Representation Review: Carl The Collector
On a new PBS kids show with an autistic main character and the representation it provides
As I was putting together my new (much longer) blog post that will be released on Tuesday, I was trying to rack my brain for good examples of autistic representation in TV, movies and other media.
This gave me the idea to maybe look at shows I haven’t personally seen yet but star an autistic character (or characters) and rate the representation of autism in the show.
My first review will be a new show on PBS Kids called Carl The Collector. It stars a raccoon named Carl, who is autistic (and voiced by an autistic actor), and it features his series of friends too: a beaver named Sheldon, twin rabbit sisters named Nico and Arugula, a squirrel named Forrest, and an autistic fox named Lotta (who is also voiced by an autistic actress). Carl’s mother is also a main character, helping to guide Carl through the obstacles life throws at him in a patient and loving way.
The show is created by Zachariah OHora and directed by Lisa Whittick. The show is produced by a variety of neurodivergent writers, animators and consultants, including autistic people. The setting of the show is a made-up town called Fuzzytown (modeled after Narberth, PA, which I drive through all the time on my way to work). While not the first autistic representation on PBS Kids (that distinction goes to Julia of Sesame Street, who I may cover another time), it is the first time a show on PBS Kids has starred an autistic character.
I watched a few episodes to familiarize myself with the general style and premise of the show. Usually the episode will center around one of Carl’s many “collections” of items he has (his special interest is in collecting items). Carl shows many visible signs of autism throughout the show, including his slow and awkward vocal cadence (I will talk about this another time), stimming, slow processing speed, and difficulty with social interactions.
In the episode, The Fall, the show explains why Carl seems to be a little bit different than everybody else. Nico the rabbit falls down and scrapes her knee while her, Arugula, and Carl are flying kites. When this happens, Carl freezes up and doesn’t know what to do. This causes Nico to become angry at Carl for not helping her out, and Carl cannot figure out why she is mad at him. Carl consults Arugula and his mother for help. His mother helps him create a script where he can apologize and explain that he has autism, which caused him to freeze up and not know what to do. Carl debates whether or not he wants to tell Nico about his autism diagnosis, and his mother tells Carl it’s up to him but it might help Nico understand him better. The talk goes really well, even though Carl freezes up again, and in the end, Carl and Nico make up and become friends again.
In Whole Lotta Lotta, Lotta is sad that her classmates, including a popular girl named Skyler, only know her as “headphone girl” because she relies on headphones to keep her calm. Lotta’s friends try to cheer her up by listing all the other cool things about her. Carl attempts to relate to her story by mentioning he used to be called “the autistic kid” and shows the group his “Carl collection”, which shows all the cool things about himself. Lotta shows Carl some of the things she really likes to add to her own “collection”, and then tells him she is also autistic. Lotta also implies she has synesthesia by mentioning she “hears colors when listening to music” (which, fun fact: I do too). Lotta says she isn’t ready to tell other people she is autistic yet, and Carl agrees to not tell anyone. As she adds items to her collection, she finishes up with a pair of headphones, which confuses Carl because he thought she didn’t want to be associated with them. Lotta responds that these things are what make her unique, and she should embrace them. After Skyler calls Lotta “headphone girl” again on the playground, Lotta shows Skyler the “Lotta collection”, which includes her robots and her music. Lotta then tells Skyler why headphones help her and advises Skyler to try them sometime. Skyler finally agrees to call Lotta by her name as well as use the names of the other kids on the playground (Brittany and Ramon), and they play foursquare together.
So here are my thoughts:
The show does a really good job representing what autism is and what it might look like, especially in a child. I also like how they included both an autistic boy and autistic girl character, since oftentimes autistic representation is male-dominated. Both presentations of autism are also well thought-out, and they represent well what autism may look like in school-age children.
The show isn’t afraid to tackle issues that happen in the everyday lives of autistic kids, including bullying and misunderstandings. By showing an eventual supportive environment by the end, the show is both comforting autistic children and modeling to non-autistic children how to best support their autistic peers.
The show centers autism in a way few shows do, and it’s the first one I have seen a non-autistic person create well because he did such a good job at recruiting and employing autistic and neurodivergent show developers and actors on the team.
The animation is modern and well-done, but not over-the-top. The more toned-down colors give the show a more relaxed feel.
The one criticism I have of the show is its theme song. Nothing is wrong with the content of the lyrics, but it’s a lot of clashing voices singing the theme song, which would have been a major sensory sensitivity to me as a kid, and I imagine I’m not the only autistic kid who would react that way.
Overall, though, I am very glad this show exists, and I hope to see it be renewed for more seasons as well as used as a teaching tool about autism. I think adults could learn a thing or two from watching it as well.