If you are a ‘90s kid, then you probably recall the loud and dramatic Prouds in the early 2000s cartoon series, The Proud Family. My fave character was the sassy take-no-nonsense Dijonay Jones, Penny Proud’s best friend. And even though I had long forgotten the show, the image of Dijonay quickly sparked something.
After almost two decades, the TV series is back in a reboot, The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, that navigates Penny Proud’s teenagerhood. The new age sees Penny's mum, Trudy soaring to new career heights and her dad, Oscar, pursuing wilder dreams. Set in a world with technology, we see Penny experiencing social media bullying, among other teenage challenges.
Penny's crew consisting of Dijonay Jones, LaCienega Boulevardez, Zoey Howzer and Michael Collins return. However, notably absent is Orlando Brown's Sticky Webb, who exited the show by moving to Japan with his dad, who landed a job there.
Sticky’s move doesn’t seem so bad as his departure paves way for new characters who moved into his former home. The show now features a new family of two dads (Billy Porter and Zachary Quinto), a son (“A Boogie”) and a daughter (Keke Palmer). The new kids in the block feel the pinch of being newbies, especially when they have two dads, something that has never been seen before at Smithville.
Penny’s paternal grandmother Suga Mama couldn’t be left out in the reboot. She comes back as loud as ever, but also gentle when the occasion calls for it.
The first two episodes of The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, episode 1: “New Kids on the Block” and episode 2: “Bad Influencer”, premiered on Wednesday, February 23 on Disney+.
The third episode, “It All Started With an Orange Basketball”, will air on Wednesday, March 2, and the rest follow the same day every week. Episode 4: “Father Figures” on March 9, episode 5: “Snackland” on March 16, episode 6: “Get In” on March 23, episode 7: “When You Wish Upon a Roker” on March 30 and episode 8 (unnamed) on April 6.
Get a taste of the show's drama in the video below: