# Twelve Forever

Twelve Forever is an American animated television series created by Julia Vickerman for Netflix. Vickerman had previously worked on Clarence and The Powerpuff Girls. Twelve Forever premiered in the United States on July 29, 2019.

## Premise

The series is set in the early 2000s and centers on Regina "Reggie" Abbott (Kelsy Abbott), an imaginative 12-year-old whose desire to remain a child is so powerful she can enter another world in which she never has to grow up: an island called Endless where her childhood toys and drawings are real. She is joined by her friends Todd (Antony Del Rio) and Esther Hopkins (Jaylen Barron), who visit this amazing world to live out their superhero fantasies and escape the responsibilities of impending adulthood. Life and reality often catch up with them in Endless as the preteens start dealing with growing pains and conflicts develop between them. The negativity the friends experience while dealing with their new complicated problems feed their enemy, the nefarious Butt Witch (Matt Berry), who seeks to destroy Endless.

## Voice cast

* Kelsy Abbott as Reggie, Wade, Kathy, Flaps, Flowery Woman, Billy Canyon, Tammy, Dr. Tenders, Swimple Jan, Plates, Mike, Omelet, Winged Moyse
* Antony Del Rio as Todd, Chairold, Garrett, Sherbert
* Jaylen Barron as Esther, Pretty Please, Tater Tot, Gorbis, Darla, Tori
* Matt Berry as The Butt Witch
* Steve Agee as Big Deal, Mack, Beefhouse, Galaxander, Hunk, Monster Brown Roger
* Wade Randolph as Borbo, Dr. Champion, Mr. Christopherson, Label Maker Monster, Lump, Uncle Paul, AJ, Bobby
* Laura Zak as Mrs. Krandle, Tanopy, Explorer Sally, Pancake, Rooty, Lorbis, Queen Limerick
* Bridget Everett as Judy
* Spencer Rothbell as Colin, Swimple Dan, Tasty Troy, Pitui-Terry, Squad Bro, Rance, Big Ol' Gordon, Jacques Board, Shaun
* Nick Sumida as Bags of Marbles, Beth, Chewing Gum Stanley, Garrett, Señor Corduroy
* Brandon Wardell as Dustin
* Daniel Amerman as Aaron
* Sam Brown as Manny, Schmaaron
* Noel Fielding as Guy Pleasant
* Kate Freund as Donna
* John Eric Bentley as Mr. Kapusinski
* Ron Funches as Manguin
* Brittany Ashley as Kendra, Leslie
* Amy Sedaris as Sadmantha
* Maximus Riegel as Ogden
* Stephanie Beatriz as Conelly
* Chris Fleming as Mr. Fleming
* Ashley Boettcher as Gwen
* Curt Neill as Rodney
* Paul Williams as Captain Elmer
* Reese Hartwig as Shane (pilot only)
* Jorge Diaz as Tristan (pilot only)

## Production

The original pilot was produced for Cartoon Network, by Cartoon Network Studios, and was originally released on their website on May 18, 2015. In December 2017, it was announced that Netflix had acquired the rights to Twelve Forever for a full series, with production duties being handled by The Cartel and Puny Entertainment. Shadi Petosky began working on the show sometime before July 2017, when she hoped for more episodes of Danger & Eggs, as a non-creative/non-writing executive producer.

### LGBTQ representation

One of the executive producers of the series, Petosky, described Reggie as a queer character "coming to terms with her sexuality". The series also features a number of other LGBTQ characters: Mack and Beefhouse, a gay couple in the fantasy world of Endless Island, and Galaxander, who previously had a boyfriend. As for Reggie, she has a crush on Conelly, a 13-year-old schoolmate with whom she shares the same taste in imagining and creating stories, as shown in the two-part episode "Locked Out Forever". Due to the show's abrupt ending, Petosky stated they won't be able to further explore that aspect of the character/relationship.
As such, GLAAD recognized the series as one of a number of shows released in 2019 with LGBTQ representation.

