Hero Elementary
Genre
Created byChristine Ferraro
Carol-Lynn Parente
Based on"Super Hero School"
by Aaron Reynolds
Directed byPaul Hunt
Voices of
Theme music composer
  • Steve D'Angelo
  • Terry Tompkins
Opening theme"(You Belong at) Hero Elementary", performed by Divine Brown and Cal Dodd
Ending theme"(You Belong at) Hero Elementary" (instrumental) (End Credits Version)
ComposerLorenzo Castelli
Country of originUnited States
Canada
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes40 (80 segments)
Production
Executive producersCarol-Lynn Parente
Lisa Olfman
Joy Rosen
Joann Freese
Christine Ferraro
ProducerTrent Locke
Production companiesPortfolio Entertainment
Twin Cities PBS
Original release
NetworkTVOKids (Canada)
PBS Kids (U.S.)
ReleaseJune 1, 2020 (2020-06-01) –
present (present)

Hero Elementary is a children's animated television series created and produced by Portfolio Entertainment and Twin Cities PBS.[1] The series premiered on June 1, 2020, on PBS Kids. The series was created by co-creators Carol-Lynn Parente and Christine Ferraro, who previously worked on Sesame Street.[2] The series involves the students of "The Sparks' Crew"—Lucita Sky, AJ Gadgets, Sara Snap and Benny Bubbles—who are trained in superheroics by their quirky and enthusiastic teacher, Mr. Sparks. Together the students work as a team, using their own unique superpowers, as well as the "Superpowers of Science" to help people, solve problems, and try to make the world a better place. The series has 40 half-hour episodes, each of them containing two segments.[3]

Premise

The series involves "The Sparks' Crew", a group of students from Hero Elementary: AJ Gadgets, Lucita Sky, Benny Bubbles, & Sara Snap and their excited teacher, Mr. Sparks. and the class pet Fur Blur, Also Known as "Sparks' Crew Hamster".

Characters

Main

  • Lucita Sky (voiced by Veronica Hortiguela) is a good-natured and caring Hispanic-American girl who inherited the power of flight from her grandmother. She serves as the leader of the Sparks' Crew. Because she can fly, Lucita can often be seen hovering off the ground. Ironically, she is acrophobic and appears to also suffer from vertigo; when flying high, Lucita always inadvertently looks down and she must be rescued herself.
  • Arnold Jasper "AJ" Gadgets (voiced by Jadiel Dowlin) is a brilliant autistic African-American boy who has the power of thought projection, meaning he can project pictures of his own thoughts in front of others, and also enjoys inventing all kinds of gadgets. He has a backpack that contains all his super inventions and doubles as a jetpack for transportation.
  • Sara Snap (voiced by Stephany Seki) is a tomboyish Japanese-American girl who has both the power of super strength and teleportation. At times, Sara's teleportation can malfunction and take her to the wrong places. She is also allergic to coconuts, which temporarily remove her powers.
  • Benjamin "Benny" Bubbles (voiced by Stacey DePass) is a cheerful and good-natured Greek-American boy able to create bubbles for various purposes. He is also an avid animal lover, particularly jumping in to rescue abused or frightened animals during missions. He very often provides comic relief throughout the series, cracking jokes/puns and making flashy introductions.
  • Mr. Enrique Sparks (voiced by Carlos Díaz) is the students' teacher who guides them through their superhero training, Mr. Sparks is the narrator of the episodes and also the mentor of the Sparks' Crew. Like Lucita, Mr. Sparks is fluent in Spanish. He also occasionally drives the Sparks' Crew Van for when the students have missions elsewhere.
  • Fur Blur is a hamster who's the class pet and also runs really fast, Fur Blur's thoughts are exposed in large clouds. And it's clear through her emojis that she'll be as bright as the Sparks Crew one day. She can often be seen on the heads and shoulders of Mr. Sparks and the other students. Fur Blur often drives around in a red toy car while inside her hamster ball.

