Disney Channel/Aaron Poole(NEW YORK) — Brothers Shane and Chris Houghton [HOE-tun] have taken their small town sensibilities to the big city with their animated Disney Channel series, Big City Greens.
The series, heading into its second season next month, was inspired by their own childhood in the rural St. Johns, Michigan and their eventual move to a concrete jungle.
“We just lived in this little oasis and our parents would always kick us out of the house and tell us to go play outside,” Shane Houghton tells ABC Audio. “We had a very country upbringing and then eventually we both moved to big cities and it was a little bit of a culture shock.”
The characters on Big City Greens are a “big stew” of people from the brothers’ real lives. Chris Houghton even voices the main character, Cricket Green, a perpetually barefoot, mischievous country boy who moves to the city with his family after they lose their farm.
In character as Cricket, Chris talks about the positive fan reaction to the show: “I like to walk around the house and read the [fan] letters out loud, you know, like, when I get in trouble I say, ‘Oh that’s interesting you think I’m bad. Well let me read you someone who thinks I’m great.'”
Before the second season debut November 16, Shane and Chris are heading to New York Comic Con this weekend for a panel with fellow Disney Channel show creators.
“Chris and I, we started in comic books so we’ve been to lots of comic conventions,” Shane says. “We’ve been to the New York City Comic Con once before and had an absolute blast so we’re thrilled to be coming back.”
But, he notes, “We won’t be bringing Cricket because he’s a bit of a handful.”
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