## Episodes
### Cartoon Network pilot (2015)

| Title | Directed by | Written by | Storyboarded by | Original release date |
| "Twelve Forever" | Nick Cross (art) & Robert Alvarez (timing) | Julia Vickerman | Julia Vickerman & Victor Courtright (additional) | May 18, 2015 (2015-5-18) |

### Netflix series (2019)

| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Storyboarded by | Original release date |
| 1 | "Birthday Forever" | John Mathot | Story by : Julia Vickerman Teleplay by : Kelsy Abbott | Phylicia Fuentes & Nick Sumida | July 29, 2019 (2019-7-29) |
| Reggie's imagination unlocks a wild and wonderful world where she can be herself – and escape the pressures of growing up. ||||||
| 2 | "The Butt Witch Forever" | Annisa Adjani | Story by : Julia Vickerman Teleplay by : Spencer Rothbell | Erica Jones & Meghan Tryon | July 29, 2019 (2019-7-29) |
| Trying to avoid learning about puberty, Reggie accidentally unleashes the Butt Witch on their world. ||||||
| 3 | "Esther Forever" | John Mathot | Story by : Julia Vickerman Teleplay by : Laura Zak | Mike Bertino & Ron Stanage | July 29, 2019 (2019-7-29) |
| Esther, the new girl at school, tries to join Reggie and Todd's crew. ||||||
| 4 | "Guy Pleasant Forever" | Annisa Adjani | Story by : Julia Vickerman Teleplay by : Tony Infante & Richard Lee | Ashlyn Anstee & Nicolette Wood | July 29, 2019 (2019-7-29) |
| When his big brother moves away for college, Todd tries to create a new brother. ||||||
| 5 | "Endless Forever" | John Mathot | Story by : Julia Vickerman Teleplay by : Kelsy Abbott | Phylicia Fuentes & Nick Sumida | July 29, 2019 (2019-7-29) |
| Todd and Esther try to investigate Endless' mysteries. ||||||
| 6 | "Dustin Forever" | Annisa Adjani | Story by : Julia Vickerman Teleplay by : Spencer Rothbell | Erica Jones & Meghan Tryon | July 29, 2019 (2019-7-29) |
| Reggie tries to reconnect with her brother in filming their series "Space Draculas." ||||||
| 7 | "Mack and Beefhouse Forever" | John Mathot & Nick Sumida | Story by : Julia Vickerman Teleplay by : Kelsy Abbott | Mike Bertino & Ron Stanage | July 29, 2019 (2019-7-29) |
| The Butt Witch tries to create friction between Mack and Beefhouse. ||||||
| 8 | "The Mall Forever" | Annisa Adjani | Story by : Julia Vickerman Teleplay by : Laura Zak | Ashlyn Anstee & Nicolette Wood | July 29, 2019 (2019-7-29) |
| Reggie's mom takes her and Esther to the mall to buy something nice. ||||||
| 9 | "School Forever" | John Mathot & Nick Sumida | Story by : Spencer Rothbell Teleplay by : Tony Infante | Phylicia Fuentes & Nick Sumida | July 29, 2019 (2019-7-29) |
| After an annoying day at school, the kids try teaching lessons in Endless. ||||||
| 10 | "Secrets Forever" | Annisa Adjani | Story by : Julia Vickerman Teleplay by : Laura Zak | Erica Jones & Meghan Tryon | July 29, 2019 (2019-7-29) |
| The gang discovers a grocery store on Endless. ||||||
| 11 | "Manguin Forever" | Nick Sumida | Story by : Julia Vickerman Teleplay by : Spencer Rothbell | Mike Bertino & Ron Stanage | July 29, 2019 (2019-7-29) |
| Esther hires a penguin assistant to help Reggie with her garden. ||||||
| 12 | "Fancy Forever" | Annisa Adjani | Story by : Julia Vickerman Teleplay by : Kelsy Abbott | Ashlyn Anstee & Nicolette Wood | July 29, 2019 (2019-7-29) |
| Reggie attempts to become the best-dressed person on Endless. ||||||
| 13 | "The Locals Forever" | John Mathot & Nick Sumida | Kelsy Abbott | Phylicia Fuentes & Nick Sumida | July 29, 2019 (2019-7-29) |
| The gang spies on the residents of Endless. ||||||
| 14 | "Reggie's Dad Forever" | Annisa Adjani | Story by : Julia Vickerman Teleplay by : Laura Zak | Erica Jones & Meghan Tryon | July 29, 2019 (2019-7-29) |
| Reggie finds a box of her dad's stuff and releases a sad spirit in Endless. ||||||
| 15 | "Babysitting Forever" | Nick Sumida | Story by : Julia Vickerman Teleplay by : Spencer Rothbell | Diana Lafyatis & Ron Stanage | July 29, 2019 (2019-7-29) |
| Reggie tries babysitting and ends up taking the kid to Endless with her. ||||||
| 16 | "Not Twelve Forever" | Annisa Adjani | Kelsy Abbott | Ashlyn Anstee & Nicolette Wood | July 29, 2019 (2019-7-29) |
| Big Deal tries to impress the Butt Witch. ||||||
| 17 | "Locked Out Forever"(Part 1–2) | Nick Sumida | Story by : Julia Vickerman Teleplay by : Laura Zak | Phylicia Fuentes & Sydney Sharp | July 29, 2019 (2019-7-29) |
| 18 | "Locked Out Forever"(Part 1–2) | Annisa Adjani | Story by : Julia Vickerman Teleplay by : Laura Zak | Erica Jones & Meghan Tryon | July 29, 2019 (2019-7-29) |
| Part 1: Reggie develops a crush on Conelly, an eighth grade girl. Part 2: Reggie tries to figure out how to get back into Endless. ||||||
| 19 | "Brown Roger Forever" | Nick Sumida | Story by : Julia Vickerman Teleplay by : Spencer Rothbell | Katie Mitroff & Ron Stanage | July 29, 2019 (2019-7-29) |
| The Butt Witch starts to influence Brown Roger. ||||||
| 20 | "Spring Break Forever" | Annisa Adjani | Story by : Julia Vickerman Teleplay by : Kelsy Abbott | Raj Brueggemann & Nicolette Wood | July 29, 2019 (2019-7-29) |
| Reggie's stuck in the hospital during Spring Break. ||||||
| 21 | "Dance Forever" | Nick Sumida | Spencer Rothbell | Phylicia Fuentes & Sydney Sharp | July 29, 2019 (2019-7-29) |
| Todd meets a new girl named Gwen and the gang goes to a school dance. ||||||
| 22 | "Audition Forever" | Annisa Adjani | Story by : Julia Vickerman Teleplay by : Laura Zak | Erica Jones & Meghan Tryon | July 29, 2019 (2019-7-29) |
| Todd tries out for a band, but they choose Esther instead. ||||||
| 23 | "A Stranger Forever" | Nick Sumida | Story by : Julia Vickerman Teleplay by : Kelsy Abbott | Katie Mitroff & Kyle Neswald | July 29, 2019 (2019-7-29) |
| Captain Elmer arrives on Endless, but Todd and Esther are suspicious of him. ||||||
| 24 | "Todd Forever" | Annisa Adjani | Story by : Julia Vickerman Teleplay by : Spencer Rothbell | Raj Brueggemann & Jay Hasrajani | July 29, 2019 (2019-7-29) |
| Reggie plans a huge 13th birthday surprise for Todd. ||||||
| 25 | "Together Forever" | Nick Sumida & Ed Tadem | Story by : Julia Vickerman Teleplay by : Laura Zak | Grace Liu, Dan Stone & Sydney Sharp | July 29, 2019 (2019-7-29) |
| The Butt Witch tries to manipulate the gang while they're fighting. ||||||

