Ford Riley is an American producer, screenwriter, lyricist, and voice actor. He is best known for creating the Disney Junior animated television series Special Agent Oso (2009—2012) and he most recently created and developed the animated television series The Lion Guard (2016—2019), based on Disney's The Lion King . Riley also serves as the series' executive producer.
31-466: Special Agent Oso ( / oʊ ˈ s oʊ / OH -soh ) is an American animated children's television series created by Ford Riley for Playhouse Disney . It features Oso, a panda bear who is a special agent working for the United Network for Investigating Quite Usual Events (U.N.I.Q.U.E.), an agency dedicated to helping children with everyday tasks such as mailing a letter, riding a bike, or making
62-495: A 2017 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Song. Riley lives in Los Angeles, California with his wife Holly (née Marsh) Riley whom he wed in 1995 and their two children, a daughter (b. 2001) and a son (b. 2003). Riley’s son was diagnosed with autism in 2005. In his 2009 interview with Emmy Magazine Riley cited his son’s subsequent autism therapy as the inspiration for the curriculum for Special Agent Oso . This included
93-731: A donation from Laurence A. and Preston Robert Tisch that made possible the acquisition and renovation of the location at 721 Broadway where most of the school's programs are housed. In recognition of the generosity of the Tisch family, the school was renamed Tisch School of the Arts in 1982. Tisch School of the Arts has three institutes and 16 programs and offers the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), Bachelor of Arts (BA), Master of Fine Arts (MFA), Master of Arts (MA), Master of Professional Studies (MPS), and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees. Tisch also offers
124-449: A failed lawsuit brought by three former students. During the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 , which forced NYU to move academic instruction online, many Tisch students demanded a tuition refund, believing that virtual classes did not adequately meet their academic needs as a school for performing, cinematic, and media arts. In one of many pandemic-related emails, the school's dean sent students
155-505: A few years. Following the creation of the undergraduate Department of Drama in 1974, the school expanded to include the Interactive Telecommunications Program , Department of Dramatic Writing, Department of Performance Studies , Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program, Department of Photography and Imaging, and The Department of Art and Public Policy. In 1982, the school's second dean, David Oppenheim , solicited
186-402: A fun and giggly personality, her favorite color is pink, and she likes visiting space as part of her missions. Dotty is a complex character succeeding in a man's world." Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media gave Special Agent Oso a grade of four out of five stars, praised the messaging and role models, citing resourcefulness and perseverance, and complimented the presence of educational value in
217-532: A huge motivator to pursue his own artistic endeavors. Upon relocating to Los Angeles, Riley began writing for animation in 1998, starting with Disney’s Timon & Pumbaa , followed by Recess , Teacher’s Pet and Teamo Supremo . He went on to work for Nickelodeon as a staff writer on ChalkZone and freelancer on Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! . His credits also include episodes of Megas XLR , Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi , and Hero 108 for Cartoon Network . In 2004 Riley delved into animated features, writing
248-401: A mission to help the child complete the task. To do so, Paw Pilot provides Oso with "three special steps", a simplified step-by-step guide to completing the task, while Mr. Dos gives Oso a briefing on the child's problem. Oso is transported to the child's location and attempts to follow the steps; Paw Pilot also gives further elaborations, including a trick which reveals the mistake he made during
279-482: A sandwich. The series debuted on April 4, 2009 and ended on May 17, 2012. The series had a total of 60 episodes over two seasons. The series received generally positive reviews from critics, and was nominated for Outstanding Original Song at the 2010 Daytime Emmy Awards . Both Special Agent Oso along with its spin-off, Special Agent Oso: Three Healthy Steps, which aired during interstitials, are available to stream on Disney+ . Each episode begins with Oso performing
310-568: A selection of classes to NYU students not enrolled in any of its programs through the Open Arts curriculum. The three institutes are: The school also offers an inter-disciplinary "collaborative arts" program, as well as the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music (founded by Arista Records CEO Clive Davis ), one of the few programs in the US to combine musical arts and business strategies in
