Arxane
05-30-2003, 12:26 PM
I found this article in, of all place, a link from my cable provider's home page. Seem's it's from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Adult Swim is mentioned quite a bit in the article, although it seems to focus more on the rise of adult animation on the networks. Still, it's worth a read if you wanna know how AS's success is influencing the world of television.
The Oxygen/BET series "Hey Monie" is fairly typical of television, a comedy centered on a professional African American woman named Simone who balances her competitive job with the demands of her personal relationships.
She has best friend Yvette to help her contend with a nosy neighbor, a smarmy male co-worker trying to hijack her triumphs and a guilt-tripping grandmother. It fits the sitcom formula to a "T."
"Hey Monie" also happens to be smart, and at times wickedly funny.
But what makes it a standout is that it's animated.
That's a first for BET and for Oxygen, which developed "Hey Monie" from regularly aired animated shorts on its "X- Chromosome" series and launched it in March.
The combination seems to be working: The toon became the most-watched new BET Tuesday series, gaining a 10 percent boost for its 8 p.m. Tuesday time.
"Monie's" success story is but a blip in comparison to the surprises Cartoon Network's "Adult Swim" is yielding among young adults. For the past few weeks, the show's 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. mature viewing animation block has been beating the Sansabelts off David Letterman, Jay Leno, Craig Kilborn, Conan O'Brien and Carson Daly among 18- to 24-year-old viewers, particularly males.
Moreover, the weeknight block anchored by "Family Guy" Peter Griffin has been crushing ABC's rotund Jimmy Kimmel, by more than a 2-to-1 margin among 18 to 24 males, a key component of the youthful demographic "Jimmy Kimmel Live" is courting.
"Family Guy," a canceled Fox prime-time show, has proven something of a phenomenon for Cartoon Network. It, "Futurama" and other toons axed from network television are now thriving on the cable channel.
Surprised that adults are gravitating toward the toons, even the ones that got canned? You probably shouldn't be, considering the longest running sitcom on television will soon be "The Simpsons." And not while "South Park" Cartman busts out with humor that, even now, manages to curl your mother's hair in completely new ways.
Mike Lazzo, senior vice president of programming over "Adult Swim," always knew toons weren't just for kids. "From the very beginning when Cartoon Network started getting ratings, a third of our audience was 13 or older," he said. "We'd historically bring in an older audience in a number of ways -- parents watching with kids, nostalgia, animation freaks. But didn't have the resources to cater to them."
What began modestly with the 1994 launch of "Space Ghost: Coast to Coast," a late-night offering that was part live-action, part crude animation, has since extended throughout Cartoon Network's programming. Though "Adult Swim," which mixes both comedy and anime action shows in its Sunday through Thursday night blocks, is specifically for mature audiences, shows such as "Samurai Jack," "Dexter's Laboratory" and "Powerpuff Girls" have built the channel's viewership far beyond its 2- to 11-year-old core audience.
As a result of its success, on top of "The Simpsons" and "South Park," cartoons are now aggressively popping up all over cable, starting with Oxygen's premiere of "Hey Monie" Sunday at 9:30 p.m.
Spike TV follows on June 26, getting in on the animation game with "The Strip," a two-hour Thursday night block from 10 to midnight. It's anchored by old and new episodes of "Ren & Stimpy," followed by the Kelsey Grammer-voiced "Gary the Rat" and "Stripperella," a pole-dancing superhero with voice by Pamela Anderson.
These are just the summer series. "South Park's" home channel, Comedy Central, has another cartoon in the works for fall with the working title "Kid Notorious," based on the life of entertainer Robert Evans. And it just greenlighted its "House Arrest" animated interstitials to be repackaged into a full-fledged show.
And 2004 will bring animated series from Sci Fi Channel ("Tripping the Rift"), Nick at Nite (Bill Cosby's "Fatherhood"), another from Cartoon Network ("Venture Brothers") and a computer-animated series about lions, "Father of the Pride," on NBC. Animation-minded grown-ups, in other words, have a lot to look forward to.
At least that's what Kevin Kay, Spike TV's executive vice president of programming and production, is counting on, since "The Strip" will play a significant role in the rebranding of the channel soon to be formerly known as TNN.
"TNN already skews 60 percent male, due to wrestling and 'CSI,' " he said. "When we were looking at our audience and thinking about the fact that guys grew up on animation, we thought, why not give them an opportunity to experience it again?"
Indeed, this burst of cable animation programs is very much driven by men, a notion "Adult Swim's" success over network is bolstering. Seems guys like the wacky comedy and funny drawings.
That said, Oxygen's president of programming, Debby Beece, hopes "Hey Monie" will fill the gender and ethnicity gap. "That whole renaissance of cartoons that cable has brought about in the whole animation industry, I think, has been inclusive of females," she said. "You just have to tell a different story and tell it differently to appeal to the female sensibility. I don't know who else but us would do something like this."
Jerry Beck, an animation historian, thinks the explosion has more to do with another reality of cable at the moment. " They're all looking for signature shows," he said. "Animated series, they're kind of the quickest way to establish one."
Yet adult-oriented animation remains a risky proposition in prime time, especially on network television. So why take the risk? For one thing, cartoons tend to have a better chance on cable where ratings aren't as much of an issue in determining a show's lifespan. Cable channels also tend to give a little more time to series to find an audience. Oh, and there's one other important plus.
"Plushies!" exclaims Comedy Central senior vice president of programming Lauren Corrao. And no, she isn't referring to the Internet fetishists. "You know, those cute little toys, the Cartman characters, those things that you can sell. ... When you have a great success, there's lots more merchandising possibilities you can start up than with live action."
She should know. To date, "South Park" merchandise has brought in more than $500 million to the network. Not bad for some drawings with an infantile sense of humor.
