Characters from Donkey Hodie.
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Main Characters
Donkey Hodie
- Played by: Haley Jenkins
Donkey Hodie wakes up each morning with her ears and magenta mane perked up, her eyes wide open, and her determination dialed up to an 11. She’s a curious, sincere, resilient, and charming young go-getter who is beloved by her neighbors in Someplace Else because she is something else. She often bursts out of her windmill with a fresh goal for the day and a hee-haw!
- A Dog Named "Dog": A donkey named 'Donkey'.
- Affectionate Nickname: Grampy calls her "Donkaroo" and "Donkey Darling".
- Amazing Technicolor Wildlife: A bright yellow donkey with a magenta mane.
- Character Catchphrase:
- "Hee-haw!"
- "I, Donkey Hodie..."
- "Think, Donkey Hodie, think!"
- Cheerful Child: Always enthusiastic and peppy.
- Cool House: She lives in a windmill.
- Determinator: She's not about to let some problem get in the way of something she wants or something she/she and her friends are doing, at least not for long. It's pretty much the whole point of the show.
- Genki Girl: Donkey is energetic, cheerful, and full of life, always coming up with crazy schemes to rope her friends into.
- Legacy Character: The original Donkey Hodie is now a grandfather known as Grampy Hodie. The current Donkey Hodie is a young girl.
- Loved by All: She is beloved by everyone in Someplace Else because of her positivity and how she never gives up when facing any challenge. In "The Royal Hosts", we learn that even the neighboring town of The Neighborhood Of Make-Believe knows of her and loves her because she always thinks of many fun ideas.
- Minor Living Alone: She lives by herself in her windmill. This is mitigated by the fact that she lives adjacent to Grampy.
- Plucky Girl: Donkey is an optimistic firecracker. The theme song notes that "if she fails, she'll bounce right back."
- Punny Name: Try saying "Donkey Hodie" to yourself a few times.
- Raised by Grandparents: Donkey is raised by her grandfather, Grampy Hodie.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: Donkey is an impulsive Red Oni while Duck Duck is a thoughtful Blue Oni.
- Tomboy: She enjoys activities like mountain climbing, sports, and camping.
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: In "Spooky Shadow Swamp", it's revealed that she has a fear of shellfish. To try and get over this fear, she dressed up as a crab while in a museum dedicated to shellfish.
Purple Panda
- Played by: Frankie Cordero
Purple Panda came to Someplace Else in his spaceship from Planet Purple. He thinks his best pal Donkey Hodie is the smartest, most clever donkey in the whole wide universe, so he will hop onboard for any and all of her adventures. Donkey leans on Panda for unwavering encouragement, purple problem solving, and a good laugh.
- Absurd Phobia: In "The Masked Veggies," when Purple Panda goes on the The Masked Veggies game show, he has a fear that he might suddenly put on a Santa beard and sing Jingle Bells, though this stems from a deeper stage fright. Wackily enough, it turns out his fear is actually justified, as he ends up doing just this while Donkey is trying to help him.
- Adaptational Attractiveness: Of a sort. The Mister Rogers' Neighborhood incarnation of Purple Panda was notorious for scaring children, while this Panda looks more cuddly and welcoming. Desite this, there are still kids nowadays who find him crepy due to his differnt eyes and bigger demeanor, although they're much less compared to before.
- Alliterative Name: Purple Panda.
- Amazing Technicolor Wildlife: An ursine of a violet hue.
- Best Friend: He's Donkey's BFF, and they're always seen together.
- Character Catchphrase: "Heyo!"
- Forgetful Jones: In "Planet Purple Party", he keeps forgetting the party supplies when he throws his mama a birthday party. Donkey helps him remember what to bring.
- Gentle Giant: Purple Panda is the biggest of the team, but is also the gentlest and kindest.
- In Touch with His Feminine Side: Panda once wore a hula skirt.
- Minor Living Alone: He lives on his own. The rest of his family lives on Planet Purple.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: In "Chili Jamboree", Bob Dog forgets about the chili for a bit and Purple Panda reminds him about it. This causes Bob Dog to become impatient for the chili again, right after Panda and Donkey helped him get his mind off it.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: The Blue Oni to Bob Dog's Red Oni. Purple Panda is calm and gentle, while Bob Dog is energetic and loud.
- Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: The Sensitive Guy to Bob Dog's Manly Man. Panda wears his heart on his sleeve, while Bob Dog is athletic and tough.
