Disney Kids & Family greenlights two series with creator Dhar Mann
Disney Kids & Family has greenlit two series with creator Dhar Mann, meaning both shows have been approved to move forward into production.
President Ayo Davis shared the news during a panel on Disney's kids strategy at MipJunior, the children's television market in Cannes, according to Variety in reporting published on 11 October. A greenlight is the formal go-ahead in television. It takes a project out of development and puts it on the road to casting, filming and transmission.
Scripts are already in. Davis said the division has received scripts for both Mann projects. She also said the division is working with creator Nastya.
No titles, episode counts, characters or air dates were disclosed in the report. That detail usually follows later, once production plans are locked and a slot in the schedule is found.
Davis was joined on the panel by Alyssa Sapire, head of original programming and strategy at Disney Jr., and Charlie Andrews, executive vice-president of live action at Disney Kids & Family. Sapire oversees original shows and planning for Disney Jr., the brand aimed at preschool viewers. Andrews oversees live-action shows, meaning programmes shot with real actors rather than animation, for the wider kids and family group.
Mann was already a prominent name at the wider market. He delivered the opening keynote at Mipcom, the international television sales market that runs alongside MipJunior in Cannes. Mipcom is where producers and buyers meet to sell finished shows and strike development deals.
Disney Kids & Family joined MIPJUNIOR 2026 as presenting partner, according to event materials from MIPJUNIOR. A presenting partner is the lead backer of an event, with headline sessions built around its executives. Those materials place Davis and Sapire at the centre of its session. Listings on the MIPJUNIOR website also name Zack Olin and Gino Guzzardo in connection with the Disney Kids & Family team.
Mann and Nastya have appeared together before. Mann's official Facebook page listed a video titled "Girl Won't Go To Poor Dad's Birthday Party ft Nastya" in February, according to Facebook. The listing identifies Nastya as a featured performer in that video.
What makes this stand out is the crossover. Two names built in short online video are now developing longer series inside Disney's kids system, where a show means a writers' room, a crew and an episode order to fill.
For viewers, this means faces first seen on phones could soon sit inside Disney's line-up for children and families. The next details to watch are titles, casting and where each show will land.
