Esme & Roy

Esme & Roy
Genre	Preschool Musical Comedy Fantasy
Created by	Dustin Ferrer Amy Steinberg
Written by	Dustin Ferrer Leah Gotcsik Becky Friedman Jennifer Hamburg Clark Stubbs Jim Nolan Sam Dransfield Ron Holsey Dana Starfield Liz Hara Dan Danko Evan Sinclair Corey Powell Margaret Hoffman Lucas Mills Brian Hohlfeld Caitlin Hodson Rick Suvalle Laura Kleinbaum Kristofer Wellman Guy Toubes Lisa Kettle Keion Jackson Leah Kanabroski Michael Matosic
Directed by	Mike Fallows
Voices of	Patrick McKenna Millie Davis Abigail Oliver Jacob Soley Evan Blaylock Benjamin Hum Jayne Eastwood Shayle Simons Elle Simons Martin Roach Melissa Altro Zachary Bennett Richard Binsley Denise Oliver Justin Paul Kelly Lilly Bartlam Shomoy James Mitchell Jamie Watson Hattie Kragten Christian Corrao Kylee Evans Judy Marshak Kellylee Evans Daniel Ingram
Theme music composer	Jonathan Evans
Opening theme	"Esme and Roy Theme Song" by Kellylee Evans
Ending theme	"Esme and Roy Theme Song" (instrumental)
Composers	Matt Ouimet Carl Lenox Andy McNeill Daniel Ingram D.D. Jackson Jonathan Evans
Country of origin	United States Canada
Original language	English
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	52 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Scott Dyer Kay Wilson Stallings Steve Talkington Jacob Soley Leah Gotsick Shomoy Doug Murphy Dustin Ferrer (co-executive producer) Amy Steinberg (co-executive producer)
Producers	Melissa Graham Machi Tantillo Studio "MIDI-Cinema"
Running time	23 minutes
Production companies	Sesame Workshop Nelvana[1]
Distributor	Nelvana International (Internationally) Sesame Workshop (United States)
Release
Original network	HBO (United States; season 1) HBO Max (United States; season 2) Treehouse TV (Canada)
Picture format	HDTV 1080i
Audio format	Dolby Digital 5.1
Original release	August 18, 2018 (2018-08-18) – present (present)
External links
Official site
HBO Max

Esme & Roy is an animated children's television series created by Dustin Ferrer and Amy Steinberg. The series is produced by Canada-based animation studio Nelvana and Sesame Street creator Sesame Workshop, in association with Corus Entertainment.^[2]

The series focuses a young girl named Esme and her best friend, a monster named Roy, who care for all kinds of creatures when their regular guardians need aid. Esme and Roy was broadcast simultaneously on HBO in the United States and Treehouse TV in Canada on August 18, 2018.^[3][4][5]

On May 6, 2019, it was announced that the series was renewed for a second season.^[6] and would also air as part of the Family Night block on PBS Kids' 24/7 channel in the summer.^[7] In September 2019, it was announced new episodes of the show would be moving from HBO to HBO Max, starting with the second season.^[8] The second season premiered on June 25, 2020. A holiday-themed episode was released on December 10, 2020.^[9] The second season premiered on PBS Kids on Saturday, March 6, 2021.^[10]

Plot[]

Esme & Roy follows a young girl named Esme and her best monster friend, Roy, the most in-demand "monster sitters" in Monsterdale, a town populated mostly by colorful monsters. The duo set out to solve big problems by playing and helping out the young monsters with their problems.^[1]

Episodes[]

Characters[]

Main[]

