By Pablo Arauz Pena
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.(AP) --Matt Groening said his new adult cartoon series "Disenchantment" has a feminist component that sets it apart from his previous shows.
Groening spoke to reporters about bringing fresh talent to the Netflix show at a Sunday panel for the Television Critics Association, joined by the voice actors Abbi Jacobson and Eric Andre.
He also highlighted the differences between the new project and his previous work, the long-running Fox series "The Simpsons."
"One of the reasons that 'The Simpsons' is what it is, is because of the time constraints," he said. "In this show, we're able to let it breathe a little more which I find gratifying."
The series notably stands out as an adult cartoon with a female lead. It follows the misadventures of an alcoholic slacker princess named Princess Bean, voiced by "Broad City" star Abbi Jacobson, who has everything but a sense of purpose.
Joined by a personal demon named Luci, played by Andre, and a scruffy elf named Elfo (voiced by Nat Faxon), Bean creates mischief in the kingdom of Dreamland where she's infamous for her careless antics.
"Bean is such an anti-stereotypical princess from what we are used to seeing," said Jacobson.
Both Jacobson and Andre have a built a following with the hard-to-win young adult audience in their shows "Broad City" and "The Eric Andre Show." The stars shared their stories of growing up watching "The Simpsons" and finding their place with Groening and Josh Weinstein, creators and producers of "Disenchantment."
Weinstein said that while "Disenchantment" features established talent from both "Futurama" — which he produced — and "The Simpsons," it transcends boundaries in both age and diversity. He said at least half the writing staff is under 30.
"We like to think we're sensitive guys but we have an awesome writing staff," he said. "Just as a cast, it's a great mix."
Groening also cited "Monty Python and The Holy Grail" as an inspiration for the series, but said that the feminist style of Jacobson's "Broad City" influenced the show as well.
"As pro-women as Josh and I are, Abbi definitely kicked up the lines we wrote for her an extra notch and made them even better," he said.
"Disenchantment" premieres Aug. 17 on Netflix.
SMPTE elects board officers, regional governors
SMPTE®,the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has revealed the board officers and regional governors who will serve terms beginning in January 2025.
Three new officers--Richard Welsh as SMPTE president, Eric Gsell as SMPTE executive VP, and Polly Hickling as SMPTE Education VP--have been elected for a two-year term from Jan. 1, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2026. One SMPTE officer, Lisa Hobbs, will be continuing her service as SMPTE secretary and treasurer for another two-year term. Additionally, Raymond Yeung will be stepping into the role of standards VP on Jan. 1, 2025.
“SMPTE’s membership has spoken,” said SMPTE interim executive director Sally-Ann D’Amato. “These officers have been tasked with an important responsibility, one each of them is prepared to tackle head-on. These next two years are looking bright for SMPTE!”
In addition to the officers, 10 regional governors were elected by the Society to serve two-year 2025-2026 terms.
These include the following regional governors, re-elected to continue their service:
Asia-Pacific Region Governor
Tony Ngai, Society of Motion Imaging Ltd.
EMEA - Central & South America Region Governor
Fernando Bittencourt, FB Consultant
United Kingdom Region Governor
Chris Johns, Sky UK.
USA - Central Region Governor
William T. Hayes, Consultant
USA - Eastern Region Governor
Dover Jeanne Mundt, Riedel Communications
USA - Western Region Governor
Jeffrey F. Way, Open Drives
Also elected were four newcomers to the SMPTE Board:
Canada Region Governor
Jonathan Jobin, Grass Valley
USA - Hollywood Region Governor
Allan Schollnick, Voxx... Read More