Disney Plus has decided to pull the plug on The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, making Season 4 its last.
Per Deadline, the final chapter will premiere on Wednesday, July 29 ahead of the 25th anniversary of the original series—which will officially take place in September of this year. However, that will not be all they wrote. Disney subsequently announced a holiday special, A Proud Family Wizmas, to be released later this year. Though, from the title alone I have some major doubts that it will live up to the magic of the past. It will be up against tough competition within the franchise amongst the Halloween special, “A Hero for Halloween,” where Penny literally turns into a superhero and memorable holiday episode, “Seven Days of Kwanzaa.” Not to mention “I Had a Dream” where Penny lives out a day in the life of a segregated Black American in the 1950s. The stop-motion style special will feature six new original songs.
The announcement of the cancellation of the reboot—ironically—comes on the heels of Disney renewing their contract with series creator Bruce W. Smith and executive producer Ralph Farquhar for another year. The pair will continue to produce content for Disney under their production banner, BaR Productions.
The revival includes the return of several actors from the original. Kyla Pratt as Penny Proud, Tommy Davidson as Oscar Proud, Paula Jai Parker as Trudy Proud, JoMarie Payton as Suga Mama, Cedric the Entertainer as Uncle Bobby, Karen Malina White as Dijonay Jones, Soleil Moon Frye as Zoey Howser, Alisa Reyes as LaCienega Boulevardez, Carlos Mencia as Felix Boulevardez, Alvaro Gutierrez as Papi, Raquel Lee Bolleau as Nubia Gross, and Marcus T. Paulk as Myron. Melissa De Sousa replaces Maria Canals-Barrera as Sunset Boulevardez.
The 2022 revival started off with a bang with Sticky Webb leaving the franchise due to voice actor, Orlando Brown, struggling with substance abuse and a series of public legal issues. The actor was later arrested for allegedly threatening a relative with a hammer and a knife.
Leading to the addition of new characters, Maya Leibowitz-Jenkins (Keke Palmer) and her brother Francis “KG” Leibowitz-Jenkins. As well as their two dads (voiced by Zachary Quinto and Billy Porter).
Never one to shy away from controversy, The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder followed its parent series’ lead. Focusing on issues such as the downside of teens constantly being on social media, adoption and Juneteenth. A notably poignant episode focuses on Bebe Proud being on the autism spectrum. A storyline that received widespread praise for its honest, educational approach.
Amongst the changes to the revival, a very noticeable one is that of one-time misfit Michael being given an LGBTQ glow up. Allowing the character to come into his true self, which vastly differs from the awkward young boy whose father demanded to be called “coach” rather than “daddy.”
The guest appearances for season 4 are stacked and include a character’s return more than 20 years in the making.
Among the guest stars will be Romany Malco, Chloe Bailey, Lorraine Toussaint, Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo, Kym Whitley, Dee Nasty, Adele Givens, Ali Wong, JB Smoove and Lashana Lynch.
Of course, the most talked about is the return of Mariah Carey who originally appeared as herself in the 2003 episode “Monkey Business.”
They join recurring guest stars Anthony Anderson and Tiffany Hadish.
See below for the Season 4 synopsis.
Season 4 finds the Proud family at a life-changing turning point. Penny Proud is pulled into a series of unexpected adventures that test her courage and identity. With more action-packed, mind-bending and heartfelt twists than ever before, the Prouds face every new challenge head-on, proving that no matter how chaotic life gets, they’re strongest when they face it together.
Photos courtesy of social media
