PBS Kids has given a third-season renewal to Donkey Hodie, a puppetry series that hails from Fred Rogers Productions and Spiffy Pictures.
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New episodes of the series will debut in 2025.
The series, which is said to be inspired “by the funny, quirky side of Fred Rogers,” launched in 2021 and features reimagined characters from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood . Season three will feature 15 new episodes, including two half-hour specials plus additional digital content, that will continue to follow the adventures of Donkey Hodie and her friends Purple Panda, Duck Duck and Bob Dog in the whimsical land of Someplace Else.
The news follows of the heels of the season seven premiere of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood , which also was inspired Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and also hails from Fred Rogers Productions. In season three of Donkie Hodie, the two series will come together for the first time with a special half-hour crossover episode. Daniel Tiger and Dad Tiger will be reimagined as puppets — bringing them from animation to live-action — as they climb aboard Trolley from the Neighborhood of Make-Believe to visit Donkey Hodie and her pals in Someplace Else.
“Both Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood and Donkey Hodie are inspired by the creativity and imagination of Fred Rogers and the world of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood , where the characters of Daniel Striped Tiger and Donkey Hodie were first introduced,” said Ellen Doherty, chief creative officer at Fred Rogers Productions. “There is a natural connection between the series through both the learning goals that drive them and the legacy that led to them, and we are thrilled to continue to tell stories of empathy, resilience and friendship.”
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Added David Rudman, co-creator and executive producer of Donkey Hodie and co-founder of Spiffy Pictures: “We are eager for kids and families to see what we have coming up for Season 3, including our crossover episode. It’s been a fun and exciting process to design these beloved characters as puppets who stylistically fit into the world of Donkey Hodie while staying true to the animated versions we all know and love from Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood .”
The show, aimed at kids ages 3-5, explores themes of resilience, perseverance and problem solving while also focusing on emotional well-being, building confidence in girls and belonging. It is designed to empower kids to dream big and overcome obstacles in their own lives, work hard and persevere in the face of failure, be resourceful and discover they can solve problems on their own.
“Fred Rogers’ timeless lessons are core to what we do at PBS Kids,” said Sara DeWitt, senior vp and general manager of PBS Kids. “We’re excited for a new season of Donkey Hodie , and for the special treat of seeing Daniel Tiger and Donkey Hodie together.”
Donkey Hodie was created by Adam Rudman and David Rudman of Spiffy Pictures and developed by Doherty. All three are executive producers, with Kristin DiQuollo of Fred Rogers Productions as co-executive producer and Caroline Bandolik of Spiffy Pictures as supervising producer.
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