True and the Rainbow Kingdom is an animated children's television series produced by Home Plate Entertainment and Guru Studio in collaboration with American artist duo FriendsWithYou and Pharrell Williams' I Am Other. Based on the artwork by FriendsWithYou,[1][2][3] it aired on CBC Television in Canada and streamed exclusively on Netflix everywhere else.
| True and the Rainbow Kingdom | |
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| Based on | Artworks by FriendsWithYou (Samuel Borkson and Arturo Sandoval III) |
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| Opening theme | "She's True!" |
| Country of origin | United States Canada |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 (including 2 standalone series) |
| No. of episodes | 29 (including 10 additional episodes) |
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| Running time | 22 minutes |
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| Network | Netflix (Worldwide) CBC Television (Canada) |
| Release | August 11, 2017 – August 30, 2019 |
The 10-episode first season of the series was released on Netflix on August 11, 2017,[4] which led to two five-episode spin-off series, Season 2, titled True: Magical Friends and True: Wonderful Wishes, both of which debuted on June 15, 2018.[5] The series was renewed for a 4-episode second season of the series, titled Mushroom Town, which was released on Netflix on May 3, 2019.[6] True Tunes was released on July 12 on Netflix, with 8 new tracks. The series finale, titled Wild Yetis, was released on August 30, 2019.
The series was broadcast in the UK as a TV show on Tiny Pop from April 4, 2020 until March 2023.[7][failed verification]
Plot
editTrue and the Rainbow Kingdom follows True and her best friend Bartleby the Cat, as they help the whimsical citizens of the Rainbow Kingdom, a wondrous, colorful universe filled with delightful and fantastical citizens. True is the only one with the ability to activate the magical powers of The Wishes of the Wishing Tree, solve problems in the Rainbow Kingdom, and empower viewers with her imagination, mindfulness, and empathy.
Development and production
editThe series was originally announced in March 2013. Titled Wish Come True at that time after the eponymous designer toys by FriendsWithYou, it was planned to have 10 half-hour episodes in a season, as produced by Home Plate Entertainment.[8]
In June 2015, TVO has announced 5 new titles for their line-up of preschool series. Among them was True and the Rainbow Kingdom, and this time, it was announced to have ten 22-24-minute episodes in a season and slated to be released in 2017. In the announcement, Pharrell Williams' I Am Other was also included in the list of companies.[1][2][3]
Characters
editMain characters
edit- True (voiced by Michela Luci) is an 8-year-old strong heroine who possesses a warm heart, a clever mind and boundless energy. She accepts every challenge head-on with a beaming smile; what makes True "truly" extraordinary is that she is the only one in the Rainbow Kingdom to activate the Wishes’ special powers that unleash magical energy.
- Bartleby (Voiced by Jamie Watson) is True's funny cat sidekick who has a lot of bravado and the gift of gab. However, only his best friend True knows he is actually a bit of a scaredy-cat. He is, as replied by True, an opinionated cat and provides a lot of commentary, which helps trigger True's creative problem-solving skills.
- Rainbow King (voiced by Eric Peterson) is the lovable ruler of the Rainbow Kingdom. He is a kind, sympathetic and humble king. Though he possesses a wealth of knowledge, he shares his wisdom in riddles by adding fun complexity to True's adventures. He does anything to help True on her journey, but he knows that "true" success is achieved when True solves all of the problems with him.
- Zee (Voiced by Dante Zee and Nicolas Aqui) is True's buddy, an apprentice to the Rainbow King, and the wish keeper. He is one or two years older than True. Being a trained Wishologist, he takes care of the Wishes and knows all about their strengths and powers. Meanwhile, when a problem arises in the kingdom, True seeks out Zee's advice and wish help in the Wishing Tree.
- Grizelda (voiced by Anna Bartlam) is a self-centered young princess. Deep down, she realizes she needs a friend like True. Although True tries to reach out to the Princess, Grizelda's self-absorbed ways can make that challenging; however, love in Rainbow Kingdom is unconditional, so True never stops trying. The best reason for Grizelda is that someone who is a little selfish means she needs a little more love, for some reason.
