‘Jodie’ Will Be A Progressive Show About Workplace Culture, Gen Z Struggles, And More

We’re finally learning more about the first of MTV Studios’ upcoming “Daria universe” spin-offs. A new take on the popular animated sitcom Daria was first announced a year ago, and was initially set to be called Daria and Jodie. Now, it is simply titled Jodie, and the series will be executive produced and voiced by Tracee Ellis Ross.

Written by Insecure’s Grace Nkenge Edwards, Jodie will follow Daria’s friend Jodie Landon, who is acknowledged for influencing and shaping a generation of women. The project will be based around Jodie’s experiences as a young adult, and follow her journey in the tech industry. “Jodie will satirize workplace culture, Gen Z struggles, themes of empowerment across gender and racial lines, and explorations of privilege,” writes The Hollywood Reporter, who first broke the news.

In a recent press release, Ross shared her thoughts about the project, and provided insight about what the show will involve. “Being able to give voice to fresh, feminist and unexplored stories of young women excites me,” said Ross. “Jodie will spin off from the cult classic Daria, and with the brilliant, sweet and sarcastic black-girl magic that is Jodie Landon, we will feature a diverse cast, comprised mainly of unapologetically smart and ambitious young female characters who are vulnerable and flawed and interesting and funny. As a very cool bonus, Jodie will be the first adult animated show in almost 20 years that will star a black woman. It will be a smart, funny workplace comedy full of commentary about everything from gentrification to sex to tech to call-out culture.”

As Ross mentioned, it has taken nearly two decades to have another adult animated show centered around a black woman. We’re living in empowering times where black writers have united in order to bring more representation on-screen.

MTV’s Trevor Rose, Morgana Rosenberg, and Amy Doyle will also be executive producers for Jodie.  A network for the cartoon has not yet been announced.

Daria was written by Glenn Eichler and Susie Lewis Lynn, and was a spin-off of Mike Judge’s Beavis and Butthead series. It ran for five seasons from 1997 to 2002.

Below, watch BuzzFeed explain how Jodie Landon was ahead of her time, becoming one of the most essential television characters of the 90s.