Christine Nee
(born ) is an American
children's television
Children's television series (or children's television shows) are Television show, television programs designed specifically for Child, children. They are typically characterised by easy-going content devoid of sensitive or adult themes and are ...
screenwriter
A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...
and
producer.
Nee is best known as the creator of ''
Doc McStuffins
''Doc McStuffins'' is an animated children's television series created by Chris Nee and produced by Brown Bag Films. It aired for five seasons on Disney Jr. from March 23, 2012, to April 18, 2020. The series centers on a girl who fixes toys, w ...
'', which she conceived as ''
Cheers
''Cheers'' is an American television sitcom, created by Glen and Les Charles, Glen Charles & Les Charles and James Burrows, that aired on NBC for eleven seasons from September 30, 1982, to May 20, 1993. The show was produced by Charles/Burrows/C ...
'' for preschoolers.
She has previously worked as an
associate producer on several
international versions
International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations".
International may also refer to:
Music Albums
* ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011
* ''International'' (New Order album), 2002
* ''International'' (The T ...
of ''
Sesame Street
''Sesame Street'' is an American educational television, 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 Worksh ...
''.
Career
Nee said that while she did not originally connect with any shows because she did not see herself "represented onscreen," she first tried to be an actor. Realizing she could not fit in, she worked on scripts for ''Blue's Clues
''Blue's Clues'' is an American interactive educational television, educational children's television series created by Traci Paige Johnson, Todd Kessler, and Angela Santomero, Angela C. Santomero. It premiered on Nickelodeon's Nick Jr. block ...
'' in 2001 and '' Wonder Pets'', continuing to work as a producer, the latter on '' Deadliest Catch'' for two episodes.
Nee conceived of her award-winning series, ''Doc McStuffins
''Doc McStuffins'' is an animated children's television series created by Chris Nee and produced by Brown Bag Films. It aired for five seasons on Disney Jr. from March 23, 2012, to April 18, 2020. The series centers on a girl who fixes toys, w ...
'' while in the shower after her son had visited the doctor for asthma a few days before. It was her idea to make the lead character female and she readily agreed when Nancy Kanter, the creative head of Disney Junior
Disney Jr. (formerly Disney Junior) is an American pay television network owned by the Disney Branded Television sub-division of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Company. Aimed mainly at children two to seven year ...
, suggested that she should be African-American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...
. Although some at Disney were hesitant originally that a show with a female lead "might not have mass appeal," this did not deter Kanter, and within a year of the series' premiere in 2012, "merchandise generated about $500 million in sales." Nee said she was very pleased that her character had unusual background for a TV character, and hoped this would influence the next generation.
Nee was the executive producer and developer of the Disney Junior series, '' Vampirina'', based on the children's picture book ''Vampirina Ballerina''. The series, which featured many of the same staff who worked on ''Doc McStuffins'', premiered on October 1, 2017, and ended on June 28, 2021 after 3 seasons and 75 episodes during its 4-year run.
In April 2019, Nee joined other WGA writers in firing their agents as part of the WGA's stand against the ATA and the practice of packaging
Packaging is the science, art and technology of enclosing or protecting products for distribution, storage, sale, and use. Packaging also refers to the process of designing, evaluating, and producing packages. Packaging can be described as a coo ...
.
On July 4, 2021, a 10-part series of animated music videos, which Nee created, titled '' We the People'', premiered on Netflix
Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
. Kenya Barris was also a showrunner and the series was produced by Michelle Obama
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama ( Robinson; born January 17, 1964) is an American attorney and author who served as the first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017, being married to Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United Stat ...
and Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
. On July 13, 2021, '' Ridley Jones'', an animated series for children, debuted on the same network. The series was part of a slate of animated preschool series on the streaming service, with others including ''Spirit Rangers'', and ''Ada Twist, Scientist'', of which Nee is the showrunner. ''Dino Daycare'' was originally part of this slate.
On April 29, 2022, it was announced that ''Dino Daycare'' was scrapped. However, it might find a new home in a different streaming service.
Personal life
Nee is of Irish descent. At age 18, during the 1980s, Nee came out as a lesbian
A lesbian is a homosexual woman or girl. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate nouns with female homosexu ...
. In June 2021, she described herself as a gay and "relatively butch" woman. She has one child.
Filmography
Television
Streaming television
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nee, Chris
Living people
21st-century American writers
American writers of Irish descent
American women screenwriters
American television directors
American television producers
American television writers
American lesbian writers
Place of birth missing (living people)
Year of birth missing (living people)
American LGBTQ screenwriters
American LGBTQ rights activists
American showrunners
American women television writers
Peabody Award winners
21st-century American women writers
American women television producers
American women television directors
LGBTQ television producers