021) - TBA

Britbox

Mrs. Brown’s Boys New Year’s Special (one-off holiday episode of the series; available same day as UK) - Jan. 1

The Jonathan Ross Show Christmas Special (U.S. premiere of the 2023 special holiday episode of the chat show) - Jan. 24

Death in Paradise Christmas 2024 (holiday movie based on the BBC series starring Sara Martins and Ralf Little about a British detective sent to a Caribbean island; filmed in Guadeloupe; available same day as UK) - TBA

The King’s Christmas Address (annual holiday speech delivered by King Charles III via the BBC) - Dec. 25

Disney+

Emmet Otter’s Jug Band Christmas (Bret McKenzie-produced remake of the 1977 Muppet ABC special in conjunction with the Jim Henson company; announced in 2019) - TBA

Twas’ The Night (musical anthology holiday series written and produced by David E. Talbert; Santa tells his grandchildren stories of his holiday adventures; announced in 2023) - TBA

Apple TV+

Wolfs (at least partially holiday-set thriller starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Amy Ryan; written and directed by Jon Watts; A pair of lone wolf fixers are forced to team up; filmed in New York and L.A.) - TBA

Lady in the Lake (at least partially holiday-set series starring Natalie Portman; based on the book by Laura Lippman; A 1960s housewife who dreams of becoming a journalist, investigates two seemingly unconnected, unsolved murders; set and filmed in Baltimore) - TBA

Paramount+

Winter Spring Summer or Fall (holiday romance starring Jenna Ortega, Percy Hynes White and Adam Rodriguez; directed by Tiffany Paulsen; written by Dan Schoffer and Paulsen; Two teens fall in love over four days across different seasons; filmed in Utah) - TBA

Prime Video

One Fine Morning (a.k.a. Un Beau Matin; French-language, partially holiday-set movie starring Pascal Lea-Seydoux, Melvil Greggory, Nicole Poupaud and Garcia; written and directed by Mia Hansen-Love; A widow and single mom juggles caring for her family, including her father with dementia, and a new affair with an old friend of her late husband’s) - Jan. 1 (Trailer)

Ex-Mas (holiday teen rom-com based on the book by Kate Brian; Two teen exes go on a road trip to rescue their little brothers, who have set on a quest to save Santa from global warming; announced in 2020) - TBA

Red One (big-budget holiday action movie starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Chris Evans, Lucy Liu, Kiernan Shipka, Nick Kroll, Kristofer Hivju, Wesley Kimmel and Mary Elizabeth Ellis; directed by Jake Kasdan; written by Chris Morgan; The leader of an elite force named the E.L.F must protect Santa and Christmas from those who seek to destroy it) - TBA

Suddenly It’s Christmas (English-language remake of 2022 Italian family film Improvvisamente Natale, directed by Peter Chelsom; adapted by Chelsom and Tinker Lindsay; When a young girl learns that a summer trip to her beloved grandfather’s hotel, where they usually spend the holidays, is cover for her parents telling her they’re getting divorced, she and her grandfather plan to recreate a perfect Christmas in hopes of reuniting her parents; filmed in Italy) - TBA

Hope (limited series based on the 2019 Oscar-nominated, holiday-set Norwegian movie; adapted by Alice Ball and starring Nicole Kidman; A May-December marriage where the younger half of the couple is diagnosed with a brain tumor which they keep secret from their family at the holidays; announced in 2021) - TBA

12 Days of Christmas (holiday movie produced by and starring Stephen Curry; directed by Charles Stone III; written by Kevin Heffernan and Peter Gaulke; A kid and holiday-hating man wakes up a dad, adding a new child every day until Christmas; announced in 2021) - TBA

The Man with the Bag (holiday movie starring Alan Ritchson; directed by Adam Shankman; written by Allan Rice; Santa enlists the help of a thief after his magic bag is stolen; announced in 2023) - TBA

Santa is Real (musical holiday movie written by Laura Rosann) - TBA

The Truth About Mrs. Claus (holiday movie based on the bestselling book by Meena Harris; adapted by Taylor Chukwu; An elf learns the North Pole’s greatest secret: Mrs. Claus runs it all; announced in 2023) - TBA

Netflix

Boy Swallows Universe (magical-realist series starring Travis Fimmel, Felix Cameron, Simon Baker, Phoebe Tonkin and Lee Tiger Halley; based on the novel by Trent Dalton; adapted by John Collee; A boy who receives a mysterious phone call on Christmas Day, must break his mother out of a feared prison; filmed and set in Brisbane, Australia) - Jan. 11 (Trailer)

Meet Me Next Christmas (holiday rom-com starring Christina Milian, Devale Ellis, Kofi Siriboe, Kalen Allen and Pentatonix; directed by Rusty Cundieff; written by Camilla Cordelia and Molly Halderman; To meet up with the man of her dreams, a woman must somehow find a ticket to a sold out Christmas Eve concert; filmed in Toronto) - TBA

Our Little Secret (holiday movie starring Lindsay Lohan, Ian Harding, Kristin Chenoweth and Tim Meadows; Bitter exes discover they’re currently dating siblings when they all get taken home for the holidays and try to hide their past from everyone) - TBA

The Thanksgiving Text (based-on-a-true-story tale of an accidental holiday invite that led to a lifelong tradition and friendship; written by Abdul Williams; announced in 2021; filmed in Arizona) - TBA

Auntie Claus (Kenny Ortega produced and directed musical based on the children’s book series by Elise Primavera, adapted by Tiffany Paulsen; A materialistic young girl learns the true nature of giving through her adventures at the North Pole with her eccentric aunt; announced in 2019) -TBA

One Day in December (holiday-set series starring Lucy Boynton; directed by Drake Doremus; based on the book by Josie Silver; A chance sighting on a bus leads to star-crossed, complicated love across multiple years and holidays; reported in 2023) - TBA

That Christmas (Richard Curtis working with Locksmith Animation and co-writing script with Peter Souter, based on Curtis’ own children’s holiday book series—The Empty Stocking, Snow Day and That Christmas; directed by Simon Otto; combining the storylines from all three children’s books and setting them simultaneously in one English beach village, Curtis calls the animated movie, “Love Actually for kids.”) - TBA

Carry On (holiday-set action-thriller starring Taron Egerton, Sofia Carson, Danielle Deadwyler and Jason Bateman; directed by Jaume Collet-Serra; written by TJ Fixman and Michael Green; A TSA agent is blackmailed into putting a mysterious package on a Christmas Day flight; filmed in New Orleans) - TBA

Black Doves (holiday-set spy thriller six-episode series starring Ben Whishaw, Sarah Lancashire and Keira Knightley; A politician’s wife/spy seeks to get to the bottom of who killed her lover, and why, with the help of the only friend she can trust; announced in 2023; filmed in London) - TBA

Prentice Penny Project (writer/director Prentice Penny’s “magical” African-American family film based on he and his wife, Tasha’s, original idea; announced in 2020) - TBA

The Great British Baking Show: Holidays (US debut of 2023 Christmas Eve and New Year’s special episodes of the Great British Bake Off, featuring returning Bake Off favorites battling for holiday cake plates) - TBA

The Snow Sister (Norwegian original movie starring Mudit Gupta and Celina Meyer Holland; based on the children’s book, and adapted by author Maja Lunde; The youngest member of a family devastated by grief meets a mysterious Christmas-loving girl named Hedwig) - TBA

