''Let's Go Luna!'' is an educational animated children's television series created by
Joe Murray for PBS Kids. Murray formerly worked on the
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its networks division's Kids and Family Group. It ...
animated series ''
Rocko's Modern Life
''Rocko's Modern Life'' is an American animated television series created by Joe Murray for Nickelodeon. The series centers on the surreal life of an anthropomorphic Australian immigrant wallaby named Rocko and his friends: the eccentric stee ...
'' and
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network (often abbreviated as CN) is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is a part of The Cartoon Network, Inc., a division that also has the broadcasting and production activities of Boomerang, ...
animated series ''
Camp Lazlo
''Camp Lazlo'' is an American animated television series created by Joe Murray for Cartoon Network. The series follows Lazlo, an anthropomorphic spider monkey that goes to a camp called "Camp Kidney", a Boy Scout-like summer camp in Pimpleback M ...
''. It is co-produced by
9 Story Media Group
9 Story Media Group Inc. (formerly known as 9 Story Entertainment) is a Canadian children's media production company and international distributor founded by Vincent "Vince" Commisso, Steve Jarosz, and Blake Tohana on September 1, 2002, and head ...
.
Judy Greer provides the voice of the titular Luna.
In the first season, there are 38 half-hour episodes and a one-hour special. The second season has 26 episodes and premiered on May 10, 2021. Each episode consists of two 11-minute story segments,
with a short segment of one of the characters telling a folktale, song or poem from that country in between. The series aired the total of 64 episodes through November 18, 2022.
Unlike ''
Rocko's Modern Life
''Rocko's Modern Life'' is an American animated television series created by Joe Murray for Nickelodeon. The series centers on the surreal life of an anthropomorphic Australian immigrant wallaby named Rocko and his friends: the eccentric stee ...
'' and ''
Camp Lazlo
''Camp Lazlo'' is an American animated television series created by Joe Murray for Cartoon Network. The series follows Lazlo, an anthropomorphic spider monkey that goes to a camp called "Camp Kidney", a Boy Scout-like summer camp in Pimpleback M ...
'' which are both sitcoms, ''Let's Go Luna!'' marks the first educational series and the first preschool-focused series created by Joe Murray.
Premise
''Let's Go Luna!'' sets in a world populated by
anthropomorphic
Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology.
Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics t ...
animals, focuses on three kids—Leo, a
wombat
Wombats are short-legged, muscular quadrupedal marsupials that are native to Australia. They are about in length with small, stubby tails and weigh between . All three of the extant species are members of the family Vombatidae. They are ad ...
from
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mounta ...
, Australia, Andy, a
frog
A frog is any member of a diverse and largely Carnivore, carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order (biology), order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-f ...
from the United States and Carmen, a
butterfly
Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group compris ...
from
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
, Mexico—who travel around the world with their parents' traveling
performance troupe "Circo Fabuloso". Along their stops, Luna the
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...
, depicted about tall with arms, legs and a face, and wearing a straw hat and red boots, occasionally comes down to Earth to teach them about local languages, music, food, and other customs. Two half-hour episodes, consisting of two segments each and four in total, take place in a single country where the gang stop at, learn about and meet friends around the world. With a team of cultural anthropologists on board, ''Let's Go Luna!'' is "meticulously researched to ensure cities and regions are authentically and respectfully portrayed."
Characters
Main
* Luna (voiced by
Judy Greer; singing voices by Judy Greer (2018–19),
Erin Fitzgerald (2019-20), and Liane de Lotbinère (2020) is
Earth's Moon
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...
herself, who guides Leo, Andy, and Carmen on their trips during the daytime. Luna knows every person in the world and has magical capabilities. Her size gives her a problem with doorways and enclosed spaces, often involving a degree of uncomfortable squeezing to enter. She also has an uncontrollable urge to dance when she hears happy music.
* Leo Chockers (voiced by Aidan Wojtak-Hissong (2018) and Shayle Simons (2018-22) is a
wombat
Wombats are short-legged, muscular quadrupedal marsupials that are native to Australia. They are about in length with small, stubby tails and weigh between . All three of the extant species are members of the family Vombatidae. They are ad ...
who loves food. He is learning to become a cook like his father.
