I’m making this announcement to let you know that the second season of Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero will be the final season of the series.
We are finishing up the story we began telling in 2014. New episodes will air through 2017, leading up to our series finale. I’m really excited for you all to see our big, bombastic, super funny, visually purty, exponentially musical, big-time exciting and emotionally everything season 2.
(Enjoy these sneak peek images; just a small taste of what’s in store…)
The team at Disney TV Animation and Disney XD continue to be great partners; supportive of the vision Jared and I shared for the show since the beginning. I’ve enjoyed so much trust and creative freedom throughout this journey. I was free to build the team we needed to create something truly unique. Watching it all evolve and grow into an actual TV show that’s 100% for real on TV continues to be a thrill for me. It’s been a gift to collaborate with the most amazing people ever.
As you know, two seasons of a good show isn’t the most uncommon thing in the TV animation industry. The truth is the network has always been happy with our show. Our ratings have been great from the start, and we held solid with all our season 1 premiere episodes…. and we continue to do well with our repeat airings. The network has always been supportive of our show, and ordered two seasons. In that time we’ve been able to tell so many great and varied stories. And so many more on the way…
Would I have liked to make more episodes than fit into two seasons? Yes. Am I satisfied with the stories we’ve been able to tell with Penn and the rest of our amazing characters in the two seasons that we got? Hell yes. Are there killer moments and crazy cool and fun new characters coming your way in season 2 that will make you smile and laugh and make your jaw drop in a totally excited-as-a-fan way? Damn straight. Are there familiar Season 1 characters and worlds that will return in very surprising ways like what? Yeppy. Will I ask myself more consecutive questions and then answer them in this paragraph? Certainly. Would I have had extra ideas that would never have made it on the air, even if there were 20 seasons? Probably. Will I talk about a few missed opportunities that never made it on the show, someday in a bar at San Diego Comic-con? I’d take that bet. Did I have to sacrifice a fun episode or two to make room for a few important heavy-hitting, super cool mythology building/continuing story episodes that lead to our giant season 2 finale AKA super duper series finale? Yes ma’am and/or sir.
For fans, the very good news is…
We found out about the end of the series early enough to devote quite a few episodes directly to the emotionally sensitive business of concluding this big story. The season 2 story threads its way into many episodes, including our 5-consecutive episode series finale, which kinda feels like a big movie…
My friends at Disney TV Animation and Disney XD have given me the time and episodes I needed to give the story a fitting finale, and they continue to support me in post-production. I am grateful to them and if you’re a fan, you should be too. There is a lot of variety on Disney XD and Disney Channel, and I’m glad Penn Zero continues to be part of that collage of shows.
While it has been honestly sad for me to see my PZ crewmembers roll off the show, one by one… the bright side for you guys is most of our amazing team of super smart writers, brilliant artists and production geniuses have migrated to exciting new Disney TVA series. In many respects, they are building on the creative ground we first broke on Penn, and carrying it forward to new projects.
At the moment I’m intimately involved with all the season 2 finale stuff. I will say confidently, that once you watch season 2, and consider both seasons together, you will feel like you have seen quite a lot of the Penn Zero Multiverse. In two seasons of Penn Zero, I will boldly claim that you will have seen more unique and wonderful worlds, and will have met more unique characters, species, cultures and societies than many other longer running shows give you in 10 full seasons. And I will overconfidently and perhaps irresponsibly claim that you will never see such variety in any TV series ever again on Earth, or any planet, in any galaxy ever. Trust me on this.
There’s a story Jared and I wanted to tell from the beginning. It was about Penn and his friends and what they wanted to accomplish against challenging odds. And it was about this villain Rippen and his minion Larry and their goals too, and what makes them tick. It’s about Penn’s poor trapped parents… and it’s all headed somewhere very…interesting. This story could have been told over a longer time period than two seasons; that was certainly our initial plan. But I will honestly say that the way the story is being told from season 1 through season 2… and into our series finale is exactly what I wanted it to be. I love it. And I hope you do too.
I have so many people to thank. My partner and co-creator, Jared Bush. My line producer Tara Badawy, my directors, Adam Henry, Tom DeRosier, Kathleen Good, Chuckles Austen, my Co-Producer/story editor Jeff Poliquin, my Lead Editor Jhoanne Reyes, Co-Art Directors Benjamin Plouffe and Chris Whittier, Character Designers Tim Moen and Joe Moshier, Animation Co-Supervisor Matt Williames, Composer Ryan Shore, Executives Jay Francis, Matthew Siegel, Jonathan Schneider, Dave Wright, Aaron Drown, Michele Mazzano, Khaki Jones, Lisa Salamone, Eric Coleman, Marc Buhaj and Gary Marsh. I have always felt support and encouragement from all of these people, and so many more I can’t name here because we all need to go to sleep eventually. Who could ask for a better studio and crew?
And then there’s our spectacular cast – Thomas Middleditch, Tania Gunadi, Alfred Molina, Larry Wilmore and Adam DeVine – who could ask for a better cast? Recording these guys has been such a privilege. They’re all immensely talented and are each exceptionally warm and fun people… And also the guest voice actors have been such a thrill (some fun surprises for season 2)… Thanks also to Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, my VO director and my lead recording engineer Mark Kondracki at Outloud Audio, who are both such a big part of all the great voice acting performances we capture.
And most importantly, I want to thank you. Who could ask for better fans? Seriously, I love you all and I thank you for all your drawings, your posts, your OCs and fan fiction (honestly haven’t read much of that at all – for reasons – but maybe I will soon?)…. I’m excited each time I check in on your art posts, and always enjoy reblogging you guys!
The most exciting part of making this show has been to see it resonate with an audience. To know you dig what we put into the universe is honestly the biggest gift. We made this stuff for you. And you’re inspired and make your own stuff because of what we did. And that truly inspires me. Thank you all.
I hope you enjoy Season 2 as much as I’m enjoying making it. We are completing the story we want to tell. Lots more laughs, thrills, chills and…. maybe a few tears are on the way for all of us.
Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero will be at San Diego Comic-con next week! Lots of new stuff to share!
Friday 7/22 2:30-3:30pm room 5AB (panel)
And we have a signing later that day. If you’re in San Diego, stop by and say hi!