StoryBots is an American children's educational

media franchise A media franchise, also known as a multimedia franchise, is a collection of related media in which several derivative works have been produced from an original creative work of fiction, such as a film, a work of literature, a television program ...

best known for the

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...

series ''

Ask the StoryBots Ask is the active verb for a direct question. Ask may also refer to: Places * Ask, Akershus, a village in Gjerdrum municipality, Viken county, Norway * Ask, Buskerud, a village in Ringerike municipality, Viken county, Norway * Ask, Vestland, a ...

''. The StoryBots library includes educational TV series, books, videos, music, games and classroom activities designed to make foundational learning fun and encourage intellectual curiosity in children ages 3-to-8. Subjects cover a wide range of themes and feature a cast of characters called the StoryBots, who are tiny, colorful robotic creatures who have eyes on top of their head, eyebrows, rectangular bodies, have expressional semi-circles for heads that move with every syllable, long lines for limbs, circles for feet and have pincer-like appendages for hands that are either depicted as magnet shaped, half a square with a hole going out to make two fingers, simple lines, crab pincers or 9 shaped that live within computers, tablets and phones and help humans answer questions. After launching primarily online – and amassing more than 620 million views on YouTube – StoryBots launched its first television series on the Netflix streaming service in 2016. Now in its third season, ''Ask the StoryBots'' has won multiple

Daytime Emmy Award The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences ...

s and an

Annie Award The Annie Awards are accolades which the Los Angeles branch of the International Animated Film Association, ASIFA-Hollywood, has presented each year since 1972 to recognize excellence in animation shown in cinema and television. Originally de ...

, along with recognition from the

Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Peabody, honor the most powerful, enlightening, and invigorating stories in television, radio, and ...

s and

British Academy Children's Awards The British Academy Children's Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). They have been awarded annually since 1996, before which time they were a part of the main British Aca ...

, while also spawning a companion show, ''

StoryBots Super Songs ''StoryBots Super Songs'' is an American animated children's television series based on the characters from the StoryBots educational apps and videos. It was created and produced by JibJab Bros. Studios (now StoryBots Inc.) and premiered on Netf ...

'', and a holiday special, ''

A StoryBots Christmas ''A StoryBots Christmas'' is a children's animated holiday special based on the characters from the digital educational program StoryBots and the original television series ''Ask the StoryBots'' and ''StoryBots Super Songs''. It was created and p ...

''. Originally created by the entertainment studio

JibJab JibJab is an American digital entertainment studio based in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1999 by brothers Evan and Gregg Spiridellis, it first achieved widespread attention during the 2004 United States presidential election, 2004 US pres ...

, the brand later became part of StoryBots, Inc., an independent production company, which (along with the Storybots brand) got acquired by Netflix in May 2019 as part of an overall push by the streaming service into more educational and family-oriented content.

History

StoryBots launched to the public in the fall of 2012, and has been featured on CNN, ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'',

CNBC CNBC (formerly Consumer News and Business Channel) is an American basic cable business news channel. It provides business news programming on weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Eastern Time, while broadcasting talk s ...

, and other news outlets. Gregg Spiridellis, co-founder and CEO of StoryBots, told CNBC in 2013 that he and his brother have five young children between them and noticed "a massive shift in how kids are consuming media." Spiridellis says that became the inspiration for StoryBots, with digital content designed to be akin to ''

Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000 ...

'' but for a device-centric, connected generation of children. In May 2019, Netflix announced that it had acquired the StoryBots media franchise and signed co-creators Evan and Gregg Spiridellis to an exclusive producing deal. The acquisition was the first of its kind for Netflix and was part of a stated commitment to expand its educational content.

Television programming

The StoryBots franchise's inaugural original TV series, ''

'', premiered on

on August 12, 2016. The show follows the StoryBots characters of Beep, Bing, Bang, Boop and Bo (a.k.a. "Answer Team 341B") as they go on adventures into the human world to help answer kids' biggest questions, and stars Judy Greer. The first season featured guest appearances from

Jay Leno James Douglas Muir Leno (; born April 28, 1950) is an American television host, comedian, writer, and actor. After doing stand-up comedy for years, he became the host of NBC's '' The Tonight Show'' from 1992 to 2009. Beginning in September 20 ...

Whoopi Goldberg Caryn Elaine Johnson (born November 13, 1955), known professionally as Whoopi Goldberg (), is an American actor, comedian, author, and television personality.Kuchwara, Michael (AP Drama Writer)"Whoopi Goldberg: A One-Woman Character Parade". ' ...

"Weird Al" Yankovic Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic ( ; born October 23, 1959) is an American singer, musician, songwriter, record producer, actor and author. He is best known for creating comedy songs that make light of pop culture and often parody specific ...

Kevin Smith Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970) is an American filmmaker, actor, comedian, comic book writer, author, YouTuber, and podcaster. He came to prominence with the low-budget comedy buddy film '' Clerks'' (1994), which he wrote, directed, ...

