Disney Junior has made its way into a lot of children’s lives in the past few years, teaching preschoolers how to princess properly with Sofia the First and helping them solve problems with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Now the network is looking to bring kids into the science-friendly blast-tastic future with the new animated series Miles from Tomorrowland, which will debut just three months before Brad Bird’s big-budget adventure Tomorrowland. Coincidence? I wouldn’t bet any part of the future on it.
Miles from Tomorrowland is set to premiere on Disney Junior on Friday, February 6, and will center on the close-knit Callisto family, who are flying all around the galaxy connecting one area to another via the Tomorrowland Transit Authority. Tomorrowland, on the other hand, involves Britt Robertson (and maybe George Clooney) finding a way to the somewhat magical place called Tomorrowland, in which actions have opposing reactions in the real world. The only connection between these two projects is their ties to the Disney theme park area, but it’s not a stretch to consider this being an easy marketing ploy by the entertainment hub.
Not that we’re screaming “Conspiracy!” or anything. I actually wish this new series did directly tie into Tomorrowland, since everyone has been keeping mum about that film’s narrative. But I’m perfectly happy with a new kids’ show that aims to educate its audience and gives them a chance to get excited about space travel and…an ostrich named Merc. (But not the one with the mouth.) The fact that a ton of younger viewers will probably beg their parents to go see Tomorrowland, another film that will likely stoke their imaginations, is a pretty decent causal effect. Because space!
Miles from Tomorrowland features an all-star cast, including Olivia Munn (The Newsroom) as sister Phoebe, Cullen McCarthy (Mr. Peabody & Sherman) as brother Miles, Tom Kinney (SpongeBob SquarePants) as father Leo, Fiona Bishop (Sofia the First) as mother Loretta, and Dee Bradley Baker (Phineas and Ferb) as Merc. Guest stars will include Bill Nye, Mark Hamill, Wil Wheaton and Alton Brown, among others. The show will technically kick off with a sneak preview on January 16 via the Watch Disney Junior app and website, but it will officially make its TV premiere on February 6 with four back-to-back episodes, each containing two 11-minute segments.
One has to wonder if 20th Century Fox had planned a Miles from Exodus early last year, or if Paramount was thinking about a Miles from Selma show. Either way, February is the place to be if you want to fly around space with an ostrich on Disney Junior, with Tomorrowland hitting theaters on May 22.