- Frookie is a dog and Grizelda's sidekick. He looks out for the difficult princess because he knows the inner Grizelda is not so bad.
- The Wishes are various non-verbal but highly expressive wishes which communicate with goofy gestures and sweet sounds. Each one has a unique, big personality that complements or contrasts their power. The Wishes share a special bond with True but until they are called to action, they stay busy training with Zee. Each Wish is imbued with a special power that only True can "spark".
Other characters
edit- Yetis are creatures that live in The Rainbow Kingdom and communicate in "Yeti-ish". There is, however, one word known to all Yetis that they'll greet you with accompanied by a big wave, which is a loud and friendly "hi" to everyone in the Rainbow Kingdom country.
- Urg and Snick is a Yeti couple who live in Yeti Village located in The Never Ending Forest. The only couple to speak “Yeti-ish” (aside from the Rainbow King), True is usually a translator for their Yeti friends.
- Grock, Yerk and Floof are Urg and Snick's baby Yeti triplets. Grock and Yerk are girls and Floof is a boy. They are close friends to True and Bartelby.
Rainbow citizens
edit- The Grizmos are Grizelda’s sidekicks who act as her servants and live in a cave beneath her castle.
- Cumulo is a cumulus cloud whom True and Bartleby ride on to get around the Rainbow Kingdom.
- Glummy Glooma is the Rainbow King's gloomy cousin who prefers everything be gloomy, whether anyone likes it or not. He also acts as the Grand Marshal of Grabbleapple Fest, as it is his yearly duty to bring the grey clouds of Autumn and change the seasons.
- Little Helpers are little four-armed critters found all around The Rainbow Kingdom, keeping it running with their helpful duties.
- Mila is a little girl who is a citizen of Rainbow City. She has a giant pet stink critter named "Stinko", no longer stinky thanks to True, Bartleby, and the wishes. She is also friends with Rocky the Rock Critter.
- Rocky is a Rock Critter who befriends Mila and The Rainbow King, in addition to True and Bartleby. However, True is the only character not to speak "Rock-ish".
- Bingo Bango is a boombox shaped DJ which is a bit shy and soft-spoken. It rocks the house of any party with his music.
- The Wishing Tree is a very important tree standing atop the Rainbow Castle where Zee, the Wish Keeper/Wishologist studies the Wishes that live there. Wee wishes are brought to the tree by the Rainbow King who collects them from Wishing Heart Hollow in the Never Ending Forest. True and Bartleby go here to ask Zee for advice to solve a problem with the help of Wishes.
- Shadow and Silverclaw are masters of The Kittynati, an ancient tribe of cat ninjas. After being invited to train with the duo at The Black Tabby Dojo, Bartleby eventually trades in his Yellow Tabby Belt for his Red Tabby Belt, making him a true Ninja Cat and Kittynati.
