George Takei to star as Elder Panda in new kids’ series Love Monster
"George Takei" by Gage Skidmore is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Former Star Trek star George Takei is taking on new role...as a panda.
Deadline reports that Takei has been cast as Elder Panda in the upcoming children’s animated series Love Monster. The series is produced by the BBC’s young children’s channel CBeebies, Boat Rocker Studios, and China’s UYoung. It’s about a hairy hero called Love Monster and the challenges he faces as the only monster in Fluffytown, a town filled with cute baby animals. Deadline says, “With a lot of help from his friends, Love Monster learns to follow his heart rather than his slightly ‘over-thinky’ head, as he searches for the right thing to do.”
Takei said of his new project, “Love Monster celebrates inclusive behavior and collaboration and that’s also very much my philosophy [...] I never imagined myself being a panda but I’ve always enjoyed seeing them, especially the young cubs because they’re so cute! Elder Panda is just an older version of them and is still whimsical, fun-loving and life embracing – I suppose it’s a reflection of my standing in human life.”
The cast of Love Monster also features Episodes star Tamsin Grieg as narrator, Miranda’s Sarah Hadland as Tiniest Fluffiest Bunny, and Postman Pat’s Lewis Macleod as Elder Kitten. Love Monster himself is voiced by beatbox artist Darren Foreman.
The 54-part Love Monster is set to air on CBeebies from next January.
