| This article is about the animated series. For the self-titled episode, see TrollsTopia (episode). For the titular location, see TrollsTopia (location). |
Trolls: TrollsTopia (also listed as DreamWorks Trolls: TrollsTopia) is an American animated television series based upon the events of the film Trolls World Tour.[1] It takes over from Trolls: The Beat Goes On! as the main support serial series, being the second TV series overall in the "DreamWorks Trolls" franchise. Produced by DreamWorks Animation and Atomic Cartoons, it aired from November 19, 2020 to August 11, 2022 on Hulu and Peacock, with a web mini-series titled What They Got Right and a series of Trolls Scrapbook Stories shorts.
The series' art style is the same as Trolls: The Beat Goes On! with a different animation style and improvements. Many of the Trolls from previous 2D animations return in this series, as do their voice actors, including minor or background characters.
A series of trademarks were also registered by DreamWorks related to this series.
About[]
Pre-premiere
Trolls: TrollsTopia was formerly scheduled for April 15, 2020, to be released on the Peacock streaming app and Hulu. The announcement came alongside those for DreamWorks films The Croods: A New Age and The Boss Baby: Family Business, other DreamWorks and Universal-related properties such as Cleopatra in Space, Where's Waldo?, The Mighty Ones and Madagascar: A Little Wild, and new episodes of Curious George.[2]
In March 2020, due to the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic was having on the entertainment industry, the Peacock service announced that it would push back the release of all original shows, including Trolls: TrollsTopia, until 2021.[3] Despite this, the series was later set to premiere on both Hulu and Peacock on November 19, 2020, with an official trailer of the series released on November 5, 2020.[4]
First screenshot
The first screenshot was seen in the TV Kids magazine's October 2020 issue.[5] Universal had signed a long-term agreement with Sky, with Trolls: TrollsTopia being confirmed to be among the shows included in the contract, which would see customers in Ireland and the UK getting to see the shows on the aforementioned platform.[6]
In that same month, a storyboard of an episode titled "Dinner with Dante" (which later premiered as "My Dinner with Dante") was leaked onto Tumblr, but was removed shortly afterwards. It revolved around a Classical Troll named Dante Crescendo. At the same time, the series' animatic opening credits sequence was leaked.[7] Jim Mortensen confirmed that the leaks were stolen. He thanked fans for their patience in regards to the stolen material, which had been shared regardless of its origins.[8]
Megan Hilty noted that the voice acting was still going on during the Covid-19 lockdown and that things progressed via Zoom.[9]
Post-premiere
The series premiered on November 19, 2020 on Hulu & Peacock. The second season consisted of six episodes was released on March 18, 2021,[10] a third season with 7 episodes on June 10, 2021,[11] a fourth season with 6 episodes on September 2, 2021,[12] a fifth season with 7 episodes on December 9, 2021,[13] a sixth season with 6 episodes on February 17, 2022[14] and the seventh and final season with 7 episodes was released on August 11, 2022.[15]
The show had two promotional web mini-series aired alongside it, titled What They Got Right and Trolls Scrapbook Stories.
When it came to the event of Trolls World Tour, it was noted that now thanks to the movie, the world was expanded and the series couldn't go back to Poppy and Pop Village; it had to go beyond that. The idea of TrollsTopia was to avoid Poppy always visiting other places and instead bring things to her. Matthew Beans confirmed that the series takes place a few months after Trolls World Tour. Part of the problem was that Poppy couldn't just go off to have adventures with characters such as Barb, as she's too busy ruling her domain. In addition, it was noted that movie feature characters come with restrictions on what they can do with them, as the movie crew need to think about the next movie. The creators' own characters can do a lot more than the movie ones, and this is why they went for new characters.[16]
The episode format was carried on from Trolls: The Beat Goes On!, and the 11-minute episodes were kept. The time limit allows the plot to move forward. Matthew Beans noted from his experience in Robot Chicken, which consisted of episodes with normally 30-second skits, it becomes important to get plots moving with such a short time. Usually, they aim for every other line to be a joke, but do slow things down from time to time. The show was a blank slate, and adds 12 new main cast characters to the show. Working their characters and interactions was fun for the crew, and they felt that they haven't made a single flat character. One difference between this show and Trolls: The Beat Goes On! is that the number of songs was doubled; instead of every other episode, most episodes have at least one song.[16]
Jim Mortensen tweeted in November 2020 about his artwork style, the process, revealing that "Girls' Night" was storyboarded in 2019.[17]
As with Trolls: The Beat Goes On!, the series is not considered canon with the main 3D movie canon. However, it is canon with Trolls: The Beat Goes On!, making it unique compared to its predecessor. As a result, stories have been continued and expanded from the previous series, and Trolls: TrollsTopia is able to build up its own secondary canon storylines distinct from the primary ones while acknowledging the movies.
Tim Heitz confirmed that the Trolls: Holiday in Harmony special, Trolls: TrollsTopia and Trolls World Tour are separate entities to each other.[18]
Synopsis[]
TrollsTopia is a new original based off the famous Trolls franchise following Poppy, Branch and other enchanting characters from the feature film Trolls World Tour.