341-460: A training exercise given to him by one of his three instructors, Wolfie, Dottie, or Bufo. During the exercise, a Shutterbug drone notices a child struggling to complete a simple task that is related to Oso's assignment. Paw Pilot, Oso's computerized assistant, alerts him about a special assignment, which causes Oso to fail his training exercise. Oso is assigned to the case, and Paw Pilot, along with Mr. Dos, illustrates his client's plight and assigns him
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#1732876345195372-509: Is executive producer of both the television movie The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar , and its subsequent TV series. In addition, Riley had a minor voice role as Big Baboon in Return of the Roar , and is the voice of Njano on the series. Riley’s episode of Angela Anaconda entitled "Ice Breakers" won Le Grand Prix Anneny 2000 at the 2000 Annecy Awards for best TV Animation programme. "Ice Breakers"
403-677: The Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, the Interactive Telecommunications/Interactive Media Arts programs (ITP & IMA), and the Game Center; these programs work in collaboration with departments in media technology from NYU's Tandon School of Engineering and Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development . As of 2019, 22 Academy Award winners, 17 Emmy Award winners, 12 Tony Award winners, and four Grammy Award winners have been affiliated with Tisch alumni and faculty . As of 2017 ,
434-701: The School of the Arts at New York University, Tisch is a training ground for artists, scholars of the arts, and filmmakers. The school is divided into three Institutes: Performing Arts, Emerging Media, and Film & Television. Many undergraduate and graduate disciplines are available for students, including acting , dance , drama , performance studies , design for stage and film , musical theatre writing, photography , record producing , game design and development , and film and television studies . The school also offers an inter-disciplinary "collaborative arts" program, high school programs, continuing education in
465-402: The arts for the general public, as well as the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, which teaches entrepreneurial strategies in the music recording industry. A dual MFA / MBA graduate program is also offered, allowing students to take coursework at both Tisch and NYU's Stern School of Business . It is located at 721 Broadway (the intersection of Broadway and Waverly Place ), adjacent to
496-469: The arts. NYU's first branch campus abroad was the result of a partnership with Singapore Government agencies under Singapore's Global Schoolhouse program. Tisch Asia was also Singapore's first graduate arts school and offered Master of Fine Arts degrees in animation and digital arts, dramatic writing, film, and international media producing. Summer programs included professional workshops and non-credit certificate courses. The campus opened in fall 2007 on
527-494: The assignment turns out to be the same trick Oso needed to complete the training exercise, which he completes and passes, earning a "digi-medal" for the training exercise and the special assignment. Each episode has four components: The first season of Special Agent Oso premiered in the United States and United Kingdom on April 4, 2009, and aired through April 17, 2010. The second and final season premiered on July 10, 2010 and
558-542: The concept of Oso using "Three Special Steps" to break down larger tasks into smaller ones. Riley is currently writing a middle-grade novel that includes a main character on the autism spectrum. New York University Tisch School of the Arts The New York University Tisch School of the Arts (commonly referred to as Tisch ) is the performing , cinematic, and media arts school of New York University . Founded on August 17, 1965, as
589-649: The former Ministry of Education & Republic Polytechnic grounds at 3 Kay Siang Road, Singapore, with the intention to enroll approximately 250 students. The anticipated enrollment figures were not achieved, financial losses and embezzlement were alleged and Tisch Asia President Pari Sara Shirazi was dismissed from her post by NYU in November 2011. She subsequently lost a lawsuit claiming defamation and breach of contract. The Tisch Asia campus closed in 2014, with polarised recollections, ranging from positive endorsement, to allegations that it had been "an educational scam" in
620-664: The preschool-targeted Special Agent Oso , which premiered on April 4 at 9:50 a.m. and attracted 377,000 viewers, including 181,000 kids aged four to 15. Special Agent Oso: Three Healthy Steps is a short series that aired in the United States during the Disney Junior programming block. The spin-off premiered on February 14, 2011. It encourages children to use "three healthy steps" regarding eating, being healthy, and exercising. This series combined both animated characters and real life actors. The animated characters that are featured in