- Spotlight-Stealing Squad: He gets almost as much screen time as Donkey herself.
- Undying Loyalty: Panda's main trait is his unwavering loyalty and support to Donkey, who he thinks is the best person in the whole universe.
- Vocal Evolution: His voice gradually became higher-pitched than it was in earlier episodes, where he had a very deep voice. It will occasionally go down low again though, most notably during musical numbers or when he's He-yoing.
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Purple Panda was afraid of rocking chairs when he was younger. This is a nod to an episode of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood where we learn that rocking chairs don't exist on Planet Purple and rocking in chairs is not allowed there.
Bob Dog
- Played by: David Rudman
Bob Dog is an energetic, eager dog with an impressive collection of balls. In fact, he lives in a giant tennis ball! A loyal friend with a big heart, he’s always ready for the bow-wowiest of Donkey’s plans. When any of his pals need something, he’s the first to fetch it.
- Adaptational Attractiveness: Similar to Purple Panda, the original Bob Dog scared children at times, but this time around, he's a puppet and not a guy in a costume.
- Aesop Amnesia: Bob Dog learns how to wait in "The Waiting Game". Then he has to learn it again in "Chili Jamboree".
- Best Friend: To Duck Duck.
- Birthday Episode: It is his birthday in "Being Bob Dog".
- Character Catchphrase: "Bow-wow!" and variations.
- Cheerful Child: He can rival Donkey for this role because of his sheer amount of energy.
- Cold Turkeys Are Everywhere: In the episode "The Fastest Fetcher", Bob Dog gives up fetching after losing one of Game Show Gator's game shows. When Donkey suggests different activities that he can be good at, he keeps seeing things that remind him of the balls he loves fetching. For instance, he tries to fetch the bowling ball and worries about a ball of yarn that's being used for knitting.
- Cool House: He lives in a giant tennis ball.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: Bob Dog used to appear without eyelids. Starting from "Art Show Today" and onwards, he gained some. This could only cause more confusion as the episodes were aired out of order and while "Art Show Today" was the third produced, it was the ninth to air.
- Full-Name Basis: The majority of the time, Bob Dog is referred to by his full name.
- In Touch with His Feminine Side: Although he tends to be on the masculine side, he did seem excited about going to a spa in his Birthday Episode.
- I've Heard of That — What Is It?: In the opening of "Bobski Bounce," Donkey Hodie greets Bob Dog at his place, excitedly telling him that "Today is the day!" He tells her that he's so glad that today is the day, and that it's exciting, but he just has one little question: "Um, today is the day for what?"
- Keet: Bob Dog is very lively and eager.
- "Metaphor" Is My Middle Name: In "The Fastest Fetcher," Bob Dog claims that "Fetching" is his middle name, then admits that it's actually "Jim."
- Minor Living Alone: He lives on his own. However, he does mention having a mom in "Being Bob Dog".
- Odd Friendship: He and Duck Duck are actually best friends as proven in "Best Friends Day". Bob Dog is hyper while Duck Duck is practical.
- Precious Puppy: He is an adorable puppy.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: The Red Oni to Purple Panda's Blue Oni. Purple Panda is calm and gentle, while Bob Dog is energetic and loud.
- Security Blanket: His blankie, as revealed on "Being Bob Dog". The original Bob Dog also had a blanket.
- Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: The Manly Man to Purple Panda's Sensitive Guy. Panda wears his heart on his sleeve, while Bob Dog is athletic and tough.
- Species Surname: His last name is 'Dog'.
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Bob Dog used to have a fear of the dentist until he learned to deal with it by bringing a fuzzy ball named Howard.
Duck Duck
- Played by: Stephanie D'Abruzzo
Duck Duck is super curious about…everything! She’s a practical, precocious, and quick-witted young mallard who loves a good plan. Yep, yep! She also loves books. She’ll often pull one out to look for answers while solving problems with her best pals.
- The Ace: She is incredibly intelligent and is noted for getting everything right on the first try. Well, almost everything — she becomes a Broken Ace when she is unable to fly the Swoop-a-Rino on the first try. Luckily, with practice and encouragement from her friends, she does get to fly it.
- A Dog Named "Dog": Guess what animal she is.
- Alliterative Name: Thanks to her repetitive name.
- Amazing Technicolor Wildlife: Although mallards (adult males to be specific) have green heads, Duck Duck (a juvenile female mallard) is bright lime green.