MyTime Movie Network

Xmas Clue (original holiday limited series co-produced with France’s TF1) - TBA

Freevee

Mistletoe Mixup 2 (holiday movie sequel to the 2021 film starring Matthew Lawrence, Danielle C. Ryan and Joey Lawrence; directed by Andrew Lawrence) - TBA

Digital/DVD/Other

SLEIGH (holiday horror short starring Zoey Luna and Maxwell Almond; written and directed by Stella Alfaro; Pagan artists gather to celebrate the solstice) - Jan. 8, Amazon PVOD (Instagram)

Ghosts Christmas Special: A Christmas Gift (2023 Christmas special and series finale of the BBC series; first time available in the U.S.) - Jan. 16, PVOD

It’s Me, Billy Chapter 2 (holiday movie sequel starring 1974 original actors Olivia Hussey and Lynne Griffin to the 2021 Black Christmas fan-film from Dave McRae bringing the saga “to an unofficial and epic conclusion”) - Oct. 11, YouTube

Saint Nick of Bethlehem (holiday movie starring Daniel Roebuck, Cathy Moriarty and Duane Whitaker; directed by Spencer Folmar and Roebuck; A man who lost his own son finds joy in giving presents to other children; based on a true story and filmed in Bethlehem, Pa.) - Nov. 14

Athena Saves Christmas (holiday comedy starring Cuba Gooding Jr, Joseph Baena, Ludovica Frasca, Paxton Kubitz, Michael Blackson, Robert Costanzo and Glenn Plummer; directed by Josh Webber; written by Greg Crowder and Webber; A group of young adults and their dog must solve a series of riddles to save Christmas in their town from a mob boss; filmed in Big Bear and Lake Arrowhead, Calif.) - Nov. 23

Silent Night Bloody Night 3 (holiday slasher sequel starring Lloyd Kaufman, Julie Anne Prescott and Tina Krause; written and directed by Will Collazo Jr. and Prescott; The final girl wakes up in an asylum and must avoid being murdered by a killer who wants to see her dead for the holidays) - Dec. 25

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (holiday movie remake/reboot of the 1964 cult classic, directed and produced by Cynthia Webster; Santa tries to save what’s left of humanity by bringing Christmas to Mars for the first time.) - TBA

How to Make Gravy (Australian holiday movie starring Hugo Weaving, Daniel Henshall, Brenton Thwaites, Damon Herriman, Kate Mulvany and Agathe Rouselle; based on the song by Paul Kelly; directed by Nick Waterman; written by Megan Washington and Washington; A prisoner named Joe writes to his brother about his longing to be home for Christmas; announced in 2022) - TBA, Australia on Binge

Dimming Lights (holiday drama starring Laura Mitchell. Heather Fraley, TeriEnna Blanco and Michael Newman; written and directed by Preston Walden; Sisters return home for the holidays and find their estranged mother in the grip of dementia; filmed in Tampa, Fla.) - TBA

A Christmas Cheer (holiday movie written by Clint Ford; What happens to Ebenezer Scrooge, and Jacob Marley’s ghost, after the events of A Christmas Carol?; won a screenplay contest in 2020) - TBA

Four Cousins and a Christmas Wedding (holiday movie sequel to 2021′s Four Cousins and a Christmas, starring Raffaela Capp, Natasha Capp, Ayla Kell and Lily Gibson; written and directed by Maria Capp) - TBA

Finding Her Voice for Christmas (faith-based holiday movie based on the stage play Finding Her Voice; starring Don Dusty Phelps, Jessie Tate Jr. and Deandre Griffin; A revealed family secret results in a crisis of faith) - TBA

A Chinatown Christmas (holiday movie based on the book by Kailin Gow and Nancy Wu; adapted and directed by Gow; An arrogant businessman who always spends Christmas eating alone at a local Chinese restaurant is angry with the owners when they decide to close for the holiday) - TBA

Let it Snow: A Christmas Time Loop (holiday movie where a teen has to help his best friend trapped in a holiday time loop; filmed in New York and New Jersey) - TBA

One Christmas Night in a Toy Store (holiday horror movie starring Simon Phillips and Sayla de Goede; directed by Paul Tanter; the third in the Santa slasher trilogy, this time Santa and Mrs. Claus take Christmas Eve hostages; filmed in Ottawa) - TBA

The Twelve Days After Christmas (holiday movie directed, starring and co-written by Melissa Archer; also featuring Laura Osnes) - TBA

Xmas at Moe’s (holiday movie written and directed by Ray J Pope; Brothers have to put aside their differences in order to save a homeless shelter at the holidays; filmed in Atlanta) - TBA

A Brooklyn Christmas (faith-based holiday movie directed by Shaun Paul Piccinino; co-written by Drew Henriksen and Anthony Mangano; A bookie finds himself forced into being a holiday hero) - TBA (Website)

Hungry Bear Tales to the Pole! (Czech animated holiday special directed by Katerina Karhankova; based on the books by Zbynek Cernik; Two bears travel to the North Pole for the annual popsicle festival, with a little help from some friends) - TBA (YouTube shorts)

Christmas at the St. Nick (holiday movie written by Mark Amato; holiday travelers reluctantly team up to make their holiday plans happen, but find themselves falling in love) - TBA

Ellie and the Christmas Creep (animated movie from Luxembourg-based animation studio Fabrique d'Images; directed by Caroline Origer; An intrepid elf tries to save Santa from his fame obsession she believes is caused by a creep) - TBA (Website)

Aubrey Flint’s Christmas (holiday comedy directed by Jack Spring; written by Chris Boyle-McQuarry; filmed in UK) - TBA

It Happened on Christmas (small-budget holiday movie written, directed and starring LP Green, along with Leandro Somoza and Jonna Devereaux) - TBA (Instagram)

Family Christmas (holiday movie starring Rían Sheehy Kelly, Jeremy Holm, John Pirruccello and Emma Jo Boyden; directed and co-written by Michael Moreci; A holiday heist collides with stranded travelers trying to get home in time for Christmas; filmed in Champaign, Ill.) - TBA

The Santa Assist (holiday movie starring Eric Roberts; directed by Ross Marks; Santa goes to New Mexico to fix a relative’s problem and ends up falling in love; filmed in Las Cruces, N.M.) - TBA

Manuscript (holiday-set thriller about a trio of friends who find an unpublished work that could bring fame and fortune and slowly turn on one another during a Christmas pre-party; filmed in Pennsylvania) - TBA

The McNamara Brothers Christmas Story (holiday movie written and directed by Marc Alan Solomon; A group of friends and family come together for a Christmas Eve game night where secrets are revealed; filmed in Claxton, Ga.) - TBA

It’s Christmas! (holiday movie starring Brittany Snow, Lucas Bravo,Simon Callow, Chloé Jouannet, Elektra Kilbey, Richard Elis and Ben McGregor; written and directed by Jamie Adams; Hoping to bring her husband’s dysfunctional family closer in the wake of his mother’s death, a wife invents list of holiday tasks she claims her mother-in-law wanted them all to do; filmed in Wales) - TBA

We Wish You a Dairy Christmas (holiday movie starring Aeon Cruz and Brit Ellerman; directed and co-written by Elgin Cahill; A woman reluctantly returns home to help save her family’s farm) - TBA

