Forky Asks a Question

Forky Asks a Question is an American animated web television series based on the Toy Story franchise, set after Toy Story 4. It is the second Pixar television series, since Buzz Lightyear of Star Command. The series focuses on the character of Forky (voiced by Tony Hale) as he asks his friends different questions about life. The series premiered on November 12, 2019, along with the launch of the Disney+ streaming service.

Forky Asks a Question
GenreAnimation
Created byBob Peterson
Written byBob Peterson
Directed byBob Peterson
StarringTony Hale
Narrated byBob Peterson
Composer(s)Jake Monaco
Original language(s)English
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes10 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)
Producer(s)Mark Nielsen
Running time3–4 mins
Production company(s)Pixar Animation Studios
DistributorDisney Media Distribution
Release
Original networkDisney+
Original releaseNovember 12, 2019 (2019-11-12) –
present

Premise

Set sometime after the events of Toy Story 4, handmade toy Forky asks his friends (the Toy Story characters) different questions about life. Some of the friends include Hamm, Rex, Trixie, Buttercup, Old Timer, Chairol Burnett, Melephant Brooks and more to come. [1]

Cast and characters
  • Tony Hale as Forky, a homemade toy who, having been recently created, asks his friends questions about life.
  • John Ratzenberger as Hamm, a piggy bank.[2]
  • Wallace Shawn as Rex, a toy tyrannosaurus rex.[3]
  • Kristen Schaal as Trixie, a toy triceratops.[3]
  • Carol Burnett as Chairol Burnett, a toy chair whom Bonnie used to play with.[4]
  • Mel Brooks as Melephant Brooks, a toy elephant whom Bonnie used to play with.[4]
  • Carl Reiner as Carl Reineroceros, a toy rhino whom Bonnie used to play with. This was Reiner's last time reprising this role before his death in 2020.[4]
  • Betty White as Bitey White, a toy tiger whom Bonnie used to play with.[4]
  • Robin Atkin Downes as Mr. Pricklepants, a stuffed hedgehog toy with a fascination with acting and theater. Downes replaces Timothy Dalton, who voiced the character in previous Toy Story media.
  • Alan Oppenheimer as Old Timer, a toy alarm clock with the face of an old man.
  • Aloma Wright as Rib Tickles, a toy dog Pet Patrol officer.[5] A male version of the character was originally set to appear in Toy Story 4, though it was ultimately deleted.[5]
  • Bonnie Hunt as Dolly, one of Bonnie’s most beloved toys and the leader of them.
  • Jeff Garlin as Buttercup, a toy unicorn.
  • Addison Andrews, Mika Crespo and Imani Prior as Peas in a Pod, a toy version of actual peas in a pod.
  • Jeff Pidgeon as Mr. Spell, a toy with a built in keyboard who speaks words that are typed in.

Episodes
No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
1"What Is Money?"Bob PetersonBob PetersonNovember 12, 2019 (2019-11-12)
Hamm explains to Forky what money is.[6]
2"What Is a Friend?"Bob PetersonBob PetersonNovember 15, 2019 (2019-11-15)
Forky "befriends" a mug, which he thinks is named "What? No!".
3"What Is Art?"Bob PetersonBob PetersonNovember 22, 2019 (2019-11-22)
Mr. Pricklepants teaches Forky how to act.
4"What Is Time?"Bob PetersonBob PetersonNovember 29, 2019 (2019-11-29)
Rex explains the concept of time to Forky, using the age of dinosaurs as an example.[7]
5"What Is Love?"[8]Bob PetersonBob PetersonDecember 6, 2019 (2019-12-06)
Bonnie's old toys explain to Forky the meaning of love. Note: This marked the final acting role for Carl Reiner before his death on June 29, 2020.[9]
6"What Is a Computer?"[8]Bob PetersonBob PetersonDecember 13, 2019 (2019-12-13)
Trixie explains to Forky what a computer does as they experience the common stresses of technology.
7"What Is a Leader?"[10]Bob PetersonBob PetersonDecember 20, 2019 (2019-12-20)
Dolly teaches Forky about the qualities of a good leader, and he puts those qualities to the test!
8"What Is a Pet?"[10]Bob PetersonBob PetersonDecember 27, 2019 (2019-12-27)
Forky meets Rib Tickles, and is schooled on the dangers of law enforcement.
9"What Is Cheese?"[10]Bob PetersonBob PetersonJanuary 3, 2020 (2020-01-03)
Buttercup, annoyed with all of Forky’s questions, speed teaches everything there is.
10"What Is Reading?"[10]Bob PetersonBob PetersonJanuary 10, 2020 (2020-01-10)
The energetic Peas in a Pod siblings teach Forky about reading, with a little help from Mr. Spell.

