Happy Fifth Anniversary, Donkey Hodie!
Last Sunday marked five years since Donkey Hodie premiered on PBS Kids.; If you've known me for a while, then you know that this show played a big role on creating my love for not just public education, but media in general. While I did not have the time to go all out for an extravagant tribute to it (APs and finals have both been absolutely wrecking me as of late), I still wanted to make at the very least a short post on here commemorating the date.
Apologies for today's post being so short. At the time of writing this I've just gotten back from an AP exam involving a lot of writing. My creative juices have been used to their maximum.
Donkey Hodie is the type of show that you would never expect a relatively serious, well-put-up person like me to get into so strongly. But from the moment this show was announced in January of 2020, I was invested by the cute, cuddly puppets and the headliner of it being another Fred Rogers spin-off. A year passed, and the pandemic hit; one of the things that motivated me to get through the thick of 2020 the most was the promise of Donkey's debut. Due to the pandemic, production of the show had to be halted, and the release date was pushed forward a few months.
Regardless, things kept going. The crew persisted, wearing heavy masks and PPE while they performed, taking countless COVID tests and health exams, all just to make sure that the 79-part, 40 episode season of the show was still produced. And in May of 2021, Donkey Hodie premiered on PBS Kids.
Seeing how far the show has come in itself is so heartwarming to me. From them having to film during COVID to the defunding of PBS Kids, seeing them come back over and over again is so inspirational, and it perfectly encapsulates the mission of perseverance and determination that was so embedded into the show's curriculum. This show has gotten me through a global pandemic, periods where my mental health was dogshit, two hospitalizations (one lasting almost a month), and five whole grades. It's so adorable and it legit brings so much joy to my life.
Each character holds a special place in my heart. I remember the fandom hype seeing the inside of Bob Dog's house for the first time, the fan theories we came up with about Panda's father, the humanization drawings of Donkey herself, the love for Stephanie D'Abruzzo we gave in regards to her performance as Duck Duck. Back when episode premieres happened more regularly, I loved the waits between months, each full of anticipation for what was to come. And who could forget my Hee-Hawesome Facts series on Tumblr for the show's third anniversary two years ago? I loved making that too! So much of what I have done has been in part because of the lessons this show has given me, ones on standing up for yourself, sticking to your morals, and trying hard no matter what goes wrong.
As of now, we don't have a Season 4 greenlit. I don't think we're going to get one. With all of the budget cuts towards PBS taking place, and the fact that the show has already had such a strong run and that it takes so much money to produce one season, I would not be shocked if Season 3 was the last. And if it is, then so be it. Donkey has had such an amazing run already. Season 3 is the show's best season so far. Let it die in peace.
The point of this post was not to say anything remarkable or to analyze a certain part of the show- the point was to thank the showrunners and remember the joy Donkey Hodie has brought to my life. I love this show so, so much and even if I don't talk about it as much as I used to, it still holds a deep place in my heart.
Here's to five more years of hee-hawesome fun!