Feather Christmas (holiday movie starring Ocean M Harris, Tom Machell and Teresa Dawn Taylor; directed by Lucy Turner, written by Dan William O’Leary; filmed in the UK) - TBA (Instagram)

Niko: Beyond the Northern Lights (international animated movie sequel to 2008′s The Flight Before Christmas and 2012′s Little Brother, Big Trouble: A Christmas Adventure; co-directed by Kari Juusonen and Jørgen Lerdam; Niko dreams of being a member of Santa’s flying forces, but faces stiff competition for the job) - TBA

A Very Bavarian Christmas (holiday movie based on the novel by Katie M Reid; A single woman who feels stuck in her small, holiday-themed town and dead-end job at a Christmas store, unexpectedly finds love as she regains her holiday spirit) - TBA

Date for Christmas (holiday movie directed by Louise Alston; written by Stephen Vagg; A women invents a fake fiancee to comfort her dying mother, but when mom unexpectedly recovers she has to keep the con going for the holidays) - TBA

Last Christmas on Walden St (small-budget holiday movie written, directed and starring Tyler Cole, along with Roni Weissman; filmed in Georgia) - TBA

Carnage for Christmas (partially crowd-funded holiday horror film starring Jeremy Moineau, Joe Romeo, Dominique Booth, Cassie Hamilton, Toshiro Glenn and Olivia Deeble; written and directed by teen filmmaker Alice Maio Mackay; When a trans true-crime podcaster returns home for the holidays for the first time since transitioning, she’s drawn into a murderous ghost story that might just be real) - TBA (IndieGoGo)

Pastor Sue’s Christmas (right-wing holiday movie starring Rebecca Grant and Joy Villa; co-directed by Chris Johnson and Villa; filmed in California) - TBA

Tinsel (holiday short starring Maja Bloom and Nathan J Lloyd; written and directed by Davey Ezra; An actor working as a mall elf becomes an '80s action-movie hero when he diffuses a holiday hostage situation; filmed in Portsmouth, England) - TBA (Instagram)

Hot Mom (holiday-set comedy written and directed by Jimmy Kustes; A college student and his girlfriend spend the holidays with his mom and her new boyfriend; filmed in Tampa, Fla.) - TBA

Lumia (six-episode holiday series created by Created by Anastasia Heinzl and Pöllä; A Parisian teen is forced to spend the holidays in rural Finland with her mother, where she starts seeing strange lights in forest) - TBA

Mr. Santa the Musical Christmas Extravaganza (holiday movie starring Geoffrey Owens, Tommy Davidson, Peter Donald Badalamenti II and Paul Kevins; written and directed by Noel Calloway; With Christmas spirit at an all-time low, Santa goes undercover as a high school teacher to try and convince teens to believe in holiday magic again; filmed in New York City) - TBA

I’ll Be Dead for Christmas (holiday horror movie starring, written and directed by Geordy Skolnick; along with J.C. Hoffman, Jilly Kent, Joshua R. Pangborn, Ximena Zavala, and Heth Weinstein; A mentally disturbed patient blackmails a hospital employee into telling horrifying stories on Christmas Eve) - TBA

A Very Elevated Christmas (holiday movie starring Frank Powers, Michelle Martinez and J.D. Hernandez; directed by Luis Perez) - TBA (Facebook)

Christmas with Buddy (faith-based drama starring Joseph Gray and Brian Biggers; directed by Cameron Arnett and Cornelius Muller; written by Michael D Acosta; A young man with cerebral palsy tries to figure out what God’s purpose for him is; filmed in North Carolina) - TBA

A Carolina Christmas (holiday movie starring Kelly Lynn Reiter, Melissa Reeves and Matthew Ashford; written by David Michael Ross; A snowstorm traps a divorced couple together at the holidays as their daughter schemes to reunite them) - TBA

The Town of Tails (a.k.a Kruuna; four-episode Finnish holiday series from creator Minna Panjanen; A professor who years ago found his parents murdered on Christmas Eve investigates another mysterious death in Tails, with the help of a Christmas spirit only he can see) - TBA

Family Christmas (holiday movie produced by Kenneth Van Camp; A woman giving up hope on true love has to decide whether to settle for an old flame or take a chance on a new, holiday romance; filmed in Detroit) - TBA

An Emerald Coast Christmas (small-budget holiday movie written, directed and starring Elesia Marie, along with Shannon Williams and Teance Blackburn; A big city culinary school grad heads home for the holidays; filmed in Florida) - TBA (Website)

How to Kill Your Family and Get Away with It (holiday horror movie starring Eden Shea Beck; directed by Robbie Dias; written by Marc Gottlieb; An extremely dysfunctional family gathers in a secluded cabin for the holidays, hiding dark secrets that lead to murder; filmed in Big Bear, Calif.) - TBA

Christmas Kennel (holiday movie starring Tatyana Ali, RaéVen Kelly, Marla Gibbs, Angela Gibbs and Malcolm-Jamal Warner; directed by Sean Dinwoodie; filmed in Rhode Island and Connecticut) - TBA

Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point (holiday movie starring Michael Cera, Ben Shenkman, Francesca Scorsese, Sawyer Spielberg and Gregory Falatek; directed by Tyler Taormina; written by Eric Berger and Taormina; A family gathers for a final Christmas in their childhood home and a teenager looks to make her mark on the neighborhood; filmed in Smithtown, NY) - TBA

Holiday Holdup (holiday-set crime drama starring Jeremy Holm, John Pirruccello and Agnes Albright; written by Michael Moreci; Restaurant employees get revenge on their mob-tied employer) - TBA

Xmas in July (small budget black comedy take on Dickens’ A Christmas Carol starring, written and directed by Joel Clark, along with Crichton Atkinson and Daniel Martin Berkey; Ebenzer and Cratchitt experience multiple alternate realities, each more horrifying than the last; filmed in Brooklyn, N.Y.) - TBA (Website)

Ebenezer the Traveler (six-episode mini-series starring Jerry Parisi, Amanda Rae Dodson and Michael Bertolini; directed by Joe Valenti; written by Leland Prater; A look at what happened to Scrooge after the events of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol) - TBA (Website)

Once Upon a Christmas (faith-based holiday movie starring Garry Nation and Melissa Nunnally; directed by Nathan Blair; A Scrooge-like old man is turned back into a teenager by an angel, who warns him he must repair his family relationships by Christmas or be doomed; filmed in Denver) - TBA (Website)

Breakup Season (holiday movie starring Chandler Riggs and Samantha Isler; written and directed by H. Nelson Tracey; A man takes his girlfriend home for the holidays to meet his parents and things don’t go as planned; filmed in La Grande, Oregon) - TBA (Instagram)

Switched Up Christmas (holiday comedy starring Ava Torres, Levi Smith, Ella Fraley, Brian Villalobos and Van Quattro; directed and co-written by Zane Nixon; A dysfunctional family who has lost their Christmas spirit, finds themselves regaining their love of the season through a holiday body swap; filmed in Houston, Texas) - TBA

Oh Christmas Tree (holiday movie starring Mason Gillett, Kay Barnes, Rachel Petsiavas and Christopher Long; directed by Paul Duncan; filmed in North Carolina) - TBA (Website)

Dead for the Holidays (holiday horror movie starring Tifani Winkfield, Allen Yates and Carter Bratton; directed by Thomas Martin and Lawrence Sara) - TBA