- Best Friend: To Bob Dog.
- Bookworm: When she's not hanging out with her friends, she's more often than not reading a book.
- Canon Foreigner: Duck Duck doesn't seem to be based on any character from Mister Rogers.
- Character Catchphrase: "Kay kay!"
- Classical Music Is Cool: Enjoys listening to "quacksical" music, as revealed in "Speedy Delivery".
- Minor Living Alone: She lives near a marsh on her own.
- Odd Friendship: She's actually best friends with Bob Dog, despite her being practical and calm while he is energetic and impulsive.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: The thoughtful Blue Oni to Donkey's impulsive Red Oni.
- Repetitive Name: Duck Duck's name is just "duck" twice.
- The Smart Girl: Duck Duck is the brains of the team. She is a bookworm who provides a thoughtful contrast to Donkey's impulsivity.
- Verbal Tic: Repeating words twice. "Love, love it!", "What what?', and "Kay kay!" are a few examples.
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: She's scared of spaceships because of the loud noise they make when they take off. Her fear of them sets up the plot of the episode "The Lavender Lights".
Grampy Hodie
- Played by: David Rudman
Grampy Hodie is the most beloved resident of Someplace Else, and he adores his granddaughter Donkey. He encourages his “Donkaroo” to take risks and be brave and inspires her to forge ahead even when things get tough. Grampy founded Someplace Else years ago (after being booted out of the Neighborhood of Make-Believe by its ruler, King Friday XIII) and Donkey now lives in the windmill he first built there.
- Adaptation Dye-Job: Grampy Hodie is blue, unlike in the original show where he was grey.
- Amazing Technicolor Wildlife: While Grampy was grey in Mister Rogers, he's more of a steel blue here.
- Cool Old Guy: He encourages his granddaughter to take risks and be brave and inspires her to forge ahead even when things get tough. Plus he's very talented.
- Half-Dressed Cartoon Animal: He only wears a vest.
- Nice Guy: There's a special, forgiving bone to be found in someone on good terms with their own evictor!
Someplace Else residents
Harriett Elizabeth Cow
- Played by: Stephanie D'Abruzzo
Harriett is an artist, musician, poet, and inventor. She is creative and curious. She has a thirst for knowledge and new experiences.
- Adaptation Dye-Job: She's brown, but in Mister Rogers she was more of a cream color.
- Adaptational Job Change: Harriett Elizabeth Cow in Mister Rogers was a schoolteacher, while she's an artsy inventor here.
- Cloudcuckoolander: She's not all quite there.
- Gadgeteer Genius: She's an inventor. She even invented a fun machine that all of the kids can ride on.
- Renaissance Man: She's an artist, musician, poet, and inventor.
Stanley
- Played by: David Rudman
Stanley comes from a long line of giant, fire-breathing dragons. But he has always wanted to be an actor.
- Ambiguously Jewish: In "A Lot of Hot!" he mentions that it's so hot that he feels like matzo ball soup — a typical Jewish food.
- Canon Foreigner: He's a new character created for Donkey Hodie.
- Delightful Dragon: He's a pretty friendly dragon, given the show's setting.
- Large Ham: He seems to really enjoy being an actor and has an almost operatic voice.
- My Species Doth Protest Too Much: Stanley doesn't want to be a scary dragon. He wants to be an actor instead.
- Nightmare Retardant: In "Super Duper Sleepover", Donkey and Panda call on Stanley to be their bodyguard and scare off the 'scary thing'. However, he isn't scary at all, and flees once he gets scared by the pile of toys.
- Nonstandard Character Design: While all the other characters are puppets, Stanley is a full-body costume character. He's so big that the puppeteer has to get inside him.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Stanley tries to ward off the 'scary thing', but then he gets scared by it and leaves Panda's house.
Clyde the Cloud
- Played by: Peter Linz
Clyde hovers above, ready to rain wisdom on Donkey whenever she is feeling frustrated, confused, or just plain down. He has a cool and calm presence and a soothing voice.
- Accessory-Wearing Cartoon Animal: He only wears a bowler hat.
- Alliterative Name: Clyde the Cloud.
- Animate Inanimate Object: A talking cloud.
- Canon Foreigner: He is a new character created for the series.
- Casting Gag: Peter Linz plays the perpetually serene and cool Clyde the Cloud, who offers sage advice to Donkey. He previously played Snook the Sloth, who fulfills that same archetype.