Episodes
edit| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | |||
| 1 | 10 | August 11, 2017 | January 26, 2018 | |
| 2 | 10 | June 2, 2018 | June 18, 2018 | |
| 3 | 9 | May 3, 2019 | August 30, 2019 | |
Season 1 (2017)
editThe first season of the series, entitled The Rainbow Kingdom, was released on Netflix on August 11, 2017.[4][9]
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Super Duper Dance Party" | John Slama | August 11, 2017 | |
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True and Bartleby team up to get a dejected DJ back in the groove after Grizelda shakes his confidence on the day of the Rainbow King's dance party. Bingo Bango is a little more impatient with Grizelda and he does not like Grizelda doubting him in the grand hall in her castle. | |||||
| 2 | 2 | "Frookie Sitting" | Doug Sinclair | August 11, 2017 | |
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True and Bartleby get more than they bargained for when they agree to castle-sit for the Rainbow King and watch Frookie while Grizelda's away. | |||||
| 3 | 3 | "Zappy Cling!" | John Slama | August 18, 2017 | |
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After mishandling Zee's powerful Zingy Zapper, an increasingly bulky Bartleby can't seem to stop objects from sticking to him. | |||||
| 4 | 4 | "Zip Zap Zooooom!" | Tom K. Mason | August 25, 2017 | |
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Grizelda is determined to win the kingdom's first Great Rainbow Rally, but her self-centred driving throws the rest of the racers off course. | |||||
| 5 | 5 | "A Royal Stink" | Doug Sinclair | September 22, 2017 | |
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It's up to True to rid the kingdom of a horrible smell when the Rainbow King goes away on family business and makes her Queen for a Day. | |||||
| 6 | 6 | "Great Grizmos!" | MCM & Craig Young | September 29, 2017 | |
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Following Grizelda's orders, the Grizmos build the most dazzling tower in the kingdom, but due to so many crystals, her castle starts to sink. | |||||
| 7 | 7 | "Wishing Heart Hollow" | Dave Dias | October 6, 2017 | |
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The Rainbow King needs True's help with a situation involving water and giant plants but his Face Bubble message keeps breaking up. | |||||
| 8 | 8 | "The Kittynati" | Diana Moore | January 12, 2018 | |
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Led by a message mouse, Bartleby goes to the Black Tabby Dojo for ninja training so that he can earn his Red Tabby Belt. | |||||
| 9 | 9 | "Little Helpers" | Carolyn Hay | January 19, 2018 | |
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The little helpers are so busy doing small jobs for everyone that some of the big tasks are falling between the cracks. | |||||
| 10 | 10 | "A Berry Big Mystery" | Diana Moore | January 26, 2018 | |
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Someone has been snatching up all the nummie berries in the Rainbow Valley so True and Bartleby search for the culprit. | |||||
Season 2 (2018)
editThe second season of True and the Rainbow Kingdom, entitled True: Magical Friends and True: Wonderful Wishes, was released as a standalone series on Netflix on June 18.[5]
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Written by | Original release date | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| True: Magical Friends | ||||||||||||
| 11 | 1 | "Princess Grizbot" | Doug Sinclair | June 15, 2018 | ||||||||
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Grizelda's Grizmos build her a giant robot so she can keep the people of Rainbow Kingdom safe, but she's doing it for all the wrong reasons. | ||||||||||||
| 12 | 2 | "Hino Tari Hullabaloo" | Tom K. Mason | June 15, 2018 | ||||||||
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Big problems arise when a too-busy True offers to watch a valuable egg for the Rainbow King, then puts Bartleby in charge of baby-sitting. | ||||||||||||
| 13 | 3 | "Queens of the Day and Night" | Amy Benham | June 22, 2018 | ||||||||
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The Rainbow Kingdom comes to a standstill when the Day Queen and the Night Queen decide to stick the sun and moon together. | ||||||||||||
| 14 | 4 | "True Switcheroo" | Doug Sinclair | June 29, 2018 | ||||||||
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After digging up a powerful crystal that smells like peppermint, True and Bartleby switch places and get trapped inside each other's bodies. | ||||||||||||
| 15 | 5 | "Fee Fi Fo Frookie" | MCM & Craig Young | July 6, 2018 | ||||||||
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When Frookie and Bartleby get stuck inside a troll's twisty maze, True and Grizelda must work together to rescue them. | ||||||||||||
| True: Wonderful Wishes | ||||||||||||
| 16 | 6 | "The Living Sea" | John Slama | November 9, 2018 | ||||||||
