An intrepid rabbit and a set of Latino twins
with a bilingual parrot are the stars of two
new fall PBS kids' series designed for the
generally unserved early elementary school
population. The emphasis in both is on positive
ethnic values and cultural diversity.
PBS and Scholastic Entertainment (''Clifford
the Big Red Dog'') have teamed to present
''Maya & Miguel,'' an animated weekday
series scheduled to premiere Oct. 11.
''Maya & Miguel'' revolves around 10-year-old
twins Maya and Miguel Santos, their close-knit
family and Paco, a linguistically gifted parrot,
who live in a culturally diverse neighborhood.
Maya constantly meddles in the lives of her
friends and family, much to the consternation
of her brother. The emphasis on the twins'
ethnic background, states PBS, ''makes learning
their culture and language a fun, relevant
and rewarding experience.''
The voice cast includes Lupe Ontiveros as
the twins' grandmother, Elisabeth Peña
as their mother, Erik Estrada as the friendly
mailman and Lucy Liu as their outspoken friend.
