Wikipedia

Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum

Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum is an animated children's television series that premiered on November 11, 2019, on PBS Kids.[1] Produced by 9 Story Media Group, it is based on Ordinary People Change the World, a children's book series written by Brad Meltzer and Chris Eliopoulos.[2] The series follows young Xavier Riddle, his sister Yadina, their friend Brad, and their robotic companion Berby, who visit the Secret Museum to meet historical figures portrayed as children. Each episode introduces a historical hero, such as Rosa Parks or Leonardo da Vinci, who inspires the characters to overcome their own challenges. The show aims to teach young viewers important values such as courage, kindness, and perseverance through engaging storytelling and real-world role models.[3]

Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum
Based onOrdinary People Change the World
by Brad Meltzer
Voices of
  • Aidan Vissers
  • Ian Ho
  • Zoe Hatz
  • Wyatt White
  • Logan Nicholson
Theme music composer
Opening theme"Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum Theme"
Ending theme"Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum Theme" (instrumental)
ComposerMeiro Stamm
Country of origin
  • Canada
  • United States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes56 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
ProducerJennifer Bradley
EditorsMeghan Read
Tom Hastings
Running time22 minutes (11 minutes)
Production companies9 Story Media Group
Brown Bag Films
Original release
NetworkPBS Kids (U.S.)
TVOKids (Canada)
ReleaseNovember 11, 2019 (2019-11-11) –
present (present)

Premise

The series involves a Peruvian-American boy named Xavier Riddle, his sister Yadina Riddle (alongside her stuffed turtle Dr. Zoom) and their best friend Brad. In each episode, a problem or difficulty is encountered. They go to the Secret Museum to time travel to the past to observe, interact, and learn from the historical heroes. They then return to the present and use their experience to solve the problem.[2][4]

Characters

Main

  • Xavier Riddle (voiced by Aidan Vissers in season 1, and Ian Ho in season 2 and onwards) is the titular character and the leader of his group with his little sister Yadina and their friend Brad. He appears to be an excitable kid who is eager to go back in time and meet various historical figures. He is described as a kid who loves everything, but lives for adventures.
  • Yadina Riddle (voiced by Zoe Hatz) is Xavier's little sister. She seems to be eager to explore the secret museum and learn about various historical figures. She carries a stuffed turtle around with her named Dr. Zoom. She is quite talented, whether it be with books or with balls. Although Yadina is very extroverted, she is only seven years old. This means that she can be very honest with just about anyone, and sometimes even blunt. For example, Yadina dislikes meanness of any kind, and if anyone is not being friendly to another, Yadina will let them know exactly what she thinks of their behavior. When faced with conflict, Yadina is an expert at making others understand a situation from someone else's perspective, which ultimately requires empathy, self-awareness, and self-regulation. She also has a habit of making bad puns, which she fruitlessly tries to explain to both her brother Xavier and her buddy Brad.
  • Brad Meltzer (voiced by Wyatt White in season 1-season 2 episode 14b, and Logan Nicholson in season 2 episode 15a and onwards) is Xavier and Yadina's best friend. He tends to be the most nervous and neurotic of Xavier's group and suffers from several allergies. He is sometimes hesitant to go on adventures since travelling back in time makes him dizzy. Brad is quite partial to butterflies, as well as action heroes and is a relatively good artist who enjoys drawing comic book stories. He is described as having "delusions of averageness", and is apprehensive over everything. His friends, Xavier and Yadina, encourage him to live a little and to try new things. He suffers from impostor syndrome. Brad is Jewish, as revealed in the episode I am Tomioka Tessai, when he shows his friends a dreidel. His last name is only revealed on the website. He is an avatar of the author of the book series Brad Meltzer, whom he also resembles.

Supporting

  • Berby is a small, egg-shaped flying robot who resides at the Secret Museum and functions as part of the time machine by transporting Xavier, Yadina, Dr. Zoom, and Brad back and forth in time. Berby communicates by making robotic beeping sounds, and is good friends with the kids and Dr. Zoom. She also functions as the museum's curator, ensuring all of the exhibits are taken care of and in the right places. Berby also appears in all the shorts after all of the episodes, either winning yet another "race around the world" against Xavier, playing hide & seek alongside Yadina & Dr. Zoom, co-starring together with Brad in one of his "Bradman" comics, or going on random travels with Dr. Zoom. It is revealed in "I Am Madam President" that Berby is a female robot.

Production

Brad Meltzer wrote the book Ordinary People Change the World and began a series based on the book named the Ordinary People series in 2014 with I Am Abraham Lincoln, I Am Amelia Earhart, I Am Rosa Parks, and I Am Albert Einstein.[5]

The series is produced by 9 Story Media Group's animation division, Brown Bag Films. 9 Story's Chief Creative Officer Angela Santomero states that Xavier Riddle lets kids know they have "the curiosity and adventurous spirit to change the world". Meltzer added to that statement: "When my own kids watch this series, I get to see them realize that there’s extraordinary within the ordinary."[6]

Episodes

Main article: List of Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum episodes
SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
137November 11, 2019 (2019-11-11)January 31, 2022 (2022-01-31)
2TBAJanuary 15, 2024 (2024-01-15)TBA

Xavier Riddle and the Secret Movie: I Am Madam President

A TV special titled Xavier Riddle and the Secret Movie: I Am Madam President aired on March 16, 2020.[7][8] In the special, Yadina, who dreams of becoming president one day, realizes all the presidents were men.[7] She questions if she can still be president, even though it is something no girl has done yet. The trio visit the Secret Museum, where a five-part star is shown to them. They travel to different periods in time, where they meet women who are attempting to do something that has never been done before. Yadina learns from them on what is needed to do something that has never been done before, as she attempts to complete the star. She meets Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Amelia Earhart, Junko Tabei, Sally Ride and herself as an adult.[9] Amelia Earhart is the only historical figure to be featured in both the movie and an episode.

