Motown for mini’s? Smokey Robinson is teaming up with Netflix for an animated children’s show inspired by Marvin Gaye, the Jackson 5, the Supremes, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations and more.
The idea of a Motown-themed show speaks to parents—a twist on the typical kiddie songs they hear while watching television with their families. Fifty-two of their favorite songs will now be covered by new artists for the show. This will be executive music producer Robinson’s second Netflix show involving a revitalization of iconic musicians. The first, Beat Bugs, brought together stars like Eddie Vedder, P!nk, Sia, Rod Stewart, Jennifer Hudson and James Corden to rerecord Beatles classics premieres next month [August 3, 2016].
Robinson and creator-director Josh Wakely hope that using Motown records will teach children to embrace their own creativity. The show—left untitled for now—follows Ben, an 8-year-old boy, and his friends living in Motown, Detroit. Another cultural treasure the show offers is Ben brightening up his town with a knack for street art as Motown educates him about the world. Andy Yeatman of Netflix said, “Josh and his team have done another incredible job of interweaving iconic songs with compelling narratives from which children can learn and grow, and that families can enjoy together.”
So far, Wakely has rights to songs in the Jobete Music Company, Inc. and Stone Diamond Music Corporation publishing catalogs. That means access to Diana Ross, the Commodores, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations and Patti Labelle. We’re excited to hear what else will be a part of Robinson’s Motown redux.