Garfunkel and Oates Garfunkel and Oates is an American comedy folk duo consisting of actresses Riki Lindhome, who performs as Garfunkel, and Kate Micucci, who performs as Oates. Their fast-paced songs typically combine raunchy observational comedy with sweet-sou ...

Tim Meadows Timothy Meadows (born February 5, 1961) is an American actor and comedian. He was one of the longest-running cast members on ''Saturday Night Live'', where he appeared for ten seasons and for which he received a nomination for the Primetime Emm ...

and

Chris Parnell Thomas Christopher Parnell (; born February 5, 1967) is an American actor and comedian. He was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1998 to 2006 and played the role of Dr. Leo Spaceman on ''30 Rock''. In animation, he voices Cyril Figgis ...

. ''Ask the StoryBots'' received critical acclaim for its educational quality and entertainment value for both parents and children. A second season premiered on Netflix on August 24, 2018, and featured guest appearances from

Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...

Edward Norton Edward Harrison Norton (born August 18, 1969) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has received numerous awards and nominations, including a Golden Globe Award and three Academy Award nominations. Born in Boston, Massachusetts and raised ...

Christina Applegate Christina Applegate (born November 25, 1971) is an American actress. As a child actress, she gained recognition for starring as Kelly Bundy in the Fox sitcom '' Married... with Children'' (1987–1997). Applegate established a successful film a ...

Wanda Sykes Wanda Yvette Sykes (born March 7, 1964) is an American stand-up comedian, actress, and writer. She was first recognized for her work as a writer on '' The Chris Rock Show'', for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1999. In 2004, ''Entertai ...

David Cross David Cross (born April 4, 1964) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, director, and writer known for his stand-up performances, the HBO sketch comedy series ''Mr. Show'' (1995–1998), and his role as Tobias Fünke in the Fox/ Netflix sitco ...

Ali Wong Alexandra Dawn Ali Wong (born April 19, 1982) is an American stand-up comedian and actress. She is best known for her Netflix stand-up specials ''Baby Cobra'' (2016), ''Hard Knock Wife'' (2018), and ''Don Wong'' (2022). She starred in the film ' ...

Kristen Schaal Kristen Joy Schaal (; born January 24, 1978) is an American actress, comedian, and writer. She is best known for her voice roles as Louise Belcher on ''Bob's Burgers'' and Mabel Pines on ''Gravity Falls''. She's also known for playing Mel on '' ...

, and

David Koechner David Michael Koechner ( ; born August 24, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for playing roles such as Champ Kind in the ''Anchorman'' films and Todd Packer on NBC's ''The Office''. Koechner first became involved in perf ...

. A third season was released worldwide on Netflix on August 2, 2019, and includes guest appearances from

John Legend John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and record producer. He began his musical career by working behind the scenes, playing piano on Lauryn Hill's " Eve ...

Zoe Saldana Zoe (also ZOE, Zoë, Zoé, etc.) can refer to: *ζωή (''zōḗ''), the Ancient Greek word for "life" People * Zoe (name), including list of persons and fictional characters with the name Film and television * ''Zoe'' (film) * ZOE Broadcast ...

Jennifer Garner Jennifer Anne Garner (born April 17, 1972) is an American actress. Born in Houston, Texas, and raised in Charleston, West Virginia, Garner studied theater at Denison University and began acting as an understudy for the Roundabout Theatre Compa ...

Jason Sudeikis Daniel Jason Sudeikis ( ; born September 18, 1975) is an American actor, comedian, producer, and writer. In the 1990s, he began his career in improv comedy and performed with ComedySportz, iO Chicago (Improv Olympic), and The Second City. In 200 ...

Alyssa Milano Alyssa Jayne Milano (born December 19, 1972) is an American actress. She has played Samantha Micelli in '' Who's the Boss?'', Jennifer Mancini in '' Melrose Place'', Phoebe Halliwell in ''Charmed'', Billie Cunningham in '' My Name Is Earl'', Sa ...

Tony Hale Anthony Russell Hale (born September 30, 1970) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his role in the Fox comedy series '' Arrested Development'' as Buster Bluth. Hale played Gary Walsh on the HBO comedy ''Veep'' from 2012 until ...

Maria Bamford Maria Bamford (born September 3, 1970) is an American actress and stand-up comedian. Her work has drawn critical acclaim and controversy because her humor often uses self-deprecating and dark topics, including her dysfunctional family, depressio ...

and

Reggie Watts Reginald Lucien Frank Roger Watts (born March 23, 1972) is an American comedian, actor, beatboxer, and musician. His improvised musical sets are created using only his voice, a keyboard, and a looping machine. Watts refers to himself as a "disinf ...

. A trailer for the new episodes was released on YouTube ahead of the season launch. Both seasons spawned music soundtracks available on

Spotify Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active use ...

Apple Music Apple Music is a music, audio and video streaming service developed by Apple Inc. Users select music to stream to their device on-demand, or they can listen to existing playlists. The service also includes the Internet radio stations Appl ...

iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mu ...

Amazon.com,

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

and whereas music soundtracks are available. The show has been called the "best kids' show on Netflix" by both ''

Wired ''Wired'' (stylized as ''WIRED'') is a monthly American magazine, published in print and online editions, that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. Owned by Condé Nast, it is headquartered in San ...