Our Christmas House (holiday movie starring Michael Dumas, Whitney Bacon, Sabrina Orro, Precious Ugbodu and Andrew C. English Jr; directed by Annabel White; written by Jaron Lanier; A news anchor must choose between a big holiday story and the man she’s falling in love with) - TBA (IndieGoGo)

Our Church Thinks We’re Dating (holiday movie starring Ashley LaRae, Burke Brown, Megan Alexander and Mark Christopher Lawrence; directed and co-written by Tim Nolte; The last two unmarried people in a church group spend a holiday weekend pretending to date in order to stop others from constantly trying to set them up; filmed in Denver) - TBA (Facebook, Website, Trailer)

Christmas Crashers (small-budget holiday movie starring Christine Traversa, Bridget Nine, Steve Boress, Leanne Johnson and Zaine Bray; written and directed by Kevin L Mounce; A couple decide to step off the holiday fast track and recommit to each other, but not everyone is on board with their pared-down holiday plans; shot in central Illinois) - TBA (Website)

Little Miracles (small budget movie written and directed by Pat Denson; film version of her off-Broadway musical, Little Christmas Miracles; based on a true story tale of two recently widowed moms who take their kids on a holiday road trip) - TBA

The Christmas Forest (small budget movie from faith-based Wright Family Films; directed, written and starring Ashley Hays Wright) - TBA, YouTube

Kid Santa (Italian holiday movie, live-action/animation hybrid starring real-life brothers Alec and William Baldwin and Elva Trill; directed by Francesco Cinquemani; filmed in Rome) - TBA

Once Upon a Christmas Eve (faith-based holiday movie starring Najee De-Tiege, Hector David Jr., Michael Franklin, Alicia Tomasko, Sofia Lauren, Alexa Ketchum, Gabriella Estabrook and Gianna Angela; written and directed by Dominic Giannetti; Estranged siblings struggle to hold their family together at the holidays) - TBA

A Queer Christmas Carol (LGBTQ take on Charles Dickens’ classic starring Daniel Bainelebeau, Qiana Camille and Larry B. Carter II; written and directed by Henderson Maddox) - TBA

Needle Little Christmas (holiday movie starring Sara Waisglass, Jonathan Kite and Thomas Lennon; directed by Jason DeVan; When she dies just before Christmas, a woman gets the chance to return to earth in the form of a Christmas tree in hopes of and restoring her friends’ spirits; filmed in El Reno, Okla.) - TBA

Chicken Coop (holiday movie starring Monica Moore Smith, Eric Wood and Mark Bracich; written and directed by Joseph DeGolyer; Family secrets are revealed during a holiday trip home when an estranged father and son attempt to repair a broken pipe in a chicken coop; filmed in Utah) - TBA (Facebook)

Christmas at the Frat House (holiday movie starring Karon Riley, Lem Collins, Jared Wofford, Kevin Savage, Amber Reign Smith, Kelsi Lee and Jael Roberson; directed by Charmin Lee; written by Lem Collins; Four frat brothers make, and break, a pact not to marry for 10 years after college. The last man standing is set to propose at Christmas when secrets emerge from his friends’ relationships and his girlfriend’s past that could make him reconsider; filmed in Atlanta.) - TBA

A Screenshot to Santa (holiday movie starring Essence Atkins, Tony Rock, Torrei Hart, Kennedy Stephens, Shai Moss, Jacob Gaines and Ray Buffer; written and directed by Monica Floyd; While their parents are at a conference, a teenager sick of caring for her much younger sister sneaks out to see her boyfriend on Christmas Eve; filmed in L.A.) - TBA

(Once Upon a) Philly Christmas (faith-based holiday movie starring Robert Clohessy, Bridget White, Brian Anthony Wilson, Myles Clohessy, Shannon Wilson, Julianna Layne, Gabi Faye, Rich Enkels, Dominic Costa, Bridget White and Brian Anthony Wilson; directed by Bridget Smith and written by Mike Walsh; A teenage gamer accidentally travels back in time to Bethlehem, to make it home he needs to discover the true meaning of Christmas; filmed in Philadelphia) - TBA (Website)

Love After Holidays (holiday movie starring Darin D Barron, Jennifer Figuereo, Gabi Faye, Taral Hicks Dawson, Jeremy Meeks, Shari Ellis and Angela Perymon; directed by Antoine Allen; written by Maurice McCallum; based on the self-help book Love After by Jacinth Headlam; The rise and fall of a talk show host who loses everything; filmed in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania) - TBA (Instagram)

A Kismet Holiday (holiday movie starring Karen Obilom, Joyful Drake, Lamman Rucker and Javon Johnson; co-written and directed by Chazitear; filmed in Washington, D.C.) - TBA

A Christmas in New Hope (holiday movie starring Adrianne Palicki, Malcolm Goodwin, Katrina Bowden, David Anders, Ryan Cooper and Mia Armstrong directed by Julia Barnett; co-written by Barnett and Kathleen Estes; A single mom of a special needs child enters a home renovation contest focused on saving her home from foreclosure, but things get complicated when she falls for her musician neighbor; filmed in Waco, Texas) - TBA

Gingersnap Christmas (holiday movie starring Desirée Ross, Jake Lockett, Natalie Buck, Réka Lukács and Obum Éji; directed by Julia Jay Pierrepont; written by Matt Lindenburg and Eva & Frank Myer; A grieving woman finds love and her Christmas spirit, while visiting her Caribbean grandmother for the holidays; filmed in L.A.) - TBA

Christmas on the North Pole Express (holiday movie starring Brian Boynton, Marla Moore, Riley Rose Downey and Sam Broome; written by Cody LaRue; Two people meet on the famed Christmas train while traveling to a wedding; filmed in Owosso, Michigan) - TBA

The Holiday Exchange (holiday movie starring Taylor Frey, Rick Cosnett, Samer Salem, Daniel Garcia, Blake Cooper Griffin, Joe Aaron Reid, Camila Banus, Nick Adams, Ashley Fink, Kyle Dean Massey and Kyle Richards; directed by Jake Helgren; written by Frey; A successful businessman enters into a holiday house swap and both he and the man he swapped with find new love; filmed in California) - TBA

Royal Runaways (a.k.a. A Little Faith; holiday movie starring Mark Cuban, Ashley Brinkman, Alex Day, Eliza Roberts, Naomi Matsuda, Mario Silva and Faysal Shafaat; written and directed by Candy Cain; When his father, the king, dies, a European prince flees to America and hides his identity by working in a winery) - TBA

Holiday in the Hamptons (holiday movie starring Naomi Matsuda, Ashley Brinkman, Paulie Calafiore, Eve Kroh and Eric Roberts; written and directed by Candy Cain; A woman inherits her grandmother’s house at the holidays.) - TBA

A Jar Full of Christmas (holiday movie starring Brooke Burfitt, Cara Maria Sorbello and Jason Frederick; written and directed by Candy Cain; When a woman inherits her mom’s home, sparks fly with a childhood friend; filmed and set in Lake Placid, NY) - TBA

Christmas Overtime (holiday movie starring Meghan Carrasquillo, Jadon Cal and Laura Ault; directed by Ann Deborah Fishman; co-written by Fishman and Simon Parker; A holiday-hating actress must convince a Christmas-obsessed group she’s one of them in order to land a commercial) - TBA

Xmas Gamble (holiday movie starring Tom Arnold, Michael Madsen, Fernanda Romero and Waymond Lee; directed by Kenny Yates; written by Jerry Artukovich; A recovering gambling addict needs cash to save his mom’s home, realizing he’s never lost on Christmas, he rationalizes one last bet) - TBA

