You Heard Right: A Live-Action CoComelon Spin-Off Is Coming Out This Month

The folks behind CoComelon are churning out all the new things right now, and if you thought they were done after debuting their first learn-and-play app for kids, you thought wrong. On Sept. 21, Moonbug Entertainment is launching a new, live-action spinoff called CoComelon Classroom, premiering on YouTube. Here’s everything we know about the new series — including whether the decor in the live-action show will be as delightfully unhinged as it is in the animated version.

In CoComelon Classroom, viewers will be taken into a live-action Melon Patch Academy and take lessons from none other than JJ’s teacher, Miss Appleberry. (No, her classroom isn’t as wildly decorated as it is in the original show.) The series will focus on singing fun songs and is designed to promote “early English-language learning,” according to a press release from the production company. Ms. Appleberry will be played by 2021 National Teacher of the Year, Julianna Urtubey.

When you watch the trailer, you’ll get a little bit of a CoComelon-meets-Miss Rachel vibe. The show centers on a similar interactive format that encourages young kids to use and practice new words, sing along to their favorite songs and nursery rhymes, and learn a little something about music while they’re at it. Ms. Appleberry will talk kids through how to identify their emotions, how weather happens, and more.

If you’ve watched much CoComelon at all, you’ll recognize Ms. Appleberry’s name. She’s JJ’s beloved teacher, who was introduced in 2019 on his first day of school at Melon Patch Academy. She’s also featured in Netflix’s CoComelon Lane and the “CoComelon Live! JJ’s Journey” live show. But Ms. Appleberry will not be teaching all her lessons alone. There will be lots of appearances from special guest stars to help reveal surprises from inside the Melon Learning Box (you’ll see), including Emmy-award-winning actress and singer Keke Palmer. You’ll definitely see some familiar faces from the CoComelon franchise, too.

The creators of CoComelon Classroom worked with learning specialist Dr. Natascha Crandall and literacy consultant Shelly Klein, along with Urtubey, to create a show rooted in how young children’s brains learn and develop. And yeah, in a world of kids zoning out to endless toy unboxing videos online, it’s nice to know when a new show is created by early childhood education experts to be just that: educational (and, yes, entertaining as well).

So, if this sounds right up your kid’s alley, you can watch the first two new episodes of CoComelon Classroom on Saturday, Sept. 21 at youtube.com/@cocomelonclassroom. A third episode will drop the following day on Sept. 22, with new episodes being added weekly after that.