When rumors started flying that popular Disney cartoon Doc McStuffins may not be returning for a fifth season, the internet got to work.
Doc McStuffins features a young black female lead character responsible for caring for sick toys and dolls and is quite a hit among the younger generation. According to the New York Times, the show achieved $500 million in merchandise sales last year and has crossed color lines in popularity.
–Doc McStuffins doll most sought after Christmas gift this year
So news that the show’s premiere date was TBA was particularly surprising to many parents.
On Friday, comedian W. Kamau Bell tweeted “Seriously, if you love #DocMcStuffins as much as my family, tell@DisneyJunior to #RenewDocMcStuffins!”
Quickly, fans of the show joined in on the hashtag, tweeting pictures and expressing their frustrations about the possibility of the show not being renewed. One mom tweeted a photo of her daughter holding her favorite Doc McStuffins toys and wrote, “#renewDocMcStuffins because how will I explain this to her if you don’t?”
#renewDocMcStuffins because how will I explain this to her if you don't? 😢 @DisneyJunior pic.twitter.com/ooZ34hLmIY
— Mila (@KamilaShakur) July 2, 2016
Hey @DisneyJunior, my kids love #DocMcStuffins! A great role model with a great message. Please #RenewDocMcStuffins pic.twitter.com/Joe2DbuLj2
— Luke Fedlam (@LukeFedlam) July 2, 2016
Because I wish I had a show like this to watch as a little girl…😢 #RenewDocMcStuffins @DisneyJunior pic.twitter.com/5EVH2j0TDC
— Holly Robinson Peete 💃🏾♍️ (@hollyrpeete) July 3, 2016
https://twitter.com/AudraEqualityMc/status/749261245702897664
The show’s creator and executive producer, Chris Nee, responded to the fans hashtags by saying, “I have spent the morning in tears watching the love being spread for an idea I had in the shower. #DocMcStuffins #RenewDocMcStuffins ”
–Black doctors see hope in TV’s ‘Doc McStuffins’
Nee was inspired to create the show for her son, who struggled with asthma, in an effort to make going to the doctor less scary. She says representation has always been important to her.
“I am always looking for ways to shine a light on people who don’t get to see themselves represented on TV,” Nee told NBC. “I think it’s one of the most powerful things we have in working in especially preschool television. Unfortunately – like everyone else – we really lag in our representation of people who are in the mainstream.”
I have spent the morning in tears watching the love being spread for an idea I had in the shower. #DocMcStuffins #RenewDocMcStuffins
— Chris Nee (She/Her)🏳️🌈 (@chrisdocnee) July 2, 2016
Disney Junior has responded to the viral hashtag by tweeting, “Wow – thanks for all the love and cuddles! As long as there are toys to fix, the Doc will be in!”
"Wow – thanks for all the love and cuddles! As long as there are toys to fix, the Doc will be in!" — #DocMcStuffins pic.twitter.com/ldotHfruNG
— Disney Junior (@DisneyJunior) July 3, 2016
Lets hope this means the show will get renewed for its fifth season!
–College student creates doll line for black boys