An Elliot and Friends Christmas Carol (puppet holiday special, based on featuring original characters created by Jeffrey Ault; starring Dana Anderwald, Alana Phillips and Dean Napolitano) -TBA (Trailer, Facebook)

Bring Back Christmas (holiday movie starring Ricardo Ortiz, Josh Zaharia, Casey James and Neil Charlesworth; directed by Rafael Nani; written by Marcelo Ricardo Ortiz; A materialistic teen wishes Christmas out of existence, making him the only one in the world who remembers the holiday; filmed in Vancouver, B.C.) - TBA (Website)

Christmas at the Mistletoe Inn (holiday movie directed by Lexi Giovagnoli; written by Vicki Vass; A jaded Christmas movie scout finds herself in a town straight out of one of her holiday movies; filmed in North Carolina) - TBA

Christmas Cover Up (holiday movie starring Ray Cunningham, Skye Griffin, Trina and Towanda Braxton; filmed in Houston) - TBA

Christmas Carole (a.k.a. Noël au Balcon; French-language holiday comedy starring Didier Bourdon, Noemie Lvovsky, Jules Sagot, Christophe Montenez, Alice Daubelcour and Janaïna Halloy-Fokan; directed by Jeanne Gottesdiener; A small-town mayor tries to coordinate her town’s holiday festivities while her husband holds down the holiday prep at home, until their adult children arrive and everything falls apart) - TBA, France

Christmas Licc (holiday movie short starring Taylor T-Dawg Da Don Butler, MW Maniak and Kea White; directed by Kimberly Latrice Jones; Friends attempt a misguided Christmas robbery to get out of a financial jam) - TBA (Twitter)

Winters’ Garden (a.k.a. The Christmas Garden; holiday movie starring Madeline Coughlan, Lior Selve, Federico Dordei, Peter Jason, Farah Merani and Chuck Marra; directed by Shari Hamrick Grewal; written by Joany Kane; A New York City cooking show host travels to lay the remains of a World War II nurse to rest in an English castle garden, and becomes enchanted by the site’s holiday charms; filmed in Lake Arrowhead, Calif.) - TBA (Trailer)

Blended Christmas (holiday movie starring Jennifer Freeman, Anthony Dalton II, Victoria Rowell, Dream Doll, Carlee Elston and Charles Baston, written and directed by Tamala Baldwin; A new bride cancels her honeymoon to care for her husband’s ex after a freak accident; filmed in Atlanta) - TBA

Mississippi Christmas (holiday movie starring Darrin D Henson, Clifton Powell, Terri J Vaughn and Valarie Pettiford; written and directed by Christel Gibson; filmed in Atlanta) - TBA

Filthy Animals (written and directed by James T North IV; starring Raymond J Barry, Layla Louise, Hal Dion and Austin Wheeler; A pair of petty criminals stumble into a very dark Christmas) - Dec. TBA (Instagram, Website)

Civil Christmas (holiday musical starring Sophie Bolen and Kyle Patrick; A Southern belle shelters a wounded Union soldier on Christmas Eve; co-written and directed by Joel Paul Reisig; filmed in Michigan) - TBA

Christmas with the Pups (holiday movie starring Danielle Scott, Simon Ellis, Lila Lasso and Kitty Sudbery; directed by Louisa Warren; written by Tom Jolliffe; A ranch-owning family finds a Pomeranian at the holidays, unaware she already belongs to an influencer) - TBA (Trailer)

Meet Me at the Christmas Train Parade (holiday movie featuring Ryan Northcott, Emma Johnson, Maureen Rooney, Sue Huff, Michelle Todd, and Will Brisbin; directed by Dylan Pearce; written by Nathan Usher; To stave off a developer that will destroy their charming town square, a single mom enlists the help of nearby villages to revive a Christmas tree-lighting tradition; filmed in Edmonton, Alberta; aired in Canada in 2023) - TBA

Creating Christmas (holiday movie starring Greer Grammer, Jason Cermak and Briana Buckmaster; directed by Jason James; A children’s book author enlists an artistic teacher to help him out of a creative rut at Christmas; filmed in Vancouver, B.C.; aired on Paramount+ UK in 2023) - TBA

Royally Yours, This Christmas (holiday movie starring Cindy Sampson, Steve Byers, Holly De Barros, Bukola Ayoka, Michael S. Morrone and Darrin Baker; directed by Don McBrearty; written by Jessica L. Randall; A single mom is mistaken for a wealthy do-gooder and finds herself romanced by a royal; filmed in Toronto; aired on Paramount+ UK in 2023) - TBA

A Perfect Christmas Carol (holiday movie starring Stephanie Bennett and Preston Vanderslice; directed by Wendy Ord; A chef heads home for the holidays with her boyfriend, only to battle with his mother for his love; filmed in Kelowna, B.C.; aired on Binge in Australia in 2023) - TBA

Sincerely Truly Christmas (holiday movie starring Jake Epstein, Paula Brancati, Richard Waugh and Tom Hearn; directed by Sean Cisterna; written by Matthew Thaler; Holiday magic gives an event planner the ability to hear what everyone else wants for Christmas; filmed in Toronto; aired on Binge in Australia in 2023) - TBA

Me and Mr. Christmas (holiday movie starring Sara Garcia, Blair Penner, Michael Lazarovitch and Jocelyn Chugg; directed by Dylan Pearce; written by Jenny M Krick; A woman looks to boost her new PR firm by fielding a winning contestant in a holiday bachelor contest; filmed in Edmonton, Alberta; aired on STAN in Australia in 2023) - TBA

The Heiress of Christmas (holiday movie starring David Pinard, Katerina Maria Vitkoff and Alys Crocker; directed by Meeshelle Neal; An heiress is forced to work in her family’s department store for the holidays; filmed in Toronto; aired on TF1 in France and Binge in Australia in 2023) - TBA (Trailer)

Christmas on the Alpaca Farm (holiday movie starring Kirsten Comerford, Matt Wells and Diana Diaz; directed by Michael Kennedy; A Christmas sweater designer clashes with a local alpaca farmer; filmed in Hamilton, Ont.; aired on TV24 and Channel 5 in the UK in 2023) - TBA

Christmas at Carbell Family Farm (holiday movie starring Tamara Almeida and Cody Ray Thompson; A developer has designs on a Christmas tree and must track down a long list of owners to secure the site) - TBA

Holiday for Hire (holiday movie starring Andrew Rogers, Casey Waller, Christie Leverette, Michael Deni and Mark Valeriano; directed by Jared Cohn; written by Julia Terranova; When her boyfriend dumps her just before Christmas, a desperate woman hires an actor to play him for her family; filmed in Simi Valley, Calif.) - TBA

Holly Jolly Christmas (a.k.a. Untitled Christmas Movie Project; holiday movie starring Allison Bailey, Rebecca De Mornay, Chris Elliott, Jordan Doww, Teo Rapp-Olsson, Pete Ploszek, Neal Davidson; directed by Christine Luby; When siblings come home for the holidays, they are shocked to learn their parents have sold the family home and plan to move overseas; set and filmed in Danbury and New Haven, Connecticut) - TBA

