WATERTOWN, NY (February 12, 2024) – WPBS-TV is excited to host a FREE in-studio screening of the newest PBS Kids show LYLA IN THE LOOP! Join WPBS at 1056 Arsenal Street on Wednesday, February 21st at 6:00 pm for kid-friendly snacks and goodies while watching this great new show in the WPBS-TV studio!! This event is free and open to the public. Guests are asked to register at wpbstv.org/events.
Produced by Mighty Picnic and Pipeline Studios, LYLA IN THE LOOP is a funny and engaging new animated series for kids ages 4-8. The show follows Lyla, a dynamic 7-year-old girl, who lives in a big city with her close-knit family, fantastical blue sidekick Stu, and a host of relatable and quirky characters in her community, who use creative and strategic problem-solving and critical thinking skills to address a range of everyday problems together.
The new series will debut on PBS KIDS February 5, 2024 – in both English and Spanish.
“Lyla is curious and resourceful, and when it comes to figuring out solutions to everyday problems, she doesn’t give up, even when it takes several tries to get it right,” said Sara DeWitt, Senior Vice President and General Manager, PBS KIDS. “We know audiences will quickly be drawn to Lyla’s determination and can-do-attitude, and we’re excited to introduce this warm, funny, and smart series to our viewers.”
LYLA IN THE LOOP centers on Lyla and her family – mom Lydia and dad Louis, who run Loops Lunch diner; older twin sisters Liana and Louisa; younger brother Luke; and sidekick Stu, who always does exactly, literally, what was asked. With her family and best friend Everett Phan, Lyla tackles all sorts of challenges, from building her own homemade carnival games using repurposed materials, to riding along and lending a hand on the neighborhood trash and recycling route, to making a puppet show that recreates the Jamaican folktale, Anansi and the Goat. Lyla even helps her sister navigate the ethics of creating an art project with the help of Stu, showcasing an age-appropriate example of current questions surrounding the use of real-world AI tools. In every adventure, Lyla and Stu introduce and explore foundational computational thinking concepts, leading to some comedic disasters and creative solutions, all while helping others in their community. The series will support a wide range of learners, modeling flexible approaches to finding and designing solutions, and creative self-expression.
“Kids are natural creative problem-solvers, experimenting and investigating the world around them with joyful curiosity,” says Series Creator and Showrunner Dave Peth. “LYLA IN THE LOOP celebrates and encourages kids and the grownups in their lives to recognize those innate abilities and see them as a powerful tool to help others, express themselves, and solve all kinds of problems in everyday life.”
Learn more about Lyla and her adventures at: https://pbskids.org/lyla.
About Lyla in the Loop
LYLA IN THE LOOP is created and Executive Produced by Emmy-winning producer Dave Peth (Odd Squad, Peg + Cat, Scribbles and Ink, Design Squad), founder of media production and consulting company Mighty Picnic. Pipeline Studios, the Emmy-winning children’s content studio (Elinor Wonders Why, Alma’s Way, Bubble Guppies) is animating the series. The series is voiced by Liyou Abere as Lyla Loops, Izzy Woodbury as Stu, Isaac Ng as Lyla’s best friend Everett Phan, and Eden Cupid, Elijah Lindo, Joseph Motiki, Shechinah Mpumlwana, and Morrissa Nicole, as the Loops family. Fracaswell Hyman is the series Executive Producer and Head Writer, with Monique D. Hall serving as Story Editor, Huy Tran as Director, Laurie Rabin as Supervising Producer, Trina Sanyal as Associate Producer, Joon Chung as Script Coordinator, and Nneka Bolden as Digital Producer.
Funding for the new series was provided by a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and a grant from the U.S. Department of Education as part of the Ready To Learn Initiative, a federal program that supports the development of innovative educational television and digital media targeted to preschool and early elementary school children and their families.
About WPBS
WPBS is a PBS station serving approximately 650,000 households throughout Northern New York and Eastern Ontario via cable, satellite, Internet and over-the-air distribution. WPBS is a non-profit organization whose mission is to educate, inform, and engage its two-nation region with exceptional and trusted content across multiple platforms. Its vision is to be the premier provider of extraordinary public media that instills wonder and curiosity across generations and borders. More information about WPBS, including a full channel listing, is available at wpbstv.org, or by following WPBS on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