Production

Development

On Disney's investor day, Pixar's chief creative officer, Pete Docter, revealed that a series of shorts based on Toy Story 4's Forky, titled Forky Asks a Question, is in development for Disney+, with Tony Hale set to reprise his role from Toy Story 4. Hale said that the series is about "these questions that maybe people are embarrassed maybe to ask, but they really don't know".[1] Bob Peterson is set to write and direct the series, and will be produced by Toy Story 4 producer Mark Nielsen.[11][12]

The series is being directly produced at Pixar Animation Studios, and is the second show based on a Pixar property since Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, which was also based on the Toy Story franchise.[11]

Casting

On June 12, 2019, when the series was announced, it was confirmed that Tony Hale will reprise his role from Toy Story 4 in the series.[1] On June 25, 2019, Nielsen revealed that Carol Burnett, Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner and Betty White will reprise their roles from Toy Story 4 as Chairol Burnett, Melephant Brooks, Carl Reineroceros, and Bitey White, respectively, during the series.[4] According to Nielsen, the characters will have "considerable screen time" compared to their appearances in the film.[4]

During the D23 2019, it was revealed that John Ratzenberger will reprise his role as Hamm in the series.[2] On October 30, 2019, Wallace Shawn and Kristen Schaal were revealed to be reprising their roles as Rex and Trixie, respectively.[3]

Recording

On June 18, 2019, Hale revealed during an interview that he already recorded his lines as Forky for the series.[13]

Music

Jake Monaco composed the series' score.[14] Monaco said that "Forky's character is so animated[...] There are so many movements and facial expressions and the voice acting that Tony Hale does is just incredible. He is enough to carry any scene by himself.", and that director Bob Peterson "wanted the music to simply disappear into the background", to which he gave the score "a little bit of a jazz vibe".[14]

A soundtrack for the series' first season, featuring Monaco's score and two tracks written by Monaco and Toby Sherriff, was released on February 28, 2020.[15]

Release

Forky Asks a Question was released on November 12, 2019, on Disney+.[1] The series consists of ten episodes released weekly,[16] with each episode being 3–4 minutes long.[17] A clip from the series was shown at the D23 2019.[11] On October 30, 2019, the series' first trailer was released.[3]

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 83%, based on twelve reviews, with an average rating of 7.95/10. Its critical consensus reads, "Short and sweet, Forky Asks a Question is fun and funny enough to work for fans."[18] On Metacritic, the series has a weighted average score of 64 out of 100, based on five critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[19]

Accolades
Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2020
 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Short Form Animated Program "What Is Love?" Pending [20]
gollark: Yes, it's not ideal otherwise.
gollark: Also, the nonremovable cable is meant to reduce voltage drop or something.
gollark: <@151391317740486657> On the data gathering thing: yes, I don't throw away all my stuff in order to not be spied on by Google/MS/whoever, that would be very impractical.
gollark: It's reasonably general purpose and is used happily by some people! You may not like it but it is good for some.
gollark: Lies!

References
  1. White, James (June 12, 2019). "Pixar Creating Forky-Focused Short Films For Disney". Empire. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
  2. "Forky Asks a Question Brings the Toy Story 4 Favorite to Disney+ in 10 New Animated Shorts". TV Web. August 23, 2019.
  3. "Pixar Forky Asks A Question – Official Trailer - Disney+ - Start Streaming Nov. 12". Pixar/The Walt Disney Company/YouTube. October 30, 2019.
  4. "The 10 best secrets, surprises and Easter eggs from 'Toy Story 4'". Washington Post. June 25, 2019.
  5. Post, Pixar (October 1, 2019). "Rib Tickles, Deleted 'Toy Story 4' Character To Appear in 'Forky Asks A Question' (on Disney+)". Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  6. Palmer, Roger (November 8, 2019). "What Disney+ Originals Are Coming To Disney+ On Launch Day?".
  7. Palmer, Roger (November 29, 2019). "What's New On Disney+ - Pixar's Coco & Much More".
  8. Palmer, Roger (November 23, 2019). "Everything Coming To Disney+ In The Next Few Weeks".
  9. Palmer, Roger (December 2, 2019). "What's Coming To Disney+ This Week - One Day At Disney & Thor Ragnarok".
  10. Post, Pixar (November 21, 2019). "Our Favorite Moments & Full Episode List From 'Forky Asks A Question'-That Looks Like A Lady!".
  11. "'Forky Asks A Question': Release date, plot, cast, trailer and everything you need to know about the Disney+ show from 'Toy Story'". Meaww.com. October 20, 2019.
  12. "Toy Story 4 Producer Reveals How Disney+ Will Continue The Franchise". CinemaBlend. October 3, 2019.
  13. "The voice of Forky from 'Toy Story 4,' Tony Hale, gives details about the character's show on Disney Plus". Business Insider. June 18, 2019.
  14. "Interview with Jake Monaco, Composer of Forky Asks a Question". LaughingPlace.com. October 3, 2019.
  15. Soundtrack Album for Pixar’s Disney+ Series ‘Forky Asks a Question’ to Be Released
  16. Mitovitch, Matt Webb (August 24, 2019). "Disney+ to Release Episodes Weekly: A Welcome Break From Stress-Bingeing?". TVLine. Archived from the original on August 24, 2019. Retrieved August 24, 2019.
  17. "Tony Hale on 'Toy Story 4' and Why Doing Voice Work at Pixar Is So Unusual". Collider. June 20, 2019.
  18. "Forky Asks a Question: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  19. "Forky Asks a Question Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  20. Low, Elaine (July 28, 2020). "'The Mandalorian,' 'Morning Show' Bust New Streamers Into Emmys Race". Variety. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
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