Strawberry Shortcake Berry Bitty Adventures serves up Huckleberry Pie in Season 3

Strawberry Shortcake Berry Bitty Adventures
Saturdays, 8am ET
The Hub

Strawberry Shortcake, the food, may not have a long shelf life. But the toyline that bears the name of the tasty treat has been entertaining children — many of whom have now grown up and had their own children — for more than 30 years.

The latest incarnation, Strawberry Shortcake Berry Bitty Adventures, returns for its third season at 8am Saturday, and longtime viewers will notice a new face. Huckleberry Pie, who has been a part of past versions of Strawberry Shortcake, will finally come to Berry Bitty City and shake things up for the gang. And he’s not alone. As the episode’s title (“A Boy and His Dogs”) suggests, he’s got a whole mess of adorable puppies with him.

Executive producer Sarah Finn says the timing was finally right to bring a boy character into the mix. “Huck has always played a key role in the … franchise. We spent the first two seasons focused on introducing our viewers to the new Strawberry Shortcake and her friends. Each have very distinct personalities and traits and we wanted to make sure our viewers really got to know each one of them. The timing seems to be perfect now that our girls are well-known to bring Huck back into our storytelling.”

So no, this is not a blatant attempt to re-create the “Brony” revolution that has come to define My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic, another Hub revival of a 1980s classic. Finn says while that would be a nice bonus, the focus will remain on the young girls in the audience.

When deciding how best to bring Strawberry Shortcake to new audiences, Finn — who counts herself a lifelong fan, having climbed aboard the bandwagon during the series’ heyday in the 1980s — says not much had to change. “So much of what our heritage fans loved about Strawberry Shortcake and her friends could be taken and re-introduced in our current storytelling in a contemporary and relatable way. Strawberry will always be wholesome, sweet and a perfect best friend!”

She even manages to remain best friends with Cherry Jam, who has become something of a breakout character. Cherry Jam and Huckleberry Pie get some quality time together during the second of Saturday’s episodes, “Partners in Crime,” when they work together to write a song.

Some of the best feedback Finn says she’s gotten on the series has been from those longtime, or “heritage” fans who have been thrilled to see some of their favorite characters come back. They’ll be happy to know then that Finn and her crew aren’t done mining the fertile ’80s ground. She even went so far as to name names!

So, Strawberry Shortcake fans, you might want to keep an eye out for Purple Pieman.

Cherry Jam and Huckleberry Pie in Strawberry Shortcake Berry Bittle Adventures

Photo: Courtesy of The Hub