Other

  • Heidi (voiced by Denise Oliver) wears a pink shirt, green overalls, white socks, and purple shoes.
  • Jada (voiced by Barbara Mamabolo) wears a pink flower, a pink dress, orange leggings, and purple flats.
  • Freeze Louise (voiced by Denise Oliver) and Petie Heat (voiced by Cory Doran) are twin siblings who make up "Team Tornado", and possess ice and fire abilities respectively.
  • The Amazing Memory Kid (voiced by Stephany Seki) is a student in "The Mighty Brights" class who wears a blue memory helmet. Despite his name, he doesn't have a very good memory.
  • "Turbo" Tina (voiced by Ana Sani) is a student in "The Mighty Brights" class who runs really fast.
  • "Rubberband" Robbie (voiced by Jonathan E. Gordon) is a student in "The Mighty Brights" class who can stretch to great lengths with his elastic body.
  • Dr. Inventorman (Martin Roach) is a hero inventor.
  • Hail Caesar (Cory Doran) is a weather-related superhero.
  • Athletica (Kristin Fairlie) is an athletic superheroine that the students idolize.
  • Captain Bounceback (Alexa Hazael) is a superheroine who has the ability to bounce.
  • Mrs. Mangia (Julie Lemieux) is the school's cafeteria supervisor.

