Want to see how one small idea can grow into an exciting new series?

If so—you’re in luck, because there’s a new behind-the-scenes featurette all about the making of our recently launched Disney Junior show Eureka! that does exactly that!

Set in the prehistoric world of Rocky Falls, Eureka! tells the story of Eureka, a young inventor whose ideas are bringing her home into the modern era, all with the help of her family and friends. 

This behind-the-scenes peek at the making of the First Imagineer features key members of the Eureka! creative team, including show co-creators and executive producers Niamh Sharkey and Norton Virgien, series developer and co-executive producer Erica Rothschild, consulting producers Donna Brown Guillaume and Rusty Cundieff, and science education consultant Christina “Chee” McGuigan. 

It all starts with a great idea. Niamh explains how she and Norton came up with the concept for the show.

“I had an idea about a prehistoric family, and then we were saying, 'well, what if this family had a really smart kid and she could've been the kid who actually invented the wheel?', and we just went, 'Eureka!' and it seemed like a natural name for her.”

—Niamh Sharkey, Creator / Executive Producer / Supervising Art Director

Gotta THINK, gotta TINKER, gotta THINKER! Character design is an important aspect of Eureka!, and our amazing Eureka! crew give some insights into what defines the main character of Eureka, and key takeaways that they hope will impact kids and families who watch the show. Consulting Producer Donna Brown Guillaume praised our amazing Dublin studio Eureka! team who worked on bringing the series to life.

“The Brown Bag team are some of the most talented artists I’ve ever seen. Their work is just beautiful. For children to see themselves reflected really does have an impact on their ability to dream.”

—Donna Brown Guillaume, Consulting Producer

Think differently! Invent a real sight to see. Getting kids to feel confident and pursue their dreams is exactly what the Eureka! team hopes viewers will walk away with, evident in the way Eureka herself was designed as a character. The team speaks about the bold, inspiring levels of confidence that define Eureka: 

“Eureka is a prehistoric inventor, thinks a little differently, has big dreams, and isn’t afraid to go after them.”

—Erica Rothschild, Series Developer / Co-executive Producer / Story Editor  

“Eureka’s bold enough to think the ideas and say them to everyone, she’s not shy about it.”

—Norton Virgien, Creator / Executive Producer / Supervising Director

“Eureka has perseverance. If one thing doesn’t work out, she’ll try another way.”

—Rusty Cundieff, Consulting Producer  

Along with inspiring kids to create with confidence, Eureka! also aims to get more kids interested in science and engineering. Eureka’s science education consultant Christinna “Chee” McGuigan explains how the show makes science accessible for family audiences in the hopes of inspiring them to get creative and incorporate more scientific thinking or “thinkering” into their routine.

“The show makes science so fun and approachable and doable. Items that you can find in your backyard or on a nature walk, those are the items that Eureka is using to create these complicated, awesome machines. I really hope that it inspires both the kids and the adults to bring more science into their day-to-day life.”

—Christina “Chee” McGuigan, Science Education Consultant

Eureka!, as you can see, is no ordinary show. We hope the series inspires kids and families everywhere to start to 'thinker' their way to new solutions and be confident in their abilities to learn and change the world.

If you’d like to discover more about the work that went into this show’s creation, be sure to watch the Making Of Featurette and the Cast Featurette.

You can watch Eureka! now airing on Disney Junior, or available to stream on Disney+ USA and DisneyNOW!