The Lion Guard

The Lion Guard is an American animated spin-off television series inspired by The Lion King, produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. It premiered with a one-hour television film on November 22, 2015. The film was followed by a television series on Disney Junior, which released a preview episode on December 14, 2015. The first official episode aired January 15, 2016. Accessed 9 December 2015. It features Kion, the son of Simba and Nala. Accessed 10 June 2014.
In March 2016, the show was renewed for a second season, which premiered on July 7, 2017, and ended on April 22, 2019. In March 2017, it was renewed for a third season, which premiered with the double-length opener "Battle for the Pride Lands" on August 3, 2019, and ended with the series finale "Return to the Pride Lands" on November 3, 2019.
==Premise==
The Lion Guard follows Simba's son, Kion, as he assembles a group of animals to protect the Pride Lands known as the Lion Guard. Disney Junior general manager Nancy Kanter has described the series as being "kind of like The Lion King meets The Avengers." Accessed 11 June 2014. Accessed 11 June 2014.
==Characters==
===Main characters===
===Supporting characters===
===Minor characters===
===Villains===
	
==Episodes==
Season	Episodes	Originally aired	Originally aired
Season	Episodes	Season premiere 	Season finale
1 	26 	January 15, 2016	April 21, 2017
2 	29 	July 7, 2017 	April 22, 2019
3 	19 	August 3, 2019 	November 3, 2019
===Season 1 (2016-2017)===
===Season 2 (2017-2019)===
===Season 3 (2019)===
The first nine episodes of Season 3 were released on the DisneyNow app on August 3, 2019, while the last ten episodes were released on the DisneyNow app on September 2, 2019. Starting with "The Harmattan", the episodes do not feature an individualized title card.
==Development==
Following the successful theatrical re-release of The Lion King and its subsequent Blu-Ray release in 2011, Ford Riley was asked by Disney executives to expand the world of the franchise. Having written for The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa, Riley was familiar with the Lion King world. Accessed on 29 November 2015. 
The inspiration for the series came from Riley's son, Quinn, who was diagnosed with autism during his creation of Special Agent Oso. He found Quinn and his friends playing superhero games every Thursday after coming home. Believing that little boys wanted a team of superhero animals in the Pride Lands, Riley came up with The Lion Guard, which he described as The Avengers meets The Lion King. He pitched the series to his son, who loved the idea and played with plastic animal figures in his room a little later. 
The series' announcement came after a meeting between Disney Junior general manager Nancy Kanter and Disney chief executive Robert Iger. Iger suggested to Kanter that Disney Junior should consider producing content to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of The Lion King in 2014. Disney has shown early footage to young test audiences, who were able to make suggestions, such as adjusting the look of the hyenas. Disney Consumer Products is to launch a line of toys to tie into the television series. Many new books inspired by the series were released in late 2015 and throughout 2016 and 2017. A full list can be accessed here.
A sneak peek of the show was given at Disney's D23 Expo from August 14–16, 2015. Accessed on 11 June 2015.
==Spin-off==
:Main Article: It's UnBungalievable!
A short-form series called It's UnBungalievable! starring Bunga and Ono was produced by Disneynature and premiered on Disney Junior on January 9, 2016. In the series, Bunga and Ono pick two animals to compete in contests such as "Who's Quicker?" "Who Has Better Hair?" and "Who's Hungrier?" The series features live-action animal footage provided by Disneynature.
==Home media==
===DVD releases===
Three DVDs containing 16 episodes of the series have been released in the United States.
*Unleash the Power - September 20, 2016
*Life in the Pride Lands - January 10, 2017
*The Rise of Scar - January 9, 2018
==Awards and nominations==
Award	
Outcome	
Daytime Emmy Awards	
Daytime Emmy Awards	
Daytime Emmy Awards
2017 – Outstanding Original Song – Beau Black, Sarah Mirza, Ford Riley, Kevin Hopps (for "We're the Same (Sisi Ni Sawa)")	
Nominated Accessed on 22 March 2017.	
2020 - Outstanding Original Song in a Children's, Young Adult or Animated Program - Beau Black, Ford Riley (for "As You Move Forward")	
Nominated	
==Trivia==
* The first season was originally to consist of 24 episodes but was extended to 26 episodes instead. Accessed 9 December 2015.
* According to an interview Ford Riley did for TV Daily, The Lion Guard takes place in-between Kiara's first encounter with Kovu and her first hunt in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride.http://tvdaily.com/exclusive-interview-disneys-the-lion-guard-creator-ford-riley-talks-new-lion-king-sequel/
** Season 3 serves as a parallel to Simba's Pride, with the final episode serving as a sequel to Simba's Pride.
* Unlike any of the previous productions in The Lion King franchise, this TV series does not include many cartoon sound effects, although "Rafiki's New Neighbors" did include a coconut hut sound effect (which temporarily counts as a cartoon sound effect).
==Media==
New Series! - The Lion Guard - Disney Junior|A trailer for The Lion Guard
Call_of_the_Guard_(Theme_Song)_The_Lion_Guard_Disney_Junior|The opening sequence for The Lion Guard up to "The Lion Guard: The Rise of Scar"
Lion_Guard_Call_of_the_Guard_Season_2_Opening|The opening sequence of The Lion Guard for the majority of Season 2
The Lion Guard Season 3 Intro (Version 1)|The opening sequence for the first half of Season 3
The Lion Guard Season 3 Intro (Version 2)|The opening sequence for the second half of Season 3
The Lion Guard TV Spot - Meet Kion the Fiercest|A feature about Kion from The Lion Guard
Maia Mitchell Is a Friendly Hyena in New 'Lion Guard' Clip|A feature about "Never Judge a Hyena by its Spots"
'The Lion Guard' Behind the Scenes of Simba's Next Saga|A feature about The Lion Guard
The Lion Guard Ono's Top 5 Pride Lands Facts|Ono's Top 5 Pride Lands Facts
Training with Kion - Be Inspired - The Lion Guard - Disney Junior|The Lion Guard: Training with Kion
Training with Bunga - Be Inspired - The Lion Guard - Disney Junior|The Lion Guard: Training with Bunga
Training with Fuli - Be Inspired - The Lion Guard - Disney Junior|The Lion Guard: Training with Fuli
Training with Beshte - Be Inspired - The Lion Guard - Disney Junior|The Lion Guard: Training with Beshte
Training with Ono - Be Inspired - The Lion Guard - Disney Junior|The Lion Guard: Training with Ono
==References==
Category:Television shows
Category:Real world