Set in the fictional and peaceful Fuzzytown, Carl the Collector centers on the life of Carl, an autistic child racoon with a special interest in creating collections of various items, and his friends. Carl's friends include Sheldon, a compassionate beaver and Carl's best friend; Lotta, a shy and autistic fox with an artistic talent and hypersensitivity to sound; Forrest, a hyperactive squirrel; and Nico and Arugula, identical twin bunny sisters with opposing personalities. Episodes often involve Carl and his friends working together and learning lessons to overcome new situations.
Cast
Kai Barham as Carl, an autistic 8-year-old[citation needed] gray racoon with a special interest in collecting.
Heather Bambrick as Maude (Mama), Carl's mother.
Peter Laurie as Sheldon, a compassionate brown beaver and Carl's best friend.
Abigail Oliver as Nico, a brash pink rabbit and identical twin to Argula.
Beatrice Schneider as Arugula, a nice pink rabbit and identical twin to Nico.
Maddy McIlwain as Lotta, an autistic red fox with an artistic talent.
Production
Zachariah OHora is a New York Times bestselling children's author and illustrator known for his picture books featuring bipedal animals such as Wolfie the Bunny, Niblet & Ralph, and My Cousin Momo.[2] In c. 2015, during a time when PBS Kids was searching for "creators outside its usual pool of talent",[3] Natalie Engel, the Director of Content for Children’s Programming, approached OHora, liking his art style, to create a television series. At the time, OHora had created a raccoon character called "The Collector", based on OHora's own collecting habits, who had not been used in any of OHora's stories at the time.[2] OHora's concept for the series was inspired by a school that his two non-autistic sons went to and that centered around the inclusion model.[2][3] OHora described his experiences with the school as a "lightbulb moment", as he felt that the stigma surrounding disabilities would diminish if children were exposed to the "spectrum of humanity".[3][4]
The series was animated using Toon Boom Harmony.[3] Fuzzytown, the fictional setting of Carl the Collector, is modeled after Narberth, Pennsylvania, the residence of the show's creator.[5]
Carl the Collector was first announced on November 2023 as the first PBS Kids series to be led by an autistic character.[6] Targeted toward children ages 4–8,[4]Carl the Collector premiered on November 14, 2024, on PBS Kids.[7] The series' premiere in Canada and second season have not been announced. Heather Bambrick, voice actress of Maude, has expressed hope for a second season, saying she thinks "we need a show like this."[8] On Common Sense Media, Ashley Moulton gave Carl the Collector four stars, commending the series' characterization and sensitivity in handling autism. Moulton described the characters as relatable and praised the series' representation of the autism spectrum by demonstrating how the characters of Carl and Lotta experience autism differently and how autistic traits manifest without othering the characters.[9] Carrie Gillispie of New America considers the character of Carl "a hopeful sign that perhaps disability inclusion could become the norm for the next generation."[10]