* Andy Hopper (voiced by Jaiden Cannatelli (2018–20) and Evan O'Donnell (2020–22) is a
frog
A frog is any member of a diverse and largely Carnivore, carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order (biology), order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-f ...
who loves art.
* Carmen Mariposa (voiced by
Saara Chaudry
Saara Chaudry (born June 7, 2004) is a Canadian actress. She is most noted for her performances in '' The Breadwinner'', for which she won an ACTRA Award for Best Voice Performance ) is a
butterfly
Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group compris ...
who loves music. She plays a Spanish guitar that was handed down from her deceased grandmother and speaks with a Mexican accent.
* Magic Globe (voiced by Miku Graham) is a miniature globe of the world that lives in Carmen's pocket and can share information about the places that the children visit.
Recurring
* Señor Moncarlo Fabuloso (voiced by
Paul Braunstein
Paul Braunstein is a Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist an ...
) is a
flamingo
Flamingos or flamingoes are a type of wading bird in the family Phoenicopteridae, which is the only extant family in the order Phoenicopteriformes. There are four flamingo species distributed throughout the Americas (including the Caribbea ...
and the ringmaster of the Circo Fabuloso. He speaks with a Spanish accent.
* Mr. Hockbar (voiced by
David Berni) is a
vole
Voles are small rodents that are relatives of lemmings and hamsters, but with a stouter body; a longer, hairy tail; a slightly rounder head; smaller eyes and ears; and differently formed molars (high-crowned with angular cusps instead of lo ...
who does many of the 'behind the scenes' jobs such as selling tickets, setting up the Circo's schedule and making certain everything runs smoothly. He is full of energy and has a tendency to get worked up and rush around when many things need doing, which can stress out the other members of the Circo. His full name is revealed to be Hock Thelonious Bar.
* Honey (voiced by Zoe Hatz) is Carmen's mischievous yellow pet
hamster
Hamsters are rodents (order Rodentia) belonging to the subfamily Cricetinae, which contains 19 species classified in seven genera.Fox, Sue. 2006. ''Hamsters''. T.F.H. Publications Inc. They have become established as popular small pets. The ...
. She often escapes from her cage, but it is only because she is curious and wishes to be included.
* Maria Mariposa (voiced by Tamara Almeida) is Carmen's single mother, and the conductor of the Circo Fabuloso Band.
* Wolfgang and Pippa Chockers (voiced by Paul Braunstein and
Linda Ballantyne) are Leo's parents who work at the Circo. Wolfgang is the Circo's chef (who loves
Dad jokes) and Pippa is the Circo's carpenter.
* Mathilda Chockers is Leo's destructive baby sister.
* Wrinkles is Leo's pet
tortoise
Tortoises () are reptiles of the family Testudinidae of the order Testudines (Latin: ''tortoise''). Like other turtles, tortoises have a shell to protect from predation and other threats. The shell in tortoises is generally hard, and like oth ...
.
* Lucie Hopper (voiced by Carolyn Scott) is Andy's mother, and the Circo's costume designer.
* Sam Hopper (voiced by
Dan Chameroy) is Andy's father and the Circo's prop-maker.
* Bonjour and Au Revoir (voiced by Peter Cugno) are twin brothers who work as clowns. Bonjour's mask is purple and Au Revoir's is green. They both speak with French accents.
* Ingrid Svenson-Benson (voiced by Brigitte Solem) is a centipede and the Circo's contortionist. She speaks with a Swedish accent.
* Salami Strong (voiced by
Paul Braunstein
Paul Braunstein is a Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist an ...
) is an
alligator
An alligator is a large reptile in the Crocodilia order in the genus ''Alligator'' of the family Alligatoridae. The two extant species are the American alligator (''A. mississippiensis'') and the Chinese alligator (''A. sinensis''). Additional ...
and the Circo's strongman. He speaks with an Italian accent.
* Pablo (voiced by
Cory Doran) is an
armadillo
Armadillos (meaning "little armored ones" in Spanish) are New World placental mammals in the order Cingulata. The Chlamyphoridae and Dasypodidae are the only surviving families in the order, which is part of the superorder Xenarthra, alo ...
who performs with the Melvinis, a group of six living
bowling pins.
* The Acronauts are a trio of acorn-shaped bears who perform as acrobats.
