| The Proud Family | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Animated sitcom Coming-of-age |
| Created by | Bruce W. Smith |
| Developed by |
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| Voices of | |
| Opening theme | "The Proud Family Theme Song" performed bySolange Knowles andDestiny's Child |
| Ending theme | "The Proud Family Theme Song" (instrumental) |
| Composers | |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 52(list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producers |
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| Running time | 20–22 minutes |
| Production company | Jambalaya Studio |
| Original release | |
| Network | Disney Channel |
| Release | September 15, 2001 (2001-09-15) – August 19, 2005 (2005-08-19) |
| Related | |
The Proud Family is an Americananimated sitcom created byBruce W. Smith that aired onDisney Channel for two seasons from September 15, 2001, to August 19, 2005. The series centers on the life of the titular family, including the show's main protagonist, Penny Proud, a 14-year-oldAfrican American teenage girl who navigates her adolescence while dealing with her friends and family. Episodes deal with Penny discovering her boundaries and struggling with family relationships and peer pressure. Penny Proud has strong relationships with her entrepreneurial father Oscar Proud and her veterinarian mother Trudy Proud, as well as her friends Dijonay Jones, LaCienega Boulevardez, Zoey Howzer, and Sticky Webb.
Bruce W. Smith previously directed the 1992 film,Bebe's Kids, which was abox office failure. Because of the lack of African-American animated shows, Smith co-foundedJambalaya Studios to create diverse projects.The Proud Family was the first project to be created by the company, starting development in 1998. Smith was inspired to create the series due to the lack of African-American empowerment in animation. Based on his experiences with a middle-class African-American family inLos Angeles, the series featured several elements inanimated sitcoms that explored socially relevant themes.
The Proud Family is the first original animated series to air exclusively on Disney Channel.[1] The series premiered on September 15, 2001, as part of the network's programming blockZoog Disney. The series received generally positive reviews for its humor and themes, but received some criticism for its stereotypes. A feature film,The Proud Family Movie, premiered as theseries finale on August 19, 2005. A revival, known asThe Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, premiered on February 23, 2022, onDisney+.

| Season | Episodes | Originally released | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First released | Last released | |||
| 1 | 21 | September 15, 2001 (2001-09-15) | May 24, 2002 (2002-05-24) | |
| 2 | 31 | September 27, 2002 (2002-09-27) | August 19, 2005 (2005-08-19) | |
| TV movie | August 19, 2005 (2005-08-19) | |||
The Proud Family visitHawaii in an episode ofLilo & Stitch: The Series, titled "Spats", in which they stay atJumba &Pleakley's Bed & Not Breakfast and Suga Mama inadvertently activates an experiment that causes spats.
"Growing inL.A. in a family of six kids, we had some crazy episodes, and I thought it would be a cool idea to bring all that stuff to the screen. I wouldn't say it's edgy the waySouth Park is edgy–it's edgy but it has a heart."
American animator and character designerBruce W. Smith had previously directed the animated filmBebe's Kids.[23] Based on comedianRobin Harris'stand-up comedy act of the same name,[24] it was the first animated film to be targeted at aBlack audience.[22][23] Released on July 31, 1992, byParamount Pictures, it was abox-office flop, and it received negative reviews from critics.[25] Since the 1970s, only a few animated series had anAfrican-American focus, includingLittle Bill in 1999.[23]
In 1999, Smith co-foundedJambalaya Studio withHyperion Pictures to bring more "racially and ethnically" diverse animated projects to television, movies, and the internet.[23][26][27][28]The Proud Family was the first project created for Jambalaya Studio,[27][28][29][30] starting development in 1998.[22] Smith was inspired to create the series because he did not see the characters of color represented in animation.[31] Upon creating the series, Smith drew his experiences with a middle-class African-American family inLos Angeles.[22][23] The conception of the series was also inspired by his fatherhood of three children.[23] In 2000, Smith told Charles Solomon ofThe Los Angeles Times that he wanted to create a middle-class African-American family that was "not so muchCosby-esque as Cosby-esque with a really interesting slant."[22] The name of the series was inspired by his meeting with co-founder Tom Wilhite when Smith showed him the main characters drawn in a family portrait.[27]
