Expanding television...
Well, the fall season is upon us once again. The most notable
mark this year is the expansion of animation into prime-time. While The
Flintstones started the world of prime-time animation, no one has revived
it, and profited from it, like Fox. Ready to expand its current success,
Fox is adding three prime-time shows this year: Futurama, Family
Guy and The PJs are all being introduced mid-season. That's
quite an influx! However, there is more. The success of shows like The
Simpsons, which is a tremendously popular phenomenon whether we are
talking live-action or animation, and King of the Hill, have inspired
others to take part in the game. Comedy Central was one of the first to
take the plunge with Dr. Katz and South Park. Their risks
have proven profitable. South Park has been a huge victory for them,
grabbing the network's highest ratings to date. Now, Bob
and Margaret promises to be another, albeit
less crude, hit. Furthermore, with almost simultaneous Canadian, U.K. and
U.S. distribution Bob and Margaret could be an international success
early in its airing career. Now even NBC, a major U.S. network, is getting
involved by airing the U.K.'s Stressed Eric. What is interesting
to note is that instead of Bob and Margaret and Stressed Eric
being spawned in the U.S. and then distributed globally, these are co-production
deals that are bringing these shows to multiple, international outlets
at once.
We have long heard of the booming animation field and we have long feared
the inevitable recession. First the expansion was in features, then it
was in home video, now it is in prime-time animation. We have been saved
from heavy recessions and have experienced growth due to new outlets continually
opening up. Prime-time could be our next savior and even offer another
chance to expand. Here's hoping these new prime-time shows are everything
they are cracked up to be and that the audience responds in kind!
This is also the second season of FCC-friendly programming in the U.S.
Despite all the panic and suspicion that children were going to turn away
from the tube in droves, Disney and ABC have proven that pro-social programming
can be popular--and the ratings agree. Children haven't turned off. In
fact, good shows are just plain good shows and if the stories and characters
are engaging, children will watch and, hey, maybe even learn something.
The Writers Guild of America's Animation Writers Caucus also deserves congratulating
this month as they have struck a deal with Fox's prime-time schedule to
represent the network's animation writers, offering them a new round of
benefits. Long under the artists' MPSC banner, this signing delineates
a shift as explained by Craig Miller in his article "Better For All Concerned: The Writers Guild of America's
Animation Writers Caucus." There is an ongoing
struggle between artists and writers that is unique to animation and that
has been heightened in the last few years. Some shows are heavily writer-based,
causing storyboard artists to feel very put-out indeed. Still, other shows
let the artists have their way...and sometime these shows wander without
a sturdy foundation. With the influx of live-action personnel into animation
this misunderstanding has only grown. Live-action folks often want to see
the final script! Not understanding that in animation a final storyboard
is more close to the actual final show than any script. Naturally, in a
healthy situation it is a blending of writing and `boarding that makes
a successful product and each production needs to find its own middle ground.
Kudos also go to the Walt Disney Company for avidly preserving their history.
There is no doubt that when we consider animation we have to discuss Disney.
I'd like to thank them for seriously archiving their history and artwork.
These materials are a tremendous resource, not only to Disney historians,
but all animation scholars. To learn more about their collections, please
read Katie Mason's "Inside Disney:
The Archives and Animation Research Library."
Until next time,
Heather
Note: Readers may contact any Animation World Magazine contributor by sending an e-mail to editor@awn.com.
Feedback?
Past Issues
About | Help | Home | info@awn.com | Mail | Register
| Animation World Magazine
| Animation World Store
| The AWN Vault The AWN Gallery | Animation Village | Calendar of Events | Career Connections | Forums & Chats | Home |
©1998 Animation World Network