“Carl the Collector” has just added a new item to his collection: an Emmy Award.
The PBS Kids show, which was developed in part by Maryland Public Television’s (MPT) Maryland Center for Media Literacy & Education team, received the Outstanding Public Service Initiative award at the 4th Annual Children’s & Family Emmy Awards March 1.
The show is notable as the first PBS Kids show to feature a main character with autism, as the titular character has a special interest in making collections. Its creator, author and illustrator Zachariah OHora, was inspired by his sons making friends with children on the autism spectrum at their school.
MPT has played a key role in developing supplemental educational content for the show, meant to serve as resources for educators as well as parents who wish to discuss autism and neurodivergence with their children. This is in part what earned the show its Emmy, as the Outstanding Public Service Initiative awards highlight programs that raise awareness for important causes and encourage viewers and their families to get involved in their community.
This is Maryland Public Television’s fifth national Emmy Award in its 60-year history, though the network has hundreds of regional Emmy wins to its name.
“Working on ‘Carl the Collector’ has been one of the biggest honors of my career,” says Krista Respass, the senior managing director of early childhood education at MPT. “Before I came to public media, I worked with children with autism and their families and found that PBS Kids was a real way to make connections with a lot of these kids. Characters like Barney and Arthur could be used to connect with kids and teach them important skills. The opportunity to work on ‘Carl’ was a full-circle moment for me, and I’m proud to be part of the team bringing these amazing neurodivergent characters that kids can see themselves in to life.”
Respass was instrumental in creating supplemental educational material for “Carl the Collector,” which can be found on MPT’s website and includes discussion questions and activities related to specific episodes. In addition to helping kids understand autism and neurodivergence, these programs are meant to encourage empathy and understanding.
The show also took home the award for Outstanding Writing for a Preschool Animated Series. Writer Ava X. Rigelhaupt was honored for her work on the episode “The Fall,” in which Carl prepares to tell his friends that he has autism.
“Many parents [of children with autism] point to that episode as meaningful, as it shows something real that they often face — having to sit down with their children, decide who they should tell and how they should have that conversation,” Respass explains. “Kids see themselves [in the show], and parents find that it shows positive ways to talk about our differences and be kind to one another.”
MPT is continuing to work on creating educational materials for new episodes, as well as hosting sensory-friendly events for kids and their families. The nonprofit television network is also collaborating with mental health counselors and autism-focused organizations serving families.
“Public service is really at the heart of what we do,” Respass says. “It’s about taking these stories from the show and creating content to support educators, families and schools. Whether people are on the autism spectrum or not, being able to help them become more open-minded and embrace more diverse friendships, and making an impact in those communities, is really special.”
Carl the Collector parents page
Carl the Collector resources for teachers
PBS KIDS and the PBS KIDS Logo are trademarks owned by PBS. Used with permission. CARL THE COLLECTOR: ©2024 Fuzzytown Productions, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Carl the Collector is produced by Fuzzytown Productions and Spiffy Pictures.