After the events of Trolls World Tour, Poppy invites delegates from all Troll Tribes to live in Troll Forest to unite in Pop Village and live in harmony. This is an experiment by Poppy called "TrollsTopia" and seeks to unite the scattered Trolls.
Trolls: TrollsTopia! is the next chapter in the Trolls' hair-raising adventures. During the Trolls sequel, Trolls: World Tour, everything gets turned on their hair when Poppy learns there are five other musically themed Trolls tribes scattered throughout the forest. Now, armed with her endless positivity she decides to bring delegates from the Country Western, Classical, Funk, Techno and Hard Rock tribes to live together in her village, to form a new Trolls city and promote friendship and harmony in a grand experiment she calls... TrollsTopia!
The delegates from other villages won't be the kings and queens we met in Trolls World Tour - those characters will remain in their respective villages and continue to function as the leaders of their tribes. Instead, we're going to meet new, original characters that represent the fun features of their home tribes.
Plot[]
The series focuses on the trial and error of TrollsTopia and the everyday events of the Trolls residing in the city. It covers the hurdles that face as each Tribe learns to get along with the other ones.[19]
Most stories take place in TrollsTopia as a result. The second season of Trolls: The Beat Goes On! was confirmed to take place 1 month after the events of Trolls. Meanwhile, Trolls: TrollsTopia takes place 1 year after Trolls, according to "The Makeunder". In "Cloud Control", Cloud Guy also notes that it's his and Branch's "annoyversary" since the day he began to annoy Branch, indicating that it's been a year since Cloud Guy begun to annoy Branch. According to "Girls' Night", TrollsTopia has already been set up for "months", which would put Trolls World Tour itself at happening in less than a year after Trolls.
However, the Season 3 episode "Disgruntle Weeds" was the first episode that took the story out of TrollsTopia and into the Country Trolls domain to return the Disgruntle Weeds to Grumble Gulch. Despite Lonesome Flats being mentioned in the episode, it does not appear.
Almost all character development is related to a conflict of cultural-based nature and is cause by the habits of that Tribe prior to said Troll coming to be part of TrollsTopia. As such, a lot of the stories are how TrollsTopia is changing its residents for the better, how they resist that change or accept it and adapt as a response to both TrollsTopia itself and to each other.
As a result of this, the series has a number of subplots, some of which were carried on from Trolls: The Beat Goes On! but has expanded to take in the new characters introduced within the series. Like with Trolls: The Beat Goes On! before it, a result of the the continued development of characters a number of common story types are often linked to certain Trolls, and form the basis of the episodic plots.
Often, Trolls from the same Tribe have similar subplots and arcs to each other, but they tend to go in different directions. The plots are both positive and negative at each Tribe's goals. Note that in many cases, the plots can swing both for and against the Tribes approach or even show other Trolls sampling another Tribes' cultures.
Pop Troll Plots[]
Their plots generally focus on friendship building like in Trolls: The Beat Goes On!, as well as maintaining the new harmony. The main focus on this tribe is Queen Poppy and Branch.
| Focus | Description |
|---|---|
| Poppy | A continued plot from Trolls: The Beat Goes On!, whereas Poppy is trying to learn how to be a better leader. Adding to this is that she now has to cope with many new Trolls and their needs and values. In comparison to the previous series, Trolls: TrollsTopia has Poppy in generally more diverse and extreme situations, as she makes larger mistakes and misjudgements while she doing this. The main change between the two shows is that because of the events of Trolls World Tour, she regularly consults other Trolls for advice, and is learning from her recently-acquired skills. |
| Branch | Branch's main story arc is also a continuation from his plot of Trolls: The Beat Goes On!. The main difference between the two shows is that Branch is no longer learning to be a Troll again, as he achieved that by the end of Trolls: The Beat Goes On!; instead, Trolls: TrollsTopia focuses on his growing character development. He is learning to cope with the Trolls of very different backgrounds and befriend them, building on his lack of social skills and his habit of preferring to do things his own way. |
| Poppy x Branch | Branch's ongoing relationship with Poppy continues in the series. Branch now fills a more supportive role to Poppy then before, often being the voice of reason and reality when Poppy doesn't see problems. At this point, Branch knows Poppy very well and is able to help her with a lot of her issues in TrollsTopia. In addition, she continues to help his personal character development. |
Rock Troll Plots[]
Their plots tend to focus on their attitude and bad habits, which leave them ignorant or inconsiderate of others, and how they unintentionally cause problems for others and themselves. The main inital focus on this Tribe are Val Thundershock and Demo, but by Season 6, Blaze Powerchord had grown to be an additional main focused character.
