We've introduced some new members of Manny's family, but we've pretty much stuck to the core cast in this. The special has kind of opened some doors for us. It's been introduced in the show already, so it's not new but that is a bigger element. GD: Are there any elements from the special that you'll be keeping, or introducing to the regular episodes? RG: The motorcycle now is a featured element in the show. We also wanted to differentiate it, and not have it be like a standard episode. There were elements like that we wanted to bring in and get him more out in the world, and we tried to take it a little beyond what the show was in terms of the action and excitement and drama. I felt that if we were going to do a long-form which is really four times the length of a normal episode, we needed something different in terms of storytelling I felt we really had to get Manny out of Sheetrock Hills, and get him on the road. We wanted to do a semi-movie, but for pre-school. We had done specials before, but never had something this long. GD: How did the primetime special come about? RG: That's probably more of a Disney corporate question than a question for me! I was just told, hey, we want to do some specials. ![]() Lopart would work into the stories, the addition of Kelly – it was things like that that came in. Other than nuances like the characters and their relationships how Mr. When I saw it, when they brought me in and said "we have this idea" I immediately said "I'm in." I don't think anyone wanted to mess with it too much. I think that's a tribute to what a strong concept it is. The basic concept stayed largely intact throughout the process. Very early on there was some discussion about having power tools and some other hardware type elements in the show, but that didn't really mesh very well. Manny looks similar, I mean he's evolved, and the art evolved but the concept was basically the same. GD: Has the show changed much from the 'napkin sketch' stage? RG: The art, the conception is very similar, Manny stayed pretty much the same and you still had the anthropomorphized tools. It didn't have far to go, we just fleshed out who the characters were and how an episode would work and the structure of the storytelling, and it took off from there. It was a little amorphous at that point, but the basics were there – it was always a show about a Latino repairman with talking tools. They took that and it was formulated into a show concept. They pitched it to them, and it was off and running. Marilyn and Roger were sent off with that mission and they came back with this idea of a repairman with talking tools. GD: How did Handy Manny come about? RG: Handy Manny started with Marilyn Sadler and Roger Bollen I guess it was some execs at Disney who were looking for a preschool show for boys. We use her in such a small way on Handy Manny, but because she's so versatile she's great in that role. It's a small part for her - On Rugrats she played the twins, Phil and Lil, but she played their mom too, Betty, who is a great character we used to have a lot of fun with her. ![]() She was one of the only people who, when we were casting Handy Manny, I specifically wanted to bring to the show. How did she get involved? Rick Gitelson: I worked with Kath on Rugrats, so I've known her for a long time. GeekDad: This is our second piece about the Handy Manny specials – we spoke to Kath Soucie a few weeks back, who plays Dusty the Saw. I was fortunate enough to get to talk to producer Rick Gitelson about the special, as well as about his work on some other great kids' shows like Imagination Movers and the now-classic Rugrats. But it's a sweet show about what communities could be like in less cynical times. I've said it before – this is a show for preschoolers it's not something you're likely to turn back on once the kids are in bed. There are plenty of inside jokes and sweet little moments that will raise a smile with those familiar with the characters – my favorite, Pat, particularly comes into his own – and if it's your first time seeing Manny, it's a really nice story about friends and family. We joke that all the Spanish we know we learned from Handy Manny. My son's a fan of the show (at least I guess so – he's only 10 months old, so any show he doesn't throw a tantrum at, we assume he's a fan of it), so my wife and I have gotten to know it pretty well. I got to watch Handy Manny's Motorcycle Adventure yesterday and… I loved it. If you remember (and if you don't, you can always go back and read it), one of the things we talked about was the upcoming primetime special Handy Manny's Motorcycle Adventure, which airs this Sunday evening on the Disney Channel. A couple of weeks back I got to talk to Kath Soucie, the incredible voice talent about her current show, Playhouse Disney's Handy Manny.
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