"The 7D"

The new Disney TVA show, with pre-production done in the company's offices near the Bobb Hope Airport, is about to launch:

... If you were to read the credits for "The 7D" closely, you'd notice that all sorts of "Animaniacs" veterans are working behind-the-scenes on this new Disney Television animation series. These include Executive Producer Tom Ruegger, Story Editor Sherri Stoner and show writers Paul Rugg, Deanna Oliver & Randy Rogel. Not to mention Maurice LaMarche (who voiced the Brain on "Animaniacs!" and now voices Grumpy on "The 7D") and Jess Harnell (who voiced Wakko Warner on that Warner Bros. production and now voices Grim Gloom, one of the comic villains on this Disney Television Animation series).

"It's important to stress here that while 'The 7D' doesn't actually mimic 'Animaniacs' in any way, this new show still has that same sort of irreverence, that same ability to wink towards the camera." ... Maurice LaMarche explained during a recent group phone interview with the entire vocal cast. ...

I don't think I fully realized until I watched The 7D come together over the past couple of years just how many steeple chase jumps TVA show creators leap over in getting a show into the Disney distribution pipe-line.

There are scripts and boards created. Then there are tests with focus groups. Then animatics, lots of refining, then more testing and focus groups.

After which there is a pilot and more testing. And focus groups.

And by the time the whole process is done, the Disney Channel knows what project it's getting and how that project will likely perform. The whole parade, start to finish, takes a looong time.

All that said, The 7D is now primed and ready for launch, so we'll see how it performs with the general public and its key demographic group.