Networks and streamers have found success with animated series' geared towards kids, and one in particular has found a new home on Peacock. Arrested Development alum Tony Hale is one of the creators of Archibald's Next Big Thing, which is based on his popular children's book of the same name with author Tony Biaggne and illustrators Misty Manley and Victor Huckabee. Its first two seasons streamed on Netflix, but the next chapter moves to Peacock with an updated title: Archibald's Next Big Thing Is Here!.
Archibald Strutter is a yellow chicken who "yes-and's" his way through life, taking any misfortune or hiccup in stride with a carefree attitude. He often finds himself in various adventures with his three siblings -- Sage, Finly and Loy -- and his trusty sidekick Bea. No matter what trouble or mischief Archibald causes, there is always a happy ending.
Hale spoke to CBR about Archibald's Next Big Thing Is Here!, including the creative process behind the DreamWorks Animation series, the physical strain it takes to voice Archibald, the titular character's choice in clothing and why Hale wishes he could be more like Archibald in his everyday life.
CBR: What led to Archibald's Next Big Thing Is Here! moving from Netflix to Peacock? And were there any changes made along the way in the transition?
Tony Hale: Archibald has just been such a blast to work on. It has been one of the biggest joys of my life. And this is kind of a new installment: new episodes, same world, same characters. And Archibald has the same attitude that I aspire to myself of just seeing the world as very open and loving. And he sees the best in everyone, the best in every situation. And I think after the year that we've had, I think Archibald has pretty much become my role model.
Why did you decide to make Archibald a chicken? How did that decision come about?
Good question. Years ago, I did this book that was a jumping-off point for the series. And I met a guy named Victor Huckabee at an art show in Los Angeles, and he had created the character Archibald. And I remember seeing him and I was really drawn to the character Beaker on The Muppet Show, and Archibald's shape kind of reminded me of Beaker. And also my favorite color is yellow. And I just loved this character, Archibald. And so he created the character, and then the book kind of morphed out of that, and then the series morphed out of that. So Archibald is just so full of joy. And he makes a lot of mistakes, but the thing I love about it is there's always a reason for those mistakes. And in the bigger story of it all, each story is just very different. And there's a ton more coming, so it's really fun.
What's the creative process like to come up with these short 15-minute episodes?
We've been producing the show with DreamWorks for Peacock for a couple of years, and man, these animators work so incredibly hard and have worked so incredibly hard on the show. And then I worked with a fantastic team of writers -- Jacob Moffat and Drew Champion -- and then this gentleman named Eric Fogel, we kind of all started together with working on the series, and then a ton of other writers and we just throw out crazy ideas. Because the thing with animation is your creativity does not have to be limited. There's one episode where he goes to a lake ball pit, and it's an actual lake. But instead of a lake, it's made of different balls, like a ball pit. And just stuff like that. You can just go anywhere and go crazy.
And so we kind of throw out these crazy ideas and we construct a script. And then we hand that over to a storyboard artist who creates an animatic. And then through that animatic we edit and kind of find which places are working and which aren't. And then when that animatic is locked, then it goes to the animators. Just choosing the different characters and the colors and all that stuff is so much work, but it's so fulfilling. It really is.
And you also voice Archibald in the series. How stressful is it on your body to change your inflection like that?
I know, he's pretty high. Not only does he have a high voice, but he screams a lot. Archibald screams a lot. But never in an angry place, he's just excited. And whoo, it can do a number on my voice, so when I do record, I typically will just try to record two or three at a time. I can't do more than that, because his pitch is sometimes not human. So I have to watch out.
How many days do you take in between recordings?
Typically when I was recording, it wasn't bad. We would do a couple episodes, like one day a week. So it wasn't like I was stretching my voice every day, because he gets up there all the time.
It's funny because you can hear your voice in it. But like you said, it's so high that it almost sounds like after recording, effects are being done after the fact.
I kind of wish there was. But no, it's just this throat stretching way too much.
Another question about Archibald: Is that a sweater that he's wearing?
Yeah, it's a brown cable knit sweater. To anybody else it looks very uncomfortable, but to Archibald, he's like, "Bring it on." It is this wool brown turtleneck sweater that could not look more uncomfortable, but he's just living his best life.
Who came up with the idea for the sweater?
I think that was another jumping-off place from the book. And the one thing that I've always loved about this show is, we always wanted texture. So for Archibald, he had his brown cable knit sweater. For Loy, who is his sister and is very much tech-savvy and the leader, she had these argyle socks that presented some texture. And then Finly, the brother had this kind of vest. And then Sage had this wool hat. And we really wanted those textures to pop. I've loved it because it kind of created a warmth to the episodes that I loved. And so each character has that.
Whose character do you think is more similar to yours in real life? Buster from Arrested Development or Archibald?
Oof. I'm going to say Archibald. Buster, bless his heart, he had a hard time getting out. He had a hard time. If he got to the pharmacy, that was a good day. Yeah, there was a lot going on. That's the thing, Buster lived in so much fear. It was funny. But he lived in such a state of panic and fear. And Archibald is just the opposite. He lives in joy. He lives in positivity. He takes so many risks. He is the polar opposite of Buster. So I think Buster could use some Archibald in his life.
Are there any specific shows you find yourself watching or streaming in your free time?
I was doing a gig for something that's coming out in June. And I was so immersed in that so I didn't really watch much TV. But I just got back in town last Saturday, and my wife and I watched a documentary on Hulu called In & Of Itself, and it was really good. And so we watched that. I seriously need to catch up. I have been bingeing 30 Rock because it really makes me laugh. I'm always a few years behind on what everybody else is watching.
The project you were working on, is that something that's going to be announced later?
No, it's announced. It's for Disney+ and it's based on a book called The Mysterious Benedict Society and it comes out in June. It's eight episodes, and it's a really beautiful story and a really beautiful show, so I'm excited for people to see it.
My last question is a two-parter: What do you hope kids take away from Archibald's Next Big Thing Is Here!? And what do you hope parents take away from the series?
Oh, that's a great question. I think I would say for both parents and kids, I think would be the same thing, honestly. Two things: One, Archibald makes a lot of mistakes, but his attitude towards his mistakes is like, "Well, let's just go with it." And there's always a bigger reason for these mistakes, so he never gets down on himself for making a mistake. And also just the way he sees people, he sees the best in everyone and the best in every situation. And I think for both kids and parents, especially after the year we've had, I myself want that attitude. And Archibald is a really great role model for that for me, and so he's a great reminder for me always.
Created by Tony Hale and Eric Fogel and produced by DreamWorks Animation, Archibald's Next Big Thing Is Here! stars Tony Hale, Adam Pally, Jordan Fisher, Chelsea Kane, Kari Wahlgren, Casey Wilson and Rosamund Pike. The series premieres Thursday, Feb. 18 on Peacock.