Preschoolers will embark on outlandish misadventures with quintessential odd couple — Bossy Bear and Turtle — in Nickelodeon’s brand-new animated preschool series Bossy Bear, debuting Monday, March 6, at 11 a.m. (ET/PT).
From husband and wife team David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim (UglyDolls), and based on the popular book series by Horvath, the series (30 episodes) follows Bossy Bear, an overly-enthusiastic extrovert, and Turtle, a thoughtful introvert – unlikely besties who make the perfect team for navigating silly childhood adventures in their Koreatown-inspired city of Pleasantburg.
Produced in partnership with Imagine Kids+Family, new episodes of the series will continue to roll out Monday through Thursday at 11 a.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon during the month of March, with a series launch on Nick Jr. channels internationally later this year.
The first season will feature real-life couple Lance Bass and Michael Turchin in recurring guest voice roles as the parents to Ginger (Beahlen Deacon), Bossy Bear’s older sister Bissy’s bestie aka her “squirrelfriend.” Bass and Turchin voice Tyler, a laid-back owl, and Greg, an intense chipmunk, respectively, who run a vegetarian and kosher food truck called Latke Love.
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Rounding out the voice cast are series regulars Jayden Ham (Sea of Lights, Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge) as Bossy, an extroverted bear whose big imagination and endless enthusiasm lands him in hilarious situations; and Jaba Keh (Sesame Street) as Turtle, Bossy’s patient, pure-hearted and empathetic best friend.
There’s also Claudia Choi (Her, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) as Bossy’s Mom, the funny and athletic mother who has eyes in the back of her head and Gran-Gran, Turtle’s wise, loving grandmother who knows how to have a good time.
The cast is rounded out by Shaun Baer (Chicago PD) as Bossy’s Dad, the store manager of an electronics shop who has a PhD in Dad jokes, and Viva Lee (Polaris, Deadly Class) as Bissy, Bossy’s older sister who thinks she knows everything about being an adult and can play an okay keytar.
In the March 6 series premiere, “Ultimate Hype Bear/The Chrysalis Crew/Just Say No,” Bissy is nervous to meet her favorite K-Pop band, so Bossy acts as her “Hype Bear” to give her confidence. Then, Bossy and Turtle discover a fallen chrysalis and become the ‘Chrysalis Crew’ to protect it.
Finally, Turtle learns to speak up when Bossy and friends want to use his favorite toy as a soccer ball.
David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim are the creative minds behind the UglyDolls franchise. Horvath also penned the Bossy Bear book series (Hyperion), inspired by a blend of Korean and U.S. pop culture.
The show is executive produced by Imagine Entertainment executive chairmen Brian Grazer and Ron Howard; Imagine Kids+Family’s Elly Kramer Posner; Stephanie Sperber; David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim; Bob Mittenthal for Nickelodeon Animation; and Ashley Postlewaite for Renegade Animation.
Jeff D’Elia (Captain Underpants, Doug Unplugs, Rugrats) serves as story editor and Chil Kong is consulting producer.
Bossy Bear marks Nickelodeon’s third project with Imagine Kids+Family, following live-action adventure series The Astronauts and The Tiny Chef Show, starring the titular social media sensation and herbivore. Production for Nickelodeon Animation is overseen by Eryk Casemiro, Executive Vice President, Nickelodeon Animation, Global Series Content.
Max Goodman serves as Nickelodeon’s Executive in Charge of Production for the series. Paramount Consumer Products will lead consumer products licensing for the Bossy Bear property worldwide in partnership with Imagine Kids+Family.
Mirko Parlevliet has been reporting on the entertainment industry since 1998 and founded Vital Thrills to cover the latest streaming, movie, TV, and game news.