The release date for Disney Jr.’s Ariel, the much awaited animated musical series, was revealed today by Disney Branded Television. The Little Mermaid-inspired series will premiere on Disney Junior on Thursday, June 27 at 9:00 a.m. EDT/PDT. It will also air on Disney Channel later that same day. An initial batch of eight episodes will be accessible on Disney+ on Friday, June 28.
Yvette Nicole Brown (Community, Frog and Toad), Melissa Villaseñor (Saturday Night Live, Rock Paper Scissors), and Ron Funches (Loot, Trolls series) as Delfino were among the other recurring cast members who were unshelled.
It was also revealed that starting on Wednesday, June 5, Disney Junior, Disney+, and Disney Channel will all air a new series of shorts called Disney Jr.’s Ariel: Mermaid Tales. Ariel’s life in Atlantica will be highlighted in a new way in each two-minute clip.
The series follows young mermaid princess Ariel (Mykal-Michelle Harris) as she goes on underwater adventures with her family and friends, including King Triton (Taye Diggs), Ursula (Amber Riley), Flounder (Gracen Newton), and mer-friends Fernie (Cruz Flateau) and Lucia (Elizabeth Phoenix Caro). The story is set in the Caribbean-inspired fairytale kingdom of Atlantica.
Image Credit: Disney Junior
Every episode celebrates the diverse aspects of the Caribbean through cuisine, fashion, language, and culture while highlighting themes of self-expression, curiosity, and resourcefulness. The series’ cultural consultant is Dr. Patricia Saunders, director of graduate studies and professor of English and hemispheric Caribbean studies at the University of Miami.
The voice cast also features recurring actors Kevin Michael Richardson as Sebastian, Parvesh Cheena as Ravi, Danni Washington as Tantie Chantale, Alanna Ubach as Cristina Cuttles, and Dana Heath and Jessica Mikayla as Ariel’s twin sisters, Ayanna and Alanna, respectively. These actors are in addition to the previously mentioned newcomers and core cast.
Original songs from the songwriting teams of Anthony M. Jones (Tone), Sofia Quinn, Olivia Waithe, Chantry Johnson, Michelle Zarlenga, and Rosemarie Tan are featured in the series. The songs are influenced by the various genres of Caribbean music. Christopher Willis, a recipient of an Emmy Award, is the composer. The Caribbean music consultant is Sean Skeete, dean of Berklee College of Music’s Professional Performance section.
A variety of dolls, playsets, role-playing, costumes, apparel, books, and more from Disney Consumer Products will be available this summer. Walt Disney Records will release a downloadable soundtrack on Friday, June 28.
Lynne Southerland serves as executive producer of Disney Jr.’s Ariel, which is produced by Wild Canary in collaboration with Disney Junior.