Christmas Telethon (holiday comedy starring Patrick Warburton, Matt Nease and Leslie Talley; directed by Doug Henderson; written by Henderson, B. Harrison Smith and Nease; Local anchors try to save their struggling TV station with a telethon that goes terribly wrong; filmed in Millersville, Pa.) - TBA

Cape Holly Christmas (holiday movie starring Sebastian Stewart, Anna Marie Dobbins, Brian Austin Green, Celeste Desjardins, Barbara Mitchell, Rae Farrer, Neil Enock, and Laura Yenga; directed by John Bradshaw; written by Erica McKenzie and Mark Mungo; A woman hopes to win a baking contest to save her home and small-town bakery, but falls for a guy who turns out to be related to the bank trying to foreclose on both; filmed in Leduc, Alberta, Canada) - TBA

S’up, Xmas! (a.k.a. Jae, Natal!; Brazilian animated holiday movie directed by Camila Padilha; A princess tries to introduce a traditional Christmas to her island home, only to see them twist it into a unique tropical holiday festival) - TBA

A Christmas Heart (faith-based holiday movie starring Kevin Sorbo and Sarah Reeves; written and directed by Bill McAdams, Jr; A widowed firefighter gets a DUI and is assigned community service where he meets someone who helps him recover from tragedy; filmed in Granbury, Texas ) - TBA

Operation Nutcracker (holiday movie starring Ashley Newbrough and Christopher Russell; An event planner and wayward son have to work together to find a missing nutcracker in time for a wealthy family's high profile charity auction; filmed in Ontario) - TBA

Jingle Bell Heist (holiday movie starring Olivia Holt, Connor Swindells, Peter Serafinowicz and Lucy Punch; directed by Michael Fimognari; written by Abby McDonald; Two thieves casing the same Christmas Eve job, team up and fall for each other; announced in 2023; filmed in the UK) - TBA

Mr. Christmas (holiday movie starring Tom McLaren, Charlie Schlatter, Casey Burke, Lynda Day George and Nicholle Tom; A man hatches a Christmas movie-inspired to win back his estranged family.) - TBA

The Christmas Letter (holiday movie starring Chevy Chase, Randy Quaid and Angus Benfield; directed by Tori Hunter; written by Michael Cunningham; Spurred on by a wealthy friend’s annual Christmas letter, a man makes it his mission to perfect his life before the next holiday; filmed in Utica, New York) - TBA (Facebook)

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Glitz, Diversity, and Representation in "The Proud Family" Revival

[Screenshot: The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder]

On February 23, 2022, The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder premiered on Disney+. This series tells the story of 14-year-old Penny Proud and her family as they navigate their lives in the California town of Smithville, from the schoolyard to the home.

Reprinted from The Geekiary, my History Hermann WordPress blog, and Wayback Machine. This was the thirty-fifth article I wrote for The Geekiary. This post was originally published on May 9, 2022.

The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder is a coming-of-age animated comedy and sitcom by two Black men, Bruce W. Smith and Ralph Farquhar. It is a reboot of the acclaimed two-season animated series, The Proud Family, which aired on the Disney Channel from 2001 to 2005. Smith is also known as a director of films such as Bébé's Kids and Hair Love, and co-creator of Da Boom Crew.

Spoiler Warning: This theme-centric post discusses some spoilers for The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder.

Trigger Warning: This post mentions sensitive topics such as homelessness, sexism, bullying, and abusive families.

The first season of this all-ages animated series began with a bang. The first four episodes focused on the inhumanity of zoos, power of social media influencers, basketball, remaining true to who you are, standing up for your values, and homophobia, as I pointed out in my series recommendation on March 13.

The other six episodes in season one continue to focus on pertinent themes. This includes amusement parks, ride-sharing apps, college life, homelessness, crowdfunding, Latine culture, genealogy, and reality shows.

The animation remains smooth and defined throughout all 10 episodes of The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder. This is accompanied by spoken Spanish with subtitles. That's an improvement from the original, which had no subtitles for Spanish speakers, and storylines which pull you in. The same can be said for the show's pop music, with tunes which showcase the character's talents.

The voice actors shine through in all the episodes, as do the recurring or guest stars. This includes people such as Brenda Song, who voices reporter Vanessa Vue, Logan Browning, Bresha Webb, Lena Waithe, Jaden Smith, and Tiffany Haddish.

Social commentary

In keeping with the original series, The Proud Family, this series continues to engage in social commentary on various issues. This includes worker/animal exploitation by Penny's father, Oscar (voiced by Tommy Davidson). He has a monkey named Mr. Chimps who works for his business, Proud Snacks, which makes disgusting snacks but happens to stay in business.

In the show's sixth episode, Penny and her friends begin a ride-sharing business named Get-In, where people can work for a small amount of pay. All of Penny's (voiced by Kyla Pratt) friends, apart from Zoey (voiced by Soleil Moon Frye), abandon her in this endeavor. She becomes successful after gaining popularity on social media for the app. But, this doesn't last. Thanks to Oscar, her business crashes and burns, as Mr. Chimps is driving a taxi without a license.

In a later episode, Penny, tired of her parents, summons Al Roker (voiced by himself). He transports her to an alternative episode where she is in college for a week, saying that if she stays after that period, it is permanent.

While there, she becomes enthralled in the party scene, drives recklessly, and falls behind in her classes. As a result, her friends leave, with Maya (voiced by Keke Palmer) calling it a "glorified plantation". In the process, she becomes indebted to Roker, telling her that she needs to pay tuition, go to class, and pay her food tab.

A grown-up Penny hugs her father, Oscar

The episode shines a light on precarity of college students exploited through student debt and their financial situations. In order to pay off her debt, she has to sell junk and be in class or she will be there for eternity. There is also a scene where she sells school books back to the college library. She receives $3.50 for them, even though she spent over $1,000 for the books.

In other episodes of The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, homelessness is highlighted as an issue. In the show's eighth episode, Penny and her friends work together to help a strict substitute teacher, Ms. Hill (voiced by Tiffany Haddish). The school fired her after people learned that she was living in the school since she had nowhere else to live.

Although Ms. Hill causes consternation in Penny's home, insulting her family members and forcing them to take Black history classes, Penny becomes her biggest advocate. In a school assembly, she tells students that teachers should get paid a living wage. She also asks people to contribute to a fund allowing Ms. Hill to find a decent place to live.

Due to the students' perception of Ms. Hill, they bristle at the idea that that give money to her. Thanks to Zoey's dance going viral, they are able to raise enough money. In the end, Ms. Hill goes off with Penny's uncle, Bobby, and both are romantically engaged.

Family strains and the importance of family

Like Disney series such as Kim Possible, Phineas & Ferb, The Ghost and Molly McGee, and Milo Murphy's Law, there is a focus on the value of family. This follows Disney's family-friendly brand.

In The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, this is not without strain. Penny often clashes with her father, Oscar, who interrupts her date with her boyfriend, Kareem, and puts parental blocks on her laptop. However, she gets around this, in one episode, by using a burner phone.

Time and time again, Penny realizes the importance of being grown and bonds with Oscar. In one episode, she apologizes to Oscar. She asys that she thought that being alone was going to be easy but isn't ready for it. He reassures her that she has time to figure it out and that before she is on her own, her family has got her back.

Throughout the first season, Oscar and Penny have important bonding moments. This offsets any negative characteristics which could be seen as reinforcing stereotypes.

At times, Oscar seems like he is being sexist and stuck in the old ways, like when he declares that "cooking is a woman's job". However, Penny also believes that cooking is her mom's job.

