January 5th, 2023 
Jackson Murphy 
Disney Junior’s new family animated series SuperKitties premieres this Wednesday January 11th at 10:30am. Episodes will also be on Disney+. Creator and executive producer Paula Rosenthal and Co-EP Kirk Van Wormer join me for a cat-tacular conversation. (This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited for length and clarity.)
Paula Rosenthal: It’s really paw-some to be here!
Jackson Murphy: Paw-some, indeed! Paula, do you remember when and how you fell in love with cats?
PR: Oh my gosh. What’s not to love about cats, right? In my family, we adopted a kitten when I was very young. We took care of it and nurtured it through most of her adult life. And then when she sadly passed, we had a second one that was probably the size of a small wildcat. It had its own personality. I fell in love with them back then and haven’t stopped since.
JM: Wow. Kirk, what about you, and what attracted you to this show?
Kirk Van Wormer: My family, from people to animals, has always been a menagerie of every kind of creature you could imagine, including lots of cats. I have two right now. I don’t know how to live without them in my life. They endlessly amuse and teach me. I was so excited when Paula came-in with this beautiful idea that made so much sense and seemed so fun. I probably, forcefully, said, “I need to be in on this! I need to help! This is so paw-some!” I was just so thrilled that this was able to happen… and help Paula realize this vision. It’s an amazing show.
JM: It’s super sweet superhero cats! Paula, this is going to be on Disney Junior, so young kids are going to watch it. But I really think there’s appeal for the cat lovers of all ages. What were your goals in attracting all ages to watch this?
PR: I’d like to think everyone loves cats. (laughs) It is absolutely geared for the kid in all of us because we are watching our superheroes interact with kids when they’re in the Purr ‘n Play, which is their home when they are just kitties. It is also where their secret lair is hidden below. It pays homage to everything that adults love in superhero shows and that kids love in shows that embrace animals.
JM: Yes! And Kirk, there are so many little hidden gems / easter eggs of the cat face and shape. That must’ve been a lot of fun inserting those all over the place.
KVW: It’s been a really great time. The fun thing about this show is… let’s not forget, it’s also very funny. Families, and kids, will really respond to the humor. And some of the humor is in the visuals we’ve built into our beautiful city of Kittydale, which is not a town that is based on having kitties, it’s just named Kittydale — and they’ve really taken that logo and run with it. There’s a lot of silliness there too. We had a great time trying to make it a fun, real city that you’d want to go visit, [including] the Purr ‘n Play.
JM: Kids will love visiting this every day watching this on TV and Disney+. I have to imagine, Paula, some research going into this may have been going on YouTube and watching cat videos all the time…?
PR: We are obsessed with cat videos. We made sure our studio is obsessed with cat videos. Their humor, their unique behavior, the way they’re characters… so clearly defined in those videos you see on YouTube. It absolutely was a big force in influencing everything you see on screen.
JM: That’s nice. And Kirk, one of the themes I got from screening one of the first episodes of the show is the theme of companionship. How did you really want to show that through these episodes?
KVW: We wanted the interaction between the children and the cats to feel natural and tender. The kids get to brush and hang out with the cats. There’s some real playtimes that are silly. Then we take that learning of empathy and caring one step further when the cats suddenly become superheroes and they get out in the real world and they have to solve the problems. In every instance, they don’t solve them with superhero fighting. They solve them with understanding and compassion and caring for all of the animals of Kittydale, including the villains, who can sometimes be a little naughty. Having those real cat behaviors — the flicks of the ears, the way that they move their tail when they’re curious — that translates all across the board and helps you kind of understand that you’re not just watching this from another person’s point of view… you’re watching these interactions from a cat’s point of view. Sometimes they get distracted by a feather or a leaf or a dot a light and get off and then they have to come back in. It makes for really fun and unexpected moments in the show.
JM: Definitely. Kirk, you brought up the villains. Paula, these cats are facing-off against these foes. But at the same time, the foes are gonna learn lessons and have showdowns in nice ways. How did you want to present that element?
PR: The villains are broad caricatures and they pay homage to superhero shows that we know. But really, they’re not bad, they just don’t always do things the right way. Our kitties are there to show them the right way. And our kitties listen and they’re empathetic. They show them what’s wrong and the villains understand. And by the end of an episode, they know they’ve done wrong. They correct. And they do what’s right. And isn’t that what we hope for everyone in this world? (laughs) Just to course correct and do what’s right!
JM: Yes. That’s correct. I like that Bitsy has the video diary at the end of each episode — a little bit of a summary to the camera. Kirk, how did you want to include that aspect. There’s a lot of emotion and honesty there.
KVW: Right. Bitsy is our way forward for our viewer. She’s the new little apprentice who’s learning as we’re learning about the cats and how to deal with these problems. As a result, at the end of every episode, she has this little recorder to record what she’s learned every day. It’s kind of her own personal blog. We wanted to make sure that by the end of that episode, what we’ve learned is crystal clear for her. And she can tell the blog and the viewer, wrap it up succinctly and with emotion. It’s a feel-good moment. And it’s fun because she’s the only character in our world that breaks the fourth wall and looks into the viewer with a wink and says, “And I’m gonna take that to heart.” She closes the recorder and usually joins her friends for whatever’s happening at the end of the episode. Having that feel organic was important. And it’s a really nice way out of the show.
PR: She was conceived to represent the audience. She is directly communicating with the audience. You can see why Kirk is the purr-fect partner for me! (laughs)
JM: (laughs) A perfect duo indeed! Besides the characters on your show, what are your favorite film or TV cats of all time? Who comes to mind?
KVW: I’m a huge ’70s fan, so Sylvester, with Tweety — those crazy antics I really enjoy. It is the kind of characters we have.
PR: I’m going back even further. I loved Top Cat.
JM: Oh I love Top Cat! Wow! Yes!
PR: And Puss in Boots really got me in that first movie too. That range of emotion. The way Antonio Banderas delivered the character was really brilliant. So many to choose from, but Top Cat would really be top of list.
JM: It was amazing Top Cat was only on for a year. An iconic Hanna-Barbera character. So cool. All those characters on Top Cat. And I’ve seen the new Puss in Boots movie, and Banderas is good once again! That depth again. And Sylvester and Tweety are iconic characters as well. For both of you, how do you, overall, hope kids see these cats as true heroes?
PR: They lead with kindness and empathy. They have amazing skills. They have the physicality but they truly are brave and kind and strong and smart. They’ve got all of those qualities and they use them. That’s ultimately what defines the episode.
KVW: That’s the real lesson: it’s not those microlessons, it’s that major lesson that it’s not that hard to be a hero. You just have to listen and think about the other person… empathize… and you can make a real difference too. And I hope that our viewers, young and old, will take away from that. Sure, they may not be able to leap off tall buildings in a single bound but they can do a lot more than that just by being present.
PR: And they’ll take it to heart!
KVW: And they’ll take it to heart!
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