Animated series

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An animated series is a set of animated television works with a common title, usually related to one another. These episodes should typically share the same main heroes, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series can have either a finite number of episodes like a miniseries, a definite end, or be open-ended, without a predetermined number of episodes. [1] They can be broadcast on television, shown in movie theatres, released on the internet [1] or direct-to-video. Like other creative works, animated series can be of a wide variety of genres and can also have different target audiences: both males and females, both children and adults. [1]

Contents

Television

Animated television series are presented daily or on certain days of the week during a prescribed time slot, including for example saturday-morning cartoons, prime time cartoons, late night anime, and weekday cartoons; series broadcast only on weekends. [1]

The duration of an episode also varies. Traditionally, they are produced as complete half-hour or nearly half-hour programs; however, many are presented as animated shorts of 10—11 minutes, which can be combined for filling a set time period in "segments", including several such shorts. When advertising is taken into account, the cartoon itself may be only 15—20 minutes of the half hour, although Netflix and many other streaming companies do not show commercials. There are also series with a very short episodes lasting approximately five minutes; they have recently become more common in Japanese animation.

If a local station of a television network broadcasts an animated series as a part of its own programming, the time-slot will vary by region.

All early animated television series, the first being Crusader Rabbit (1950—1959), are comic cartoon series. However, later series include sports [1] ( Speed Racer , Captain Tsubasa , Slam Dunk ), action ( Hajime no Ippo , [1] G.I. Joe ), science fiction ( Mobile Suit Gundam , Tenchi Muyo ), drama ( Neon Genesis Evangelion ), adventure ( Dragon Ball ), martial arts ( Baki the Grappler ), and other genres. [1]

The first animated sitcom was The Flintstones [1] (1960—1966), [2] produced by Hanna-Barbera. It was followed by other sitcoms of this studio: Top Cat (1961—1962), Jonny Quest (1964—1965), The Jetsons [1] (1962—1987) and Wait Till Your Father Gets Home (1972—1974), an adult-oriented animated series [2] in the style of All in the Family . The Alvin Show from Ross Bagdasarian Sr. and Beany and Cecil from Bob Clampett are also sitcoms. [1]

Broadcast network

The 1980s and 1990s were a renaissance of the animated children and adult television series. Various broadcast networks and media companies began creating television channels and formats designed specifically for airing cartoon and anime series. Companies that already had these types of formats in place began to revamp their existing models during this time. Most of this animations were American-based or Japanese anime. Listed below are examples of television networks and channels that include animated programs.

Examples of animation-focused networks and channels are listed below; but some of them aired live-action programs occasionally.

During the 1990s, more mature content than those of traditional cartoon series began to appear more widely, extending beyond a primary audience of children. These cartoon series included The Simpsons , South Park , Family Guy , [2] Futurama , [1] The Ren & Stimpy Show , Rocko's Modern Life , Beavis and Butt-Head , King of the Hill , and Duckman . Canadian computer-animated series ReBoot , which began as a child-friendly show, shifted its target group to ages 12 and up, resulting in a darker and more mature storyline. [3]

Film theatrical

Animated film theatrical series include all early animated series: Animated Weekly (1913), [4] The Newlyweds (1913—1915), [5] Travelaughs (1913, 1915—1918, 1921—1923), [6] Doc Yak (1913—1915), [7] Colonel Heeza Liar (1913—1917, 1922—1924), [8] Kapten Grogg  [ sv ] (1916—1922), [9] Les Aventures des Pieds Nickelés (1917—1918), [10] the Tom and Jerry cartoon short films released in movie theatres from 1940 to 1967, and many others. [1]

Direct-to-video

Direct-to-video animated series include most Japanese original video animations (OVAs). The first OVA series (and also the first overall OVA) was Dallos (1983—1985). Almost all hentai (pornographic) anime series are released as OVAs.

Web series

Animated web series are designed and produced for streaming services. Examples include Happy Tree Friends (1999—2023) and Eddsworld (2003—present).

They can also be released on YouTube, such as Asdfmovie, which debuted in 2008.

Related Research Articles

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Terrytoons was an American animation studio in New Rochelle, New York, that produced animated cartoons for theatrical release from 1929 to 1973. Terrytoons was founded by Paul Terry, Frank Moser, and Joseph Coffman, and operated out of the "K" Building in downtown New Rochelle. The studio created many cartoon characters including Fanny Zilch, Mighty Mouse, Heckle and Jeckle, Gandy Goose, Sourpuss, Dinky Duck, Little Roquefort, the Terry Bears, Dimwit, and Luno; Terry's pre-existing character Farmer Al Falfa was also featured often in the series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bray Productions</span> American animation studio

Bray Productions was a pioneering American animation studio that produced several popular cartoons during the years of World War I and the early interwar era, becoming a springboard for several key animators of the 20th century, including the Fleischer brothers, Walter Lantz, Paul Terry, Shamus Culhane and Grim Natwick among others.

<i>Gary Larsons Tales from the Far Side</i> American TV series or program

Gary Larson's Tales from the Far Side is an animated short film created in 1994 by Gary Larson, based on The Far Side comic strip. Both the title and concept are largely inspired by EC Comics' Tales From The Crypt. It was first shown as a Halloween special on CBS television, which aired on October 26, 1994. Later it was awarded the Grand Prix at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merlin the Magic Mouse</span> Warner Bros. theatrical cartoon character

Merlin the Magic Mouse is an animated cartoon mouse, who starred in five Warner Bros. Looney Tunes shorts late in the series, from 1967 to 1969. The first cartoon was Merlin the Magic Mouse, directed by Alex Lovy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Farmer Al Falfa</span> Animated character

Farmer Al Falfa, also known as Farmer Alfalfa, is an animated cartoon character created by American cartoonist Paul Terry. He first appeared in Down On the Phoney Farm (1915), a short Terry cartoon distributed by the Thanhouser Company. Next came a series of shorts produced by Terry for Bray Studios, starting with Farmer Al Falfa's Cat-Tastrophe (1916).