Oscar is as much of a loving father as Homer is in The Simpsons or Anne Boonchuy's father in Amphibia. He cares about Penny, although he isn't always the best at showing it.

The family's dynamics are colored by continued tensions between Oscar and his wife, Trudy (voiced by Paula Jai Parker), as she often belittles him for his inane antics. At other times, they come together and enjoy each other's company.

Oscar's beliefs are not unique, in this regard. Bobby (voiced by Cedric the Entertainer) is also shown to be somewhat sexist. In one episode, he acts like he is going to help Zoey with her dancing and instead he makes her do all sorts of housework. On the one hand, he does help her by having her listen to funky music and gives her certain dance moves, allowing her to dance on stage. On the other, how he acts toward Zoey says something about his character and his treatment of women.

Suga Mama Proud (voiced by Jo Marie Payton), Penny's hip wrestling grandmother, has a continued presence in the Proud household. Even though she has her own place to live, she often hangs out in the Proud house. She is the mother of Oscar and Bobby, and has an ongoing courtship with Papi Boulevardez, a grandfather of their Latine neighbors.

Throughout the series, consistent with the original series, she often ribs on her son, Oscar. She tends to like her other son, Bobby, who often talks like 1970s funk bands, better than Oscar, to his great annoyance.

Diversity and Latine culture

In my original recommendation of the series, one of the show's creators, Ralph Farquhar, argued that The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder will portray more than a singular "view of Blackness or a Black family". This is also true when it comes to Latine culture. The show prominently features LaCienega Boulevardez (voiced by Alisa Reyes), her parents Sunset (voiced by Maria Canals-Barrera) and Felix (voiced by Carlos Mencia), and others in her family.

LaCienega is the Latine frenemy of Penny, with both often disliking one another, but still have respect for one another. Although LaCienega's exact ethnicity is not yet known, the series deserves praise for focusing and featuring Afro-Latine characters. This is strongest in the ninth episode of the series.

In that episode, LaCienega, known as LaCi for short, prepares for her quinceañera, a celebration of her 15th birthday, marking the celebration from girlhood to adulthood. She is terrified by her cousin, LaBrea Avanúñez (voiced by Princess Nokia) attending, along with her aunt, Melrose (voiced Eva Longoria), who has a habit of putting people down, including her own daughter!

Sunset's jealousy of Melrose, leads her to spend a huge sum on quinceañera, terrifying Felix. Not surprisingly, Oscar does not understand why so much money is being spent. LaCi ends up lashing out at her friends and LaBrea seems like the troublemaker behind it all.

The fancy outfits, photos together, and glitz fade into nothingness, due to a plan by LaBrea to "get rid" of LaCi, by tying her to a rocket, so she can live with Sunset. When confronted with LaCi hanging from a dangerous ride, not far from death or serious injury, she gives LaCi advice that saves her life. She then covers for LaBrea, instead of admitting that she is is the cause of the situation.

On the surface it might appear that LaBrea is let off the hook for trying to "disappear" LaCi, and for the years of bullying her. It could even be argued that LaCi's gesture is unrealistic and problematic. However, there is another side to her actions.

Sunset, LaCi, LaBrea, and Melrose on stage at the end of the episode.

While it is not known whether LaCi fully forgives LaBrea, she comes out of her shell more. Both have a quinceañera together. Melrose apologizes to Sunset for being angry for all those years, saying that her divorce stressed her out. It is also revealed that LaBrea is plus-sized, a fact that her mom forced her to keep hidden. The episode ends with Felix worried about all the money they spent for it. Even so, he is glad as long as LaCi is happy, even though they spent her college fund on the party, and Sunset gives him a kiss.

In this way, the series shares similarities with Elena of Avalor, a series headlined by a Latine princess, Elena (voiced by Aimee Carrero). The latter series even has an episode where Elena's "good friend", Naomi Turner, has a quinceañera.

Hopefully these themes are expanded in the the next season of The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, with a continued focus on Latine and Black families. In any case, as some have argued, having one show or movie about people of color doesn't mean "equal representation."

Family roots and genealogy

Genealogy was once a pursuit for well-off White people. This changed after the airing of Alex Haley's Roots in the 1970s, the beginning of Henry Louis Gates' Finding Your Roots in 2012, and the proliferation of various groups focused on the subject. It has lead to an even greater focus by the Black community than ever before.

The season one finale of The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder reflects this focus. In the episode, Trudy finds out that her family, the Parkers, can trace their roots to across the country, and North Africa. She pays over $1,000 dollars on a a DNA testing website, reflecting the focus on DNA by Black people, and discovers that Suga Mama has roots in Towne, Oklahoma.

Trudy convinces her family to travel to Oklahoma. Suga Mama comes along, but not willingly, tied to the roof of the car. Later, Trudy pressures her family embers to attend the family reunion at the Towne family ranch. While there, they meet Suga Mama's family, whose birth name is revealed to be Charlette. The audience learns that her father told her to never come back and that she left for one major reason: to escape her toxic and sexist father, who hurt her psychologically and possibly physically.

Suga Mama is given new backstory. The audience also learns that Suga Mama's dad declared that no girls were allowed in the rodeo, even though she could easily participate. It further shows him demanding that she cook him dinner and forcing her brother to participate in her place. As the episode comes to a close, it appears that Suga Mama and her dog, Puff (visual effects by Carlos Alazraqui) depart the ranch, leaving behind the rest of the Proud family.

One reviewer for Loud and Clear Reviews described the episode as a "total blast" to review and watch. They noted that it introduces "cool new characters," expands Suga Mama as a character, and centers on the conflict between Suga Mama and her father. The episode is significant since it brings the characters outside of Smithville, a town in California where most of the show takes place. It remains to be seen how future episodes will continue the story from the season one finale.

This focus on family history is not unique to this series. Amphibia, Carmen Sandiego, Mira Royal Detective, Infinity Train, Futurama, and Steven Universe have storylines focusing on family roots, connections, or history.

LGBTQ representation

As I wrote in February, The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder has the "promise of breaking down barriers through its inclusion of multicultural characters and families, especially those which are part of the LGBTQ, Latine, and Black communities." There are established LGBTQ supporting characters. This includes Barry and Randall Leibowitz-Jenkins (voiced by Zachary Quinto and Billy Porter), an interracial gay couple who lives in Smithville, fathers of Maya and Francis "KG" (voiced by Artist "A Boogie" Dubose). Even more prominent is Michael Collins (voiced by EJ Johnson), a gay and gender-nonconforming friend of Penny.

Michael is into dance, clothing, and his hair looks like pastel paint strokes. It gives him a certain style unique from his look in the original series. He even dances, in one episode in front of stage with ribbon wand. This is like the one that Mega Pearl, i.e. Royal Pearl or Rose Pearl as some fans called her, used in Steven Universe Future or Maron Kusakabe in Phantom Thief Jeanne.

There are additional LGBTQ guest stars. This includes Lizzo, who sees herself as part of the LGBTQ community. She has a starring role in the show's fifth episode, telling a crowd that people they need to love themselves. Princess Nokia, also known as Destiny Nicole Frasqueri, voiced LaBrea. She is bisexual, gender non-conforming, of Puerto Rican descent, and speaks about self-love.

Maya meets LaBrea and happily shakes her hand, while LaCi looks on, annoyed.