| Focus | Description |
|---|---|
| Val Thundershock | Val's main plot is about self-improvement; she's learning about being both a Rock Troll and a TrollsTopia resident. By the end of Season 1 alone, she was willing to fistpump with Poppy and introduce her best friend Petra from Volcano Rock City to her. Val's stories focus on her learning to trust others and express parts of her personality that go against her image. Both of these are common Tribal traits among the Rock Trolls and in most cases, Val's learning how she can expand herself without sacrificing who she is. by the episode "Surprise-O-Tron", Val acknowledges her growth. By the events of "Be My Val In Time", she has grown so much that she regrets how she was when she first entered TrollsTopia. |
| Demo | Demo's stories are often similar to Val's, but focus on him either dialing back his love for the over-epic, an exaggerated habit as a Rock Troll, while also expanding into new areas Rock Trolls traditionally don't invest in. |
| Blaze Powerchord | Blaze's storylines focus on his handling of others, his inability to grasp situations and his habit is of self-focusing on himself. |
Country Troll Plots[]
Their episodes usually focus on their reliability or the more serious aspects of their nature. The main focus of this tribe are Holly Darlin' and Gust Tumbleweed.
| Focus | Description |
|---|---|
| Holly Darlin' | Holly's stories focus on her habit of going overboard with things, which often results in misunderstandings and miscommunications with parties or her making rash decisions. She is learning that she doesn't always have to "go big or go home". |
| Gust Tumbleweed | He's presented as a calm voice of experience in most appearances. Therefore, his stories tend to focus on showing that experience at play. He either acts as a wise voice of reason talking from his experiences, or is tested in new situations he has never been in before. |
Classical Troll Plots[]
Most of their plots are centered on their high culture standards, and the implications they cause with their interactions towards each other and other Tribes. The main focus on this Tribe are Dante Crescendo and Minuet Sonata.
| Focus | Description |
|---|---|
| Dante Crescendo | Dante's stories focus on him with his value of self-worth and how he enjoys trying to please others, but is disappointed when he receives a failed reaction to his efforts. Certain episodes center around his pride as a Classical Troll, and how it sometimes presents hurdles that limit him. Overall, his stories focus on him learning a sense of humility. |
| Minuet Sonata | Her stories tend to revolve her trying to live up to her own self-standards while learning what her limitations are, or about dealing with others who don't confirm to social standards as exampled by Blaze Powerchord. Therefore, they're usually about how Trolls live up to a social standard of expectations, rather than lowering the standards like Dante's stories focus on. |
Funk Troll Plots[]
Their episodes tend to be focus on resolving problems, either with their Funk tech or their personalities. The main focus on this Tribe are Lownote Jones and the funk sisters Rhythm & Blues.
| Focus | Description |
|---|---|
| Lownote Jones | Lownote's episodes tend to focus on being "cool" with others, meaning that they tend to tackle how others interact with each other, and particularly himself. For example in "The Makeunder", he focuses on how his coolness could potentially ruin others' time in the spotlight, and ended up doing just that trying not to be cool. In "To Hug A Snug-A-Lug", it deals with his past relationship with Dr. Ravenhug and how their ambitions to hug a Snug-a-Lug caused them to be left on bad terms. |
| Rhythm & Blues | Their stories focus mostly on their inventions aiding others in TrollsTopia, and how their learning to cope with their move to the city as it presents them with new challenges. |
Techno Troll Plots[]
A lot of the Techno Troll episodes focus on resolving flawed socials of the Techno Trolls and their interactions with others. The main focus of this Tribe are Synth and Laguna Tidepool.
| Focus | Description |
|---|---|
| Synth | Synth's episodes tend to focus on his flaws and personality quirks and how he struggles coping with them. In contrast to Laguna, Synth is presented as a Troll with difficulties grasping complex situations and dealing with problems. He appears as a simple character, but has some deep and complex emotions and fears. |
| Laguna Tidepool | Laguna is presented as an unique individual in her Tribe who stands out due to her high intelligence and awkward social differences. Her stories focus on her learning to do things she's not confident in. |
Misc. Plots[]
In addition to the growth and development of the characters in the series, a few other subplots are present within the series. These plots were the main focus of the series, with "Gal Pal Getawaycation" and "Troll Exchange Program" being the last two episodes of both plots.
| Focus | Description |
|---|---|
| TrollsTopia Development | TrollsTopia itself is an ongoing development in the series, slowly expanding and adapting to the residents' needs over time. Development started in the episode "TrollsTopia". From Season 2 onwards, the Metroll Station is the newest addition to the city, and the city itself as of "Hair Fracture" is 9 weeks old. Based on the episode "Ready, Set, Calendar!", "The Fun Harvest" took place in TrollsTopia's 4th month while most of Season 6 would happen in the 5th month. In the Season 6 finale episode "Be My Val In Time", TrollsTopia hit the 6 months mark. |
| Poppy, Val and Holly as BFFs | Holly and Poppy had gotten along rather well from the beginning due to their similar personalities. After Poppy had befriended Val, the trio became BFFs in "The Fabyrinth". Thus, the trio have gotten real with their friendship and by Season 3 were in the BFF Zone. The trio's development as a friendship was spread throughout Seasons 1 and 2 before that, and continued from Season 4 up to Season 7. Val's own development coincided with this, and could be considered a sub-plot within it. |
Past Animation References[]
The series continues on from where Trolls: The Beat Goes On! left off. Many of the older characters return, and references are constantly made back to the older series as well as Trolls World Tour. Despite the references to past 2D and 3D animation, the show is not considered canon to 3D media.