The series' lead character, Penny Proud, was partially based on Smith's daughter Rachel.[23] According to Smith in 2001, he saw the series as an instructional video to his daughter.[2] Oscar's mother, Suga Mama, was named after Smith's mother, Mary, who disliked being called "grandma".[23][27] His mother's personality traits were also included for the character,[32] including her "bold spirit".[27] Oscar and Trudy Proud were based on Smith and his wife Denise.[27] Papi Boulevardez's physical appearance was inspired byCesar Romero as theJoker inBatman (1966).[27]
Kyla Pratt was cast as the lead character Penny Proud.[2][3][4][5] At the time, Pratt identified with her character's personality traits because they both "[knew] when to be sweet and when to have a little attitude", and they both liked being a "regular kid", "going to school", and "work[ing] [their] own way".[2] Pratt also related to the episodes, stating that they taught her how to "deal with things that happened [in the episodes]."[2] Pratt recorded dialogue for the series on days when she was not rehearsing and taping forOne on One.[5]Soleil Moon Frye, best known as the title character onPunky Brewster, was cast as Zoey Howzer.[2][7] Describing the character as a "wonderfully fun and cute and crazy little character", Frye told TVData Features Syndicate that she was "having fun playing [her character]".[2]
Featuring several conventions in everyanimated sitcom with socially relevant themes,[30] Smith wanted to create "something for the audience to laugh at" and give them "something to take away and be proud in terms of what [Black] culture represents."[32] Although essentially an animated sitcom, Smith set up as anaction-oriented show and included things that would be impossible for alive-action sitcom.[30] Smith cited the first season episode "I Had a Dream" as one of the examples, stating that the premise is similar toBack to the Future, and the premise would not be done in a "live-action half hour" show.[30] According to TVData Features Syndicate, the dialogue included a "hip-hop vocabulary primer", and the series blended classic family themes from shows likeThe Simpsons withcoming-of-age elements reminiscent ofThe Cosby Show andDegrassi Junior High.[2]
In terms of design, Smith wanted the colors to "create a harmony" without "ghetto hues" for a mainstream look.[32]
Due to few pitches of all cartoons featuringAfrican-Americans,[33]The Proud Family is one of the few animated kids shows that featured an African-American protagonist[33] and one of the few animated sitcoms to feature African-Americans as lead characters.[31] Dealing with themes ofbullying,gossip,responsibility, and others,The Proud Family highlighted the importance ofdiscrimination,stereotyping, andculture differences.[34] With universal themes rooted in theAfrican-American culture,The Proud Family was considered "groundbreaking" for television due to its depiction on an African-American family in their day-to-day lives.[35] According to Michael Mallory ofThe Los Angeles Times, the series was also addressing the "diversity issue" more effectively than inprimetime television at the time of publishing.[30] Smith told Mike Duffy ofDetroit Free Press that the series is a "celebration [and inclusion] of all cultures."[23] Ben Hooper of TVData Features Syndicate commented that while several animated shows deal with "multicultural issues",The Proud Family "keeps it real–er, skews closer to reality–by presenting a multiracial cast of characters with whichtweens in culturally diverse schools can identify."[2] Gerald Raiti ofKidscreen recalled that although the series is a satire of family life, it was "[communicating] to children of all races."[33]
The series also had themes ofAfrican-American history and liberation.[23][30] The first-season episode "I Had a Dream" experienced the importance ofBlack History Month and the life of a black person in the 1950s.[30] In the episode, Penny encounteredracism andsegregation after she time-traveled to the year 1955.[28] According to Smith on the holiday-themed episode "Seven Days of Kwanzaa", he impliedKwanzaa as the "true meaning of [December]", and he stated that "Kwanzaa is about someone leading a purposeful life, [and] it ties in with what we feel theChristmas spirit is about: family, giving, unity, purpose."[36]
In January 1999,Animation World Network announced thatNickelodeon commissioned production forThe Proud Family.[37] AlthoughThe Los Angeles Times implied thatThe Proud Family was picked up byDisney Channel on November 19, 2000,[38]Variety officially announced that Disney Channel was preparingThe Proud Family for its lineup on March 26, 2001.[39] The series' debut episode, "Bring It On", first aired on September 15, 2001, on Disney Channel.[40] The show ran for two seasons and was followed by the 2005 film,The Proud Family Movie, which ended the series.[41]