To see more of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, for online features, or to subscribe, go to http://seattlep-I.com.
� 1998-2003 Seattle Post-Intelligencer. All Rights Reserved.
The Oxygen/BET series "Hey Monie" is fairly typical of television, a comedy centered on a professional African American woman named Simone who balances her competitive job with the demands of her personal relationships.
She has best friend Yvette to help her contend with a nosy neighbor, a smarmy male co-worker trying to hijack her triumphs and a guilt-tripping grandmother. It fits the sitcom formula to a "T."
"Hey Monie" also happens to be smart, and at times wickedly funny.
But what makes it a standout is that it's animated.
That's a first for BET and for Oxygen, which developed "Hey Monie" from regularly aired animated shorts on its "X- Chromosome" series and launched it in March.
The combination seems to be working: The toon became the most-watched new BET Tuesday series, gaining a 10 percent boost for its 8 p.m. Tuesday time.
"Monie's" success story is but a blip in comparison to the surprises Cartoon Network's "Adult Swim" is yielding among young adults. For the past few weeks, the show's 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. mature viewing animation block has been beating the Sansabelts off David Letterman, Jay Leno, Craig Kilborn, Conan O'Brien and Carson Daly among 18- to 24-year-old viewers, particularly males.
Moreover, the weeknight block anchored by "Family Guy" Peter Griffin has been crushing ABC's rotund Jimmy Kimmel, by more than a 2-to-1 margin among 18 to 24 males, a key component of the youthful demographic "Jimmy Kimmel Live" is courting.
"Family Guy," a canceled Fox prime-time show, has proven something of a phenomenon for Cartoon Network. It, "Futurama" and other toons axed from network television are now thriving on the cable channel.
Surprised that adults are gravitating toward the toons, even the ones that got canned? You probably shouldn't be, considering the longest running sitcom on television will soon be "The Simpsons." And not while "South Park" Cartman busts out with humor that, even now, manages to curl your mother's hair in completely new ways.
Mike Lazzo, senior vice president of programming over "Adult Swim," always knew toons weren't just for kids. "From the very beginning when Cartoon Network started getting ratings, a third of our audience was 13 or older," he said. "We'd historically bring in an older audience in a number of ways -- parents watching with kids, nostalgia, animation freaks. But didn't have the resources to cater to them."
What began modestly with the 1994 launch of "Space Ghost: Coast to Coast," a late-night offering that was part live-action, part crude animation, has since extended throughout Cartoon Network's programming. Though "Adult Swim," which mixes both comedy and anime action shows in its Sunday through Thursday night blocks, is specifically for mature audiences, shows such as "Samurai Jack," "Dexter's Laboratory" and "Powerpuff Girls" have built the channel's viewership far beyond its 2- to 11-year-old core audience.
As a result of its success, on top of "The Simpsons" and "South Park," cartoons are now aggressively popping up all over cable, starting with Oxygen's premiere of "Hey Monie" Sunday at 9:30 p.m.
Spike TV follows on June 26, getting in on the animation game with "The Strip," a two-hour Thursday night block from 10 to midnight. It's anchored by old and new episodes of "Ren & Stimpy," followed by the Kelsey Grammer-voiced "Gary the Rat" and "Stripperella," a pole-dancing superhero with voice by Pamela Anderson.
These are just the summer series. "South Park's" home channel, Comedy Central, has another cartoon in the works for fall with the working title "Kid Notorious," based on the life of entertainer Robert Evans. And it just greenlighted its "House Arrest" animated interstitials to be repackaged into a full-fledged show.
And 2004 will bring animated series from Sci Fi Channel ("Tripping the Rift"), Nick at Nite (Bill Cosby's "Fatherhood"), another from Cartoon Network ("Venture Brothers") and a computer-animated series about lions, "Father of the Pride," on NBC. Animation-minded grown-ups, in other words, have a lot to look forward to.
At least that's what Kevin Kay, Spike TV's executive vice president of programming and production, is counting on, since "The Strip" will play a significant role in the rebranding of the channel soon to be formerly known as TNN.
"TNN already skews 60 percent male, due to wrestling and 'CSI,' " he said. "When we were looking at our audience and thinking about the fact that guys grew up on animation, we thought, why not give them an opportunity to experience it again?"
Indeed, this burst of cable animation programs is very much driven by men, a notion "Adult Swim's" success over network is bolstering. Seems guys like the wacky comedy and funny drawings.
That said, Oxygen's president of programming, Debby Beece, hopes "Hey Monie" will fill the gender and ethnicity gap. "That whole renaissance of cartoons that cable has brought about in the whole animation industry, I think, has been inclusive of females," she said. "You just have to tell a different story and tell it differently to appeal to the female sensibility. I don't know who else but us would do something like this."
Jerry Beck, an animation historian, thinks the explosion has more to do with another reality of cable at the moment. " They're all looking for signature shows," he said. "Animated series, they're kind of the quickest way to establish one."
Yet adult-oriented animation remains a risky proposition in prime time, especially on network television. So why take the risk? For one thing, cartoons tend to have a better chance on cable where ratings aren't as much of an issue in determining a show's lifespan. Cable channels also tend to give a little more time to series to find an audience. Oh, and there's one other important plus.
"Plushies!" exclaims Comedy Central senior vice president of programming Lauren Corrao. And no, she isn't referring to the Internet fetishists. "You know, those cute little toys, the Cartman characters, those things that you can sell. ... When you have a great success, there's lots more merchandising possibilities you can start up than with live action."
She should know. To date, "South Park" merchandise has brought in more than $500 million to the network. Not bad for some drawings with an infantile sense of humor.
To see more of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, for online features, or to subscribe, go to http://seattlep-I.com.
� 1998-2003 Seattle Post-Intelligencer. All Rights Reserved.