Ahead of the debut of the newest series from Disney Television Animation, Kiff, I was fortunate enough to sit down with the creators and executives for the new series, Nic Smal and Lucy Heavens to discuss the inspiration, the fun, and the hidden fictitious advertisements in the world of Table Town.
Tony:
Kiff is inspired by your own experiences in Cape Town, South Africa, correct?
Nic:
Yeah, we're from Cape Town, South Africa. And the world of Kiff very much mirrors the visuals in Cape Town. Got a big old mountain called Table Mountain. They live on a mountain called Mount Table, kind of some similarities there.
Tony:
I know you kind of interjected your own personal stories into it and I was like, “I wonder if there are any that are completely specific.” I think of, without getting too spoiler heavy, there's a water slide involved and the whole point of the episode is to get on that water slide. They seem so specific that either of you might have done the exact scenario and said “how can we put this in pen and paper on ink?”
Lucy:
Well, we definitely have drawn from our teachers, our friends, our families, some of them are our stories, some stories from friends and our writers of course.
Nic:
We have a good time just talking about our own experiences and sharing stories in the writers' rooms. So there's a lot of shared experiences. We all know the feeling of going on a road trip with your parents and so there's a lot of overlap. There's another episode where Kiff and Barry are desperate to get nicknames. I tried to nickname myself once and it did not go well. So there are definitely moments that are specific that we've put in.
Tony:
Awesome. Yeah, that road trip one I also felt was very much somebody's dad, someone was that dad.
Nic:
Yes.
Lucy:
We've all been that kid and Nic is that dad, so we put in both positions.
Nic:
Actually recently I was on a road trip with my kids and they even said, this is just like that Kiff episode, you’re just like Kiff's dad.
Tony:
And one thing I liked about it too, I don't know if this was from the outset or if this just happened naturally, it felt very much like something that belongs in that 90s segment of animation for television. The plot lines are simple enough… where it's just like I said earlier, the plot of the episode is just get on that water slide or survive this road trip with the incidents that occur in that. But there's also humor in there where all the adults are just going to latch onto that. That's going to go completely over the head of the kids. Is that something that was set from the outset or that was just right in there?
Lucy:
From the outset we just wanted to make a show that we wanted to watch as much as kids want to watch. So it was easy to make it so, I guess.
Nic:
Yeah, when you're laughing a lot talking about story making, that's going to come through and we grew up on those sorts of shows, Animaniacs, Tiny Toons, The Simpsons and…
Tony:
I didn't want to name names, but that's what I was getting at with the 90s vibe. Kiff very much has that kind of aesthetic and it also reminded me a lot of… Sorry, it's a different studio, Rocko's Modern Life, just with the different outlandish characters that they encounter the whole time.
Lucy:
Yeah, it's filled with fun people.
Tony:
People? I thought they were animals.
Lucy:
No, they're people.
Nic:
They're people. Just like us.
Tony:
Yeah, they are people.
Lucy:
They might not be human, but they're people.
Tony:
So which one of you is the DJ at the brunch then?
Lucy:
Probably this guy.
Nic:
Brunch DJ. DJ 11:30.
Tony:
One thing I absolutely loved, I caught onto it and the first one was the advertisements on the title card, Wibbon’s Ribbons and then later on they cut the ribbon and it said Wibbon’s and then each episode has a different advertisement. I'm like, this is just the greatest little touch.
Nic:
Thank you.
Tony:
Now I'm looking for that in each episode. Where did that come from?
Nic:
Yeah, so one of the most enjoyable parts of building out this world on Table Town is starting to identify these other characters that got their own things going on. Their little side hustles, their businesses. And the idea of having something different up top every time an episode starts, like an episode being brought to you by a certain brand that exists in Table Town. Just deeper grounded…
Lucy:
The community. The world.
Nic:
Sometimes it's quite obvious when you see that product and sometimes you'd have to watch it a second time or really look out because you'll always see that product or that business somewhere in the episode. Sometimes it comes into play with the plot and sometimes it's just in the background, so it's always just another fun thing for the viewer.
Lucy:
And for some reason cartoon advertisements are so satisfying and funny.
Tony:
I don't know if that's why I latched onto it, but just as soon as I noticed they cut the ribbon with a Wibbon’s Ribbon.
Nic:
There's a business in Table Town owned by a rat called Rats, Hats and Mats and that's all he sells, don't go there for anything else.
Tony:
Now I like that you just said they're either part of the plot or just a little background detail, some easier to spot or some… It definitely, I feel like it's a reward for somebody who's paying attention to the episode.
Lucy:
Exactly.
Tony:
Yeah. I love every second of that and then I'm also catching onto something and I'm not sure if you guys can explain it now, I keep seeing allusions in some way to “the great rubber boom.” Is that a plot device or is that just going to be a recurring thing?
