Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero

Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero is a Disney animated television series produced for Disney XD. It follows Penn Zero, a boy from the suburbs who inherits the coolest job ever – part-time hero and leader of a team of good guys who zap to other worlds to save the day. Jared Bush serves as executive producer and writer for the series and Andy Levine is the series' executive producer and director. The five-minute pilot aired on October 16, 2012.

The series aired its sneak peek episode on December 5, 2014.^[1] with the show officially premiering sometime in February 2015 in the United States and Canada. On January 10, 2015, Sam Levine confirmed on his Twitter account that Penn Zero premiered on February 13, 2015 followed by a 14th, 15th, and 16th premiere. He also said that an episode appeared on the Disney XD app on January 19 and another two on January 30, 2015.^[2]

The series concluded its run on July 28, 2017.

Synopsis[]

In "Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero", Penn's destiny came knocking unexpectedly, but that doesn't stop him from jumping headfirst into his hero duties, while juggling his normal life in Middleburg. Every day after school, Penn teams up with his sidekick Sashi and wise man Boone to fight the evil part-time villain Rippen and save another world. Together, they will tackle everything from outer space and the Old West, to lands of enchantment and the ultimate challenge – suburbia.

Cast[]

• Thomas Middleditch as Penn Zero
• Adam DeVine as Boone Wiseman
• Tania Gunadi as Sashi Kobayashi
• Sam Levine as Phyllis and Phil
• Alfred Molina as Rippen
• Larry Wilmore as Principal Larry
• Gary Cole as Brock Zero
• Lea Thompson as Vonnie Zero
• Lenny Venito as Uncle Chuck
• Rosie Perez as Aunt Rose

Guest stars[]

• George Takei as Sashi's Dad
• Lauren Tom as Sashi's Mom
• Elizabeth Henstridge as The Princess
• Diana Rigg as Mayor Pink Panda
• Sean Astin as Blaze
• Kenny Loggins as Montage Singer
• Garry Marshall as Soda Jerk
• Jeff Gordon as Rodeo Clown Announcer
• Kari Wahlgren as Bowling Ball
• Brian Posehn as Beach Ball Grandpappy
• Pamela Adlon as Drab Lieutenant
• Harland Williams as Helper Hue
• Paul Reubens as The Milkman
• Rena Strober as Queen and Orchid
• Sigourney Weaver as Lady Starblaster
• Adam West as Captain Super Captain and Professor Evil Professor
• Henry Winkler as Mr. Snowman
• Beau Bridges as Sheriff Scaley Briggs
• Olivia Holt as Amber Briggs
• Michael-Leon Wooley as General
• Kate Micucci as Cuteling General
• Kumail Nanjiani as Cuteling Mayor
• Maria Bamford as Mrs. Monkenfluffer, The President, Matthews, and Nug
• Maurice LaMarche as Fredricks and The Narrator
• Peter Stormare as Rufus
• Chris Parnell as Judge Blort Clooney
• Bruce Vilanch as himself
• Blake Anderson as Hogarth
• Wanda Sykes as General Shirley B. Awesome
• Sonequa Martin-Green as Maria
• Bill Nye as Himself

Additional voices[]

• Kevin Michael Richardson as Dr. Hissy, various
• James Arnold Taylor as Merman Guards, various
• Dee Bradley Baker as various

Production[]

Jared Bush said that he always liked the idea of a character who could go to different genres, but he didn't know how to tell that story. He pitched it to executive director of development Jonathan Schneider at TVA, who responded that while he liked the idea, they needed to do a lot of work on it. He brought Jared together with Sam Levine, and Jared and Sam worked together to figure out the characters and mythology of the show.^[3]

The duo incorporated many elements from their own lives. Jared, as a kid, found out that his father and grandfather were CIA agents, so he made Penn discover his parents are part-time heroes. Sam's father was a projectionist at a theater, so Sam had the device that transports the heroes a movie projector called the Multi-Universe Transprojector. Jared and Sam found it very important for the show to be character-driven and for the style to be detailed and similar to art styles from the 1950's.^[4]

Trivia[]

The Wilhelm scream is heard about every episode.

Release[]

Gallery[]

References[]