Adult Swim: Difference between revisions

Adult-oriented programming block on Cartoon Network

Television channel

Adult Swim (stylized as [adult swim] since 2003 and also abbreviated as [as]) is a programming block broadcast by the American basic cable channel Cartoon Network during the evening, prime time, and late-night dayparts. The block features stylistically varied animated and live-action series targeting an adult audience, including original programming (particularly comedies and action series), syndicated series, and short films with generally minimal or no editing for content. Adult Swim is programmed by Williams Street, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Television Studios that also produces much of the block’s original programming.

First broadcast on September 2, 2001, Adult Swim has frequently aired animated sitcoms, adult animation features, mockumentaries, sketch comedy, and pilots, with many of its programs being aesthetically experimental, transgressive, improvised, and surrealist in nature. Adult Swim has contracted with various studios known for their productions in absurd and shock comedy.^[1] In addition to comedy, Adult Swim also broadcasts Japanese anime and American action animation, and since May 2012 this type of programming has generally been aired on its Saturday night Toonami block, which itself is a relaunch of the original block of the same name that ran on Cartoon Network from March 1997 to September 2008.

Adult Swim initially ran in the late night hours. It began to expand into prime time in 2008, and moved its start time to 8:00 p.m. ET/PT in 2014. To take advantage of young adult viewership of Cartoon Network in the daypart, Adult Swim expanded further to 7:00 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays beginning in May 2023. After experiencing success with the changes, Adult Swim announced that it will further expand to 5:00 p.m. beginning on August 28, 2023, signing on with a block named “Checkered Past” in which will feature Cartoon Network original series primarily from the 1990s and 2000s on weekdays.^[2]

Due to its differing demographics, Adult Swim is usually promoted by Warner Bros. Discovery U.S. Networks as being a separate network time-sharing with Cartoon Network on its channel allotment, with its viewership being measured separately by Nielsen from the youth-oriented daytime and afternoon programming carried under the Cartoon Network branding.

History[edit]

Creation and development (1994–2001)[edit]

Cartoon Network‘s original head programmer, Mike Lazzo, conceived Adult Swim.^[3] The block grew out of Cartoon Network’s previous attempts at airing content appropriate for adults who might be watching the channel after 11 pm (ET/PT). The network began experimenting with its late-night programming by airing anthology shows that presented uncensored classic cartoon shorts, such as ToonHeads, The Bob Clampett Show, The Tex Avery Show, Late Night Black and White, and O Canada. Another block, Toonami‘s “Midnight Run”, aired the network’s action programming uncut with minimal edits. At that time, one third of Cartoon Network’s audience were adults.^[4][5]

During the 1990s, prime time animation geared toward adults started growing popular due to the success of Fox’s hit show The Simpsons.^[6][7][8] This was followed by a trend of other adult-oriented animated shows throughout the decade, as well as more general-oriented animated series that garnered strong adult followings.

Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Cartoon Network’s first foray into original programming, was created in 1994 specifically for late-night adult audiences. The series was created by Mike Lazzo‘s Ghost Planet Industries, which eventually became Williams Street Studios, the producers and programmers of Adult Swim.

Between 4:00 am and 5:00 am on December 21, and December 30, 2000 (while Space Ghost Coast to Coast was on hiatus), several new Williams Street series made unannounced “stealth” premieres. Sealab 2021, Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and The Brak Show all premiered unannounced;^[9] the official schedules listed the shows as “Special Programming”.^[10] Prior to that, in Entertainment Weekly, it was stated that Michael Ouweleen‘s next project was working on the Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law Pilot with J. J. Sedelmaier.^[11] In a 1999 interview, the indie pop rock band Calamine stated they had recorded the theme song for Sealab 2021.^[12] While entertaining pitches for a variety of adult cartoons, Lazzo realized the potential for packaging them as a complete adult-focused block. Different names were considered, including “ibiso”, which was said to be Spanish for “stop”, “Parental…