A fine how do you do to Cartoon Network.
Leave it to FOX to steal someone else’s idea. Over a decade ago, Cartoon Network created Adult Swim. A programing block originally created to show uncensored anime that was becoming ever popular on their Toonami block. As it grew, it added cheap, yet brilliant flash animation shows like Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Sealab 2021. Since then, Adult Swim has become the corner stone of male demographic programing in the late night circuit. But the real shine to Adult Swim was saving and reviving cancelled but excellent shows Family Guy and Futurama. Both FOX castoffs. Airing the reruns in a set time weekly attracted the audience that would have normally watched these shows originally, had FOX not dicked with their original time slots.
Now that Family Guy and Futurama are back on TV, FOX has been eying that sweet male demographic that Adult Swim garners with their oddball shows. They’ve decided that they want a piece of that pie and have announced the formation of a NEW animation block on Saturday nights: 11 pm – 12:30am. If you’re rolling your eyes at the fact that this seems like a shitty cash grab on the network’s part, perhaps you might want to give it a chance The yet unnamed block will be run by non other than former Adult Swim program developer Nick Weidenfeld who executive produced The Boondocks and Children’s Hospital. Joining Weidenfeld will be producer Hend Baghdady to over see the two hours of what will probably be slightly watered down Adult Swim style shows. One thing is that Adult Swim had no budget, yet very little restriction on what they would do. Look at the ten plus years of weird ass shows that AS put on and think of those working on network TV. I will say though, that all is not lost with these two running things. Family Guy and American Dad do get away with a lot in their time slots and late night might prove network TV can still be edgy and funny.
Full Press release thanks to Collider
FOX FORGES NEW UNIT TO CREATE ALTERNATIVE ANIMATED CONTENT
Programming Will Run on New Late-Night Animated Block and Digital Channel
Network Inks Exclusive Deals with Former Adult Swim Development Head Nick Weidenfeld and Producer Hend Baghdady
Building on its more than 20 years of animation domination, Fox Broadcasting Company (“FOX”) has created a new unit to oversee the development and production of alternative animated series, shorts and user-adapted material for a brand new late-night animated programming block and new digital multi-platform network, it was announced today by Kevin Reilly, FOX President of Entertainment.
To run this new unit, FOX has inked an exclusive deal with Nick Weidenfeld, former head of program development for Adult Swim and executive producer of acclaimed series “Childrens Hospital” and “The Boondocks.” The network has also tapped producer Hend Baghdady (“Warren The Ape,” “The Andy Milonakis Show”) as the executive in charge of production for the new division.
Under their leadership, the unit will develop and produce an ambitious slate of original animated shorts and series to run both on-air and online. The late-night programming block will air Saturdays (11:00 PM-12:30 AM ET/PT) on FOX and will feature four new animated series per season starting in January 2013.
The digital channel will extend across platforms such as Web, mobile apps, game consoles and Video on Demand. It kicks off in 2012 and will feature 50 original short-form pieces per year, online windows of FOX animated shows, and user-adapted content. It will create a unique opportunity for fans and up-and-coming talent to engage with professional FOX-curated content, which they could possibly platform into their own series. FOX will also use its expertise and cross-promotional power to nurture these new assets through this pipeline.
“This may be the first time a network is building a clear bridge for talent to develop and grow ideas in the digital/alternative arena and organically move them into the mainstream,” said Reilly. “These new late-night series will be assets in their own right – but the clear possibility exists for a breakout digital success to graduate to primetime.”
“Nick had an incredible track record at Adult Swim and is a dynamic guy with the instincts to cultivate and produce inventive and irreverent series that animation fans love. Together with Hend, they are the perfect partners for us in this exciting new venture,” Reilly continued.
Prior to teaming with FOX under his Friends Night production company banner, Weidenfeld served as the head of Program Development for Adult Swim. Over the last eight years, Weidenfeld helped grow the late-night block of programming on Cartoon Network – featuring breakout hits such as “Robot Chicken” and “Aqua Teen Hunger Force” – into the No. 1 cable entertainment channel among young men. He executive-produced a variety of animated and live-action shows, including the Peabody Award-winning “The Boondocks,” “Childrens Hospital,” “NTSF:SD:SUV::,” “Metalocalypse,” “Superjail!” and “China, IL,” to name a few. In 2009, Weidenfeld co-created and co-wrote the animated hour-long cartoon, “Freaknik: The Musical,” starring Grammy Award-winning singer T-Pain as well as Cee Lo, Lil Wayne, Andy Samberg, and Bill Hader. The musical is currently being adapted for the stage. Most recently, he adapted the feature film “Black Dynamite” into an animated series and built a sketch show around the rap group and Internet sensation, Odd Future.
Hend Baghdady began her career in New York working on the first season of “Crank Yankers” with Jackhole Industries. Since then, she has developed, produced and created production formats and templates for live-action and animated comedy series for MTV, Comedy Central, and Adult Swim. Her most recent credits include the “Community” stop-motion Christmas special “Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas”; the first strip animated show “DJ & The Fro”; “The Andy Milonakis Show”; “Warren The Ape”; and Kanye West’s pilot “Alligator Boots.”
ABOUT FOX BROADCASTING COMPANY
Fox Broadcasting Company (FOX) is a unit of News Corporation and the leading broadcast television network among Adults 18-49. FOX finished the 2010-2011 season at No. 1 in the key adult demographic for the seventh consecutive year – a feat that has never been achieved in broadcast history – while continuing to dominate all network competition in the more targeted Adults 18-34 and Teen demographics. FOX airs 15 hours of primetime programming a week as well as late-night entertainment programming, major sports and Sunday morning news.
In other news, FOX‘s OTHER animation block, Animation Domination, won’t be joined by Allen Gregory next fall. The network president, Kevin Reilly confirmed that the Jonah Hill created and voiced show will NOT be coming back next season. I say good. Allen Gregory was one of the worst animated shows FOX has ever bothered with. Pretentious, dry in the not funny British way, The show was losing ratings EVERY week between Simpsons and Family Guy. Being wedged between the two biggest shows on Sunday night couldn’t help this turd ball. And this is coming from a guy who genuinely likes Jonah Hill’s work. But unlike many animated series who I shed a tear over when they were shit canned, Allen Gregory will not get one ounce of moister from me.