'' and Decider. ''Ask the StoryBots'' has received several accolades and award nominations, including recognition from the

s and

. A companion series, ''

'', premiered on October 7, 2016, also on Netflix. While each episode of ''Ask the StoryBots'' featured the lead characters answering a child's single question, ''StoryBots Super Songs'' focuses on broader topics, such as outer space, colors, shapes and dinosaurs, through music and live-action vignettes with real children. Episodes have also been released on StoryBots'

channel. ''Ask the StoryBots'' also spun-off a holiday special, ''

'', which premiered December 1, 2017, on Netflix. Featuring a guest appearance by Ed Asner as

Santa Claus Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnigh ...

, the special received two Daytime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Special Class Animated Program, as well as four additional nominations. A new series called ''StoryBots: Answer Time'' premiered on Netflix on November 21, 2022.

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...

Digital library

StoryBots pairs educators and learning experts with a team of artists, storytellers and technologists to build a robust library of web-based learning content and activities available at StoryBots' official website. The StoryBots website was nominated for best youth website at the 2018

Webby Award The Webby Awards are awards for excellence on the Internet presented annually by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a judging body composed of over two thousand industry experts and technology innovators. Categories includ ...

s. The digital library includes: * Learning Videos, a collection of animated musical videos that explore a wide range of themes, including shapes, colors, behaviors, time, eating healthy and outer space * Starring You Videos, animated learning music videos that allow the user to add their name and face photo * Learning Books, educationally-focused ebooks with narration to help kids practice their reading and learn about a range of subjects * Starring You Books, ebooks ranging from classic fairytales to modern adventures that also include face and name personalization (making the user the hero of the story) * Activity Sheets, printable books on holidays, numbers, letters, seasons and more * Math Games,

Common Core The Common Core State Standards Initiative, also known as simply Common Core, is an educational initiative from 2010 that details what K–12 students throughout the United States should know in English language arts and mathematics at the c ...

-aligned kindergarten-level math games

StoryBots Classroom

In 2016, StoryBots launched StoryBots Classroom, a free web-based resource for educators that includes unlimited access to the entire StoryBots library of digital books, videos and activities, as well as the newly created

Common Core State Standards Initiative The Common Core State Standards Initiative, also known as simply Common Core, is an educational initiative from 2010 that details what K–12 students throughout the United States should know in English language arts and mathematics at the conc ...

-aligned Math Games, and a suite of classroom management tools including the Backpack and Class Roster. The product is designed for use on laptops, tablets and interactive white boards. When it was released, StoryBots Classroom was by profiled by ''

Education Week ''Education Week'' is an independent news organization that has covered K–12 education since 1981. It is owned by Editorial Projects in Education (EPE), a nonprofit organization, and headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland in Greater Washington ...

'' and was named a S'Cool Tool of the Week by

EdSurge EdSurge is an education journalism initiative provided by the International Society for Technology in Education. EdSurge publishes newsletters and operates databases used by venture capitalists, teachers, school administrators and others. In Ma ...

. It has since received the Teachers' Choice Award and the Tech Edvocate Award for best early childhood education app or tool. In an interview, CEO Gregg Spiridellis cited significant interest in StoryBots by teachers as the impetus to "invest more in building a product custom-tailored for classroom use, with an emphasis on interactive projection boards, classroom tools and more educational content."

YouTube channel

StoryBots first uploaded five videos to

in June 2012. StoryBots was also nominated for a 2019

in the Video Series & Channels – Animation category. In 2018, StoryBots signed with the DHX Media-owned

WildBrain WildBrain Ltd. (formerly known as DHX Media, Ltd.) is a Canadian media, animation studio, production, and brand licensing company, mostly associated as an entertainment company. The company is known for owning the largest library of childr ...

to manage and grow its YouTube channel. In 2019, the channel rebranded itself as Netflix Jr. to coincide with the buyout of StoryBots by Netflix.

Print books

In addition to its ebooks available on its website, StoryBots also offers a number of print books published by

Random House Children's Books Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Germ ...

featuring the StoryBots characters. Titles include: * ''The Amazing Planet Earth (Step Into Reading)'' * ''Cars Are Cool'' * ''The Moon's Time To Shine (Step Into Reading)'' * ''StoryBots ABC Jamboree'' * ''Trucks Are Terrific'' *''Tyrannosaurus Rex (Step Into Reading)''

Awards

Since its founding in 2012, StoryBots has won numerous awards for its digital content, including the Teachers' Choice Award from ''Learning Magazine'', Parent's Choice Award, a Family Choice Award, Tech Edvocate Award, and an Editor's Choice Award from Children's Technology Review. For its television work including ''

'' and ''

'', StoryBots has won five

s (with twelve additional nominations), an

, as well as recognition from the

and

References

= storybots.com

Official website

Official website
{{Netflix Children's literature organizations Early childhood education Early childhood education in the United States Education companies established in 2012 Educational technology companies of the United States Children's television American educational websites Netflix 2019 mergers and acquisitions