Yes! The reboot we’ve been waiting for!
JoMarie Payton, the voice of “Suga Mama” on The Proud Family, just confirmed that new episodes of the hit animation are coming to Disney+, according to Shadow and Act.
Payton was a guest on ABC’s GMA3 this week as one of the features in their “beloved parents from classic shows” segment, where she discussed her role as “Harriet” in the sitcom Family Matters. The conversation quickly shifted to The Proud Family and co-host Keke Palmer asked her if there were any similarities between herself and “Suga Mama.”
The beloved TV icon said there were. “Yeah, Suga’s large and in charge. That’s all I’ve got to say,” Payton said. She then went on to add, “Suga Mama will be doing some new episodes come February.”
This was all the confirmation we needed to get excited. The first hint of a Proud Family reboot came in the summer when Tommy Davidson, who is the voice of “Oscar Proud,” spilled the beans to Where Is The Buzz TV during a red carpet event. Davidson was the first to say the show was coming to Disney’s new streaming service. “I forgot to tell you that, The Proud Family is coming back. It’s on one of Disney’s streaming [services]. Yeah. Proud Family’s coming back. They told me not to tell anyone…new episodes!,” he said.
The Proud Family was a cartoon created by Bruce W. Smith (The Princess and the Frog) that ran for three seasons from 2001-2005. The animated series was one of a short list of cartoons telling the story of an African American family. The cartoon was centered around teenager Penny Proud, voiced by Kyla Pratt (One on One), and the everyday life of her hilarious friends and family. The cast included Paula Jai Parker (Black Jesus), Alisa Reyes (All That), Karen Malina White (A Different World), and Orlando Brown (That’s So Raven) alongside Davidson, Payton and Pratt. There were also always special guests including Gabrielle Union, Kobe Bryant and Mariah Carey.
No word yet on whether or not the entire cast is returning or when the new episodes will air but we’re excited to finally know that it’s coming! We wonder if Solange and Destiny’s Child will reunite for an updated version of the theme song…wouldn’t that be amazing! We’d love to see it!
Photo Courtesy of Disney/E Online