The creator of the venerable children’s show “Arthur” is developing a new series for preschoolers that features characters with disabilities and is about embracing differences.

The animated series “Hop” got the green light this week from Max, the streaming service previously known as HBO Max.

“‘Hop’ follows an eclectic group of besties whose comedic adventures teach preschoolers about embracing their own uniqueness. Led by Hop, an enthusiastic, empathetic frog with one leg shorter than the other, he and his quirky friends address kid-relatable problems with a healthy dose of laughter, silliness and adventure,” according to Max.

In addition to Hop, the series includes Filipa, a “fiercely intelligent squirrel” who says what’s on her mind. Filipa has never received a diagnosis but is described as neurodivergent and doesn’t like loud noises or big crowds.

“Even before ‘Arthur’ ended, I was nurturing a new project about a little frog named Hop, for a younger audience,” said Marc Brown, the creator of both “Arthur” and the new series. “With ‘Arthur,’ we occasionally introduced characters with disabilities, but they never became part of the ensemble cast in any meaningful way. But the characters in ‘Hop’ reflect many kids who are underrepresented in the media.”

The character of Hop will be voiced by David Connolly, the first amputee to have performed on Broadway, Max said. The disability nonprofit RespectAbility is consulting on the series.

Brown said even though some characters on “Hop” have disabilities, that’s not what will define them.

“Kids are kids and each one is unique and filled with potential,” Brown said. “And kids love to have fun, that’s what ‘Hop’ is all about!”

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