651-430: The recording industry . A dual MFA / MBA graduate program is also offered, allowing students to take coursework at both Tisch and NYU's Stern School of Business. It also offers high school programs (the "Tisch Summer High School Program" and "Spring Future Artists Programs") as an outgrowth of the undergraduate classes, and professional courses for the general public as part of a commitment to continuing education in
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#1732876345195682-518: The school had more than 25,000 alumni working in the arts and related professions, and the school has more alumni in Broadway theatre than any other school for theater in the United States. The School of the Arts at New York University was founded on August 17, 1965, to provide conservatory training in theater and film in the context of a research university. The school created additional departments such as dance, theatre design, and cinema studies within
713-531: The screenplay for the full-length animated feature Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles , based on the long-running television series Robotech . Following Robotech, Riley developed the TV series The Land Before Time for Universal Animation Studios , based on the 1988 film by George Lucas and Steven Spielberg and its long-running series of direct-to-video features. He created that series’ first recurring villain, Red Claw (a Tyrannosaurus Rex.) In addition to overseeing
744-539: The series finale aired May 17, 2012. In season 2, new characters, Professor Buffo and Special Agent Musa, were introduced. The show has a crossover with Handy Manny called "The Manny with the Golden Bear". Hannah Johnson of Screen Rant found the character of Dotty to be a positive role model, writing, "It is evident that she has worked hard to get where she is, being the only female supervisor in an androcentric career, where all her colleagues are men. The orange cat has
775-683: The short series are Special Agent Oso, Paw Pilot, Special Agent Wolfie, Special Agent Dotty, and Professor Buffo. Ford Riley Riley is a graduate of New York University Tisch School of the Arts , where he studied theater and film. He studied briefly in Prague before returning to his hometown of Pittsburgh , where he worked at the Pittsburgh Public Theater and the Heinz Endowments . He has cited his time working in Pittsburgh as being
806-422: The show, saying, "Age-appropriate skills like shape recognition, chronology, and spatial relationships are emphasized within the context of the plot, so kids learn while they enjoy the stories. The show's best quality is its positive message about the joy to be found in helping others." During April, Playhouse Disney UK saw its best weekly share among kids at 2.3%, a month that also had its best series launch with
837-414: The training exercise. During the third and final step, Paw Pilot senses the time limit on the task and begins counting down as the time limit approaches. Oso and the child typically complete the task as the time runs out. The completion of all three steps often involves gadgets, such as a pen that can become a grappling device and a jetpack. After returning from the assignment, the helpful trick given during
868-563: The university's Department of Philosophy building and the Gallatin School of Individualized Study , in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Lower Manhattan , New York City. In 2013, NYU opened a new technology hub on its Brooklyn campus called the Media and Games Network (MAGNET). Located at 2 MetroTech Center and, beginning in 2019, 370 Jay Street , MAGNET houses three Tisch programs:
899-442: The writing of every episode of the series, Riley personally wrote numerous individual episodes. He also co-wrote all of the songs for the series with Michele Brourman . Between working on Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles and The Land Before Time , Riley developed his own series, Special Agent Oso , for Disney Junior . Special Agent Oso was originally pitched as a series of interstitials in 2004. However, during development, it
930-454: Was also nominated for a 2000 Daytime Emmy Award in the category of Outstanding Special Class Animation Program. The theme song that Riley co-wrote with Mike Himelstein for Special Agent Oso was nominated for a 2010 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Song. The song "Sisi Ni Sawa", that Riley co-wrote with Beau Black, Sarah Mirza and Kevin Hopps for The Lion Guard was nominated for
961-495: Was moved from the interstitial to series development track. Riley was given the green light for production of Oso in June 2007. A series of interstitials was spun off from Special Agent Oso in 2011, entitled Special Agent Oso: Three Healthy Steps . In 2014, it was announced that Riley was developing a spin-off television series based on Disney's The Lion King film franchise for Disney Junior, entitled The Lion Guard . Riley