| Genre: | Science fiction comedy Superhero |
| Creator: | Mark McCorkle Bob Schooley |
| Based On: | |
| Developer: |
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| Voices: | |
| Composer: | Adam Berry |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Num Seasons: | 3 |
| Num Episodes: | 56 (66 segments) |
| List Episodes: | List of Big Hero 6: The Series episodes |
| Executive Producer: | Bob Schooley Mark McCorkle Nick Filippi |
| Runtime: | 23 minutes 45 minutes (special episodes) |
| Company: | Disney Television Animation |
| Network: | Disney XD (2017, 2020–21) Disney Channel (2018–20) |
Big Hero 6: The Series is an American superhero animated television series that aired between November 20, 2017, and February 15, 2021. The series was produced by Disney Television Animation and was created by Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley, also known for co-creating Buzz Lightyear of Star Command and Kim Possible. The show is based on Disney's 2014 film Big Hero 6, which itself is loosely based on the comic book series of the same name published by Marvel Comics. The series acts as a follow-up to the original film and uses traditional hand-drawn animation.[1]
It premiered with a 43-minute episode titled "Baymax Returns" on Disney XD on November 20, 2017. In 2018, the series was moved from Disney XD to Disney Channel before the series premiere. The series formally premiered with two new episodes on Disney Channel on June 9, 2018.
The second season premiered on May 6, 2019, with a third season confirmed prior.[2] The third season premiered on September 21, 2020, on Disney XD.[3] The third season features predominantly 11-minute episodes, as opposed to the 22-minute episodes of the first two seasons. Cast members stated on January 28, 2021, that the series would not return for a fourth season and the series finale aired on February 15, 2021.
In December 2020, Disney announced a spinoff series titled Baymax! and produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. The series was released on Disney+ on June 29, 2022.[4]
The series is set after the events of Big Hero 6 (2014) and continues the adventures of 14-year-old tech genius Hiro Hamada and his compassionate, cutting-edge robot Baymax, created by his late brother Tadashi. Along with his friends Wasabi, Honey Lemon, Go Go and Fred, they form the superhero team Big Hero 6 and embark on high-tech adventures as they protect their city from an array of scientifically enhanced villains. Hiro also faces academic challenges and social trials as the new prodigy at San Fransokyo Institute of Technology (SFIT).
The show slightly contradicts the ending of the original film. Among the differences are Aunt Cass knowing about Baymax, and Hiro attending SFIT as if everything is back to normal (and though a building is erected after Tadashi, Hiro does not receive a grant from the institute). Hiro also does not come up with the name "Big Hero 6" like it is implied at the end of the movie. Instead, Fred comes up with the name after having "brainstormed an epic list of team names" and testing them with himself.
In March 2016, Disney announced that a Big Hero 6 television series was in development and premiered on Disney Channel in 2017. The series takes place immediately after the events of the film and is created by Kim Possibles Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley, and executive produced by McCorkle, Schooley and Nick Filippi.[6] The show was reportedly pitched by McCorkle and Schooley shortly following the film's release.[7] Talking to Leonard Maltin for the podcast Maltin on Movies, Scott Adsit suggested an early 2018 release date.[8]
In March 2016, it was revealed that Jamie Chung would reprise her role as Go Go,[9] and that following November, it was revealed that most of the cast members from the film would reprise their roles, including Ryan Potter, Genesis Rodriguez, Scott Adsit, Alan Tudyk, and Maya Rudolph. Additionally, Khary Payton replaced Damon Wayans Jr. as Wasabi and Brooks Wheelan replaced T. J. Miller as Fred.[5] On January 6, 2017, Disney Channel released an official teaser trailer for the series.[10]
On March 14, 2017, it was renewed for a second season, ahead of the series premiere.[11] On April 16, 2019, the series was renewed for a third season.[12] On January 28, 2021, members of the cast stated that the show would not be picked up for a fourth season and would air its final episode on February 15, 2021.[13]
See main article: List of Big Hero 6: The Series episodes.
Baymax Returns premiered on Disney Channel channels in Canada on November 20, 2017, and in the UK and Ireland on November 30, 2017.[14]
The series formally premiered with two new episodes on Disney Channel on June 9, 2018, followed by two more new episodes on June 10, 2018, with weekly premieres every Saturday through September starting on June 16, 2018, with episodes airing at 7 a.m. starting on September 8.[15]
Starting on May 6, episodes of the second season aired on weekdays at 3:30 p.m. Starting on September 3, 2019, first-run premieres aired on Disney XD weekdays at 7:30 a.m. Premieres on Disney Channel aired second-run weekdays at 3:30 p.m. Eventually, the series officially moved premieres back to Disney XD starting on January 4, 2020, until the series finale.
The series is also available on Disney's streaming service, Disney+.
| +Big Hero 6: The Series home video releases | Season | Episodes | Release dates | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region 1 | ||||||
| 1 | 2017–18 | 22 | Volume 1: Back in Action: June 26, 2018 Episode(s): "Baymax Returns" – "Failure Mode" | |||
| Special features | ||||||
| Back in Action (Region 1): All six "Baymax and" shorts | ||||||
| 2018 | Outstanding Achievement for Production Design in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production | Mark Taihei, Ben Plouffe, Chris Whittier, Sylvia Filcak, Amy Chen | [16] | ||
| 70th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Animated Program | "Baymax Returns" | |||
| 2019 | Outstanding Sound Editing for an Animated Program | Robert Poole II, Robbi Smith, David Bonilla, Rich Danhakl and J Lampinen | |||
| Annie Award | Outstanding Editorial team in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production | Charles Jones, Joe Molinari, Dao Le, Vartan Nazarian, David Vazquez | [17] | ||
| 2020 | Annie Award | Best Editorial in TV/Media | Dao Le, Joe Molinari, Charles T. Jones, David Vasquez (for Prey Date) | ||
| 47th Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Writing Program for an Animated Series | [18] [19] | |||
| Outstanding Original Song in a Children's, Young Adult, or Animated Program | "Gonna Go Good" | ||||
A comic book series based on Big Hero 6: The Series was announced to be published by IDW Publishing, making it one of the few times Marvel Comics has allowed another comic book company use their characters. The comic book series was initially titled after the film and set to be released in July 2018 from Hannah Blumenreich (writer) and Nicoletta Baldari (artist).[20] However, the release kept getting pushed back. Since then, the comic has been retitled after the show and was released on November 13, 2019 with Blumenreich and Baldari still attached.[21] Its follow up issues would not get released until close to a year later.
A manga series by Yen Press was released in August 2021 and is written and illustrated by Hong Gyun An.[22] The first volume adapts the episodes "Issue 188", "Failure Mode" and "Baymax Returns Part 1", but has it feel more connected and linear.[23]