Disney+ has released official concept art for The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, a revival of the hit animated sitcom. Created by Bruce W. Smith, the original The Proud Family aired on The Disney Channel from 2001-05. The series followed the day to day misadventures of Penny Proud, a black 14-year old girl, and her family, including her high-strung father Oscar, level-headed mother Trudy, troubling-making infant twin siblings BeBe and CeCe, and sassy, wrestling-loving grandmother Suga Mama. Altogether, it ran for two seasons before concluding with a film titled The Proud Family Movie on the Disney Channel.
Today, Disney+ announced it’s ordered a continuation of the show titled Louder and Prouder, with Smith executive producing alongside Ralph Farquhar and Calvin Brown, Jr. serving as a story editor (all three of whom worked together on the earlier seasons). In a statement, Smith and Farquhar said “In our minds, the show never really went away, as we still had tons of stories left to tell. It’s the perfect time to bring back this show, and we can’t wait to take fans, old and new alike, on this journey with us.” Disney also released the first-look concept art for the revival, with the Proud family retaining their original appearances (as you can see from the image below).
In its day, The Proud Family was the rare Disney Channel series to offer representation for black people and other people of color on both sides of the camera. Naturally, the show wasn’t perfect and could be problematic (for example, it would make jokes at the expense of Penny’s friend Michael Collins, a boy mocked by his peers and father for being flamboyant), but it also broke ground for Disney sitcoms when it came to portraying people of different racial and/or cultural backgrounds onscreen. Thanks to the revival, Smith and his collaborators now have a chance to continue evolving the show’s storytelling and themes about the importance of being being proud of who you are, in a way that makes the series equally relevant for 2020. With a little luck, The Proud Family will be all the better, funnier, and, yes, Louder and Prouder for it.
Picking up the story of its central character Penny Proud, the new series will also include her madcap family: parents Oscar and Trudy, twin siblings BeBe and CeCe, and her grandmother Suga Mama (and Puff!). Of course, it would not be “The Proud Family” without Penny’s loyal crew Dijonay Jones, LaCienega Boulevardez and Zoey Howzer, among others.
Reprising their voice roles are: Kyla Pratt as Penny Proud, Tommy Davidson as Oscar Proud, Paula Jai Parker as Trudy Proud, Jo Marie Payton as Suga Mama, Karen Malina White as Dijonay Jones, Soleil Moon Frye as Zoey Howzer and Alisa Reyes as LaCienega Boulevardez. Cedric the Entertainer will also return as Uncle Bobby Proud.
The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder begins streaming on Disney later this year. Previous seasons of the show are already available on the service.
Source: Disney+
