All-new Puppet Preschool Special Celebrates the Emotion of Awe

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Jim Henson Company is producing Wowsabout, a new live-action 22-minute preschool special starring new puppet characters and celebrating the power of awe, which will debut on PBS KIDS later this year.

Created and written by Halle Stanford, founder of 7 Crow Stories and Emmy® Award-winning, and twelve-time Emmy®-nominated executive producer (Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance), and Dorien Davies, executive producer, writer, and principal puppeteer (Word Party, Julie's Greenroom), Wowsabout is about the unlikely friendship of Ronald, a fastidious little pig, and Roxy, a musical hedgehog, as they explore the "wows" of one of America's most extraordinary places: Sequoia National Park.

The new special pairs two very different explorers on an unforgettable adventure. Roxy, a free-spirited dreamer, is on a quest to find the park's legendary "magical giants." Ronald, meticulous and rule-following, is determined to achieve his carefully planned goal of becoming a junior ranger. At first glance, they couldn't be more opposite but the awe and wonder of the natural and cultural world shows them that they have more in common than anyone thought. Together they find themselves on a "Wowsabout" full of music, art, and hysterical adventures!

Wowsabout is rooted in a rich curriculum developed by Dr. Dacher Keltner, one of the world's foremost emotion scientists and author of "AWE: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life." The special, shot on location in breathtaking Sequoia National Park, aims to help children recognize and name the feeling of awe by experiencing moments of wonder alongside Roxy and Ronald. Through nature, music, storytelling, and friendship, children learn how awe sparks curiosity, creativity, kindness, and a desire to explore and care for the world around them. The special inspires children to notice awe in everyday moments and begin their own "Wowsabouts," fostering connection to others and to the planet.

"Wowsabout brings The Jim Henson Company's rich legacy of puppetry into the natural world and Roxy and Ronald are sure to become guides for a new generation of viewers, encouraging greater awareness and stewardship of the environment and the world we all share," says Lisa Henson, CEO of The Jim Henson Company and Executive Producer on the special.

"In Wowsabout, our mission is to spark wonder and awe in kids and inspire them to care for each other and the world. We're thrilled to partner with PBS KIDS to bring this vision to life. With the comedic brilliance of the performances from my co-creator Dorien Davies as Roxy and our director John Tartaglia performing Ronald, and a top-tier creative team, this is a fresh, one-of-a-kind special—an open invitation for families to discover awe in the national parks and go on their own Wowsabouts together!" said Halle Stanford, Co-Creator, Writer and Executive Producer of the special.

"There is so much research about the benefits of exposing children to awe, and Dr. Keltner's studies about this emotion make it very clear that awe is a pathway to collaboration and compassion," said Dorien Davies, Co-Creator, Writer, Executive Producer, and Puppeteer of Roxy the hedgehog. "I'm excited to be playing Roxy and to help kids tap into this powerful emotion. Awe can be such a uniting force and it's something we need a lot more of today."

Wowsabout is created by, written by, and executive produced by Halle Stanford and Dorien Davies. The special is executive produced by Lisa Henson for The Jim Henson Company. John Tartaglia serves as co-executive producer, director, and puppeteer for Ronald. Dr. Dacher Keltner is also a co-executive producer with Jaime Burke and Amy Kim producing.

Wowsabout was shot on location at Sequoia National Park, with strategic project advisor support from The National Park Foundation.

Wowsabout was made possible by a grant from The Gambrell Foundation and with support from Christina and Evan Sharp.

About The Jim Henson Company
The Jim Henson Company has remained an established leader in family entertainment for over 70 years and is recognized as an innovator in puppetry, animatronics, and digital animation. The Company's most recent credits include the hit holiday special for Apple TV The First Snow of Fraggle Rock, as well as the Emmy-nominated Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip for Disney+, the Oscar®-winning Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio for Netflix, and the Emmy®-winning Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock for Apple TV. Other television credits include Slumberkins and Harriet the Spy for Apple TV; Dinosaur Train, Splash and Bubbles, and Sid the Science Kid all for PBS; Earth to Ned for Disney+; and the Netflix series Word Party and the Emmy-winning The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. Iconic catalogue titles include Fraggle Rock, The Storyteller, Farscape, and the ground-breaking fantasy classics The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth.

Headquartered in Los Angeles with additional locations in New York and London, the Company is also home to Jim Henson's Creature Shop™, a pre-eminent puppet and creature-building group and industry leader in puppeteered digital animation, with international film, television, theme park, and advertising clients.

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SOURCE The Jim Henson Company