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Here’s Your First Look At Disney’s New ‘Muppet Babies’ Character, Meet Summer The Penguin

By Danny Cox
Published on: 04:24 PST, Jan 25, 2018

Almost a year-and-a-half ago, it was revealed that a reboot of the Muppet Babies was in the works for Disney Junior, and it appears they won’t be coming alone. The hit animated series originally ran from 1984 to 1991 on CBS, and it is coming back with a digitally-enhanced look and some new friends as well. On Thursday, new viewers and old-school fans were introduced to a brand new character and received their first look at Summer the penguin.

During its original run, the world was introduced to the Muppet Babies, who ran around the nursery, which usually transformed into the places of their great adventures. Disney thought it would be a great idea to introduce today’s kids to a group of characters that so many loved back in the day.

Kermit, Piggy, Gonzo, Animal, and Fozzie Bear are all returning for the new series, which is set to debut on Disney Junior this March. While some of the other favorites are not coming back in the reboot, there will be a brand new baby in the nursery.

Entertainment Weekly provided the first look of the newest character on Muppet Babies, and she is the small and adorable Summer the penguin.

Muppet Babies executive producer Tom Warburton said that working on this show is “one of the most exciting things in the world.” While the iconic characters will be in the nursery and there for all to enjoy, it was decided that a new friend needed to come in to play with everyone.

Warburton and Muppets Studio collaborated to create this new female character, and it took a lot of work to come up with Summer.

“It was me and our art director Chris Moreno sitting in a room just doodling and drawing, and I came up with this little sketch of a lollipop-shaped penguin with a turtleneck. We probably did a hundred different characters trying to figure out who this was going to be, and when we came into Disney Junior with this penguin and a couple others, they immediately went to the penguin and said, ‘That one.’ We have that original drawing hanging in the studio now.”

Summer the penguin will be voiced by Jessica DiCicco, and the new character is a bit of an “art girl,” according to Warburton. Summer is creative and will be the artist of the nursery who also loves to dance while showcasing her big heart.

It’s not uncommon for new Muppets to be created for TV shows and movies. On the original Muppet Babies, there was a character created by the name of Skeeter, but it has been confirmed that she won’t be back for the reboot.

The new version of Muppet Babies on Disney Junior will make its debut in March, and it is going to have a new look and a new friend in Summer the penguin. If the show ends up being a success, it would not be surprising to see even more new Muppets join the nursery over time, and it would only make sense for that to happen. In the meantime, old-school fans of the show are simply wondering if the famous theme song will open each episode.

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