Production

Episodes

No.Title [4]Written byOriginal air date Prod.
code [lower-alpha 1]
1"Hatching a Plan"Christine FerraroJune 1, 2020 (2020-06-01)101
"The Invisible Force"Jill Cozza-Turner
1a: Hatching a Plan: Sparks' Crew vow to reunite a baby bird with its parents.
1b: The Invisible Force: The crew tries to find out why the decorations for a young girl's birthday party have vanished.
2"Saved from the Bell"Eric PetersonJune 2, 2020 (2020-06-02)102
"The Right Stuff"Jorge Aguirre
2a: Saved from the Bell: When the bell on the school's Leaping Tower continually rings, Sparks' crew investigates.
2b: The Right Stuff: The crew decide to restyle their hero suits.
3"Tail of One Kitty"Susan KimJune 3, 2020 (2020-06-03)103
"Movie Theater Meltdown"Belinda Arredondo
3a: Tail of One Kitty: The crew learns how animals use their tails when it tries to rescue a little girl's kitten.
3b: Movie Theater Meltdown: The team helps a teen with an out-of-control superpower.
4"The Lake Mistake"Melinda LaRoseJune 4, 2020 (2020-06-04)104
"Plant Problem"Louie Lazar
4a: The Lake Mistake: The Sparks' Crew try to find a way to restore the lake back to its original state after a super student accidentally freezes it.
4b: Plant Problem: A plant grows out of control.
5"Where's Fur Blur?"Geri ColeJune 8, 2020 (2020-06-08)105
"The Blob"Adam Rudman
5a: Where's Fur Blur?: The Sparks' Crew use their five senses to track Fur Blur throughout the school.
5b: The Blob: A giant blob invades the hallways and classrooms, causing chaos.
6"Toadal Confusion"Karen MoonahJune 9, 2020 (2020-06-09)106
"Hero Hideaway"George Arthur Bloom
6a: Toadal Confusion: Toads take over a new skate park.
6b: Hero Hideaway: AJ tries to build a hero clubhouse out of cardboard boxes, but it keeps falling down.
7"All Over the Map"Christine FerraroJune 10, 2020 (2020-06-10)107
"Lights Go Down in Citytown"James R. Backshall
7a: All Over the Map: A bird flies off with AJ's Twigcam.
7b: Lights Go Down in Citytown: The nighttime sky, lit up by the lights of the city, make it hard for Sparks' Crew to see a meteor shower.
8"Fair Weather"Patrick GranleeseJune 15, 2020 (2020-06-15)108
"Home Sweet Home"Jorge Aguirre
8a: Fair Weather: Sparks' Crew learns about changing weather patterns.
8b: Home Sweet Home: The crew tries to find a home for a chipmunk after a tree falls in the schoolyard.
9"The Feed for Speed"Eric PetersonJune 16, 2020 (2020-06-16)109
"An Uphill Task"Karen Moonah
9a: The Feed for Speed: Fur Blur competes in the school's Super Pet Races.
9b: An Uphill Task: AJ invents a wheeled robot that can do everything but go up stairs.
10"With a Little Push"Adam RudmanJune 17, 2020 (2020-06-17)110
"Track That Pack"Karen Moonah
10a: With a Little Push: Sparks' Crew chases a giant ball through the city, learning that pushing an object can start or stop its movement.
10b: Track That Pack: Sparks' Crew searches for AJ's backpack after it floats away in a lake.
11"The Butterfly Chasers"Sheila RogersonJune 22, 2020 (2020-06-22)111
"Something Shady"Syndi Shumer
11a: The Butterfly Chasers: Benny and the crew investigate why monarch butterflies are missing from the school garden.
11b: Something Shady: AJ's shady spot disappears.
12"Turtle Beach"Patrick GranleeseJune 23, 2020 (2020-06-23)112
"Shine a Light on Me"Bernice Vanderlaan
12a: Turtle Beach: When the crew goes to Turtle Beach to see the hatching of baby turtles, they find the beach filled with litter.
12b: Shine a Light on Me: The crew gathers at night to search for a missing superdog.
13"Sound of Ice Cream"Bernice VanderlaanJune 29, 2020 (2020-06-29)113
"The Reflection Connection"Louie Lazar
13a: Sound of Ice Cream: An ice cream truck is accidentally made invisible, so the crew must rely on its sounds to find it.
13b: The Reflection Connection: People everywhere get stuck when a flying super-glue gadget goes haywire.
14"Sparks' Crew Unplugged"Karen MoonahJune 30, 2020 (2020-06-30)114
"Camp Catastrophe"Jiro C. Okada
14a: Sparks' Crew Unplugged (Sparks' Unplugged; TV guides): Sparks' Crew tries to determine why muffins have gone missing from the school cafeteria.
14b: Camp Catastrophe: The crew helps a scout troop build a new shelter when their tent blows away.
15"Monster Hunters"Karen MoonahJuly 1, 2020 (2020-07-01)115
"A Soapy Situation"Jorge Aguirre
15a: Monster Hunters: When the crew investigates a backyard monster, it discovers that it's actually a mother opossum and her babies.
15b: A Soapy Situation: A sudsy mess envelopes the Super-Duper Store.
16"Bugging Out"Eric PetersonJuly 6, 2020 (2020-07-06)[5]116
"Eager Beavers"Sheila Rogerson
16a: Bugging Out: The crew must find their way out of an overgrown, weedy area after being accidentally shrunk to the size of bugs.
16b: Eager Beavers: The crew helps Lucita's grandmother when her favorite scenic spot is flooded.
17"A Leg Up"George Arthur BloomJuly 13, 2020 (2020-07-13)117
"Sneezitis Solution"Patrick Granleese
17a: A Leg Up: A baby porcupine needs help, but the crew has trouble getting close to it.
17b: Sneezitis Solution: Fur Blur comes down with a hamster cold and the only cure is to sniff the flower of a certain plant.
18"What You Don't See"Kate BarrisJuly 20, 2020 (2020-07-20)118
"Super Purple Pop-Up Plants"Adam Rudman
18a: What You Don't See: The crew tries to help catch a frightened horse on the loose in Citytown.
18b: Super Purple Pop-Up Plants: Mysterious purple plants keep popping up all over Citytown.
19"Dog in the Fog"Diana MooreJuly 27, 2020 (2020-07-27)119
"Bye, Bye Dragonfly"Bob Ardiel
19a: Dog in the Fog: The crew searches for a little dog that gets lost in the fog.
19b: Bye, Bye Dragonfly: The crew uses clues from nature to catch a runaway drone.
20"Rough Sledding"Karen MoonahAugust 17, 2020 (2020-08-17)120
"Hungry Hungry Hoppers"Patrick Granleese
20a: Rough Sledding: AJ accidentally ruins a schoolmate's box sled, so the crew helps him find the materials he needs to repair it.
20b: Hungry Hungry Hoppers: The crew takes care of someone else's class pet, a super frog, until it gets out and hops through town.
21"Hero Hit Parade"Eric PetersonAugust 18, 2020 (2020-08-18)121
"Trouble at the Pet Wash"Jeff Sweeney
21a: Hero Hit Parade: Sparks' Crew tries to retrieve a big parade balloon that gets loose.
21b: Trouble at the Pet Wash: The crew helps a boy search for his missing dog.
22"Bouncing Ideas"Betty QuanAugust 19, 2020 (2020-08-19)122
"Leaning Tower, No Pizza"John Slama
