Emmy award winning actress Tracee Ellis Ross, has signed on to voice and executive produce 'Jodie' a spinoff animated series from the late 90s developed and telecast drama series 'Daria'. Tracee will play the role of Jodie, an eponymous name to the series title. The original series 'Daria', which focused on the life and character of Ms. Morgendorffer, will now have in the center circle Jodie, the African-American friend of Daria. The show will follow Jodie as she comes into her own and enters the work place in her first post-college job in tech. Tracee disclosed of her excitement on the animated drama series with MTV, "I am thrilled to bring this project to life with MTV, both as executive producer and by voicing Jodie's character. Being able to give voice to fresh, feminist and unexplored stories of young women excites me." The developing drama will be the first adult animated show in almost 20 years that stars a black woman as lead character. MTV together with Tracee, are making efforts to deliver an unprecedented spinoff from the original series, "Jodie will spin off from the cult classic 'Daria' and with the brilliant, sweet and sarcastic black girl magic that is Jodie Landon, we will feature diverse cast, comprised mainly of unapologetically smart and ambitious female characters who are vulnerable and flawed and interesting and funny." MTV told the available press that 'Jodie' is the first of many series to be presented out of the Daria Universe, which they hope to create in subsequent years. BY: Larry Adams