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A day at the beach goes awry when sea blubbs begin beaching themselves due to the warming sea water, prompting True and Bartleby to investigate. | ||||||||||||
| 17 | 7 | "Cosmic Sneeze" | MCM & Craig Young | November 16, 2018 | ||||||||
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Whenever the Rainbow King sneezes, everything in the kingdom changes colour. True and Bartleby must go on an epic journey to find the cure. | ||||||||||||
| 18 | 8 | "Woo-Woo Sky Blubbs" | MCM & Craig Young | January 11, 2019 | ||||||||
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True helps Bartleby overcome his anxiety about sky blubbs as they help guide the family of the flying creatures back to their distant home in the chilly north. | ||||||||||||
| 19 | 9 | "Wish Gone Wild" | Tom K. Mason | January 18, 2019 | ||||||||
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The kingdom is in danger of being completely erased when a fledgling Wish named Goway gets loose before he has learned to control his powers. | ||||||||||||
| 20 | 10 | "Big Mossy Mess" | Jamie Whitney | January 25, 2019 | ||||||||
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When Bartleby brings home some special Zazoony Moss, it suddenly starts to grow like crazy, and it's up to True to stop its spread before the moss covers the entire Rainbow Kingdom. | ||||||||||||
Season 3 (2019)
editThe third season of True and the Rainbow Kingdom, entitled Mushroom Town and Wild Wild Yetis, was released on Netflix on May 3 and August 30, 2019.[6]
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Written by | Original release date | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mushroom Town | ||||||||||||
| 21 | 1 | "Where's Cumulo?" | Heather Jackson | May 3, 2019 | ||||||||
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True didn't want to hurt Cumulo's feelings, but now the small cloud is hidden, and it's nowhere to be found when the Rainbow Kingdom needs it. | ||||||||||||
| 22 | 2 | "A Snoozy Sleepover" | John Slama | May 10, 2019 | ||||||||
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When True invites her friends to a slumber party, the Rainbow King accidentally "sleeps-floats"; True's wishes have to help bring him back. | ||||||||||||
| 23 | 3 | "True's Birthday Party" | Tom Berger | May 17, 2019 | ||||||||
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Everyone is preparing thoughtful surprises for True's birthday, including Grizelda, but a difficult situation leaves everything out of control. | ||||||||||||
| 24 | 4 | "The Big Green Bounce" | Tom Berger | May 24, 2019 | ||||||||
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On the day of the Maker Shaker Expo, Grizelda's machine goes crazy and turns the citizens of the Rainbow Kingdom into inflatable green glitters. During a big warning, True continues to say that Grizelda's machine drinks water, and citizens are splashed by it, then they become dotted with moles, then they inflate and then bounce a lot. The Rainbow King also becomes an inflatable green bling. The inflatable green bling bling are white balls with green spots. | ||||||||||||
| Wild Wild Yetis | ||||||||||||
| 25 | 5 | "Itty Bitty Yeti" | Steve Westren | August 30, 2019 | ||||||||
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A Birdaloo tells True and Bartleby that a Yeti baby is about to be born, but when the word spreads, the kingdom goes crazy, and only a wish can fix it. | ||||||||||||
| 26 | 6 | "Yeti Sitting" | Ashley Lannigan | September 5, 2019 | ||||||||
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True, Bartleby and Grizelda agree on "yeti sitting" the triplets, but it is more difficult than they thought. | ||||||||||||
| 27 | 7 | "Mount Huffinpuff" | John Slama | September 12, 2019 | ||||||||
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The Yetis bring True and Bartleby to their secret splash park and accidentally altered the volcano, Mount Huffinpuff. | ||||||||||||
| 28 | 8 | "Scratch and Share" | Emer Connon | September 19, 2019 | ||||||||
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Two Yetis tribes get into a big argument about who should get the Great Scraper of the Endless Forest. | ||||||||||||
| 29 | 9 | "The Ni Ni Tree" | Tom Berger | September 26, 2019 | ||||||||
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Citizens do not understand the Yeti traditions and destroy their special lights. Meanwhile, Snik, True and Bartleby travel deep into the forest to find the magical Ni Ni tree. | ||||||||||||
Related productions
editDance and Sing with True (2018)
editA collection of songs featuring characters from the show.
True Tunes (2019)
editOn July 12, 2019,[10] a collection of 8 original True and the Rainbow Kingdom-themed music videos were released on Netflix under the title True Tunes, featuring re-imagined versions of classic kids' songs based around the world and characters of the show.
