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| image courtesy MTV |
MTV Studios has announced this week a return (of sorts) to the world of its classic ‘90s animated series Daria. This time around, it’s focusing on Daria Morgendorffer’s popular former Lawndale High classmate, Jodie Landon.
Tracee Ellis Ross (Girlfriends, Black-ish, daughter of Diana) has signed-on to executive produce and voice the titular character, who was originally portrayed by Jessica Cydnee Jackson during the original run of the show.
When we last saw Jodie, Daria, and the rest of the characters, they were headed their separate ways to various colleges in the feature-length Daria movie, Is It College Yet? (2002).
Jodie (one of Lawndale High’s few black students), is wearying of the burden of being seen as the Black Role-Model/example in a majority-white high school, while resisting pressure from her parents to attend the exclusive Crestmore University. She ultimately chooses to go to the historically black Turner College instead.
The new series will pick up with Jodie’s post-university life as she settles into adulthood and the job-market.
The MTV Animation production was nabbed by the Comedy Central network, which said, per statement:
“With themes of empowerment along gender and racial lines, explorations of privilege, and a wicked sense of humor, ‘Jodie’ will shine a light on personal and professional issues young Black women face today.”
Ross herself states that it “... will be a smart, funny workplace comedy full of commentary about everything from gentrification, to sex, to tech, to call-out culture.”
MTV Studios is hinting at other future Daria (itself an offshoot of MTV’s Beavis and Butthead) spinoffs in the works as well, until then, we will just have to settle for cameo appearances by several former Lawndale students (though it’s sadly unlikely that an adult Cornholio will be paying a visit, one can still hope).
MR