Disney Junior’s ‘Sofia The First’ Renewed For Second Season

Disney Junior’s animated series Sofia the First has been renewed for a second season.

The series is part of Disney Junior’s programming block that targets preschoolers, and follows the young princess as she learns to adjust to royal life after her mother marries a king. Sofia is voiced by Modern Family‘s Ariel Winter; her mother, Queen Miranda is voiced by Grey’s Anatomy‘s Sara Ramirez.

Disney stirred up a bit of controversy when Sofia was first introduced. The little princess was a polarizing figure, with some feeling that, for a Latina princess, she had no discernible Latin traits. Others praised Disney for not making a stereotypical character.

However, Disney quickly responded that Sofia was not Latina and that she did not represent any “real world” culture. Nancy Kanter, the company’s senior vice president of original programming and general manager of Disney Junior worldwide, said:

“What’s important to know is that Sofia is a fairy-tale girl who lives in a fairy-tale world … All our characters come from fantasy lands that may reflect elements of various cultures and ethnicities but none are meant to specifically represent those real world cultures.”

Disney did say, however, that Sofia’s mother is from a kingdom that was inspired by Spain and that her father was from a kingdom inspired by Scandivania. The kingdom where she lives, Enchancia, was supposed to be a “make-believe ‘melting pot’ kingdom.”

Still, the controversy didn’t stop Sofia the First from being well-received and performing well in the ratings, nor did it stop Disney from renewing the series for a second season. According to Deadline, the cartoon hit series highs for two consecutive weeks and, according to TV by the Numbers, was the No. 1 cable series for the second consecutive month in the kids 2-5 demographic. The series is also the No. 1 preschooler cable TV series in total viewers and women 18-49, which Disney took to be a sign of parental approval. Kanter said in a statement:

“We are so proud of the strong connection our young viewers and their parents have forged with Sofia. While she and her family live in a magical make-believe world, the storytelling and relatable everyday themes have struck a chord with our audience.”

Are you glad Sofia the First has been renewed for a second season?