Should a network try late night adult animation?

[Spastic Minnow]

(This topic may be more suited for the AS forum, I couldn't decide, if a mod wants to move it there that'd be fine)

With the success of Adult Swim and even The Strip don't you think that A Network should try this as a gamble?

ABC seems the obvious contender, they desparately want to pull some late night viewership but everything they try is a failure, mostly just because they can't get it in their collective heads that maybe we don't need so many talkshows.

The only problem being, of course, that ABC (and other networks in general) never takes chances. And if ABC execs wanted to float the idea there may be too much obstinant resistance from the parent Disney company to sully their name with adult cartoons.

But basically I think this would be a good idea for a network.

[Andrew T. Hingson]

You'd probably sooner see an animated block for Adults on ABC Family, but it's possible. ABC has had animated series before. Clerks for instance.

It would be interesting to see say the WB start airing anime on Saturday Nights or something. They could give a good home to Detective Conan and it kin of anime's that don't fit anywhere on CN.

[Ludicris]

Yeah, I think the WB is the most likely network to actually air adult animation mostly because the three major networks have a long history with late night shows and I would prefer them to stay with the late night talk shows and so on. FOX might be possible for adult animation as well.

[livingfruitvirus]

i doubt the major networks would do it. they're pretty afraid of changing and trying new things. plus they use the creative process. something Cartoon Network and TNN completely leave out of their adult animation blocks. for those who don't know, the creative process is how the network tells the show crew to make changes to the show, and they have to do it most of the time. usually when a show is pitched to a network like NBC or CBS or ABC, and then is made changes to, the final product is completely different (and usually worse).

maybe FX?

[Spastic Minnow]

Of course the problem with Fox, WB or UPN doing late night animation is that they all effectively stop broadcasting their programming at 10:00. I guess Fox attempted it a couple times before (Chevy Chase :o Magic Johnson :rolleyes: ) and have MadTV but I think it would prove too much of a comitment for any of them. FX is as much of a cable company as TNN/Spike, and ABC Family's idea of adult animation would be uncensored Spiderman TAS.

[Kirby]

(This topic may be more suited for the AS forum, I couldn't decide, if a mod wants to move it there that'd be fine)

With the success of Adult Swim and even The Strip don't you think that A Network should try this as a gamble?

ABC seems the obvious contender, they desparately want to pull some late night viewership but everything they try is a failure, mostly just because they can't get it in their collective heads that maybe we don't need so many talkshows.

The only problem being, of course, that ABC (and other networks in general) never takes chances. And if ABC execs wanted to float the idea there may be too much obstinant resistance from the parent Disney company to sully their name with adult cartoons.

But basically I think this would be a good idea for a network.

If Abc does try to release Adult animation, they will most likely release it under Miramax or Touchstone so people wont know it was made by ABC or Disney

[Anthonynotes]

I don't see it happening...I presume the major (non-Fox) networks are burned from the various attempts at aping "The Simpsons" success inthe 90's with various imitators to bother airing any more cartoons outside Saturday mornings. Besides, late-night shows like David Letterman or Jay Leno are probably more lucrative to advertisers late-nights (see: how ABC bent over backwards and cheesed off Ted Koppel to try to lure Letterman over to them). PLus, since the main networks (thanks to today's uber-sized media conglomerates) own various cable channels, they can use *those* to air cartoons on, or borrow hit shows *from* (NBC owns Bravo, and is now airing Bravo's "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" show after it scored big (for Bravo) ratings ).

-B.

[Obi]

Fox already has the shows needed to make a successfull late night animation block. All they need to do is put The Simpsons, King of the Hill, Futurama, and Family Guy together at late night and NOT SHIFT IT AROUND and I'm sure they'd get good ratings.

[Master Moron]

I don't think it would be good to air anime on a network since as Living Fruit Virus already said they would want to make changes. I mean, look at how many changes were made to Card Captor Sakura when it aired on WB? I mean, if Fox aired Evangelion they'd probably be like:

"Well, we like the robot fights, but can you edit out this stuff about God and refer to the Angels as "monsters" or something? Also, Shinji is too weak for a main character, get a big name actor to do his voice, like maybe Sylvester Stallone. And the music is way too dramatic, maybe we can hook you up with Snoop Dogg and you can play some cutting edge music during the fight scenes."

[Andrew T. Hingson]

LOL! I don't think they'd do that much hacking on EVA. I mean Toonami aired it with only violence and suggestive scenes cut out. I mean really Family Guy and Simpsons talk about religion all the time. They'd probably only edit it for violence.

Stallone as Shinji. Well Matt might like the fact they Spike Spencer isn't doing it, but other than that... It's just absurd and hillarious.

[Tienshin]

The Strip was a success?

I would like to see a network give it a shot, Fox, WB, or UPN are the most likely to try something like that. But my guess is you'll see many more cable networks try it if anything.

[Pepperidge]

I would prefer to see networks integrate animation targeted at a mature audience into their regular schedules. I really don't understand why it would have to be segregated.

[Andrew T. Hingson]

Agreed! How about a prime time animation block on Saturday or air prime time animation durring the regular a prime time blocks.

I for one wouldn't mind seeing a great anime packaged along with Smallville this fall.