- Queen Barb was mentioned in "TrollsTopia", and during the episode, Cooper mentions the Funk Trolls as his birth Tribe, which was revealed in the Trolls World Tour movie. Her redemption was mentioned in "Smooth Operator", where Poppy describes Barb as her "Bestie x Infinity +1".
- The Bergens are referenced in "Darlin' Dos" and "R&B in R&D". King Gristle Jr. appears in "Piney & Lord Prickles" and Barnald appears in "Bygone Bergen".
- Branch's childhood toy "Croco", last seen in "A Flower For Poppy" appears in "Darlin' Dos".
- Guy Diamond's birthday, first mentioned in "Coop, Where's My Guy?", finally happens in "The Makeunder".
- Chaz, who first seen in Trolls World Tour, appeared in "Smooth Operator" and "The Troublesome Trio".
- Meadow Spriggs and Guy Diamond continue their plot from the episode "The Partier's Apprentice" in "The Party Pooper". The episode also sees the return of Marshtato Mary and continues her revenge plot from "Marshtato Fairy".
- "Daylight Ravings Time" was a reference to "Party Crash Course", with significant nods to "DJ's Got Talent" as well.
- Several episodes related to Barb's comment from Trolls World Tour on friendship taking time are exampled in the series. While this is particularly focused on Val Thundershock and Poppy, it was also largely referenced in "The Buddy System". By the end of Season 3, Poppy, Val and Holly, who has also become close friends with Poppy and Val, had entered the BFF Zone and gotten "real".
- A side note is prior to Trolls World Tour, most friendships in 2D animation were formed quickly among Trolls and often Trolls considered each other friends by the episode end. The only friendship having taken longer was the one between Poppy and Archer Pastry, but this was due to him resisting her attempts to befriend him at first. As such, the biggest note of the series is how it's taking time for all the Trolls to become friends, as while they like each other they have their differences.
- Glitterborne Chronicles and its episode "The Last Scrapbook" are nods to Poppy and Barb both having a different perspective on who was doing the right thing in Trolls World Tour.
- Some of Barb's insults to Poppy from Trolls World Tour are reused by Val. Keith describes Smooth Jazz as "boring", a description Barb gave for the Classical Trolls' music.
- The song where Poppy refers to when she speaks to Barnard is Can't Stop the Feeling!, sung by Justin Timberlake, which was mentioned in "Bygone Bergen", although it wasn't referred to by its song title.
- The book title of the cookbook Barnald reads in the episode "Bygone Bergen" is "Cookin' Trolls", it is likely a nod to Chef's cookbook Cookin' With Trolls.
- "The Search for Piece" has Branch mentioned that they will not leave until the last piece is placed. This was also a thing that he said to Creek in "Haircuffed".
- The episode "The Trolls-a-Thon" started with the recap of the events in the introduction of Trolls, summarizing how Pop Trolls escaped Bergen Town.
- King Trollex appeared in "Troll Exchange Program".
Cast[]
Pop Trolls
- Amanda Leighton as Queen Poppy
- Aleque Reid as Poppy's singing voice
- Skylar Astin as Branch
- Fryda Wolff as DJ Suki, Satin & Chenille, Gia Grooves and Dr. Moonbloom
- Sean T. Krishnan as Guy Diamond
- Kenan Thompson as Tiny Diamond
- David Fynn as Biggie
- Kevin Michael Richardson as Smidge, Rufus, and Klaus Von Frousting
- Matt Lowe as Creek, Striped Smiley, and H.T. Hairnum
- Walt Dohrn as Fuzzbert
- David Kaye as King Peppy
- Ashly Burch as Meadow Spriggs
- Kari Wahlgren as Mags Gumdrop and Harper
- Gary Cole as Sky Toronto
- Megan Hilty as Rhonda Sparkleman
- GloZell Green as Grandma Rosiepuff
- Kyla Carter as CJ Suki
- Abby Ryder Fortson as Priscilla
- Declan Churchill Carter as Keith
- Maddy (non-speaking, no voice actor credited)
- Ripley Wisp (picture only)
- Master Controll (picture only)
Rock Trolls
- Lauren Mayhew as Val Thundershock
- Charles DeWayne as Demo
- Tru Valentino as Blaze Powerchord
- Larissa Gallagher as Petra
- Jake Green as Billy Reverb
- Raul Ceballos as Romper
- Kat Palardy as Rose
- Queen Barb (only mentioned)
- George Thrashington (only mentioned)
- Alexander Slam-ilton (only mentioned)
- Jill (only mentioned)
