TCA2019: CBS And FOX Tout New Animated Series

Notes from the producers for both.

With Netflix and Adult Swim taking commanding leads in adult animation acquisitions, it didn’t take long before the big four broadcast networks were gonna take notice and jump in on the frenzy. Case and point, this week’s Winter 2019 TCA panels where networks CBS and FOX are promoting like crazy their new animated series pickups.

For starters, don’t expect to see Star Trek: Lower Decks to appear on CBS All Access for another year. The new series from Mike McMahan (Rick and Morty) is currently in production with a two full season order and here’s what producer Alex Kurtzman had to say to piece of shit site Comicbook.com:

“Yeah, we are in development on that now too, and that’s happening for sure,” Kurtzman tells ComicBook.com. “Animation, it takes a year. It’s actually very much like what we’re doing on our shows because of the visual effects component. It takes a year from writing the script, doing the animation, getting it back, refining it. So, we don’t ever want to rush anything out until it’s perfectly ready. And the beautiful thing about streaming is we don’t have to. We get to keep doing it until we all love it, and then you get to watch. And hopefully, you’ll love it too.”

Star Trek: Lower Decks will focus on the support crew serving on one of Starfleet’s least important ships.

Not to be outdone, FOX is claiming to still be the primo spot for adult animation, talking up Bless the Harts, the network’s only woman produced, mostly women casted, series that will be premiering later this year. Thirteen episodes are on the way. BLESS THE HARTS follows a group of Southerners who are always broke as a joke, and struggling for the American dream of status and wealth.  What they don’t realize is that they’re already rich, in friends, family and laughter. The half-hour animated comedy features the voices of Academy Award and Golden Globe nominee Kristen Wiig (“Bridesmaids,” “Saturday Night Live”), Emmy Award and Screen Actors Guild Award nominee Maya Rudolph (“The Good Place,” “Bridesmaids”), Emmy Award nominee Jillian Bell (“Saturday Night Live,” “Eastbound & Down”) and Ike Barinholtz (“Neighbors,” “Blockers”). Created and executive-produced by Emmy Award winner Emily Spivey (“The Last Man on Earth,” “Parks and Recreation,” “Saturday Night Live”), the series sees Phil Miller and Chris Lord as producers.

Not only did everyone decide to stick around for a table read, featuring a noticeably absent Kristen Wiig, but Emily Spivey was very open about what she wanted with the direction of the series. For starters, the producers mention more of a visual cue from the likes of King of the Hill rather than anything on the FOX network now (they even took the Mega Lo Mart store name) with inspiration taken from Spivey’s upbringing in North Carolina. The series sounds like it’s going to be very much a family comedy, similar to how Bob’s Burgers is able to hit up and down the age demographic rather well,.

Surprisingly, we got the two-season renewal for The Simpsons. But, we haven’t heard a damn thing about Family Guy despite the show that the show alreayd has 20 episodes pretty much in the can to help finish this season and get us mostly through with next season.