Tuesday, May 31, 2011

The Studio Rounds

Like always, I've bopped around to various studios the last few days, and more people seem to be working at desks ...

Over at Cartoon Network, staffers on The Regular Show tell me they're hopeful of more pickups:

"We've got a new order of 21 fifteen-minute segments, but they're gonna be combining those into thirty-minute shows. Be nice to get another twenty-one ... or even forty-two."

Cartoon Network is doing well, thank you very much. As TV by the numbers observes:

... Cartoon Network’s Monday night line-up (7-9 p.m.) of original animated comedies was the #1 TV destination for all boys demos (2-11, 6-11 and 9-14), earning solid delivery gains across all kids and boys demos vs. the prior year. Original series The Amazing World of Gumball (7:30 p.m.), Adventure Time (8 p.m.), Regular Show (8:15 p.m.), MAD (8:30 p.m.) and Problem Solverz (8:45 p.m.) all ranked #1 in their timeslots on all television among boys, also scoring gains across nearly all kids and boys demos. ...

And in the next building over on Third Street, Nickelodeon has two DreamWorks Animation TV shows in production: Kung Fu Panda, and The Penguins of Madagascar. Penguins is finishing its final season. Though ratings are good, an artist told me: "DreamWorks Animation doesn't want to do a lot of shows, so when we finish this season's order, we're done."

Kung Fu Panda, the series has yet to air. Word on the floor is that the episodes start rolling out late next Fall (after the second movie is at the end of its run.).

Disney TVA now has its pre-school shows (Mickey's Club House, Jake and the Neverland Pirates, etc.) over in the Yahoo Building near the legendary Bob Hope Airport. In the meanwhile, the Sonora Building is being worked on as the time nears for Disney Toons Studio to move next door while Television Animation takes over the whole facility. (Disney TVA will shortly exit the studio's Burbank lot.)

Television Animation has been on a bit of a tear lately, with new shows coming into different production pipe-lines, and employment moving higher. Supply of talent still outstrips demand, but not as much as a year or three ago.

5 comments:

Floyd Norman said...

It would appear animation is moving back to Glendale where Disney is busily creating a new campus. The renovation on Sonora continues and construction on our new buildings is massive.

Even better, a pirate flag flies atop our Disney construction site. Arrrrrr!

Anonymous said...

"our?"

Low Keye said...

Wait. Have they finally given the approval for the new Animation building that Ed Catmull and John were wanting to build? I know Iger put a stop to it a couple years ago because of the cost. It's back on???

Anonymous said...

He's talking about a TV animation/Disneytoons video building, not feature animation which is staying put in their grossly expensive hat, which Disney's nice enough to gouge themselves on renting.

Anonymous said...

How could they end Penguins early? It's a great show with great ratings. I guess it's the bureaucracy at Dreamworks that's responsible.

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