* The Fearless Shrews (voiced by David Berni) are a trio of shrews who perform as trapeze artists. They speak with Peruvian accents.
* Wally is a gray walrus wearing brown pants, a red shirt, and a battered brown hat, with a camera around his neck. The character often appears as a tourist, as he makes an appearance as a background character in every story, usually taking photographs and infrequently has a speaking role.
* Marty (voiced by
Flea
Flea, the common name for the order Siphonaptera, includes 2,500 species of small flightless insects that live as external parasites of mammals and birds. Fleas live by ingesting the blood of their hosts. Adult fleas grow to about long, ...
), an Australian termite who eats hollow trees to make didgeridoos.
Episodes
Series overview
Season 1 (2018–20)
Season 2 (2021–22)
''Let's Go Luna!: Luna's Christmas Around the World''
A TV special named ''Let's Go Luna!: Christmas Around the World'' aired on December 10, 2018. Here, the Circo gets stuck in Antarctica after their captain gets wasted on fruit cake. The special is also known for Carmen doing a cover of
Mariah Carey"s All I Want for Christmas is You.
Production and distribution
The show was first announced on July 31, 2017, as part of the PBS TCA presentation. PBS broadcasts the show on its stations and also airs on the 24-hour PBS Kids channel, as well as the PBS Kids video app. ''Let's Go Luna!'' offers digital content for kids, parents and teachers, debuting from its PBS Kids website and a ''Luna'' app was also confirmed and would have been released shortly after the series' debut. However, the app ceased development and is on the PBS Kids video and games apps. There was going to be an ''
Elinor Wonders Why'' app too, but the same thing happened and that series has been on the PBS Kids video and games apps as well. 9 Story International Distribution owns managing and merchandising rights to the show outside Canada.
It is also one of a few shows for preschoolers and PBS' first storyboard-driven show where storyboard artists work with the writers, in order to create "visually-driven narratives that highlight each city's distinctive landscape and features."
[ It was originally going to be titled ''Luna Around the World'' but was changed to ''Let's Go Luna!''.
]
International broadcast
The show airs on Nat Geo Kids
''National Geographic Kids'' (often nicknamed to ''Nat Geo Kids'') is a children's magazine published by the National Geographic Society. Its first issue was printed in September 1975 under the original title ''National Geographic World'' (whi ...
in Latin America. In Spain, the show airs on Canal Panda. In Italy, it airs on Rai Yoyo
Rai Yoyo is an Italian free-to-air television channel owned and operated by state-owned public broadcaster RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana. It is the company's television channel for kids, and is known for its programming for children between ...
. In Canada, the show airs on TVOKids
TVOkids (short for TVOntariokids and stylized as tvokids) is the brand for most of the children's programming aired by TVOntario (TVO) in Canada. It was launched on April 1, 1994 and runs from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily. The brand also opera ...
. In Turkey, the show will air on TRT Çocuk
TRT Çocuk is a Turkish television station, part of the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation, which can also be received in Azerbaijan. It broadcasts a wide range of programming for children such as cartoons, drama and entertainment 24 hours ...
. In the half-hour broadcast of ''Let's Go Luna!'' on TVOKids, the short segment that occurs between the two 11-minute story segments of the show is kept in the broadcast instead of being removed.
Home video
Five episodes were released on DVD on February 11, 2020. Episodes were also released on PBS Kids compilation DVDs in 2020.
Merchandise
On May 18, 2022, Mighty Mojo released plush toys of the main characters throughout its show.
Reception
Critical response
''The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large n ...
'' wrote that the program is "Teaching tolerance, kindness and friendship."
Awards and nominations
References
External links
Official website
*
{{Former PBS Kids original programming
2010s American animated television series
2010s Canadian animated television series
2018 American television series debuts
2018 Canadian television series debuts
2020s American animated television series
2020s Canadian animated television series
2022 American television series endings
2022 Canadian television series endings
American children's animated education television series
Canadian children's animated education television series
American children's animated comedy television series
Canadian children's animated comedy television series
English-language television shows
PBS Kids shows
PBS original programming
Animated television series about children
Animated television series about frogs
Animated television series about insects
Fictional butterflies and moths
Fictional wombats
Television series about the Moon
Television series by 9 Story Media Group
Television series by Brown Bag Films
Television series created by Joe Murray