22a: Bouncing Ideas: Sparks' Crew tries to figure out how to stop Rubberband Robbie from bouncing all over the school.
22b: Leaning Tower, No Pizza: The Sparks' Crew tests out low-tech ways to communicate after phone service is knocked out.
23"Kite Delight"Patrick GranleeseAugust 20, 2020 (2020-08-20)123
"Little Lost Horse"Bob Ardiel
23a: Kite Delight: The crew learns about how wind moves things when they help a boy make a new kite.
23b: Little Lost Horse:The crew helps a little girl find her toy horse that she lost on the beach.
24"The Crew Who SNOWS What to Do"James R. BackshallJanuary 4, 2021 (2021-01-04)124
"Keep Your Eye on the Ball"Carol-Lynn Parente
24a:The Crew Who SNOWS What to Do: Turbo Tina is excited to see her first snowfall, but some of the snow melts quickly.
24b: Keep Your Eye on the Ball: A T-ball championship game is jeopardized when the balls go missing.
25"Going to Pieces"Karen MoonahJanuary 5, 2021 (2021-01-05)125
"Forces of Nature"Betty Quan
25a: Going to Pieces: When a piece of a statue breaks off, Sparks' Crew must find it before the statue's unveiling ceremony.
25b: Forces of Nature: The crew searches for an invention that Dr. Inventorman buried underground.
26"Knot So Fast"Eric PetersonJanuary 6, 2021 (2021-01-06)126
"Made in the Shade"Christine Ferraro
26a: Knot So Fast: AJ's shoe-tying car gets out of control, tying Citytown into knots.
26b: Made in the Shade: The crew tries to determine why the ice cream in Stevie Heat's ice cream cart melted.
27"Snowy Journey"Jeff SweeneyJanuary 7, 2021 (2021-01-07)127
"Super Summertime"Patrick Granleese
27a: Snowy Journey: The crew treks through the snow to get Fur Blur to the veterinarian.
27b: Super Summertime: AJ wants to do all the activities on his super fun list -- but they are for the winter.
28"Hail Caesar"Patrick GranleeseMarch 29, 2021 (2021-03-29)128
"Picture Perfect"Carol-Lynn Parente and Maryelizabeth Pfund
28a: Hail Caesar: Hail Caesar helps the crew understand more about hail after a hailstorm causes damage around Citytown.
28b: Picture Perfect: The crew tries to stay clean for Picture Day at school.
29"Monumental Problem"Jiro C. OkadaMarch 30, 2021 (2021-03-30)129
"Super Lift"Betty Quan
29a: Monumental Problem: The crew must figure out how to repair a monument on Hero Hill.
29b: Super Lift: The crew tries to change a broken wheel on a hot dog cart.
30"Looking Super"Eric PetersonMarch 31, 2021 (2021-03-31)130
"Schmubble Trouble"Jiro C. Okada
30a: Looking Super: Hail Caesar helps the crew search for a self-flying cape that took off from the store.
30b: Schmubble Trouble: AJ, Lucita and Sara get caught inside Schmubble Bubbles.
31"Sara Loses Her Snap"John SlamaApril 1, 2021 (2021-04-01)131
"A Soupie Mystery"Karen Moonah
31a: Sara Loses Her Snap: Sara loses her super strength on the same day the crew has to move a giant, heavy burger.
31b: A Soupie Mystery: The crew sets out to find Soupy, a mysterious creature that has been spotted in Super Superior Lake.
32"AJ's Extra Superpower, Part 1"Christine FerraroApril 2, 2021 (2021-04-02)132
"AJ's Extra Superpower, Part 2"
Part 1: The crew discovers that a dog is stealing a little girl's toys from her backyard.
Part 2: AJ tries to find his hero, Jetman Jones, at Citytown Hero Con.
33"Search and Rescue"Patrick GranleeseMay 3, 2021 (2021-05-03)133
"Secret Lives of Teachers"Adam Rudman
33a: Search and Rescue: Sparks' Crew searches for two schoolmates who are hiding somewhere in Citytown.
33b: Secret Lives of Teachers: The kids are surprised to see their teacher on the weekend outside of school.
34"Heroes in Space, Part 1"Karen MoonahJuly 12, 2021 (2021-07-12)134
"Heroes in Space, Part 2"
Part 1: Sara and friends are excited to view the full moon, but they notice that half of the moon is missing.
Part 2: The crew flies to the moon to investigate.
35"Back on Track"Eric PetersonJuly 13, 2021 (2021-07-13)135
"Switcheroo-er"Christine Ferraro
35a: Back on Track: When a toy train is ruined, the crew sets out to learn more about the landforms that make up City Town so they can build a replica.
35b: Switcheroo-er: AJ's new gadget switches everyone's powers.
36"Squeak to Me"Bernice VanderlaanJuly 14, 2021 (2021-07-14)136
"Team Song's Theme Song"Christine Ferraro
36a: Squeak to Me: AJ builds a gadget to help people understand Fur Blur's squeaks, but it misfires and makes people squeak.
36b: Team Song's Theme Song: Sparks' Crew wants a theme song.
37"First Day of School, Part 1"Eric PetersonSeptember 6, 2021 (2021-09-06)137
"First Day of School, Part 2"
Part 1: The first part of the origin episode tells how Sparks' crew met at their first day at Hero Elementary.
Part 2: Sparks' Crew goes on its first mission to catch a baby hamster.
38"When Fur Flies"Christine FerraroOctober 11, 2021 (2021-10-11)138
"Pumpkin Palooza"
38a: When Fur Flies: Something high in the sky is causing a trail of trouble across Citytown, but is it a bird, a plane, or something else? Sparks’ Crew observes the properties of things gone wrong downtown, which leads them to understand what the problem is.
38b: Pumpkin Palooza: It’s the day of Pumpkin Palooza and a little girl’s decorated pumpkin has been ruined. It’s Sparks’ Crew to the rescue! Learning that the culprit is a hungry squirrel, they work together to design and build a solution to protect all the decorated pumpkins in City Town.
39"Friends of the Forest"Christine FerraroJanuary 3, 2022 (2022-01-03)139
"Chicken Hero"Eric Peterson
39a: Friends of the Forest: The heroes embark on a mission with Branchman to plan a solution to use less paper.
39b: Chicken Hero: The crew tries to track down a chicken on the loose.
40"Teacher of the Year"Christine FerraroJanuary 4, 2022 (2022-01-04)140
"The Sweet Smell of Success"Eric Peterson
40a: Teacher of the Year: There's a big surprise in store for Mr. Sparks: He will be receiving the "Hero Teacher of the Year" award! His heroic students want to make everything special for the big celebration, and that includes making a cake. But, will Sparks’ Crew be able to keep the party a surprise while they figure out the right mixture for the cake batter?
40b: The Sweet Smell of Success: Invisigirl (a former student) likes to use her invisibility to play jokes, but a joke has unintended consequences when she makes a cake invisible, and then can't find it! The team tries to track it down via their sense of smell, but will it be enough to find the cake?

