Six gifted middle schoolers are invited to an island to attend what they believe is an academic summer camp, but it turns out to be a ruse perpetrated by Dr. Lullah, a mad scientist who lives on the island. Unable to leave for three months, they must contend with the island's fantastical and dangerous flora and fauna, much of which has been created by Dr. Lullah.[3][4]
Voice cast
Tania Gunadi as Pliny,[5] a creative, resourceful, and inventive girl.
Zosia Mamet as Merian,[5] a cautious and anxious yet brilliant girl.
Gabourey Sidibe as Francis,[5] a calm and collected oddball who seems to keep to herself and go at her own pace.
Charlyne Yi as Larry,[6] a fun, quirky, and upbeat boy who is fond of bugs and adventure.
Zach Reino as Chip Manhands,[6] a nerdy boy who proclaims to be masculine and overly confident.
Deborah Baker Jr. as Sara,[6] a chubby girl who isn't afraid to use force. She is nerdy and headstrong.
Lorraine Toussaint as Dr. Lullah,[5] an egotistical and intelligent mad scientist who tricks the kids into attending a fake academic summer camp. She is also responsible for creating the mutants that reside on the island.
Jake Green as Mr. Okay,[2] a dog mutant who is the assistant of Dr. Lullah.
The kids arrive at Dr. Lullah's summer camp and attempt to find a crystal to fix her laser so she can carve her face into the moon.
The kids are forced to challenge the mutants, who stole their food in a "dog-eat-dog" style.
2
"The Nannytee"
Hannah Ayoubi
Liz Hara
Madeleine Flores & Sonja von Marensdorff
January 11, 2025 (2025-01-11)
103
TBD
"Noodle It (A Little Bit)"
Jon Millstein
Rose Feduk & Kaitlyn Graziano
Dr. Lullah creates a manatee-nanny hybrid to watch over the kids while working on her jet ski, but Francis is suspicious about it.
Pliny teaches Larry to noodle, but it turns into havoc when Larry starts a habit of it and wants to noodle a meteor from space.
3
"Diorama Drama"
TBA
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January 19, 2025 (2025-01-19)
101
TBD
"Goat Racket"
4
"Breakfast at Chippany's"
TBA
TBA
TBA
January 19, 2025 (2025-01-19)
104
TBD
"Birdyguard"
5
"No Manhands Is an Island"
TBA
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January 26, 2025 (2025-01-26)
105
TBD
"Sister Swim"
6
"Moon Moon"
TBA
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TBA
January 26, 2025 (2025-01-26)
106
TBD
"Mailbog"
7
"Finders Kelpers"
TBA
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February 2, 2025 (2025-02-02)
TBA
TBD
"Truck Everlasting"
8
"Alpha Betta Chip"
TBA
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February 9, 2025 (2025-02-09)
TBA
TBD
"The Bomb Swapper"
9
"The Wolf of Jealousy"
TBA
TBA
TBA
February 16, 2025 (2025-02-16)
TBA
TBD
"Stench Mensch"
10
"Francis Wants to Be Alone"
TBA
TBA
TBA
February 23, 2025 (2025-02-23)
TBA
TBD
"The Sash"
Production
Development
In 2019, Ryan Gillis pitched to Disney Television Animation a series inspired by the time he took a study-abroad course during college, in which they were free to do as they wanted outside of class. The series was greenlight in 2022, with production starting in 2023.[8] Gillis settled on the title StuGo after finding it on Google and feeling it fit with the show's themes.[9]
StuGo was announced on June 13, 2023.[6] The series is produced by Titmouse, Inc.[5] and directed by Sunil Hall.[3] Gillis serves as the executive producer along with Hall, while Craig Lewis is story editor.[10]
Writing
The series focuses primarly on episodic storytelling, with the writers wanting each episode to "stand on its own" as a way to provide further access to audiences, while also incorporating continuity and world building across the episodes.[9] Gillis wanted the humor to focus primarly on knowing more about the characters,[9] with a lot of the humor centering on the friction between the cast as they deal with their current situation.[11]
Casting
During the series' announcement, it was reported that Tania Gunadi, Zosia Mamet, Gabourey Sidibe, Charlyne Yi, Zach Reino, Deborah Baker Jr., and Lorraine Toussaint would compose its main cast,[5] with Jake Green announced as part of the cast in December 2024.[2] The series occasionally features guest characters who were written with a particular actor in mind as an "archetype" for the character.[9]
Animation
Animation services for the series were provided by Titmouse and Snipple Animation Studios, while Sam Bosma served as art director.[8] The visual style for the show was inspired by the Caribbean and South Florida, with Gillis wanting to avoid depicting a romantized depiction of tropical life by depicting the buildings as degrated due to the environment. He also wanted Dr. Lullah's technology to be distinctive from other shows with mad scientists by incorporating "plaster, Spanish tile and art deco flourishes" to them.[8] Inspirations for the series' mutants include adventure serials such as Johnny Quest and the works of Ray Harryhausen, as well as Gillis' life in Florida.[9]
Release
The series premiered on January 11, 2025, with two episodes,[2][12] with the series scheduled to be added to Disney+ in the spring of 2025.[13] Previously, the release date on Disney+ had not been announced.[14] The series was originally scheduled to premiere on Disney Channel on October 17, 2024.[15]
^ abcdeO'Rourke, Ryan (December 4, 2024). "Prepare for Unrestricted Summer Camp Adventure in StuGo Trailer [Exclusive]". Collider. Archived from the original on December 4, 2024. Retrieved December 4, 2024. Collider can exclusively reveal the official trailer for the new sci-fi series and share that it will debut on January 11, following a preview on January 1 through the channel's "Sneako Peako" programming stunt.
^critic, Jackson MurphyJackson Murphy is a movie; Lights-Camera-Jackson.com, entertainment columnist He is the creator of the website; Television, Has Made Numerous Appearances on; radio. (2025-01-06). "INTERVIEW: Gear Up For "StuGo"". Animation Scoop. Retrieved 2025-01-16.
