PBS Kids is bringing back two of its most recognizable children’s franchises. Clifford the Big Red Dog is being rebooted in a new PBS Kids animated series. Separately, Super Why’s Comic Book Adventures, a spinoff of Super Why!, has set its PBS Kids premiere date of October 5, 2026.
The new Clifford
The new Clifford comes from 9 Story Media Group. It aims to teach preschoolers “important foundational social skills.” These include social problem-solving, making friends, and including others in play. The reimagined series centers around Emily Elizabeth. She is a kid with big-hearted ideas. Her giant best friend Clifford turns small problems into gloriously oversized adventures. There’s always a twist when it comes to Emily and Clifford’s shenanigans.
The 26-episode Clifford the Big Red Dog is set to premiere on PBS Kids in 2027, with each episode running 11 minutes long. Emily Elizabeth and her Vizsla mix will be animated by Brown Bag Films. The series was commissioned by PBS Kids in the US, CBC in Canada, and Sky Kids in the UK. It’s a wonderful way to keep kids connected to one of the most iconic dogs in children’s literature. Clifford the Big Red Dog has been a staple of library collections for many many years.
“Clifford has been a favorite with children and families for generations, and we can’t wait to reintroduce this Big Red Dog to PBS Kids audiences across the country.”
Sara DeWitt, senior vice president and general manager of PBS Kids and Education
This marks the second TV reboot of the original show, the first having arrived in 2019. Clifford the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell was first published in 1963 by Scholastic. Now they boasts more than 135 million books in print in 20 languages worldwide. TheaterWorksUSA is also working on a stage musical adaptation of the series, which will include puppetry along with music by Sam Tsui and Casey Breves.
Super Why!
On the Super Why! front, PBS Kids is expanding Super Why’s Comic Book Adventures, which debuted in 2023 as a series of shorts, into a full half-hour series. It is a spinoff of Super Why!, which ran on PBS Kids for 103 episodes from 2007 to 2016. A lot of kids remember watching this show when they were younger. It molded a lot of the way we think now. And now kids will get to enjoy watching it again in a new form.
The new multiplatform series will include 39 half-hour episodes. It builds on shorts that garnered more than 159 million streams on PBS Kids video platforms. It also had over 7.4 million YouTube views since October 2023. The show follows Power Paige, the newest Super Reader. She is joined by Super Why, Wonder Red, Princess Presto, and Alpha Pig. They protect Reader Valley from a group of silly Super Villains. These include The Eraser, Mr. More, The Shuffler, and Outta Space.
Like Clifford, the early-literacy-promoting program for preschoolers and kindergartners is produced by 9 Story Media Group and animated by Brown Bag Films. Recent research has shown that children’s reading scores are dropping, with a growing percentage of children reading below their grade level. Both shows appear to be direct responses to that concern.
“With this next chapter, we’re leaning into a more comedic approach that amplifies the scale and playfulness of Clifford, while staying grounded in the warmth and emotional connection audiences have always loved.”
Vince Commisso, president and CEO of 9 Story Media Group and executive producer for Clifford.