It is not known if any of the main cast have storylines which explore any possible LGBTQ identities. But, Maya hinted at the possibility in one episode, describing LaBrea as beautiful, even though she hadn't met her before.

Even though LaBrea is likely a one-time guest star, Maya's comment might hint at a possible romantic or sexual attraction. After all, Maya's voice actress said in 2017 that a person's sexuality can be fluid. She also rejected putting herself in a box and confining herself to one identity, saying that people change and grow over time.

Other guest stars showcase The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder's diverse stories. Jeremy O' Harris, who voiced a college-age Michael, is Black and gay, while Lena Waithe, who voiced a college-age Maya, is a Black lesbian.

Other pertinent themes

The series often focuses on the dangers of bad business practices, with Oscar often as a foil. He runs an unsafe amusement park, Snackland, even resulting in a terrible accident. Although the news coverage is negative, people flock to Snackland even though they know they will get hurt and it is dangerous. This contrasts with when Penny as a temporarily successful businessperson. There's also multimillionaire Wizard Kelly (voiced by Aires Spears) making his money as a professional basketball player.

One episode even provides a commentary-of-sorts on reality shows. The audience learns that Oscar once pitched the reality show, Crab Barrel, about Proud Snacks. Thanks to his weird snacks, his presentation goes horribly wrong, leading them to deny him funding. As a result, he calls the show a scam and won't believe in it. In the episode, the other competitor is taken out of the running and judges are won over. They begrudgingly fund Penny's ride-sharing app "by default."

Unlike the original series, science and technology have a big showing. KG is the techy of the series, akin to Wade in Kim Possible, Darryl in The Ghost and Molly McGee, or Player in Carmen Sandiego. KG makes the ride-sharing app for Penny. In another episode, he is able to track Penny's phone when she loses it in one episode. He also tries to save LaCi by using his drone.

It is still in contention how much the show bucks the colorism in the original series. Dijonay and the Gross Sisters, described by some as colorist stereotypes, are little changed in the reboot. Dijonay, who has a big family, is seen taking leftovers for her 10 brothers and sisters in one episode. In another, she leaks photos of Ms. Hill, the homeless teacher. She is rewarded part of a so-called "Snitches to Riches" program, wiping away her lunchroom debt. On a positive note, Pratt, who voices Penny, has said that she is attuned to the issue of colorism.

There have not been, and likely will not be, Asian stereotypes akin to those in the original series, like the Chang Triplets. Instead, Penny continues to have a "gang of girlfriends with a variety of looks and personalities". Those people would be her friends, rather than anyone she would be romantically involved with, since she has a boyfriend in this revival series.

Where the revival falls down

There are many aspects to praise about The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder. You could say that certain scenes, like Penny using a night crawler suit with different modes, like a stealth mode, hearken back to Kim Possible. You could point out that Penny's singing voice sounds like Candace's deep voice in Phineas and Ferb or highlight the talented guest stars.

However, the show's seventh episode showcases a missed opportunity. The show could have made the main characters college-age, working out problems at a local university, as they adapt to being adults in a coming-of-age story with the same tenor as this series. The series could be even strong. However, the creators, staff, or Disney could have scoffed at the idea, wanting to have the characters be the same age they were in the original show.

The series also raises the question: Are Penny's friends actually her friends? Time and time again, her friends abandon her. Are they her actual friends or they leeches? That is a matter of opinion. Sometimes they work together well, like when they sing on stage as a group LMPDZ (LaCi, Maya, Penny, Dijonay, and Zoey) in the show's fifth episode. At other times they don't try to stand by Penny, throwing her away like a used dishrag.

Some fans on Reddit, Twitter, and elsewhere, have have asked why Penny is still friends with them. They have proposed that she should be a villain along with other ideas to make the series better, allowing her to be an even stronger feminist.

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Despite the show's positives, it hasn't gotten its groove yet. At times, it appears to be too hip. It doesn't have the original's magnetism, with episodes focused on topics such as graffiti, Kwanzaa, spoken word poetry, karate, advertising, genetic experiments, Islam, wild animals, vacations, and elder abuse.

Unfortunately, this revival series negates 2005 film, The Proud Family Movie, as Penny is 14 years old, whereas in the film she has turned 16 years old and is exploring her life as a young adult. This series sadly implies that the whole wild film, which contains a cool battle dance scene and a Totally Spies-esque plot with human experimentation and cloning, is not canon.

Looking forward to Season 2

The season one finale ended on a cliffhanger. Since Season 2 is currently in production, the beginning of the season will continue the story from the finale. Most were excited about the news but others said it would be the second part of season 1 and that they weren't fooling anyone. They asked when Disney would have "original animation" like The Dragon Prince, Arcane, or Tales of Arcadia. While the latter is a valid criticism, due to Disney's focus on reboots/revivals than other original content, it is not pertinent to discuss in length in this theme-centric post.

The second season of The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder will need to answer many questions raised by the finale. The ranch where the Proud family is staying is a strange place, akin to Camp Wannaweep in Kim Possible, a source of Ron Stoppable's trauma.

Penny encounters a huge man-fish and learns that Suga Mama's father has blocked cell service. Trudy may suffer consequences for dragging everyone to the ranch, resulting in fissures in the Proud family. Kareem, Penny's boyfriend, might even save them from the ranch. The whole finale gives off vibes which remind me of Jordan Peele's Get Out.

There is a possibility that Sticky (voiced by Orlando Brown) who left in the show's first episode, may come back in the future. My hope is that he does not return. If he became a major character again, it would up the character dynamics and cause a disruption. The new characters added in the revival are better than Sticky and build out the story more than he ever did.

The second season could also expand on Penny's possible vegetarianism. In the season one finale she mentioned that she wanted a veggie pizza but her father rejected it. He declared it had to be a meat pizza and she did not object.

If the second season expands on Penny's comment, it should be a bigger part of the plot than Steven Universe's off-hand comment that he is vegetarian in an episode of Steven Universe Future. At the time, Steven's comment led to division among the fanbase on whether the fans should embrace it or denounce it. Penny is a woman with strong principles who could make the leap, but is the show's staff willing to make it canon?

Due to the integral role of meat in Black culture, the show staff may fear that changing Penny in this way would lead to anger and challenge the beloved status of the original series and this revival. Even the writers structure an episode on her vegetarianism like other episodes, it could lead to hostility from some Black people.

Furthermore, if Penny becomes a vegetarian in the show's second season, it could blow the doors wide open for such type of representation. Such a category includes few Black people other than M'Baku in Black Panther. And they are mostly supporting characters rather than protagonists.

Closing words

Hopefully, the series improves in the second season. Characters from other Disney series, like The Owl House, The Ghost and Molly McGee or Amphibia, could appear. The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder does work to expand diverse animated stories of Black people, also showcased in the currently airing Karma's World, and older series such as Static Shock, The Boondocks, and Afro Samurai.

The success of this series will likely inform future projects by Farquhar and Smith. In December 2020, both signed a "wide-ranging, multiyear overall deal" to produce various series for Disney. It may do the same for Latoya Raveneau, a series director. She entered a deal in April of this year to "develop and produce animated projects" with Disney.

In the end, while I have my criticisms of the series, I look forward to seeing where it goes in the show's second season, and beyond. This series has the potential to run for three seasons and have an animated film, similar to the original series.

The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder can be watched on Disney+, as can the original series, The Proud Family.

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