Broadcast

The series premiered on PBS Kids in United States on November 12, 2019. It premiered on TVOKids in Canada on December 10, 2019.[10] It airs on Super3, a Catalan-language children's channel in Spain.[11] Season 2 released on January 15, 2024.

Reception

Critical response

Joyce Slaton of Common Sense Media gave Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum a mixed review. She stated that "the show makes many historical inaccuracies, which makes it odd for a TV show that wants to make history come back alive for kids." She also stated that "the show's tendency to play too fast and loose with the historical facts is confusing, and that 'Go for it!' is an unlikely motto for Amelia Earhart, who disappeared in 1937 and didn't complete her solo Atlantic flight as a grade school student, as Xavier depicts." George Washington Carver did have a secret garden as a child, in which he learned important lessons that impacted his career in botany. But, as Slaton states, "it's a real stretch to imagine him having to defend plants from renegade soccer players in 19th century Missouri", and that "the show seems to overlook his importance as an activist for ex-slaves and champion of sustainable agriculture, instead boiling his messages down to 'take care of plants and you'll take care of the earth.'" [12]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominee Result Ref.
2020 Annie Awards Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production for Preschool Children Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum Nominated [13]
2020 Daytime Emmy Awards Outstanding Directing for a Preschool Animated Program Cory Bobiak, Steven Boeckler and Susan Hart Nominated [14][15]
2020 TCA Awards Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum Nominated [16]
2021 Annie Awards Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production for Preschool Children Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum Nominated [17]
2021 Daytime Emmy Awards Outstanding Special Class Daytime Animated Program Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum: I Am Madam President Nominated [18]
2021 Daytime Emmy Awards Outstanding Directing Team for a Preschool Animated Program Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum Nominated
2021 TCA Awards Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum Nominated [19]
2022 Annie Awards Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production for Preschool Children Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum Nominated
2022 Children's and Family Emmy Awards Outstanding Preschool Animated Series Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum Nominated

Notes

References

  1. ^ "PBS KIDS Announces New Series Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum, Premiering November 11, 2019". PBS. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Brad Meltzer on Finding Heroes for "Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum"". TV Shows. November 15, 2019. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  3. ^ Columnist, Francine Brokaw Community. "'Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum' premieres on PBS Kids". Daily Herald. Archived from the original on January 11, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  4. ^ "A New PBS Show That Lets Kids Learn from the Example of Historical Heroes". WTTW Chicago. November 7, 2019. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  5. ^ "Brad Meltzer's kid-friendly history comes to PBS". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  6. ^ Siegel, Fern (November 13, 2019). "'Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum' Streams on PBS Kids Platforms". The Streamable. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  7. ^ a b "Rick's Review: Brad Meltzer makes history fun with 'Xavier Riddle' on PBS". March 12, 2020.
  8. ^ "Xavier Riddle and the Secret Movie". February 26, 2020.
  9. ^ "Xavier Riddle and the Secret Movie: I Am Madam President - TV Review". www.commonsensemedia.org. April 2, 2020.
  10. ^ "Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum (@XavierRiddleHQ) | Twitter". twitter.com. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  11. ^ "Xavier Enigma i el museu secret". CCMA. April 6, 2023.
  12. ^ "Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum - TV Review". www.commonsensemedia.org. November 19, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
  13. ^ Mercedes Milligan (December 2, 2019). "47th Annie Awards Nominations Announced". Animation Magazine. Retrieved December 31, 2019.
  14. ^ Milligan, Mercedes (May 21, 2020). "Daytime Emmy Nominees: 'Elena of Avalor,' 'Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure' Lead Toon Contenders".
  15. ^ Milligan, Mercedes (July 26, 2020). "Daytime Emmy Awards: 'Dragon Prince,' 'Ask the Storybots' & 'Last Kids on Earth' Win Key Animation Categories for Netflix".
  16. ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb (July 9, 2020). "TCA Awards: Watchmen, Unbelievable and Schitt's Creek Lead Nominations". TVLine. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  17. ^ Mercedes Milligan (April 17, 2021). "Soul / Wolfwalkers / HildaFESTIVALS AND EVENTSNORTH AMERICA Annie Awards: 'Soul,' 'Wolfwalkers' & 'Hilda' Score Most Wins". Animation Magazine. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  18. ^ Zahed, Ramin (June 28, 2021). "TV Academy Announces Animation/Children's Emmy Nominations".
  19. ^ Turchiano, Danielle (July 15, 2021). "'Ted Lasso' Scores the Most 2021 TCA Awards Nominations". Variety. Retrieved July 19, 2021.

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