Country Trolls
- Megan Hilty as Holly Darlin'
- Eric Lopez as Gust Tumbleweed and Slim Stuck 'Em
- Matt Lowe as Haystack Wiggins
- Annie Applecore (non-speaking, no voice actor credited)
- Hair-aldine Groundwater (picture only)
- Charlie (only mentioned)
- Chester (only mentioned)
- Chelsea (only mentioned)
Classical Trolls
- JP Karliak as Dante Crescendo
- Jeanine Mason as Minuet Sonata
- Brian T. Delaney as Ludwig van Beetrollven
- David Errigo Jr. as Forte Crescendo
Funk Trolls
- Michael-Leon Wooley as Lownote Jones
- Kat Graham as Rhythm and Blues
- Ron Funches as Cooper
- Big J, Little J, and Medium J (Big J and Little J have non-credited speaking roles, while Medium J is non-speaking)
- Delbert Hunt as Dr. Groovetavius Ravenhug
Techno Trolls
Misc. Trolls
- Sam Haft as Chaz
- Judy Alice Lee as Bi-Na
- Jennifer Sun Bell as Young
- Victoria Grace as Min
Alternate Dimension Trolls
- Amanda Leighton as Pushy Poppy
- Sean T. Krishnan as Dingy Diamond
- Megan Hilty as Hollizabeth Darlintonshire
Fictional Trolls
- Lauren Mayhew as Felt Madame Maelstrom
- Megan Hilty as Lady Marigold
Bergens
- King Gristle Jr. (non-speaking, no voice actor credited)
- Brian Kimmet as Barnald
Other Non-Trolls
- Walt Dohrn as Cloud Guy
- Corina Boettger as Marshtato Mary
- David Fynn as Mr. Dinkles
- Gary
- JP Karliak as Caruthers ("Dante the Entertainer")
Episodes[]
- Main article: Trolls: TrollsTopia Episode Guide
Throughout the series' 7 seasons, 52 episodes were released, divided into 103 separate stories.
| Season | Episodes | Segments | Original Airdate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 | 26 | November 19, 2020 |
| 2 | 6 | 12 | March 18, 2021 |
| 3 | 7 | 14 | June 10, 2021 |
| 4 | 6 | 12 | September 2, 2021 |
| 5 | 7 | 14 | December 9, 2021 |
| 6 | 6 | 12 | February 17, 2022 |
| 7 | 7 | 14 | August 11, 2022 |
Music[]
Songs[]
- "We're Livin' in Harmony" (theme song)
Season 1
- "Come Together"
- "A Good Time"
- "Pandemonium"
- "Leaves, Leaves, Leaves!"
- "Bring It In"
- "Best Of Friends"
- "Holly Darlin's Generosity"
- "Fashion Fighters"
- "Running & Running"
- "Right Trolls For The Job"
- "Girls, Girls, Girls!"
- "In Your Own Way"
- "Race Against Time (Coming For You)"
- "Bring That Glory Home"
- "Homesick"
- "Shine"
- "Use Your Intuition"
- "Val's Apology Song"
- "The World As Your Muse"
- "Guy Diamond's Birthday"
- "Fun This Town"
- "Shining In The Light"
- "Back Home"
- "Nowhere Quite Like This"
Season 2
- "All Aboard (Join The Harmony)"
- "We Are You & Me"
- "Can't Stop Jazz"
- "Pose"
- "Greatest Scotch Of All Time"
- "Clean It Up"
- "TrollsTopia Challenger (Sing-Off)"
- "Pal In Me"
- "Party Guardians"
- "Dinner with Dante"
- "Never Give Up"
- "Let Them Go"
Season 3
- "Make It Hot"
- "A Song About A Thing"
- "Let The Games Begin"
- "Work It"
- "Rectify"
- "Hair Raisin Fun"
- "Eye On The Prize"
- "Find Your Destiny"
- "Fun In The Sun"
- "DJ Laguna"
- "The Life He Shares (With Me & You)"
- "Beetrollven"
- "All In This Together"
- "BFF Zone"
Season 4
- "Work It For Me"
- "Make Some Noise (Get Loud)"
- "Cast Your Votes (Holly Vs. Biggie)"
- "Vibe It Up"
- "Give It Our All"
- "Domino's Are Callin'"
- "Best Friends Forever"
- "The Sun, The Moon, The Stars & I"
- "Come Out On Top"
- "Cloudmas Time Together"
- "The Funny, Funky, Fabulous Champion"
- "Big Hair & Bigger Dreams"
Season 5
- "One Of Us"
- "Sweet Success"
- "Crescendo Brothers (Techno Remix)"
- "Make It Sing"
- "Hugs, Sweat, Tears & Glitter"
- "Me & You"
- "In My Life (Everything I Needed)"
- "Pump It Up"
- "Go K-Poppin'"
- "Best Friends With Me"
- "Stop The Presses"
- "Not So Fast"
- "We're On The Prowl"
- "Pick Up The Pieces"
Season 6
- "Together We'll Weather"
- "Best, Best, Best Friends (In Perfect Harmony)"
- "Skyrate Shanty"
- "Chocolate Bliss"
- "See It All"
- "Type A"
- "Not Giving Up"
- "Call On Ace"
- "110 Percent"
- "A Little Bit"
- "Keep The Balloon Up"
- "Plants Rock (So Take Really Good Care Of Them)"
Season 7
Success and Critical Response[]
Like with Trolls: The Beat Goes On!, Trolls: TrollsTopia had limited feedback due to it being on a streaming platform; this case was especially more noticeable due to it being on newer, less popular platforms than the one Trolls: The Beat Goes On! was on.
