October 18, 2024 (Updated: NOV 14)

PBS KIDS' Carl The Collector

New series embraces children personal challenges and celebrates uniqueness

 

PBS KIDS’ First Series Centering on an Autistic Main Character

Carl the Collector, airing weekdays at 1:00PM on WQPT PBS KIDS (also available on the PBS KIDS app and online), follows the everyday adventures of Carl, a warm-hearted autistic raccoon who enjoys collecting things and loves his friends and family in Fuzzytown. Carl pays extraordinarily close attention to detail and comes up with unique ideas that others might not consider. These traits have helped him amass his extensive collections—from autographs and bottle caps to fake mustaches, pet rocks, sweaters, and virtually everything in between—which can come in handy for solving problems around the neighborhood with his friends.

“By portraying a close group of neurodivergent and neurotypical friends, Carl the Collector models how all of us can be helpful, supportive and appreciative of each other’s ways of thinking,” said Sara DeWitt, Senior Vice President and General Manager of PBS KIDS. “We are thrilled to introduce Carl, his friends, and his amazing collections to young audiences and help them build the social skills they will need as they make friends and engage in their communities.”

Carl’s friends include Sheldon, an empathetic beaver with a knack for connecting people and a soft spot for the underdog. As Carl’s best friend, he is attuned to Carl’s unique logic and ways of looking at the world, sometimes helping him navigate complex social nuances when necessary. Carl’s friend Lotta, a quiet and self-assured fox, is also autistic. She experiences hypersensitivity to loud sounds, powerful smells, and certain food textures and has exceptional talents in art and music. Other friends include Nico and Arugula, identical twin bunny sisters whose personalities couldn’t be more different, making their quest to define their identities extra complicated. And Forrest, a hyperactive and impulsive squirrel with a tree nut allergy, is always down for an impromptu adventure.

In each episode, Carl and his friends learn about themselves while working and playing together. Carl, a perfectionist, struggles with anxiety in new situations, as seen in “The Fall” when he freezes, unsure how to help Nico. In “The Fake Mustache Collection,” Carl’s attention to detail helps Nico, and in “Whole Lotta Lotta,” Lotta embraces her personality despite being labeled “Headphone Girl” for her sensitivity to loud noises.

Carl the Collector digital content for kids, families, and teachers, launching in tandem with the series, will reinforce its core messages of self-discovery and identity as well as recognizing and encouraging empathy for the many ways people think and behave.