- Nice Guy: He's a wise and benevolent guy who always likes to give advice to Donkey.
Game Show Gator
- Played by: Joey Mazzarino
An alligator who hosts several game shows in Someplace Else.
- Accessory-Wearing Cartoon Animal: He only wears a red bowtie.
- Alliterative Name: Game Show Gator.
- Canon Foreigner: He was created exclusively for this series.
- Game Show Host: He hosts game shows for the characters to participate in, such as The Masked Veggies.
- Green Gators: He is a blueish-green crocodilian.
- Large Ham: Comes with being a host.
- Non-Mammalian Hair: He has hair despite being a reptile.
Turtle Lou
Click to see him in season 2
- Played by: Frankie Cordero
- Ascended Extra: He originally was a very minor character, with his only role of significance being when he beat Bob Dog in a game of Fastest Fetcher. Season 2 bumps him up to a recurring character when he opens his Speedy Delivery mail service.
- Early Installment Character-Design Difference: He originally had yellowish skin. After his reintroduction, his skin becomes greener, and he gains facial hair and glasses.
- Expy: He's supposed to be modeled after Mr. McFeely, given his appearance and his running the Speedy Delivery service.
- Mythology Gag: He was reintroduced as being based on Mr. McFeely from the original series.
- Non-Mammalian Hair: His season 2 redesign gives him hair on his head, as well as a mustache, despite being a turtle.
- Punny Name: His name seems to be a pun on the phrase "toodleloo."
- Shamed by a Mob: In "Speedy Delivery", a less-than-happy crowd surrounds Turtle-Lou's Speedy Delivery stand after he mixes up all the orders he was scheduled to send out.
- Sturdy and Steady Turtles: Subverted. He's surprisingly very fast, and is able to deliver packages extremely quickly. His issue is that he gets mixed up when delivering more than one package at a time, as he has trouble remembering what goes where.
The Neighborhood of Make-Believe
King Friday XIII
- Played by: Matt Vogel
The reigning monarch of the Neighborhood of Make Believe, and the one who ordered Grampy to build his windmill 'someplace else,' although this is not mentioned in the show. He sometimes visits Someplace Else.
- Adaptational Nice Guy: As in Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, he is a friendly king who is even on good terms with Grampy, as opposed to his portrayal in Mister Rogers, where he could be quite vain, stuck-up, selfish, and jump to conclusions to the point of nearly going to war with other kingdoms.
- Cool Old Guy: He enjoys having fun with Donkey and Panda.
- Easily Forgiven: The whole reason why Someplace Else even exists is that King Friday kicked out Grampy Hodie from the Neighborhood of Make-Believe and told him to build his windmill 'someplace else.' Despite this, Friday is a recurring character in the series and he and Grampy get along with no hard feelings, indicating that Grampy easily forgave him.
- Hidden Depths: In spite of his kingly appearance, he likes playing games such as 'crowny ball' and building sandcastles.
- Token Human: King Friday is the only human character on the show. Everyone else is a Funny Animal.
Trolley
The Neighborhood Trolley, who appears in the episode "Trolley Visits Someplace Else" as the surprise guest for Biggest Party Ever Party.
- Cool Car: Like in other Fred Rogers works, Trolley's main purpose is being a mode of transportation, as well as being cool.
- Continuity Nod: At the end of its debut episode, it and Grampy Hodie have a quick conversation, where Grampy asks how things have been going in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe. It brings up a Noodle Incident concerning King Friday, which Grampy responds with "Really? King Friday did that? Oh, my friend is just too funny!"
- Gentle Giant: It's very large when compared to the other characters, as to be expected. But it's otherwise friendly.
- Leitmotif: Has its own theme music whenever it starts moving. Said music is an arrangement of its accompanying piano riffs from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.
- Mythology Gag: Trolley here is able to travel on roads, just like in Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, unlike in the original Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, where it was a railroad trolley.
- Sentient Vehicle: A living trolley, as is the case in most Fred Rogers works. Not only can it move on its own and "speak", but it's also able to tilt itself slightly to the side. It mainly does this as a form of gesturing.
- Starfish Language: Speaks in a series of dings. As revealed in its debut episode, its language seems at least somewhat manageable. This is demonstrated with Donkey and Purple Panda trying to figure out what its saying. Two dings means "Hello", three dings means "Yes", and four dings means "I'd like to help".