• Esmeralda "Esme" (voiced by Millie Davis) is a 9-year-old African-American girl and a monster sitter, and she has a skill for inventing activities to fix the monsters' problems, with the help of the MonsterCase, a suitcase full of fun and games that encourages the monsters to play their problems away and turns into a motorized scooter when taking Esme and Roy to where their monstersitting service is needed. Esme went through a Monster Sitter Meltdown for the first time since the episode in "Party Time", which is, so far, the only time she has gone through that, but like what she does for the little monsters she and Roy watch, Roy helps her feel better by singing the "Belly Breathing" song, which is normally sung by Esme. In "Stroller Derby", it's revealed that Esme goes to a school that's different from the one the little monsters go to.
• Roy (voiced by Patrick McKenna) is Esme's best friend and a yellow monster. He is a lovable silly monster who knows everything about monsters with his Monster Fact book. He loves to eat meatballs. Roy went through a Monster Sitter Meltdown in 3 episodes which they are: "Two Can Play That Game", "Sing Out, Roy", & "Training Day" which is, so far, the only time he has gone through that, but Esme, along with the little monsters, helped him feel better by singing the "Belly Breathing" song, which is normally sung by Esme doing it solo. But, Esme did help him feel better by singing the "Belly Breathing" song solo in two episodes only.
• Dumpling (voiced by Frank Welker) is Esme and Roy's pet monster. She can roll herself up into a ball and loves to dance.
• Hugo Ooga (voiced by Shayle Simons) is a theatrical 4-year-old^[11] winged monster. He loves to be the star of the show and creates his own spotlight by clapping his hands.
• Fig Ooga (voiced by Elle Simons) is Hugo's 1-year-old^[12] baby sister. Unlike her brother, she has no wings. While small, she has super strength and loves to pick up Roy to demonstrate it. She shrinks if she smells a Sludgeflower.
• Tillie Plink (voiced by Abigail Oliver) is an active 3-year-old^[13] monster with pink fur, blue eyes, and red hair tied into pigtails with a pair of blue hairbows. She has a need for speed and loves cars and playing rough-and-tumble games and she spins a lot really fast like a dervish when she's sad, for fun, or for dancing. Sometimes, she refers to herself in third-person, much like Elmo from Sesame Street.
• Snugs Muzzywump (voiced by Benjamin Hum) is an adorable 3-year-old^[14] monster who loves to hug and snuggle with people and monsters alike. He puffs up when he gets scared, but is easily calmable. He is frightened by thunder.
• Simon Swoozle (voiced by Jacob Soley) is a 8-year-old^[15] six-tentacled green monster with yellow hair, brown eyes and blue glasses. He loves enforcing routine and order. He has a big heart, is very artistic and he is very smart.
• Sid Hoozlewoo & Lucy Hoozlewoo (voiced by Christian Corrao & Hattie Kragten) appear in "Imitation Frustration", "Don't Bug Me", & "Warm and Fuzzy Day". They can change colors, copy what they do and bounce around on their springy tails.
• Frank Bleederblop & Franny Bleederblop (voiced by Justin Paul Kelly & Lilly Bartlam) appear in "Two Can Play That Game". They are twin dragon-like monsters.
• Mom (voiced by Sunday Muse) and Dad (voiced by Donald Burda): Esme's parents are, so far, only glimpsed during the opening theme of the show. They live in the house next to the garage where Esme and Roy usually hang out when they're not on their monstersitting duties and are shown waving goodbye to Esme and Roy as they set off to where they're needed. Aside from Esme, they appear to be the only human residents of Monsterdale.

Recurring[]

• Mr. Plink (voiced by Zachary Bennett) is Tillie's father.
• Grammy Swoozle (voiced by Jayne Eastwood) is Simon's grandmother
• Willie (voiced by Richard Binsley) is Simon and Grammy Swoozle's pet.
• Mrs. Muzzywump (voiced by Denise Oliver) is Snugs' mother.
• Mr. Bleederblop (voiced by Jamie Waston) is the father of Frank and Franny.
• Mr. Ooga (voiced by Martin Roach) is Hugo and Fig's father.
• Mrs. Ooga (voiced by Melissa Altro) is Hugo and Fig's mother.
• Mrs. Hoozlewoo (voiced by Kylee Evans) is Sid and Lucy's mother.
• Lottie (voiced by Lilly Bartlam) is introduced in "Monster's Little Helper". She wants to learn to be a Monster Sitter from Esme and Roy. She has yellow fur and flies with wings. She returns and makes a minor part in "Game Plan" to help monsters prepare for Camp Monsterdale.
• Norm (voiced by Patrick McKenna) appears in "Supermarket Match". He is a blue monster with tentacles, blue hair, and green eyes and speaks like a teenager. He appears to be a monster of all trades, as he has a different job in every episode.

Production[]

Nelvana has ordered 52 11-minute segments, equal to 26 half-hours of Esme & Roy.^[16] Sesame Workshop and Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana renewed a second season of the animated preschool series Esme & Roy. The new episodes (26 x 11-minutes) and its first 22-minute special aired on Treehouse in Canada on September 5, 2020 and in the United States on HBO Max on August 6, 2020.

Broadcast[]

Esme & Roy premiered on Treehouse TV in Canada and HBO on August 18, 2018, and PBS Kids on August 31, 2019, in the United States. The show began international broadcast following its U.S. and Canadian premieres. The show began airing on the Cartoonito preschool block on Cartoon Network and HBO Max on September 18, 2021 in the United States. Esme and Roy was premiered on Disney Junior Asia from August 12, 2019 until April 2021 before moved to Cartoon Network Asia in 2022 part of the Cartoonito block.

Reception[]

Critical[]

Esme & Roy has been met with mostly positive reception. Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media rated Esme & Roy a total of 5 out of 5 stars, stating that Esme & Roy's "thoughtful approach to self-awareness and mindful behavior makes it an excellent tool for families and caretakers to use in teaching similar skills to kids," and that the broader emotions will relate to a child's experiences.^[17]

Awards and nominations[]

References[]

External links[]

• Official website
• Esme & Roy at Sesame Workshop
• Esme & Roy on HBO Max
• Esme & Roy at IMDb