Fox just announced a new animation unit to develop and produce a late-night block of animation that will also have an online counterpart. You know, like Adult Swim. (They also hired the former development head of Adult Swim.) We’ll have to wait till January 2013 to see any actual shows come out of it, but the creation of this unit definitely sounds like a good move for Fox. Full press release below:
FOX FORGES NEW UNIT TO CREATE ALTERNATIVE ANIMATED CONTENTProgramming Will Run on New Late-Night Animated Block and Digital ChannelNetwork Inks Exclusive Deals with Former Adult Swim Development Head Nick Weidenfeld and Producer Hend BaghdadyBuilding on its more than 20 years of animation domination, Fox Broadcasting Company (“FOXâ€) has created a new unit to oversee the development and production of alternative animated series, shorts and user-adapted material for a brand new late-night animated programming block and new digital multi-platform network, it was announced today by Kevin Reilly, FOX President of Entertainment.To run this new unit, FOX has inked an exclusive deal with Nick Weidenfeld, former head of program development for Adult Swim and executive producer of acclaimed series “Childrens Hospital†and “The Boondocks.†The network has also tapped producer Hend Baghdady (“Warren The Ape,†“The Andy Milonakis Showâ€) as the executive in charge of production for the new division.Under their leadership, the unit will develop and produce an ambitious slate of original animated shorts and series to run both on-air and online. The late-night programming block will air Saturdays (11:00 PM-12:30 AM ET/PT) on FOX and will feature four new animated series per season starting in January 2013.The digital channel will extend across platforms such as Web, mobile apps, game consoles and Video on Demand. It kicks off in 2012 and will feature 50 original short-form pieces per year, online windows of FOX animated shows, and user-adapted content. It will create a unique opportunity for fans and up-and-coming talent to engage with professional FOX-curated content, which they could possibly platform into their own series. FOX will also use its expertise and cross-promotional power to nurture these new assets through this pipeline.“This may be the first time a network is building a clear bridge for talent to develop and grow ideas in the digital/alternative arena and organically move them into the mainstream,†said Reilly. “These new late-night series will be assets in their own right – but the clear possibility exists for a breakout digital success to graduate to primetime.â€â€œNick had an incredible track record at Adult Swim and is a dynamic guy with the instincts to cultivate and produce inventive and irreverent series that animation fans love. Together with Hend, they are the perfect partners for us in this exciting new venture,†Reilly continued.Prior to teaming with FOX under his Friends Night production company banner, Weidenfeld served as the head of Program Development for Adult Swim. Over the last eight years, Weidenfeld helped grow the late-night block of programming on Cartoon Network – featuring breakout hits such as “Robot Chicken†and “Aqua Teen Hunger Force†– into the No. 1 cable entertainment channel among young men. He executive-produced a variety of animated and live-action shows, including the Peabody Award-winning “The Boondocks,†“Childrens Hospital,†“NTSF:SD:SUV::,†“Metalocalypse,†“Superjail!†and “China, IL,†to name a few. In 2009, Weidenfeld co-created and co-wrote the animated hour-long cartoon, “Freaknik: The Musical,†starring Grammy Award-winning singer T-Pain as well as Cee Lo, Lil Wayne, Andy Samberg, and Bill Hader. The musical is currently being adapted for the stage. Most recently, he adapted the feature film “Black Dynamite†into an animated series and built a sketch show around the rap group and Internet sensation, Odd Future.Hend Baghdady began her career in New York working on the first season of “Crank Yankers†with Jackhole Industries. Since then, she has developed, produced and created production formats and templates for live-action and animated comedy series for MTV, Comedy Central, and Adult Swim. Her most recent credits include the “Community†stop-motion Christmas special “Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmasâ€; the first strip animated show “DJ & The Froâ€; “The Andy Milonakis Showâ€; “Warren The Apeâ€; and Kanye West’s pilot “Alligator Boots.â€ABOUT FOX BROADCASTING COMPANYFox Broadcasting Company (FOX) is a unit of News Corporation and the leading broadcast television network among Adults 18-49. FOX finished the 2010-2011 season at No. 1 in the key adult demographic for the seventh consecutive year – a feat that has never been achieved in broadcast history – while continuing to dominate all network competition in the more targeted Adults 18-34 and Teen demographics. FOX airs 15 hours of primetime programming a week as well as late-night entertainment programming, major sports and Sunday morning news.