NEW YORK -- For some who came of age after the year 2000, "The Proud Family" remains a touchstone. As so many of you saw yourselves in the animated tale of one very boisterous family. A reboot on Disney+ called "The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder" did well enough to warrant a second season that has now begun streaming.
The famous are queuing up to lend their voices to the show, and one of those stars, Gabrielle Union says, "Having representation is incredibly important. So many people from so many different backgrounds will find themselves represented here."
But, those behind the show know that "Nobody watching an animated show wants to feel they are getting a lesson," so this one is really funny and entertaining.
"Louder and Prouder" carries a PG label urging parental guidance.
"The show was always built as a family show, we weren't a children's show by any stretch," explains creator and executive producer Bruce Smith.
He works side by side with another executive producer, Ralph Farquhar, who wrote episodes of the first version of the show and finds himself back with "The Proud Family" two decades later.
"The PG aspect of it quite frankly has allowed us to speak more frankly about the topics that maybe we've covered in the past but had to use code words for," he said.
Smith agreed with him by observing, "I mean we don't cuss or anything like that, but you know you can tell we want to cuss. There's a lot of cussin' on the cutting room floor I know that."
Then as of now, one character has emerged as the fan favorite: Suga Mama.
"She's our most popular character to this day," Farquhar said.
She is just one in a large cast of characters voiced by the names you know like Anthony Anderson and Leslie Odom Jr.
Entertainment Reporter Sandy Kenyon asked what they get out of having such a big cast of diverse performers.
"Well," Farquhar began, "it's a wonderful opportunity to tell diverse stories if you will, but on the problematic side, it's tough getting everybody in a 10-episode season."
A big cast allows each viewer to see him or herself represented in the telling of a wide array of stories.
"We take it on boldly, you know, loudly and proudly," Smith concludes, adding that they are not going to tell you how to think, just slip a little truth in there with all the jokes!
"The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder" is from Disney+, which is owned by the same parent company as this station.