On August 31, 2002,The Proud Family began airing in reruns onABC as part ofDisney's One Saturday Morning.[citation needed] Two weeks later, Disney's One Saturday Morning would be rebranded asABC Kids[42] whereThe Proud Family continued airing until September 2, 2006, when it was removed from the lineup.[citation needed] The series was shown onDisney Channel as part of Disney Replay on October 1, 2015, and aired again on December 24, 2015, with the episode, "Seven Days of Kwanzaa".[citation needed] In December 2018, the episode was part of a holiday live stream on Disney Channel'sYouTube channel.[citation needed] It also aired onToon Disney until February 6, 2009, just six days before the channel was relaunched asDisney XD,BET in 2008 andCentric in 2010.[43][44]
The second-season episode "Wedding Bell Blues" was initially removed from reruns on the network in 2004 due to Oscar accusing Suga Mama's new boyfriend Clarence of being agigolo.[citation needed] The episode is currently available onDisney+.[45] Another second-season episode "Who You Calling a Sissy?" was pulled after its initial airing on August 12, 2005, due to Michael Collins being called asissy at the time.[citation needed] In 2022, it was confirmed that Michael Collins isgender non-conforming.[46] The episode is also currently available onDisney+.[45]
The Proud Family aired onThe Family Channel in Canada.[citation needed] InJamaica, it aired onTVJ.[citation needed] In the United Kingdom, the series aired onITV in 2002 as part of the network's Saturday morningDiggin' It show.[citation needed] The series has also aired on multiple international Disney Channel stations.[citation needed]
As of September 2020, the series is available for purchase on theiTunes Store,[47][48][49]Amazon Prime Video,[50] andGoogle TV.[51] The series became available to stream onDisney+ on January 1, 2020.[52] The first-season episode "Don't Leave Home Without It" was originally unavailable on all streaming services due to complications with several references toproduct placements, such asQ-Tip andRogaine being mentioned.[citation needed] The episode is currently available on Disney+,[45] iTunes,[47] and the complete series on DVD after resolving this issue since no physical appearance of commercialism is involved.[citation needed]
To celebrate the show's 20th anniversary,Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released a 7-disc complete collection that includes the entire show for the first time ever on DVD, alongsideThe Proud Family Movie and Shorties on March 15, 2022.[53]
| The Proud Family | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Various artists | |
| Released |
|
| Genre | |
| Label | Walt Disney/Universal |
Thesoundtrack album for the show is a combination of both original songs by the characters in the show, songs by popularR&B music artists such asAlicia Keys,India.Arie, andSolange &Destiny's Child (who perform the theme song), and classicsoul music from artists such asAretha Franklin andthe O'Jays.[54]
The series received generally positive reviews from critics.[55] Mark Sachs ofThe Los Angeles Times commented that it is a "fresh-feeling animated show geared teens".[7] Betsy Wallace ofCommon Sense Media said that the series is a mix of positive role models, zany comedy, and stories which are relatable, while questioning the political point of having a famous basketball player own everything in town.[56] Nadira Goffe ofSlate praised the series for its humor aimed at viewers, with clear inspirations for in-universe shows and references, and for starring a cast of Black teenagers of "all different shades and family makeups."[57] Todd Coleman ofTelevisionWeek also praised the series for its "flat-out hilarious" humor, describing the series as "hip in style".[58]
Screen Rant praised the series for having a "perfect balance" of being hilarious and heartfelt while breaking barriers with its "BIPOC representation" behind the scenes and in the show itself.[59]Romper praised the series for positive representation of Black families, changing the narrative through each episode.[60]HuffPost lauded the series for allowing Black people to see versions of themselves "through expressive and entertaining characters.[61] Leila Etthachfini ofVice Media criticized the show for negative stereotypes of Asian, Muslim, and Black people, but stated that it is "a standout Disney show in many ways."[62]