- Overall
On a general perspective, the episodes have been well received, with the series being praised for its expansion to plot points, character development and conflicts, as it was able to tackle new issues and directions that couldn't exist in Trolls: The Beat Goes On!.
- Music
As with Trolls World Tour, the show's approach to music also got a good reception due to the increased number of styles and genres covered by the series.
- Character Appearances
One of the most notable things about the series is the impact on older characters and fans have picked up several changes in the series. In Trolls: The Beat Goes On!, most stories revolved around The Snack Pack and their adventures; as a result, most episodes have at least half the group in and active in the plotline but this changed for Trolls: TrollsTopia. For example, in some episodes and in Season 4, DJ Suki has no major roles and is reduced to background appearences, Smidge has only a hand full of lines, Satin & Chenille appear only once with lines in "Hair-aldine: The Musical", Guy's most major role is in "Trollection", leaving only Biggie and Cooper playing the only major roles outside of Poppy and Branch. Almost all of the episodes are focused on newly introduced Trolls to the series and episodes like "Domin-Uh-Ohs" only feature Poppy and Branch in major roles in the episode; while Guy and Cooper are seen they have no speaking lines.
This change is caused simply by the regular character roaster more than doubling, going from a main cast of 8 to 20 thanks to the addition of 12 new characters; with the addition of Tiny Diamond, each Tribe has 2 new cast members except the Funk Tribe who have 3 due to Rhythm & Blues. This is not including a number of new supporting regulars such as Blaze Powerchord who appear often in the show. On Rotten Tomatoes, responses to Season 1 accused it of being obsessed with the new characters while those traditionally who held larger roles in the franchise like Branch are reduced to a handful of appearances.[20]
Criticism is also given towards the lack of returning movie characters introduced in Trolls World Tour, with only Queen Barb being mentioned by name; while this was explained within the series' context, some fans pointed to characters like Synth or Dante Crescendo as being similar in design to the existing characters King Trollex and Trollzart, respectively. Chaz and Tiny Diamond were the only Trolls World Tour characters to have appeared by Season 2, with Tiny being the only one who was a regular cast member. K-Pop Trolls later appeared in Season 5 episode "The Not So Good Sport", but they were not The K-Pop Gang. However, this was already exampled in Trolls: The Beat Goes On! with the absence of characters such as Karma or Moxie Dewdrop, despite these characters being involved with the Trolls marketing.
Minor characters such as King Peppy have barely been featured at all in the series despite him being a regular supporting character in Trolls: The Beat Goes On!. Other characters are missing entirely and some of the changes have impacted past storylines. For example, due to the absence of Milton Moss it is unknown if Smidge's subplot from Trolls: The Beat Goes On! is therefore being continued and for the time being, it can only be presumed her subplot with him has been dropped or is on pause. However, despite this characters like Marshtato Mary returned even though they were considered "one-off" characters for their previous appearances in Trolls: The Beat Goes On!. The most notable thing about most of the changes to the supporting cast is the characters mostly impacted are Pop Trolls and things related to them. As such, the Bergens have also barely been mentioned despite their major impact in Trolls, although this situation was already noted by the end of Trolls: The Beat Goes On! and the series was focused on the results of the Trolls World Tour story, not Trolls. With the introduction of 5 new Tribes in Trolls World Tour, this means focus is less on the Pop Trolls and more on the Rock, Country, Classical, Funk and Techno Trolls equally, the series has had to be kept fairly balanced between the 6 Tribes, although since the series mostly takes place in Troll Forest, the Pop Trolls have more focus still overall.
- Story
Criticism to the series storyline was much more minor, and is more directed at problems with some episodes like "Nowhere to Fun, Nowhere to Hide" falling bad onto some of the cliches and formula from Trolls: The Beat Goes On!, such as writing choices by the staff or style of episode itself. In the aforementioned episode, the issue cited was related to it following a common formula from Trolls: The Beat Goes On! where Poppy and Branch got into a competition, and no matter what he did Branch would lose to Poppy in the end. However, these complaints have been considered minor overall.
As mentioned, characters have returned who were written as one-off characters in Trolls: The Beat Goes On! allowing an expansion in new directions of older plots. However, as also mentioned the missing character Milton Moss impacted his storyline with Smidge and it is unknown if this plot is on pause or will not continue. The same goes is in regards to Nova Swift and her plot with Satin & Chenille, thus some older plots have yet to resurface since the start of the series. The lack of The Snack Pack focused episodes is largely to blame for the missing plots and falls back to the cast more than doubling with the series. The expansion of plots has allowed far more subjects to discuss then previously, with "Rhythm & the Blues" displaying homesickness, cultural conflicts are commonplace within the series, and clashes of personalities such as in "The Fabyrinth" take place where few had occurred previously, as Trolls: The Beat Goes On! has a less diverse set of characters and personalities overall. The Snack Pack are able to interact with Trolls of very different personalities and meet new challenges such as seen in "Smidge in the Saddle" between Smidge and Gust Tumbleweed. Despite all this, the general consensus of the series stories is positive among Trolls fans and many stories show improvements in concept and execution.
