‘Harriet the Spy’: Beanie Feldstein Set to Star in Apple TV+ Animated Series
Get your magnifying glasses and spy notebooks ready because “Harriet the Spy” is back. Apple TV+ has greenlit a new animated series based on the tween spy created in 1964 by author Louise Fitzhugh. “Booksmart” star Beanie Feldstein will be the fiercely independent Harriet, while Jane Lynch will provide the voice for her stalwart nanny ‘Ole Golly.’
Like the original book series, the new animated feature will be set in 1960s New York and follow Harriet M. Welsch as she pursues her dreams of being a writer by documenting everything she sees. Along the way she’ll butt heads with her school’s mean girl, the snobby Marion Hawthorne (voiced by Lacey Chabert).
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The series itself is a dream for ’90s kids especially, as it will be written and executive produced by Will McRobb, who co-created the inaugural Nickelodeon series “The Adventures of Pete and Pete.” “Harriet the Spy” was originally adapted into a live-action feature film in 1996 with Michelle Trachtenberg as Harriet and Rosie O’Donnell as Golly.
Sidney Clifton (“Black Panther,” “Me, Eloise”) will be the producer. Lisa Henson and Halle Stanford will executive produce on behalf of The Jim Henson Company, and John W. Hyde and Terissa Kelton will executive produce for Rehab Entertainment. Wendy Moss-Klein and Nancy Steingard of 2 Friends Entertainment will also serve as executive producers. Titmouse Animation Studios will animate the series.
Right now it’s unclear how many episodes the animated series will produce or when exactly it will start production. This continues the trend on Apple TV+ of creating out of existing nostalgic properties: They brought the series “Ghostwriter” back to prominence upon launch, as well as the series “Peanuts in Space: Secrets of Apollo 10.” Both series won Daytime Emmys, marking the first time a streaming service would win in their first year of eligibility.
The new series also looks to expand Apple’s relationship with The Jim Henson Company. The pair first teamed up on “Fraggle Rock: Rock On!” and are preparing a “Fraggle Rock” reboot. With the current global health crisis animation is one medium that’s actually expanding, as it doesn’t require a full working set.
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