The big players in TeeVee Toonland have been looking for a hot new series to kick the television cartoon marketplace to a higher level. Fox has its primetime animated lineup. Disney has its live-action franchises. For Cartoon Network, this week George Lucas rockets to the rescue:
Turner Broadcasting’s Cartoon Network, now running third behind Nickelodeon and Disney Channel in the kids market, sees “Clone Wars” as a game-changer, Mr. O’Hara said.
“This is the most significant programming event on Cartoon Network in our history,” he said. “It’s a significant property with significant interest beyond just our core demographic. So that’s a great opportunity for us and a great opportunity for our marketing partners.” ...
The animated feature carved from the series has done less than spectacular business, but as a big-screen advertisement for the half-hours that Cartoon Network premieres this week, it probably served its purpose.
This is the most significant programming event on Cartoon Network in our history,” [John O’Hara, executive VP of ad sales and marketing for Cartoon Network and Adult Swim], said. “It’s a significant property with significant interest beyond just our core demographic. So that’s a great opportunity for us and a great opportunity for our marketing partners.”
I'd say. The Time-Warner family appears to be marketing this franchise hard. And why not? Cartoon Network has been lagging in third-place for awhile. It perceives Clone Wars as its best bet for eclipsing Disney and Nick.
Naturally, I hope it gives the network a large boost. More eyeballs mean more money. More money means more series get made, and more artists go to work.
Kind of a recurring theme around here.
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6 comments:
"I'd say. The Time-Warner family appears to be marketing this franchise hard. And why not?"
Here is a big why not:
Its not even their franchise. There is already a very low ceiling on how successful it can be for them because Lucas OWNS the franchise and fiercely protects the revenues. What if the show is a hit? Is Cartoon Network going to cash in on merchandising? Wrong! Merchandising dollar goes to Lucas because he created it.
Cartoon Network is just riding piggy back on a proven property. Thats what a network does when it has moved all production in house and created a mostly stangnant and incestuous atmosphere where nothing fresh or new gets created. Artists are ruled by committee, decisions are belabored, and the ones in control are too chickenshit to take any risks.
Carton Network isn't going to make record profits from the advertising dollar alone. Networks make the big dollar from capitalizing on a property with merchandise and features and reaping the rewards of having something they created be in demand around the world.
So now times are so dismal over there that they just bypass the "created" part and use their channel to broadcast George Lucas' cartoons. ...and by the way, its a property that is in its autumn years. The box office pull for that movie was dismal. Its not going to get better on tv.
Steve I know you want to strike a positive note for union studios, but give me a break. CN is a depressingly underachieving entity. This isn't a nail in their coffin, but its hardly anything to crow about. Lets face facts here.
Not to mention clone wars sucks, and was produced primarily overseas.
They're going to be dissapointed when that show bombs.
I haven't heard one good thing about Clone Wars since it came out.
Maybe the Secret Saturdays and Ben 10: Alien Force, will pick up the slack.
Actually, I hope they do better.
A crap project that creates jobs overseas to sell crap toys made in China back to jobless bankrupt Americans with credit cards. Thank you Lucas and Time Warner. Exactly how is this good for animation? Exactly how is this good for anyone?
"..created a mostly stangnant and incestuous atmosphere where nothing fresh or new gets created. Artists are ruled by committee, decisions are belabored, and the ones in control are too chickenshit to take any risks."
Yes. This is true.
You're correct, "Clone Wars" isn't going to make CN much money (I don't think; I don't know what their deal is with Lucas). However ...
ANY network, broadcast or cable, has to find a way to boost viewership. The idea is, they get the eyeballs watching, they plug other shows, they get people coming back for other product.
The trick here is to create newer product that people want to see.
CN is developing a hell of a lot of shorts along the Seibert model. If a couple of those get greenlit for series and those series turn into hits, the "Clone Wars" stratagem will be seen as a success.
If not, not.
But the game here is getting eyeballs to come to the network, sample other offerings, and hang around beyond the Land of Luca.
Warner Bros. holds the distribution rights to Clone Wars, so Time Warner will be able to cash in on this show.
Seen iTunes lately? This show is one of its highest sellers.
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