Freeform has given the green light for an animated comedy series titled Praise Petey, which will star Annie Murphy, John Cho, Christine Baranski.
- Deadline reports that Freeform’s new animated series will come from Saturday Night Live head writer Anna Drezen.
- Executive producers on the series will include Monica Padrick, Mike Judge and Greg Daniels.
- Praise Petey will follow Petey, voiced by Schitt’s Creek star Murphy, a New York City “it” girl who has it all until her life comes crashing down around her. As luck would have it, a mysterious gift from her father gives her a new lease on life: she’s going to lean into modernizing his small-town cult.
- John Cho voices Bandit, a potential love interest for Petey and a cult member since childhood whose mother was a high-ranking member.
- Christine Baranski voices White, Petey’s mother, a magazine editor, Manhattan society woman and a terrifying perfectionist who’s never eaten, tasted or seen ketchup.
- Kiersey Clemons voices Eliza, a bartender at the local bar and reluctant BFF to Petey, working at her new cult.
- Amy Hill voices Mae Mae, Bandit’s Southern mama oozing with Southern hospitality who happens to be the right-hand woman of a cult leader.
- Stephen Root voices Petey’s loving father, a charming, homespun, stone-cold cult leader with some pretty unique ideas about meditation, space, jumping up and down in a field, and how his bloodline is necessary for the salvation of mankind. He may or may not be dead.
- Production on the new series will begin in early 2022.
- Praise Petey will be produced by 20th Television Animation, with animation by ShadowMachine.
What they’re saying:
- Anna Drezen: “I can’t believe I get to make this show with so many funny and smart people. Getting to work with Monica, Bandera, Freeform, ShadowMachine, 20th Television Animation and this amazing cast has been a blast and dream — a bleam. This rules.”
- Jamila Hunter, EVP Programming & Development, Freeform: “It’s kind of the A-team. It was a spec script that we bought and Annie Murphy got attached early on. We’ve had such a great opportunity to attract talent because Anna is so incredibly funny and smart. Animation has a great opportunity to be funny and thought provoking. That’s what we love about it.”