‘Doc McStuffins’ Creator Chris Nee Signs Overall Deal With Netflix

In another major coup for Netflix, the streamer announced today that it has entered into a multi-year overall deal with Chris Nee, the Peabody, Emmy, and Humanitas Prize-winning creator of Disney’s Doc McStuffins.

Under the deal, Nee will write and produce new animated and live-action series for preschool and all audiences exclusively for Netflix. Additionally, Netflix will have a first-look option on feature film projects from Nee and her production company, Laughing Wild.

“The beauty of Netflix is that they don’t define me by what I’ve done in the past, but by who they think I can be in the future,” Nee said in a statmement. “I love that they don’t believe in boxes but rather encourage creators to dream big and swing for the fences creatively. Just as important is my ability to define the culture of my company and double-down on finding and nurturing new and diverse voices. My mission is to create work that reflects the world we live in and lend a voice to the storytellers who haven’t always had access.”

Nee’s Doc McStuffins, which recently launched its fifth and final season on Disney Junior, is the first American preschool show to feature an animated African American female as the lead character as well as a family led by LGBTQ parents. Nee also developed and executive produced the Emmy-nominated series Vampirina and began her career as an associate producer at Sesame Street International, where she spent time in countries like Mexico, Finland, Israel and Jordan working on their local productions of Sesame Street.

“Chris is an absolute master at crafting characters that kids want to spend time with and telling stories that are representative of all different types of families and communities,” says Melissa Cobb, vice president of kids and family at Netflix.

Netflix’s slate of talent includes a number of other key creators from Disney Television Animation including Craig McCracken, who most recently created the Disney Channel/Disney XD series Wander Over Yonder, and Alex Hirsch, creator of Gravity Falls, who has an overall deal with Netflix reported to be in the range of $10 million a year.