Apple TV+ Announces Release Date for ‘Shape Island’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

It is definitely safe to say, that Apple TV+ plus dominated the landscape in 2022 when it comes to family themed entertainment. For one quality family show after another found their way to the network last year, complete with a stunning holiday lineup that warmed our hearts and started wonderful discussions with family members that took incredible meaning away from such intelligent and magnificent shows. And as it turns out, Apple TV+ isn’t planning on slowing down when it comes to releasing quality family entertainment in 2023.
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For earlier today, the network let the world know that it has locked down a release date for its upcoming, stop motion, family themed series, Shape Island. A unique series that boasts an incredible roster of stars voicing creative characters that will captivate and ignite imaginations everywhere. And the best news of all, is that families won’t have to wait that long to settle in and watch this show, since it debuts on January 20, 2023, and as an added bonus to accompany this news… we also have some details on this fascinating series, to help parents understand just how worthwhile this show is going to be, courtesy of Apple TV+. Alongside some news regarding the release date for the upcoming season of Helpsters. 

‘Apple TV+ today announced the all-new stop motion series for kids and families, “Shape Island,” featuring the beloved familiar voices of Yvette Nicole Brown (“Disenchanted”), Harvey Guillen (“What We Do in the Shadows”), Scott Adsit (“30 Rock”) and Gideon Adlon (“Blockers”). Based on the internationally best-selling trilogy of Shapes picture books by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen, “Shape Island” premieres globally Friday, January 20 on Apple TV+.
 
This clever, funny, and inspiring new stop-motion animated series from Apple TV+ takes place on a charming island and invites viewers to join serious Square, intrepid Circle, and tricky Triangle on their silly adventures as they dig up some fun, search for answers, and build on their friendship - all while learning how to navigate each other’s differences. “Shape Island” shows kids that friendship can take many shapes.
 
The series was co-created by book authors Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen, who serve as executive producers alongside Emmy Award winning Bix Pix Entertainment’s Kelli Bixler and Drew Hodges (“Tumble Leaf”). Ryan Pequin serves as co-executive producer and head writer.
 
Also this month, “Helpsters” season three returns with all-new episodes Friday, January 6, featuring an impressive lineup of guest stars including Emmy Award winner Andrea Martin (“Evil”), Emmy Award winner John Oliver (“Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”), Emmy Award nominee Tami Sagher (“Search Party”), Nathan Lee Graham (“Zoolander”), Mario Cantone (“And Just Like That”), Grammy Award nominee Rebecca Naomi Jones (“Genius”), Johnathan Fernandez (“Gossip Girl”), Eugene Cordero (“Loki”), Maulik Pancholy (“Only Murders in the Building”), Sunita Mani (“Spirited”), Emmy Award nominee Ikechukwu Ufomadu (“ZIWE”), Emmy Award and Grammy Award nominee Margaret Cho (“Fire Island”), Grammy Award nominee Alex Newell (“Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist”), Rebecca Henderson (“Russian Doll”), Grammy Award and Tony Award nominee Ephraim Sykes (“Ain’t Too Proud”), Emmy Award nominee Jackie Hoffman (“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery”), Danny Pudi (“Mythic Quest”), Shannon Devido (“Difficult People”) and more, as well as musical guests Grammy Award nominee Blood Orange, Blanco Brown, Jensen McRae and Grammy Award nominee Syd.
 
The acclaimed series follows Cody and the Helpsters, a team of vibrant monsters who love to solve problems. Whether it’s planning a party, climbing a mountain, or mastering a magic trick, the Helpsters can figure anything out—because everything starts with a plan.
 
The recipient of a Parents’ Choice Gold Medal Award and Common Sense Media Award, “Helpsters” has been recognized as "immersive, educational and entertaining.” The series teaches young viewers important lessons in pre-coding skills and inspires self-confidence, collaboration, effective communication and much more. Emmy Award winner and Parents’ Choice Gold Medal winner Tim McKeon (“Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends: Destination Imagination,” “Odd Squad”) is the creator and showrunner of “Helpsters.” McKeon, Benjamin Lehmann, Adam Peltzman, Eileen Braun and Sesame Workshop’s executive vice president of Creative and Production Kay Wilson Stallings are executive producers.
 
The award-winning slate of original series and film for kids and families on Apple TV+ includes impressive all-ages offerings such as the critically-acclaimed properties BAFTA Award-winning “El Deafo,” “Lovely Little Farm,” “Duck & Goose,” “Pinecone & Pony,” Emmy Award-winning “Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock” and “Harriet the Spy” from The Jim Henson Company, Peabody and Emmy Award-winning series “Stillwater,” “Helpsters” from Sesame Workshop, “Wolfboy and the Everything Factory” from Joseph Gordon-Levitt, HITRECORD and Bento Box Entertainment, “Sago Mini Friends,” “Hello, Jack! The Kindness Show” from Jack McBrayer and Angela C. Santomero, “Snoopy in Space,” “The Snoopy Show” and “Get Rolling with Otis.” Live-action offerings for include Bonnie Hunt’s “Amber Brown,” "Best Foot Forward," “Surfside Girls,” “Life By Ella,” Daytime Emmy Award-winning “Ghostwriter” from Sesame Workshop, and “Puppy Place.” 
 
Also included are specials from Peanuts and WildBrain including “It’s the Small Things, Charlie Brown,” “Lucy’s School,” “To Mom (and Dad), With Love,” Emmy Award-winning “Who Are You, Charlie Brown?” and “For Auld Lang Syne,” and “Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth,” the Daytime Emmy Award-winning television event based on the New York Times best-selling book and TIME Best Book of the Year by Oliver Jeffers.
 
The kids and family film offerings include star-studded animated adventure film “Luck” from Apple Original Films and Skydance Animation which premiered this year and Academy Award-nominated animated film “Wolfwalkers.”
 
Apple TV+ offers premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment, and is available to watch across all your favorite screens. After its launch on November 1, 2019, Apple TV+ became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service in its debut. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries, and series have earned 280 wins and 1,184 award nominations and counting, including multi-Emmy Award-winning comedy “Ted Lasso” and this year’s Oscar Best Picture winner “CODA.”
 
Apple TV+ is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL, and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $6.99 per month with a seven-day free trial. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, or iPod touch can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free.* For more information, visit apple.com/tvprand see the full list of supported devices.’

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