Jessica’s Big Little World, the new spinoff of Cartoon Network staple Craig of the Creek is officially out in the wild. Fans of the veteran animated series may notice that while the 2023 TV schedule entry looks similar to its parent show, it also appears and feels quite different. And no, it’s not because your TV (or computer) screen is going out; it’s intentional, according to the showrunner.
Ahead of the release of the first season of Jessica’s Big World, which is now streaming for anyone with a Max subscription, showrunner and co-creator Tiffany Ford sat down for an interview with CinemaBlend. It was during the chat that the longtime Craig of the Creek producer and storyboard artist talked about the decision to alter the visual style:
The shows look different but similar, familiar but maybe punched up in a different direction because we are somebody else’s POV. There’s a magic to imagine Craig is seeing his home one way and Jessica is seeing the exact same home in a different way. It’s the same home and the same family.
Tiffany Ford also explained that the design team from Craig of the Creek also worked on Jessica’s Big Little World, which is why the visuals look “different but similar” in the show. She explained:
They moved over and led the new look of Jessica and brought the Craig sensibility, but then a new voice of colors and palettes and design language for Jessica’s Big Little World.
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JBLW looks different from its sister series is that new show is an expression of the world as the young preschooler sees it. Instead of spending her time in the creek with the likes of Craig and his friends, J.P. Mercer and Kelsey, Jessica (Lucia Cunningham) explores her bedroom, bathroom and seemingly mundane places like the grocery store, which open the doors to a world of color and fantasy.
And the change in colors and style is noticeable from the start of the first episode, which follows Jessica as she tries to get through her nighttime routine without forgetting any crucial steps. As she attempts to get it right, the young girl enters a fantasy world featuring a pop-star version of herself. The change was the result of a deliberate creative decision, as Ford put it:
This was a conscious choice to explore how Jessica sees her world. Craig sees a lot of magic in the creek; that’s his safe space and where he has his adventures. It’s his special place. Jessica is too little to go to the creek by herself, that’s the essence of our show – She’s too little to X, Y, and Z. Her special place, her magic space, and place of her adventure is at home in her room and these everyday places like the grocery store where we felt it was worth creating this blanket of magic through the color and design.
Like the addictive Craig of the Creek, the new spinoff is full of lessons for its young viewers. However, the show also doesn’t neglect older members of the audience, as there are some hilarious jokes that even parents will enjoy. It has the same sensibilities and sense of humor, just from a different perspective.
Jessica’s Big Little World is currently streaming on Max and airing alongside its parent show on Cartoon Network, which home to all kinds of new and classic shows (some of which could use a revival). And if you want a peek at what the show has to offer, give the JBLW trailer a watch.