[GL2k2]

I'd like to see a Friday late night slot for anime or adult animation. Specifically on NBC, that would replace the dying or dead Friday Night Videos slot. Then on late Saturday Night on USA a new Cartoon Express with a mix of everything from anime to animated videos and shorts. But I'm just one man.

[Andrew T. Hingson]

I'd like to see a Friday late night slot for anime or adult animation. Specifically on NBC, that would replace the dying or dead Friday Night Videos slot. Then on late Saturday Night on USA a new Cartoon Express with a mix of everything from anime to animated videos and shorts. But I'm just one man.

Nice ideas! As for Cartoon Express coming back... don't hold your breath.

[StrangerAtaru]

I think the closest I see are the "late-night" airings of stuff like "The Simpsons" in syndication...and around here it actually beats the 11 PM news on some stations.

As for an actual animation block....doubt it. Too much of an investment for the networks that probably won't amount to anything.

[Elven Moon]

I would be surprised if this happened, because it seems unlikely to me.

[GL2k2]

Nice ideas! As for Cartoon Express coming back... don't hold your breath.

Actually, I didn't mean the same incarnation of Cartoon Express, just the fact that it was about six hours long. Start the puppy at eleven @ night and end it at about five Sunday morning.

Also, USA did have something that's close to what I'm talking about. It was a couple of years before USA UP! All Night with Rhonda Shear and Gilbert Godfrey. This was called "Night Flight" and pretty much showcased an old "b" movie, some animated short, short films, film and music reviews, and even some videos. It lasted like four hours I think, but that's kinda my vision. This was back when everyone wanted a piece of the MTV pie.

[czyznyck99]

Network TV? Whoever thought of this is really stretching it. Considering that mainstream adult America will never see or take any form of animation seriously, there is no chance that any network with half a brain would give them a block in an area specifically designed for that audience. Late night infomercials on how to lose weight and having sex? Yeeech.

Later.

[pabcool]

As I previously said, It won't work for the most part, but I am fully behind a new Wachouski animated series on The WB. Pair it with Smallville.

[Spastic Minnow]

Well, Unless Cartoon Network is exaggerating Adult Swim gets as much and sometimes more viewership than Leno, Letterman, Killbourn & Kimmell. I think the networks would be stupid not to consider some sort of change.

[supermonkey]

TNN has their new adult cartoons (stripper superhero, rat lawyer, etc) I can't get into them.

[Master Moron]

LOL! I don't think they'd do that much hacking on EVA. I mean Toonami aired it with only violence and suggestive scenes cut out. I mean really Family Guy and Simpsons talk about religion all the time. They'd probably only edit it for violence.

Stallone as Shinji. Well Matt might like the fact they Spike Spencer isn't doing it, but other than that... It's just absurd and hillarious.

so was Cardcaptors...

[Mynd Hed]

Well, Unless Cartoon Network is exaggerating Adult Swim gets as much and sometimes more viewership than Leno, Letterman, Killbourn & Kimmell. I think the networks would be stupid not to consider some sort of change.

I'm pretty sure that's only in Adult Swim's target demographic of males 18-34, though. I'm not sure who does the best when it comes to total advertising revenues, since the talk shows are probably targetting women as well. (You know, those pretty things with no Y chromosome?)

(-:

[Spastic Minnow]

I'm pretty sure that's only in Adult Swim's target demographic of males 18-34, though. I'm not sure who does the best when it comes to total advertising revenues, since the talk shows are probably targetting women as well. (You know, those pretty things with no Y chromosome?)

(-:

Well, males 18-34 is the target for that time slot mostly. I hate to beat ABC like a dead horse (even if it is used to it) but they're sure as he** not shooting for a female demographic with Jimmy Kimmel!

[Mynd Hed]

Well, males 18-34 is the target for that time slot mostly. I hate to beat ABC like a dead horse (even if it is used to it) but they're sure as he** not shooting for a female demographic with Jimmy Kimmel!

Fair point, although they may be shooting for more males above 34 than Adult Swim is.

[Justy]

Originally posted by GL2k2
Also, USA did have something that's close to what I'm talking about. It was a couple of years before USA UP! All Night with Rhonda Shear and Gilbert Godfrey. This was called "Night Flight" and pretty much showcased an old "b" movie, some animated short, short films, film and music reviews, and even some videos. It lasted like four hours I think, but that's kinda my vision.

"Night Flight" lasted most of the 80s and was the cutting-edge video show available on most cable systems at the time. They played music videos that MTV would or could not and cult art and music films that no one else showed. It usually ran from 11 p.m to 5 a.m. or so was great TV. RIP...

The success of the AS block on CN would probably make it ripe to be imitated by another network but the format would be questionable. Any non-domestic shows would most likely be edited in some fashion to someone's standards, probably more strict than ones CN currently has in force, which seem to have loosened somewhat recently. Domestically produced shows, while definately having adults in mind, seem to only have crude humor and sexual situations at their core (see TNN's Strip). Shows like these need some sort of social commentary in them to make them watchable (like South Park).

The domestic shows are ignoring the one thing that non-domestic shows have and make them interesting to watch--A STORY! Until an animated show with a story can get good ratings, most blocks that might show up will be most likely filled with shows like those aired on TNN's Strip or variations of The Simpsons and South Park.