Zootopia‘s Jenny Slate signed on to voice the role of Miss Nanny in Disney Junior’s animated series Muppet Babies, which debuts in March on Disney Channel.
In tradition with the original Emmy-winning series, Miss Nanny’s character will be visible only from the torso down. Originally voiced by the late Barbara Billingsley (Leave It to Beaver), the role centers around a woman who takes care of a nursery; the stories are told from the babies’ perspective.
“I was so excited when they asked me to be Miss Nanny; I was excited in general to hear they were returning,” Slate, a lifelong Muppets fan, said.
The series will use the characters Kermit the Frog, Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, Animal, Muppet Baby and Summer Penguin to encourage creative thinking and imagination.
Miss Nanny’s patterned tights will always be a nod to the episode’s theme.
Also joining the cast are Melanie Harrison (Fish Hooks) as Piggy, Dee Bradley Baker (Milo Murphy’s Law) as Animal, Ben Diskin (The Spectacular Spider-Man) as Gonzo, Eric Bauza (The Adventures of Puss in Boots) as Fozzie Bear and Jessica DiCicco (Puppy Dog Pals) as Summer. Rounding out the cast as Kermit is Matt Danner (Gravity Falls), who also serves as supervising director on the series.
Tom Warburton (The 7D) is executive producer and Eric Shaw (SpongeBob SquarePants) is story editor and co-producer.
The series is a co-production between Disney Junior, Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media’s Publishing and Digital Media group, and The Muppets Studio.