<i>The Land Before Time</i> (TV series) American TV series or program

The Land Before Time is an American animated musical television series, based on The Land Before Time film series created by Judy Freudberg and Tony Geiss. It was developed for television by Ford Riley for Cartoon Network and was produced by Universal Animation Studios and Amblin Entertainment, and animated by Wang Film Productions in Taiwan and Toon City in the Philippines. It premiered on YTV in Canada for a test on January 5, 2007 and premiered on Cartoon Network in the United States on March 5.

<i>WXIII: Patlabor the Movie 3</i> 2001 film

WXIII: Patlabor the Movie 3 is a 2002 Japanese animated science fiction thriller film directed by Fumihiko Takayama and written by Miki Tori. The third and final installment of the Patlabor film trilogy, it takes place in between Patlabor: The Movie and Patlabor 2: The Movie and serves as a side story, focusing on two police detectives and SV2 as they investigate a series of mysterious acts of deadly destruction occurring in and around Tokyo Bay that may be connected to a genetic experiment gone wrong. It was animated by Madhouse and produced by Bandai Visual and Tohokushinsha.

The Impractical Joker is a 1937 Fleischer Studios animated short film starring Betty Boop. Jack Mercer provides the voice for Irving.

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<i>Double Dribble</i> (film) 1946 film

Double Dribble is a 1946 Disney theatrical cartoon short that spoofs the sport of basketball and stars Goofy. It is directed by Jack Hannah.

Ain't That Ducky is a 1945 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon, directed by Friz Freleng. The cartoon was released on May 19, 1945, and stars Daffy Duck.

This is a listing of all the animated shorts released by Warner Bros. under the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies banners between 1930 and 1939, plus the pilot film from 1929 which was used to sell the Looney Tunes series to Leon Schlesinger and Warner Bros. A total of 270 shorts were released during the 1930s.

Puddy the Pup is a Terrytoons cartoon character who featured in a theatrical short film series from 1935 to 1942. He also appeared as Farmer Al Falfa's sidekick in other Terrytoon shorts, such as Tin Can Tourist and Farmer Al Falfa's Prize Package. The character is a white dog with a black ear, a design similar to generic dogs in various Terrytoons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colonel Heeza Liar</span> Series of animated films produced by J. R. Bray Studios

Colonel Heeza Liar is the star of the second animated series featuring a recurring character and the first featuring a recurring character created specifically for an animated film. Sidney Smith's Old Doc Yak appeared in 3 lost films in 1913 before Colonel Heeza Liar appeared. Smith's series though was based on his Old Doc Yak comic strip. Smith did 13 additional cartoons in 1914 and 2 in 1915. Colonel Heeza Liar was created by J. R. Bray and is mainly based on Theodore Roosevelt and the general stereotype of the 19th and early 20th century former adventurer and lion hunter. The series ran from 1913 to 1917 and restarted in 1922 until 1924. It was produced by Bray Productions and directed by Vernon Stallings. The series was animated by Walter Lantz from 1922 to 1924 and featured live-action segments interacting with the animation, much like the popular contemporary series Out of the Inkwell.

Burt Gillet's Toddle Tales is a theatrical cartoon series which lasted from June 29 to September 7, 1934, and was made by the Van Beuren Studios. All of the films combined live-action and animation.

Nanny and the Professor is a 1972 American animated comedy TV movie based on the sitcom by the same name. The series' original cast reprised their roles from the live action series. Unlike in the television series, Nanny openly performs magic, while in the TV series it was only implied. The film was broadcast on September 30, 1972, as part of The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Федюшин, Владислав Валерьевич (2023-10-06). "Анимационный сериал" [Animated series]. Научно-образовательный портал «Большая российская энциклопедия»[Great Russian Encyclopedia Online] (in Russian). Retrieved 2024-03-23.
  2. 1 2 3 Шпоть, Василиса Виталиевна (2023-10-18). "Ситком" [Sitcom]. Научно-образовательный портал «Большая российская энциклопедия»[Great Russian Encyclopedia Online] (in Russian). Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  3. Hetherington, Janet L. "As Mainframe's technology reaches adolescence, there's a 'ReBoot' Renaissance". Animation Magazine #59. Vol. 11, Issue #8, September 1997.
  4. Bastide, Bernard (2007). "Des cabarets de Montmartre aux studios de Fort Lee: Émile Cohl et Étienne Arnaud, une amitié fertile". OpenEdition Journals (in French) 53. 1895. Mille huit cent quatre-vingt-quinze: 194–209. doi:10.4000/1895.2473 . Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  5. Lenburg, Jeff (2009). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Facts On File. p. 38. ISBN   0-8160-6599-3.
  6. Lenburg, Jeff (2009). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Facts On File. p. 48. ISBN   0-8160-6599-3.
  7. Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Checkmark Books. p. 26. ISBN   0-8160-3831-7 . Retrieved 2024-03-30.
  8. Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Checkmark Books. pp. 24–25. ISBN   0-8160-3831-7 . Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  9. Giannalberto, Bendazzi (2015). Animation. Vol. 1. Burlington, MA: Focal Press. p. 67. ISBN   9781138854529.
  10. Loné, Éric (2007). "Les Aventures des Pieds Nickelés". OpenEdition Journals (in French) 53. 1895. Mille huit cent quatre-vingt-quinze: 324–325. doi:10.4000/1895.2593 . Retrieved 2024-07-09.