True: Terrific Tales (2020)
editA fairy-tale inspired spin-off series.[11]
Specials (2017)
editA number of additional specials were released: the Valentines Day special TRUE: Happy Hearts Day, the Easter special TRUE: Wuzzle Wegg Day, the Halloween Special TRUE: Tricky Treat Day, the Christmas special TRUE: Winter Wishes, the Thanksgiving special TRUE: Grabbleapple Harvest,[12] the special TRUE: Rainbow Rescue,[13] and the special TRUE: Friendship Day.
Release
editA sneak peek screening of the series was held on July 10, 2017 at a Pacific Theatres venue at The Grove at Farmers Market in Los Angeles. Among the attendees and guests were Frank Falcone, Bill Schultz, Pharrell Williams, the FriendsWithYou duo, Kelly Rowland, Christina Milian, and Tyga.[14][15] The series was premiered on Netflix on August 11, 2017.[4]
The second season began in production in 2017, slated to premiere in 2018.[15][16] Later, Netflix announced that the second season would be released two standalone titles, True: Magical Friends and True: Wonderful Wishes, on June 15, 2018.[5][17][18]
On September 28, 2017, another season of the series, which was scheduled to debut in 2019, was announced.[15][19] The season, entitle Mushroom Town, was released on Netflix on May 3, 2019.[6]
On May 18, 2018, Netflix launched Dance and Sing with True, a collection of music videos for remixes of songs from the show. On October 2, 2018, Netflix announced they will release specials and shorts.[20] Shortly after, they confirmed another season.[21]
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Kidscreen Awards | Best New Series[22][23] | Nominated | |
| Best Animated Series[22][23] | Nominated | |||
| YMA Awards | Best Program, Animation – Preschool[citation needed][24] | Nominated | ||
| 2020 | 8th Canadian Screen Awards | Best Pre-School Program or Series | True and the Rainbow Kingdom | Nominated |
| Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Directing for a Preschool Animated Program | Nominated[25][26] | ||
| 2021 | 9th Canadian Screen Awards | Best Pre-School Program or Series | True and the Rainbow Kingdom | Nominated |
| Shaw Rocket Fund Kids' Choice Award | True and the Rainbow Kingdom | Nominated | ||
| Best Direction in an Animated Program or Series | Mark Thornton, Todd Kauffman - "Friendship Day" | Nominated |
Merchandises and other media
editAs announced in February 2017, Home Plate Entertainment has appointed Brand Central in Los Angeles as the licensing agent of True and the Rainbow Kingdom.[27] In August 2017, it was announced that Toy State has become the master toy licensee of the property, with first products to be released in fall 2018.[16] In May 2018 announcement, more licensees, as brokered by Brand Central, were added. One of the newly named license holders was Chouette, which was given master publishing rights. The announcement stated that the products would be launched in fall 2018 in the United States, and in 2019 the rest of the world.[28][29]
References
edit- ^ a b Petski, Denise (June 30, 2015). "Netflix Adds Three New Animated Series For Preschoolers". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 16, 2019. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
- ^ a b "Netflix Shores Up Its Original Preschool Slate With 3 New Shows". Cartoon Brew. July 1, 2015. Archived from the original on July 5, 2017. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
- ^ a b "Netflix Originals buys a preschool three-pack". Kidscreen. July 2, 2015. Archived from the original on January 16, 2018. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
- ^ a b c "Netflix in August: What's new and expiring". USA Today. August 24, 2017. Archived from the original on 2017-07-27. Retrieved 2017-07-27.
- ^ a b c "Watch: 'True and the Rainbow Kingdom' Season 2 First-Look Trailers!". Animation Magazine. June 7, 2018. Archived from the original on 2019-05-11. Retrieved 2019-06-12.
The second season will be presented as two standalone titles: True: Magical Friends and True: Wonderful Wishes, each with five all-new episodes.
