Director: Zachariah Ohora
A raccoon with an ever-growing collection of odd little treasures anchors Carl the Collector, a PBS Kids animated series built around a lead character on the autism spectrum.
What is Carl The Collector about?
Carl fills his days sorting, cataloguing, and proudly displaying whatever curious objects catch his attention, and the show follows him and his circle of friends as they navigate school, play, and everyday social moments in their neighborhood. Rather than treating Carl's way of seeing the world as an obstacle to smooth over, episodes build stories around it — his attention to detail, his routines, and his collecting all shape how problems get noticed and solved. Friends learn to work with his pace and interests instead of around them, and small neighborhood happenings, a lost item, a new arrival, a misunderstanding, become opportunities for the group to practice patience, curiosity, and honest communication.
Cast & crew
Kai Barham, Antonina Battrick, and Maddy McIlwan voice the core group of young characters, giving Carl's friends distinct personalities that play off his methodical, detail-focused view of the world.
Context & significance
Created by Zachariah Ohora and released in 2024, Carl the Collector holds a notable place in PBS Kids' lineup as the network's first series centered on a character on the autism spectrum, joining the broader run of PBS educational animation aimed at grade-school viewers. At roughly twenty-three minutes per episode, it has more room than typical shorts to develop full storylines around Carl's collecting habit and his friendships, letting everyday classroom and playground situations unfold at a natural pace rather than rushing to a punchline.
Where & how to watch
Carl the Collector streams on K-Time with a free account login, part of a kids and family catalog built with a Farsi-friendly interface for Iranian households wherever they're based. No extra setup is needed beyond signing in, and the episode length works well for a relaxed family viewing session.