The Proud Family was a "huge success" when it premiered.[55] During the 2003–2004 season, the series had an averageNielsen rating of 4.0 for kids 6 to 11.[33]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Performance in a Youth or Children's Series/Special | Tommy Davidson | Nominated | [63] |
| Outstanding Youth or Children's Series/Special | The Proud Family | Nominated | |||
| Artios Award | Best Casting for Animated Voice Over, Television | Eileen Mack Knight | Won | [64] | |
| 2003 | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | Cedric the Entertainer | Won | [65][66][31] |
| Ving Rhames | Nominated | ||||
| Outstanding Performance in a Youth/Children's Series/Special | Tommy Davidson | Nominated | |||
| Jo Marie Payton | Nominated | ||||
| Kyla Pratt | Nominated | ||||
| Casting Society of America | Best Casting for Animated Voice Over, Television | Eileen Mack Knight | Won | [67] | |
| 30th Annie Awards | Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Television Production Produced for Children | The Proud Family | Nominated | [68] | |
| Outstanding Character Design in an Animated Television Production | Shannon Tindle for episode "Forbidden Date" | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Directing in an Animated Television Production | Bruce W. Smith for episode "A Hero For Halloween" | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Writing in an Animated Television Production | James E. West II & T. Smith III for episode "I Had A Dream" | Nominated | |||
| 2004 | 31st Annie Awards | Outstanding Character Design in an Animated Television Production | Shannon Tindle for episode "Culture Shock" | Nominated | [69] |
| BET Comedy Awards | Outstanding Animated Series | The Proud Family | Won | [70] | |
| NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Performance in a Youth/Children's Series/Special | Tommy Davidson | Nominated | [31][71] | |
| Kyla Pratt | Nominated | ||||
| 2004 Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Cartoon | The Proud Family | Nominated | [72] | |
| 20th TCA Awards | Outstanding Children's Programming | The Proud Family | Nominated | [73] | |
| NAMIC Vision Awards | Best Comedic Performance | Jo Marie Payton | Nominated | [74] | |
| Paula Jai Parker | Nominated | ||||
| Children's | "Tween Town" | Nominated | |||
| 2005 | 36th NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Performance in a Youth/Children's Series/Special | Tommy Davidson | Nominated | [75] |
| Jo Marie Payton | Nominated | ||||
| Kyla Pratt | Nominated | ||||
| NAMIC Vision Awards | Best Children's | The Proud Family | Won | [76][77] | |
| Best Comedic Performance | Jo Marie Payton | Nominated |
Entertainment Weekly rankedThe Proud Family as sixth on greatest Disney Channel Original Series, stating that the series was a "warm tale of a family sticking together despite all their frustrations."[78]The Proud Family was ranked at No. 17 onTV Guide's ranking of "The Best Disney Channel Shows".[79]The Proud Family was included onMTV's "15 Disney Channel Series We Wish We Could Watch Again".[34]
On May 30, 2005,The Proud Family Movie was announced as part of the "tween-targeted fare" on Disney Channel.[80] The film premiered as aDisney Channel Original Movie on August 19, 2005, on Disney Channel.[81] The film served as theseries finale for show's original run. All of the cast reprised their roles for the film.[81] The film featuredOmarion as 15 Cent andArsenio Hall as Dr. Carver.[81]
A video game based on the series was developed by Gorilla Systems and published byBuena Vista Games for theGame Boy Advance.[82] The game was released in November 2005 in North America, a few months after the show ended.[82] In the game, Penny works a variety of jobs to raise money so she can afford to buy her parents a T.H.A.N.G. (Total Home Automated Necessity Gizmo) for their upcoming wedding anniversary. Each job plays out as aminigame. Aside from Penny and her parents, other characters from the series also appear in the game, including Penny's friends and Suga Mama.[82][83]GameDaily and GameZone both rated the game 8 out of 10.[83][84]
In August 2019,Tommy Davidson stated thatThe Proud Family would be revived for a third season onDisney+.[85] On January 1, 2020, Disney executives approached Farquhar and Smith about reviving the series.[86] On February 27, 2020, it was announced that a reboot of the series has been ordered on Disney+.[87][88] The original cast (minusTara Strong due tocasting restrictions andOrlando Brown due to his judicial processes) returned to reprise their roles.[89]Keke Palmer joined to voice a new character named Maya Leibowitz-Jenkins.[89] It premiered on Disney+ on February 23, 2022.[21][90][91]
Ralph Farquhar is also executive producer of theDisney Channel's "The Proud Family."