Central Park (TV series)
A musical animated series about saving Central Park.
Central Park is an American musical animated sitcom created by Loren Bouchard, Nora Smith and Josh Gad for Apple TV+. The series premiered on May 29, 2020, and follows a family living in Central Park who must save it from a greedy land developer. It was cancelled after three seasons.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Animated sitcom; Musical
- Rowspan
- "2"
Facts from the source article.
Premise
The musical series is told through a fourth wall-aware busker narrator named Birdie. It centers on the Tillerman–Hunter family, who live in Edendale Castle in Central Park: patriarch Owen, the park manager; his wife Paige, a journalist; their daughter Molly, who draws comics; and their son Cole, an animal lover. Their lives change when heiress Bitsy Brandenham and her assistant Helen plot to buy up Central Park land for development. The family must save the park while dealing with personal issues.
Cast
Kristen Bell (season 1) and Emmy Raver-Lampman (season 2–3) voice Molly Tillerman, who draws comic books about herself as a hair-powered superhero named Fista-Puffs. Tituss Burgess voices Cole Tillerman, an emotional boy who covets Bitsy's dog Shampagne; Burgess also voices Kelleth Vanbeaceler in the episode "Squirrel, Interrupted. Daveed Diggs voices Helen, Bitsy's frequently abused assistant. Josh Gad voices Birdie, the busker narrator who offers support for Owen. Kathryn Hahn voices Paige Hunter, a reporter wanting to write real stories. Leslie Odom Jr. voices Owen Tillerman, the park manager. Stanley Tucci voices Bitsy Brandenham, a business entrepreneur who wants to replace Central Park with condos and retail space. Keala Settle voices Young Bitsy. Kristen Bell voices Abby Hunter (season 3), Paige's sister. Eugene Cordero voices Brendan Brandenham, a boy Molly has a crush on. Rory O'Malley voices Elwood, a park ranger. David Herman voices Dmitiry (season 1), a Russian oligarch.
Production
Central Park was originally pitched to Fox, but after that network declined, a bidding war between Apple, Netflix, and Hulu broke out. Apple won with a two-season, twenty-six-episode order in March 2018. The show was created by Loren Bouchard, Nora Smith, and Josh Gad, who also served as executive producers. Kevin Larsen was a producer. Bento Box Entertainment, Brillstein Entertainment Partners, and 20th Century Fox Television handled production and distribution. Regina Hicks joined as an executive producer and co-showrunner in July 2018, though her on-screen credit was only as a consultant. Sanjay Shah and Halsted Sullivan became showrunners. Apple TV+ renewed the series for a third season in March 2021, before the second season aired. The second season premiered on June 25, 2021, and the third on September 9, 2022. Josh Gad announced the show’s cancellation on December 3, 2023, after three seasons.
Reception
Critics have praised Central Park. Its first season earned a 94% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 47 reviews, averaging 7.4/10, and a Metacritic score of 81 out of 100 from 13 reviews, signifying "universal acclaim." The second season achieved a perfect 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 17 reviews, with an average of 7.8/10, and a Metacritic score of 82 out of 100 from 4 reviews, also earning "universal acclaim."
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