Broadcast

The series first premiered on PBS Kids in the United States on June 1, 2020, then it premiered on TVOKids and Knowledge Network in Canada on July 7, 2020,[6] and premiered on Discovery Kids in Latin America and IRIB TV2 Persian in 2022.[7]

Reception

Polly Conway said "helpful friends use skills and science to solve problems"[8]

Notes

  1. ↑ Twin Cities PBS files the copyright for the episodes under groups, rather than separate episodes, as seen here: *"Public Catalog". United States Copyright Office. Retrieved September 27, 2020.

References

  1. ↑ "PBS KIDS to Premiere 'Hero Elementary' in Summer 2020". Animation Magazine. October 1, 2019.
  2. ↑ "PBS KIDS Suits Up with 'Hero Elementary' Premiering June 1". Animation Magazine. January 29, 2020.
  3. ↑ "Hero Elementary".
  4. ↑ "Episode Descriptions & Curriculum" (DOC). pressroom.pbs.org. March 31, 2020. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Hero Elementary on Alabama Public Television". Alabama Public Television. Archived from the original on June 29, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  6. ↑ "Hero Elementary (@HeroElementary) | Twitter". twitter.com. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  7. ↑ "Deals of the Week: Portfolio, Genius, Babyfirst". kidscreen.com. March 5, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Parents' Guide to Hero Elementary". Common Sense Media.com.
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