Lucy:
It was again, part of this world building idea that there are some historical events in this world that have had a very big impact and that's pretty much where it began.
Nic:
But maybe don't have that much airtime. But a little bit of fun I think for us and the writers.
Tony:
I thought it was fun because I think I remember one spot, it mentioned in history class, it says, so now the great rubber boom and then later on it says the whole thing was faked or there's a conspiracy theory going on in a newspaper article or something like that. Yeah, you guys are doing fantastic with the world building just from the few blips I've seen so far and I'm excited to see what you guys do with the rest of it. And then the cast is stellar. We have Kimiko Glenn as Kiff. I have James Monroe Iglehart as her dad, I caught onto. Who else are we excited to see coming?
Lucy:
We're so lucky. We have Kiff's best friend, Barry is H. Michael Croner. He is just a stunning performer.
Nic:
Barry's older brother that we spoke about earlier, DJ 11:30, Josh Johnson.
Lucy:
Josh Johnson, shooting to stardom as a comedian. But really everyone we've had in and who are becoming recurring characters, Eric Bauza, Tom Kenny, we're just so lucky to have these incredible actors adding spice to Kiff.
Tony:
It does add, and one thing that adds spice to Kiff too also is the music. Right off the intro, which is just that beat and then the constant yelling, “Kiff.” I'm not doing it justice the way I described it right now, but it's so catchy and it carries on into the series. I immediately think of the song about the drinking fountain and there's already just different musical directions going on. Can you tell us more about that?
Nic:
Yeah, so music plays a big part and it has also played a big part in my life. You see these instruments here behind me. I played in lots of bands growing up and now in Kiff, the best part about it is that the marriage between comedy and music they always just gone together like a hand in a glove.
Lucy:
And we are free of course to use any genre and go in any direction for music and we have. We have so many cool songs coming up.
Nic:
That's the most fun, is that depending on the episode and the mood, you'll feel, oh, this song feels like it pairs really well with a big band jazz song or a bit more folk, old Johnny Cash folk, pop punk.
Lucy:
It's a dance banger, we got them all.
Nic:
So we've got a lot of freedom there and feel very… One of the most enjoyable parts of the show.
Tony:
Are there any episodes in particular, you're ready for fans to see, just to see their reaction to?
Nic:
Absolutely.
Tony:
Don't say all of them. That's a cop out. There's one that you personally enjoy.
Lucy:
There are so many.
Nic:
There are some episodes that we're quite excited about coming up down the line.
Lucy:
There is an episode where Kiff feels as though she has peaked in life because they've eaten two hotdogs for the price of one. That's the best moment she's ever experienced. And so follows a very sad folksy guitar song that is just one of my favorites.
Nic:
There's also an episode called “Friendship in the Time of Cheese Caves.” They go on a field trip to the Cheese Caves and there's a great song in there, which I'm excited for people to hear.
Lucy:
About sending a text that you wish you hadn't sent.
Tony:
How would you say Kiff sticks out from everything else on Disney Television Animation?
Lucy:
It's its own little thing. I mean, so are all the amazing shows on Disney. We do feel like we kind of came from a different world. We hadn't previously worked at Disney, so it probably has a particular flavor because of that.
Nic:
I think Kiff, visually I feel it looks a little different. So that kind of sets it in its own kind of space. But also we are very free and we don't have too many rules when it comes to story. We just feel like if this story is making us laugh and it's relatable, we open the doors and we run wild in that field and we let it go anywhere. And I think Kiff has a specific kind of free tone that gives it its own flavor.
Lucy:
And Disney has been amazing to work with in that way. Really motivating for that and letting us feel that freedom. So it's been amazing.
Tony:
I love the visuals of [Kiff], I don't know if you guys meant to do this, but I love how it's almost such simple shapes that become this huge universe and it's fantastic. And then all the different animals.
Nic:
When designing the characters in the early stages, the drawing something… Having something so simple, Kiff's head is just a circle. There's so much real estate there for expressions. You can go anywhere with it, but right at the root of it are very simplistic designs. Something that someone can learn to draw quite easily and I think that there's an appeal in that approach.
Lucy:
Yeah. It becomes a real blank canvas for expression, which is something then we use to our advantage comedically and with regard to the pathos and all of that.
Tony:
I think even though I asked what you guys think, I think it'll stand out quite well. It's bright, it's vivid, and I think it's hugely relatable from just what I've seen. I look forward to the rest of it.
Lucy:
We're so excited for the world to see it.
Tony:
When can I go to your next brunch DJing session?
Lucy:
We'll let you know.
Nic:
You’re always welcome at our table.
Kiff debuts on March 10th on Disney Channel and is also available on Disney+.