The Paley Center for Media (based in New York) has announced new selections to its Paley Front Row series, including talks with news anchors and general interest hosts at MSNBC (June 5) and a look at ABC’s “Summer Fun & Games” lineup (June 12). Of note to animation fans is a lively look at the making of one of the most anticipated new toons on streaming: Apple’s Central Park: A Conversation with the Stars and Creative Team, debuting Friday at 12 p.m. EST.
Part of Paley@Home Presented by Citi, Paley Front Row is a new offering from the Center that gives fans and professionals the chance to enjoy and learn from behind-the-scenes stories of today’s top shows from the comfort of home. All programs are available to watch on the Paley Center YouTube Channel.
“We’re thrilled to announce the next three highly-anticipated selections in our Paley@Home Presented by Citi series,” said Maureen J. Reidy, the Paley Center’s President & CEO. “This stellar slate of programs includes a timely conversation with powerhouse women reporting on the COVID-19 crisis, an exciting behind-the-scenes look at today’s hottest game shows and their incredibly popular hosts and a superstar lineup from TV’s most talked-about, animated, musical series.”
Premiering Friday, May 29 on Apple TV+, Central Park is a new animated musical comedy about the Tillermans, a family that lives in Central Park. Owen, the park manager, and Paige, his journalist wife, raise their kids Molly and Cole in the world’s most famous park, while fending off hotel heiress Bitsy Brandenham and her long suffering assistant Helen, who would love nothing more than to turn the park into condos.
The all-star Paley Front Row panel includes voice stars Kristen Bell (“Molly”), Daveed Diggs (“Helen”), Kathryn Hahn (“Paige”), Leslie Odom, Jr. (“Owen”), as well as Loren Bouchard (Executive Producer/Co-Creator), Josh Gad (Executive Producer/ Co-Creator/“Birdie”), Nora Smith (Executive Producer/Co-Creator), Sanjay Shah (Executive Producer) and Halsted Sullivan (Executive Producer). The chat is moderated by Entertainment Weekly TV critic Kristen Baldwin.
In the session, viewers will find out how this song-filled series sparked to life, how the actors manage to bring adlib choices to the animators’ tables despite recording solo, why Stanley Tucci ended up voicing the diminutive villainess, the unexpected uses for a law degree when writing for animation and, of course, an enthusiastic recap of the first season’s music from reunited Frozen co-stars Gad and Bell.
You can also read all about Central Park in Ramin Zahed’s feature story from the May issue of Animation Magazine here.
Paley Front Row “Apple’s Central Park: A Conversation with the Stars and Creative Team” will be live on YT on Friday, May 28 at noon EST.
For more information, visit www.paleycenter.org.
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