The episode to receive the most criticism so far is "Cloud Control", which wasn't received among fans particularly well, due to the plot of the episode and how it could be easily misinterpreted to imply a negative message. The cited problem with the episode was directed at Cloud Guy and the reuse of another formula from Trolls: The Beat Goes On!, which fans had already started to complain towards. For most of Cloud Guy's appearances, he would misbehave and harass Branch; a conflict would occur, but by the end, Cloud Guy would get away with it. The result was that he was able to do as he pleases while Branch could do nothing to stop him and no other Troll attempted to either, since only Branch ever had issues with Cloud Guy and the other Trolls enjoyed his presence. The episode caused a large upset among some fans who argued over Cloud Guy's portrayal in the episode, citing him as having no reason to prank more Trolls, whereas Branch already had interactions with him in Trolls. The message of the episode is that Cloud Guy helps improve the Trolls he harasses via pranking. There was an issue on whether or not his pranks had crossed the line into what could be considered bullying or abuse as, despite the episode's moral, other episodes had achieved the same results without pranks. In addition, the whole plot of the episode was a prank that he and Val Thundershock set up to begin with that he set up with Val Thundershock which undermined the story's concept. Cloud Guy had been pretending the entire time to be hurt by their words, therefore the scene where the group makes up was insincere.
One criticism that has occurred is the portrayal of the 6 Tribes within the series. In Trolls World Tour, the impression was that the 6 Tribes were much more distinct than they are featured in the series. Often differences amount to minor ones, for example in "Bring It In", only the Classical Trolls had issues hugging. At times, to simply put, the differences soon in the series compared to the movie's portrayal are superficial or visual. All Trolls are featured liking glitter in "Glitter Rush", and there are not as many cultural conflicts at times as to be expected with only a few conflicts occurring such as "Bring It In", in other words much of the time the other Tribes can be barely different compared to the Pop Trolls.
The episode "The Search for Piece" has been the best-recieved episode due to its emotional response and meaning with focus on Grandma Rosiepuff and Branch, a issue past episodes and Trolls: The Beat Goes On! and most other Trolls media had avoided covering.
Related Media & Merchandise[]
Toys[]
Merchandise related to Trolls: TrollsTopia began to be released in January 2021. Characters who received merchandise include Poppy, Branch, Val, Holly and Tiny Diamond. A new toyline from Hasbro was also released by the time of the series, known as the Hasbro Squad Minis.
Unlike past media, the toys received a much smaller lineup. In 2022 it was revealed that this was related to the Hasbro company losing the licensing rights to "Trolls" to Mattel, starting from Fall 2023.[21]
However, a number of the products of returning characters from the movies were previously released under the Trolls World Tour promotional series. As a result, many of the early products were simply re-prints with new packaging.
Books[]
Several episodes were converted into a book form. These include A Different Groove, Gift Time! and Let's Work Together. Other books include One Colorful World and Happy Trollsmas!.
Trolls Scrapbook Stories[]
Trolls Scrapbook Stories is a series of shorts in Scrapbook style based on Trolls: TrollsTopia. It serves a follow-up to Ask Poppy, which was made to promote Trolls: The Beat Goes On!.
Food[]
Burger King ran a promotion for the series in 2021.
Trivia[]
- Notable returning staff from Trolls: The Beat Goes On! include Matthew Beans (executive producer)[22], Alex Geringas (composer and songwriter).[23]
- At one point, an application was set up to encourage animators to work in the series.[26]
- Before the series first aired, a lot of storyboards were put up by Gregersen. They have since been hidden or removed as of 2021.[27]
- The series was originally planned to be released on Netflix before Hulu got the rights of the show.
- The title cards of the series' episodes indicate what Troll Tribe is their focus. For example, "Kick-Off Party" focuses on the Rock Trolls, and therefore has a Rock-themed title card. Meanwhile, "Bring It In" is based around the Classical Trolls, and thus has a Classical-themed title card. The title texts are also stylized like the Trolls Logo, unlike the ones of Trolls: The Beat Goes On!. In later seasons, there were episodes that broke this rule, for example, "The Party Switcheroo" is labelled as a "Classical" episode but is merely set in Classical Crest - it stars Val Thundershock and Smidge.
- The Pop-themed title card features a landscape similar to the ones featured in the title cards of Trolls: The Beat Goes On!. The title text is colored in a pale shade of blue. The Pop Tribe had the most episodes dedicated to them, at 42.
- The Rock-themed title card depicts a number of speakers, wires and lights. The title text is in lavender. 16 episodes were dedicated to the Rock Tribe.
- The Country-themed title card shows a rising sun alongside a sea and some rocks. The title text is in a mix between bright blue and purple. 16 episodes were dedicated to the Country Tribe.