## Reception

Reviews of the series have been mostly positive. Lacey Womack of Screen Rant said the series was something those of all ages could enjoy. Rodney Ho of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution said that there was a "great pedigree" of those working on the show. Kevin Johnson of The A.V. Club said the show had a "sense of its Midwest, small town setting as the backdrop of conformist pressure" and compared it to Gravity Falls. Dina Rudolph of the Windy City Times praised its LGBTQ representation, putting it alongside shows such as Steven Universe, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts, The Dragon Prince, and OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes. The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction contributor Steven Pearce argued that the show juggles dark and light, the real world and the imagined world, with Endless acting out "metaphorical versions of Reggie's real-world problems." Pearce also said that the series is good and inventive, bringing in surrealism, "pre-teen angst, humour and twelve-year-olds using flame-throwers." Mandie Caroll of Common Sense Media described the series as a "wonderfully weird show" with heart and to expect cartoon violence. She also said that young teenagers and tweens would enjoy the show's "imaginative world, relatable yet quirky characters, and the raw emotionality of this colorful cartoon."
In January 2020, GLAAD nominated the show for its Outstanding Kids & Family Programming award, along with a host of other shows.

## Cancellation

In September 2019, Shadi Petosky announced that the show had been cancelled in a now-deleted tweet. While Petosky was described as the executive producer on the show in a July 2019 AP article on LGBTQ representation in animation, she stated in September 2019 that she had no connection with the show since the show's first season had premiered on Netflix earlier that year. It was also stated, in September 2019, that the producers of the show had parted ways with the series creator, Julia Vickerman.
In 2020, Lacey Womack of Screen Rant stated the show was "on an indefinite hiatus," with uncertain plans for the future.