- ^ a b c "Netflix's New Releases Coming in May 2019". The Hollywood Reporter. May 1, 2019. Archived from the original on 2019-08-04. Retrieved 2019-06-12.
- ^ "True and the Rainbow Kingdom | Tiny Pop". www.tinypop.com. Archived from the original on 2020-08-06. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
- ^ "TVO develops Wish Come True with Guru Studio and Home Plate Entertainment". Kidscreen. March 20, 2013. Archived from the original on October 23, 2021. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
- ^ "True and the Rainbow Kingdom - Episodes". trueandtherainbowkingdom.com.
- ^ Milligan, Mercedes (July 8, 2019). "First Look: Return to Netflix's Rainbow Kingdom in 'True Tunes'". Archived from the original on July 8, 2019. Retrieved July 8, 2019.
- ^ Milligan, Mercedes (April 28, 2020). "Netflix Returns to the Rainbow Kingdom in 'True: Terrific Tales'". Archived from the original on June 13, 2020. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
- ^ Milligan, Mercedes (March 13, 2020). "'True and the Rainbow Kingdom' Returns to Netflix with Easter Special". Archived from the original on June 13, 2020. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
- ^ "True and the Rainbow Kingdom Returns to Netflix With New Special, TRUE: Rainbow Rescue". May 26, 2020. Archived from the original on June 13, 2020. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
- ^ "Photos: Home Plate Entertainment, FriendsWithYou, and Home Plate Entertainment Celebrated the Los Angeles Sneak Peak[sic] Screening Of "True and the Rainbow Kingdom"". LA Confidential Magazine.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b c "Netflix re-ups True and the Rainbow Kingdom". Kidscreen. September 28, 2017. Archived from the original on December 5, 2017. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
- ^ a b "Netflix names Toy State Master Toy Partner for Netflix Series 'True and the Rainbow Kingdom'". Animation World Network. August 23, 2017.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Walsh, Megan (23 May 2018). "The Entire Family Can Enjoy These Movies & Shows Coming To Netflix In June". Romper.com. Archived from the original on 25 May 2018. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
- ^ "True and the Rainbow Kingdom Season 2 drops on Netflix this week". Hiddenremote.com. June 12, 2018. Archived from the original on July 5, 2018. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
- ^ "Netflix Secures 3rd Season of 'True and the Rainbow Kingdom'". Animation World Network. September 28, 2017.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Netflix goes over the rainbow for more True". Kidscreen. October 2, 2018. Archived from the original on 2019-06-12. Retrieved 2019-06-12.
- ^ "Netflix's 'True and the Rainbow Kingdom' S4 Wish Comes True on Netflix". Animation Magazine. October 3, 2018. Archived from the original on August 24, 2023. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
- ^ a b "Nickelodeon leads Kidscreen Awards 2019 noms". Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
- ^ a b "Who walked away with a 2019 Kidscreen Award?". Archived from the original on 2020-01-19. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
- ^ Milligan, Mercedes (May 31, 2019). "2019 YMA Awards of Excellence Winners Announced". Archived from the original on May 31, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
- ^ Milligan, Mercedes (May 21, 2020). "Daytime Emmy Nominees: 'Elena of Avalor,' 'Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure' Lead Toon Contenders". Archived from the original on June 4, 2020. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
- ^ Milligan, Mercedes (July 26, 2020). "Daytime Emmy Awards: 'Dragon Prince,' 'Ask the Storybots' & 'Last Kids on Earth' Win Key Animation Categories for Netflix". Archived from the original on September 8, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
- ^ "Netflix's Netflix toon lands licensing agent". Kidscreen. February 1, 2017.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Collectibles rule True and the Rainbow Kingdom's first range". Kidscreen. May 18, 2018. Archived from the original on July 5, 2018. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
- ^ "Netflix's 'True and the Rainbow Kingdom' Lights Up Licensing Program". Animation Magazine. May 21, 2018. Archived from the original on August 24, 2023. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
