The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder — A Premiere for the Books!

Feb 22

I’ll begin my review with the major caveat that I rarely, if ever, watched the original The Proud Family on Disney Channel. I was certainly too young to watch the first run of the show (I’m a baby, I know), and if I caught any later reruns, it was simply while flipping through channels.

With that said, it didn’t curb my excitement when I received an invite to the virtual premiere of the new Disney+ revival, The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder. After all, who wouldn’t be excited to go to the premiere of a reboot of one of the most well-loved animated shows on Disney Channel? The event promised the showing of not just one but two episodes, and additional perks beyond the episodic content. Though it was scheduled for 9:00pm EST (hey Hollywood, East Coasters exist!) and I had an exhausting day, it was an incredible experience and I am thrilled that I attended the event.

The core attraction that the event revolved around was, of course, the premiere of the first two episodes of the new show. In them, time has passed, and Penny Proud (Kyla Pratt) and her crew have now hit puberty. They must navigate their changing bodies, and in Penny’s case, the overprotectiveness of her dad, Oscar (Tommy Davidson). This premise alone creates the potential for lots of hilarious comedy as the teenagers try to find themselves at school and in their neighborhood. The gags are over the top and totally unrealistic – like a character’s face being waxed off onto a paper towel, then pasted back on – and I’m typically not a fan of this so-called squash and stretch animation. But the wild Proud Family universe is set up to make everything possible and believable, and I was laughing harder and harder with every absurdity.

Additionally, while all of the characters from the original show return, the first two episodes also feature some new characters, including a feisty freshman named Maya who is voiced by Keke Palmer! Evidently, the series has also updated some of its content, with the second episode’s storyline centering around obtaining followers on social media. Thus, with the addition of a few new faces and the use of modern, relevant storylines, the creators seem to have done a great job of combining the old with the new.

After streaming the first two episodes, participants were invited to virtually experience different parts of Penny’s high school, where they could access a variety of exciting content. There was a photo booth where you could take a selfie with a special Proud Family filter, and the gym, where you could enjoy a live performance by Joyce Wrice, the singer of the revamped Proud Family theme song! You could also visit the lockers to find clips from the show and other interactive material, or go to the cafeteria to watch exclusive interviews with the creators, producers, and cast.

Personally, I enjoyed the cafeteria interviews the most, because they shed light on how The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder came to be. Creators Bruce W. Smith and Ralph Farquhar talked about how the original Proud Family was groundbreaking in its representation of a Black family and community on television, and how the revival is even more committed to featuring Black voices both on the screen and behind it. Beyond diverse racial and cultural representations, the interviews also touched on how Louder and Prouder will be more inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community. The character of Michael has been completely revamped and is now voiced by the hilarious EJ Johnson, and the new character, Maya, has two dads, one of whom is voiced by the iconic Billy Porter!

The virtual format was no constraint for Disney+, and The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder premiere was an incredible event! It combined funny, well-crafted episodes with exciting added perks, and it generated excitement for the rest of the upcoming season when it hits streaming. Whether you watched the original series or not, The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder combines humor and relatability and promises to be a show to remember!

The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder will be streaming on Disney+ on February 23rd.