''Ridley Jones'' is an American

animated Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby image, still images are manipulated to create Motion picture, moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on cel, transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and e ...

preschool children's television series created and executive produced by

Chris Nee Christine Nee (born ) is an American children's television screenwriter and TV producer, producer. Nee is best known as the creator of ''Doc McStuffins'', which she conceived as ''Cheers'' for preschoolers. She has previously worked as an associat ...

for

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 ...

. The series premiered on July 13, 2021. A second season debuted on a November 2 release. A third season was released on February 15, 2022. A fourth season was released on August 22, 2022. A fifth season was released on March 6, 2023. The series was allegedly cancelled as a reaction to the introduction of a

non-binary Non-binary or genderqueer Gender identity, gender identities are those that are outside the male/female gender binary. Non-binary identities often fall under the transgender umbrella since non-binary people typically identify with a gende ...

character.

Plot

The series is set in a world similar to ''

Night at the Museum ''Night at the Museum'' is a 2006 fantasy comedy film directed by Shawn Levy and written by Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon. It is based on the 1993 children's book of the same name by Croatian illustrator Milan Trenc. The film had an en ...

'' with key elements shared between the two. The series takes place in a museum where the exhibits and displays come to life via magic. The Jones family, who live inside a

treehouse A tree house, tree fort or treeshed, is a platform or building constructed around, next to or among the trunk or branches of one or more mature trees while above ground level. Tree houses can be used for recreation, work space, habitation, a ha ...

at the center of the building, have been protectors of the museum's secrets for generations, and the latest candidate for the position is Ridley, who only recently learned about the exhibits coming to life. As Ridley continues to earn her role, she gathers a team of other museum display models to help contain the chaos and care for those who need it, all while making sure that everyone is safe and happywithout the outside world learning about the museum's secrets.

Controversy and cancellation

The series generated controversy after the release of the eighth episode of the fifth season, "Happy Herd Day", in which, the main plot of the episode focuses on a

bison A bison (: bison) is a large bovine in the genus ''Bison'' (from Greek, meaning 'wild ox') within the tribe Bovini. Two extant taxon, extant and numerous extinction, extinct species are recognised. Of the two surviving species, the American ...

named Fred, who is meant to lead the stampede of their herd, but has not told their grandmother that they identify as

and use "they/them" pronouns. They worry about how she will react, but also do not want to lead the stampede as something they are not. In the end, with two minutes to spare, Fred informs their grandmother that they no longer go by Winnefred, identify as non-binary, and use "they/them" pronouns, and they are accepted by their grandmother for who they are. This episode angered a large number of people subscribed to the streaming platform, claiming that said episode was "

LGBT LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The gro ...

indoctrination". Netflix responded to user feedback by canceling the series after its fifth and final season.

Voice cast

Main

* Iara Nemirovsky as Ridley Jones, a young girl who trains and eventually becomes the museum's protector with a team consisting of herself and other museum exhibits. * Iris Menas as Winifred "Fred", a

display model and a member of Ridley's team. * Tyler Shamy as Dante, a

parasaurolophus ''Parasaurolophus'' (; meaning "beside crested lizard" in reference to ''Saurolophus'') is a genus of hadrosaurid "duck-billed" dinosaur that lived in what is now western North America and possibly Asia during the Late Cretaceous period, a ...

display model in a blue knit cap and a member of Ridley's team. Dante speaks in skater lingo and typically carries and rides a skateboard. * Ashlyn Madden as Ismat, a young

mummy A mummy is a dead human or an animal whose soft tissues and Organ (biology), organs have been preserved by either intentional or accidental exposure to Chemical substance, chemicals, extreme cold, very low humidity, or lack of air, so that the ...

and a member of Ridley's team. She holds the distinction of being the only group member other than Ridley to have relatives revealed onscreen, those being 2 fathers. * David Errigo Jr. as Dudley, a

dodo bird The dodo (''Raphus cucullatus'') is an extinct flightless bird that was endemic to the island of Mauritius, which is east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. The dodo's closest relative was the also-extinct and flightless Rodrigues solitaire. ...

display model and a member of Ridley's team. According to an interview, Errigo based the voice for Dudley on legendary actor and comedian Ed Wynn, albeit without Wynn's trademark lisp. *

Laraine Newman Laraine Newman (born March 2, 1952) is an American actress, comedian, and writer. Newman was part of the original cast of NBC's sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' from its inception in 1975 until her departure in 1980. Newman took an ...

as Peaches, a replica model of

Ham Ham is pork from a leg cut that has been preserved by wet or dry curing, with or without smoking."Bacon: Bacon and Ham Curing" in '' Chambers's Encyclopædia''. London: George Newnes, 1961, Vol. 2, p. 39. As a processed meat, the term '' ...

, the astrochimp who was the first great ape in space. She serves as tech support for Ridley's team. *

Dee Bradley Baker Dee Bradley Baker (born August 31, 1962) is an American voice actor. Much of his work has consisted of vocalizations of animals and monsters. Baker's roles include animated series such as '' Adventure Time'', ''American Dad!'', '' Avatar: The Las ...

as Tibby, a fossil

Triceratops ''Triceratops'' ( ; ) is a genus of Chasmosaurinae, chasmosaurine Ceratopsia, ceratopsian dinosaur that lived during the late Maastrichtian age of the Late Cretaceous Period (geology), period, about 68 to 66 million years ago on the island ...

who is adopted by Ridley.

Supporting

Blythe Danner Blythe Katherine Danner (born February 3, 1943) is an American actress. Accolades she has received include two Primetime Emmy Awards for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, Best Supporting Actress in a Dra ...

as Sylvia Jones, Sarah's mother and Ridley's grandmother. *

Sutton Foster Sutton Lenore Foster (born March 18, 1975) is an American actress. She is known for her work on the Broadway stage, for which she has been nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical seven times, winning in 2002 for her role as ...

as Sarah Jones, Sylvia's daughter and Ridley's mother. ** Foster also voices Mrs. Sanchez, a large

blue whale The blue whale (''Balaenoptera musculus'') is a marine mammal and a baleen whale. Reaching a maximum confirmed length of and weighing up to , it is the largest animal known ever to have existed. The blue whale's long and slender body can ...

display model who hangs from the museum's ceiling. *

as Ma *

Bob Bergen Robert Berger (born March 8, 1964), known professionally as Bob Bergen, is an American voice actor. He voices Warner Bros. cartoon characters Porky Pig and Tweety and has voiced characters in the English dubs of various anime. He formerly hosted ...

as Pa ** Bergen also voices Mr. Filbert Peabody, the greedy museum curator who cares only about profiting from the museum exhibits and feeling the need to interfere in the business of others. As a result, while the Jones family respects him, they rarely tolerate his behavior and actions. *

Sydney Mikayla Sydney Mikayla Shepherd (born February 1, 2003), known professionally as Sydney Mikayla, is an American actress. In 2014, Mikayla portrayed Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas in the Lifetime biopic for which she won a Young Artist Award. From 2019 to 2 ...

as Penelope "Penny" Peabody, Filbert's niece.

Minor

* Sander Argabrite as Pedro, a young

penguin Penguins are a group of aquatic flightless birds from the family Spheniscidae () of the order Sphenisciformes (). They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere. Only one species, the Galápagos penguin, is equatorial, with a sm ...

display model who idolizes Ridley. He is often seen getting into trouble. *

Jane Lynch Jane Marie Lynch (born July 14, 1960) is an American actress, comedian, and singer. Known for playing starring and recurring roles in comedic television, her accolades include one Golden Globe, five Primetime Emmys and two Screen Actors Gui ...

as Lonny, the museum's well-meaning but clumsy security guard. In Season 5 she now knows about the Jones family's secret. * Laraine Newman as Luann * Dave Boat as Nukilik "Nuki", a

Woolly Mammoth The woolly mammoth (''Mammuthus primigenius'') is an extinct species of mammoth that lived from the Middle Pleistocene until its extinction in the Holocene epoch. It was one of the last in a line of mammoth species, beginning with the African ...

display model and Sylvia's best friend during her youth. Nukilik was frozen in the arctic exhibit several years before he was rediscovered by Ridley, at which point he reunited with Sylvia. * Gisela Adisa as Stella

Episodes

Series overview

Season 1 (2021)

Season 2 (2021)

Season 3 (2022)

Season 4 (2022)

Season 5 (2023)

Production

The series was first announced in October 2020.

Release

''Ridley Jones'' was released on

on July 13, 2021. A trailer was released on June 8.

References

External links

* * {{Netflix original animated series and films 2020s American animated comedy television series 2020s American children's comedy television series 2020s American LGBTQ-related animated television series 2020s American LGBTQ-related comedy television series 2020s preschool education television series 2021 American animated television series debuts 2023 American television series endings American children's animated action television series American children's animated adventure television series American children's animated comedy television series American children's animated horror television series American children's animated musical television series American computer-animated television series American preschool education television series Animated preschool education television series Animated television series about children Fictional bison Canadian English-language television shows Irish children's animated action television series Irish children's animated adventure television series Irish children's animated comedy television series Irish preschool education television series Jungle adventure films LGBTQ-related controversies in animation LGBTQ-related controversies in television Netflix children's programming Television series based on actual events Television series by Brown Bag Films Television series by Netflix Animation 2023 LGBTQ-related television Television shows set in museums