- The Classical-themed title card depicts a number hair-like sculptures on a golden floor. The title text has a golden color. 12 episodes were dedicated to Classical Tribe.
- The Funk-themed title card shows a rainbow splatters on a black background, with a purple light in the center. The title text is colored mint green. 10 episodes were dedicated to the Funk Tribe.
- The Techno-themed title card features a number of corals in an underwater environment. The title text is a mixture between cyan and lime green in color, and has an ocean-like pattern put onto it. 7 episodes were dedicated to Techno Tribe.
- There have been no such cards for any hinterland Trolls.
- Mr. Dinkles now says "mew" like the movies. In Trolls: The Beat Goes On!, he said "meep" instead.
- Most of the series' episodes make references to popular culture, which was already common in Trolls: The Beat Goes On!. Compared to the previous series, though, Trolls: TrollsTopia makes references to music media more frequently, whereas Trolls: The Beat Goes On! almost always made references to movies and other TV series.
- The series continues with running gag referencing the classic cartoon rule of "gravity doesn't work until you look down" from Trolls: The Beat Goes On!, starting with the episode "Branch Out of Water" up until "Gal Pal Getawaycation".
- Trolls: The Beat Goes On! tended to end each season with a cliffhanger or hint at the first episode of the next season (with the cliffhanger in Season 8 being a mere gag instead). However, Trolls: TrollsTopia mostly ends each season on a final story segment that's more plot-driven, showing character development and progress as the series goes on.
Videos[]
Official Trailers[]
Music Videos/Credits[]
Episode Clips[]
What They Got Right Videos[]
References[]
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/B7ZYAZ9l3Xd/
- ↑ https://www.animationmagazine.net/2020/01/nbc-details-new-peacock-platform-animated-originals/
- ↑ https://variety.com/2020/digital/news/peacock-streaming-lineup-free-tv-shows-movies-1234580315/
- ↑ https://www.animationmagazine.net/2020/11/trailers-peacock-premieres-trollstopia-the-mighty-ones-this-month/
- ↑ https://issuu.com/worldscreen/docs/tv_kids_october_2020
- ↑ https://www.awn.com/news/sky-signs-long-term-dreamworks-animation-tv-series-deal
- ↑ https://twitter.com/jimmortensen/status/1316551271789207553
- ↑ https://twitter.com/jimmortensen/status/1318553238396936193
- ↑ https://toonado.com/dreamworks/trollstopia-season-seven-voice-actress-megan-hilty-reflects-on-the-show-now-that-it-has-ended-exclusive-a5989
- ↑ https://www.thewrap.com/trollstopia-season-2-renewed-peacock-trailer-video/
- ↑ https://www.popsugar.com/family/trollstopia-season-3-trailer-peacock-kids-hulu-48329061/
- ↑ https://www.comingsoon.net/tv/trailers/1191390-dreamworks-trollstopia-season-4-trailer-invites-you-to-make-some-noise
- ↑ https://www.thewrap.com/trollstopia-season-5-trailer-premiere-date-peacock-hulu-video/
- ↑ https://www.animationmagazine.net/2022/02/trailer-dreamworks-trollstopia-returns-for-a-glitter-blasted-6th-season/
- ↑ https://www.awn.com/news/dreamworks-debuts-trollstopia-season-7-trailer-and-images
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 https://lyricsodus.com/podcast/PodcastPlayer.html?title=Trolls%3A%20TrollsTopia%20with%20Matthew%20Beans&artist=Animation%20Station%20Podcast&id=id1139874556
- ↑ https://twitter.com/LakeFama/status/1332042842164789248
- ↑ https://twitter.com/theitz/status/1464986148401344512
- ↑ Hulu
- ↑ https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/trolls_trollstopia/s01
- ↑ https://kidscreen.com/2022/03/29/mattel-takes-over-trolls-toy-license-from-hasbro/
- ↑ https://deadline.com/2020/01/hulu-orders-kids-series-madagascar-a-little-wild-trollstopia-the-mighty-ones-tca-1202833552/
- ↑ https://www.rarebehavior.com/composers-songwriters
- ↑ https://twitter.com/jimmortensen/status/1332394456226557957
- ↑ https://jimmortensen.tumblr.com/post/616866756608278528/do-you-have-a-favorite-memory-from-working-on
- ↑ https://www.showbizjobs.com/posting/details/rnoe3g/dreamworks-jobs/visual-development-artist-in-glendale
- ↑ https://speakerdeck.com/hgregersen
External Links[]
| DreamWorks Trolls franchise | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Movies | ||||
| Trolls • Trolls World Tour • Trolls Band Together • Trolls 4 | ||||
| TV Specials | ||||
| Trolls Holiday • Trolls: Holiday in Harmony | ||||
| TV Series | ||||
| Trolls: The Beat Goes On! • Trolls: TrollsTopia | ||||
| Mini-series | ||||
| Troll 2 Troll • Trolls Holiday Digital Shorts • Ask Poppy • Tiny Diamond Goes Back To School • Trolls: Pump up the Party! • Trolls Scrapbook Stories • It Takes Three | ||||