# Donkey Hodie (TV series)

Donkey Hodie is an American puppet live action musical children's television series created by David and Adam Rudman for PBS Kids, and is aimed at preschoolers ages 3 to 5. Inspired by characters created by Fred Rogers, the series premiered May 3, 2021, and is the second spin-off of Rogers' television series Mister Rogers' Neighborhood after Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. The first full episode was initially set to premiere in the winter of 2021 on PBS Kids in the United States, but it was pushed back to May 3 of the same year.

## Plot

In the land of Someplace Else, just north of the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, Donkey Hodie and her friends go throughout their day while solving different problems along the way.

## Cast

* Haley Jenkins as Donkey Hodie, the granddaughter of Grampy Hodie (the original Donkey Hodie). Like her grandfather, her name is a pun on the novel Don Quixote. She's eponymously named, sunny and brave.
* Stephanie D'Abruzzo as Duck Duck, Harriet Elizabeth Cow and Mama Panda; Duck Duck's name is eponymous.
* David Rudman as Bob Dog, an upbeat red dog, Grampy Hodie and Stanley the Dragon.
* Frankie Cordero as Purple Panda and Turtle Lou.
* Peter Linz as Clyde the Cloud.
* Matt Vogel as King Friday, the ruler of the Neighborhood of Make-Believe.
* Joey Mazzarino as Game Show Gator and Super Porcupine.
* Leslie Carrara-Rudolph as Dodie Hodie, Donkey's cousin.
* Jimmica Collins as Rockstar Penguin.
* Melvin Campbell as Rogers the Fish
The original Donkey Hodie, Bob Dog, Purple Panda, Harriet Cow and King Friday all originated on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. All other characters were newly created for the Donkey Hodie series.

## Episodes

| Season | Segments | Episodes | Episodes | Originally released | Originally released |
| Season | Segments | Episodes | Episodes | First released | Last released |
| 1 | 79 | 40 | 40 | May 3, 2021 (2021-5-3) | February 23, 2023 (2023-2-23) |
| 2 | 48 | 25 | 25 | August 14, 2023 (2023-8-14) | April 17, 2025 (2025-4-17) |

## Production

The series was announced in January 2020. The title character is the granddaughter of the original Donkey Hodie, a character from the Neighborhood of Make Believe on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.

### Music

Like Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, the series includes both new songs as well as songs written by Rogers.
The music for the show was composed by Bill Sherman, Zack Zeyde, and Noah Deblasis.

## Home video

The following DVDs contain episodes of the show:
Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood: Playtime with Daniel!
* "The Masked Veggies"
* "The Royal Hosts"
PBS KIDS: Secret Superheroes!
* "Donkey's Bad Day"
* "Yodel Bird Egg"
PBS KIDS: Just A Little Bit Spooky!
* "A Donkey Hodie Halloween"
PBS KIDS: We Love Camping!
* "A Night Out"
* "A Poetry Problem"
PBS KIDS: Get Up and Dance!
* "The Cow & Potato Bug Opera"
* "Everything Explorers"
PBS KIDS: 17 Puppy Adventures
* "Fastest Fetcher"
* "Bobbly Ball"
PBS KIDS: Book Buddies
* "Bye Bye, Book"
* "Tater Buddies"
PBS KIDS: 17 Fun Food Stories
* "Flying Flapjacks"
* "Pickle Penguin Problem"

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
| 2021 | TCA Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming | Donkey Hodie | Nominated |
| 2022 | Writers Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Writing In An Educational Program | Adam Rudman David Rudman Joey Mazzarino | Nominated |
| 2022 | Children's and Family Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lighting Design for a Live Action Program | Joel K. Flory Mark Kluiszo | Nominated |
| 2023 | TCA Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Children's Programming | Donkey Hodie | Nominated |
| 2023 | Children's and Family Emmy Awards | Outstanding Puppetry Performance | Harley Jenkins | Nominated |
| 2023 | Children's and Family Emmy Awards | Outstanding Puppetry Performance | Frankie Cordero | Nominated |
| 2025 | Children's and Family Emmy Awards | Outstanding Preschool Series | Donkey Hodie | Nominated |
| 2025 | Children's and Family Emmy Awards | Outstanding Interactive Media | Cousin Hodie Playdate | Won |