Mission Hill | |
---|---|
Also known as | The Downtowners (original title) |
Genre | |
Created by | |
Voices of | |
Theme music composer | John McCrea |
Opening theme | "Italian Leather Sofa" by Cake |
Composer | Eric Speier |
Country of origin | United States |
No. of seasons | 1 |
No. of episodes | 13 |
Production | |
Executive producers |
|
Producer | Colin A.B.V. Lewis |
Running time | 21–23 minutes |
Production companies | |
Original release | |
Network | The WB |
Release | September 21, 1999[1] – July 16, 2000 |
Network | Adult Swim |
Release | May 26 – August 11, 2002 |
Mission Hill [a] is an American adult animated sitcom created by Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein for The WB. It originally aired for five episodes from September 21, 1999, [1] to July 16, 2000; unaired episodes were burnt off on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim from May 26 to August 11, 2002. [3] The series follows Andy French, a retail worker who lives with roommates Jim and Posey as well as their dog, Stogie. Andy's lifestyle is taken for a turn when his younger brother Kevin moves in with him.
While initially garnering poor ratings, it has since gained a cult following, and is also popular outside of North America, receiving broadcasts in Australia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, Spain and New Zealand. Stylistically, the series is recognizable for its bright, neon color palette, and features a peculiar mixture of modern animation and traditional "cartoonish" drawings (dashed lines coming from eyes to indicate line of vision, red bolts of lightning around a spot suffered). The style was made to be reminiscent of 1930s rubber hose cartoons such as Fleischer Studios, Walt Disney, Warner Bros., and MGM, as well as mid-century modern cartoons with the likes of Hanna-Barbera, UPA, Jay Ward, and The Pink Panther . The designs were done by Lauren MacMullan, who cites the comic series Eightball as her source of inspiration for her overall design.
Mission Hill was conceived in 1997 by Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein, former executive producers/showrunners of The Simpsons , with the original artistic designer being Lauren MacMullan. Oakley has mentioned that one of the main inspirations for Mission Hill was the 1997 MTV series Austin Stories , which followed a group of 20-somethings in Austin, Texas. [4] After failed pitches to Fox and NBC, the rights to Mission Hill were purchased by Castle Rock Entertainment and The WB in the fall of 1997, following a successful pitch to Garth Ancier, the then-head of programming at the WB. [4] [5] At the pitch, network executives from the WB were presented with three designs for Andy, Jim, Kevin and Posey. One depicted them in a drastically different, more cartoonish art style; the other two drew closer resemblance to the final designs, but one featured slightly more realistic designs for Andy and Kevin, with another featuring less realistic designs for Jim and Posey. When one of the WB executives saw the alternate designs for Jim and Posey, he thought that they were the parents of Andy and Kevin. [6] MacMullan states that the final design chosen for Posey looked "much more attractive" when compared to the two alternate designs. [6]
In mid-1998, the WB officially announced that a 13 episode first season would begin airing in the fall of 1999, with the project being known as The Downtowners at this point. [7] [8] MTV's production of the similarly titled adult animated series Downtown eventually forced a name change. It featured the voices of Wallace Langham, Scott Menville, Brian Posehn, Vicki Lewis, Nick Jameson, Tom Kenny, Herbert Sigüenza, Jane Wiedlin, Tress MacNeille and Lisa Kushell. The theme song is a faster, instrumental version of "Italian Leather Sofa" by Cake, who Oakley and Weinstein were fans of. [9] This version was specifically recorded for the show. [9]
When the series was first sold to the WB, it was not yet synonymous with teen female-oriented drama programs such as Dawson's Creek , Felicity and Roswell , and its only popular show with that demographic was Buffy , which premiered at the beginning of 1997. Prior to Buffy, the network had been focusing on live action comedy shows aimed at African-Americans, such as The Jamie Foxx Show , The Steve Harvey Show and The Parent 'Hood . The success of Buffy and similar programs led to The Baltimore Sun labelling it as the "teen girl network" in July 1999, two months before Mission Hill premiered. [10] During the WB's 1999 upfront presentation to advertisers, the drama shows received applause from the advertisers in the audience, while Mission Hill was met with two minutes of silence. [11] In 2017, Oakley claimed, "In the time they ordered the show and the time it had appeared on the air, the network had redefined itself." [5] He adds, "they had this leftover programming, and by the time they figured out we shouldn’t be lumped in together [we] were in danger of killing that entire network. We hugely damaged the ratings of those other shows." [5] In another 2024 interview, Oakley said he initially thought that there might be some crossover between the audience of Mission Hill and shows such as Buffy, adding that "mostly at our urging, the show aired after an episode of Buffy, but all the Buffy viewers tuned out. They aired the next episode during their comedy block. We led off the night, and our ratings were so bad that we were murdering Jamie Foxx and Steve Harvey." [11]
Although 18 episodes were planned, only 13 were produced. [12] The series was put on hiatus by The WB after two episodes due to poor ratings. It returned in the summer of 2000 with smaller promotion, and was canceled on July 18, 2000, after four more episodes aired to poor ratings. [13] The series went on to develop a cult following, thanks to repeated airings of all 13 episodes on Canada's Teletoon (part of "Unleashed" block); Cartoon Network's popular late-night programming block Adult Swim; and Too Funny to Sleep, a late-night programming block on TBS. [14] Warner Home Video released all 13 completed episodes on DVD on November 29, 2005.
Bill Oakley has since voiced his dissatisfaction with the way Warner Bros. handled the series, and has said he doesn't mind if people pirate the series. [5]
On June 30, 2020, Oakley announced plans for a spin-off tentatively titled Gus and Wally, which will center on the middle-aged gay couple who were supporting characters in Mission Hill. It is set six months after the series' conclusion in the early 2000s, and will be produced by Warner Bros. Animation for contractual reasons, though it is unknown if it would be for the WBD-owned Max. [15]
In June 2022, Oakley claimed that they were still in the process of pitching the project, and that if this version was picked up, then it would continue under the Mission Hill moniker, rather than being titled Gus and Wally. [4] He also mentioned that it would include the unproduced episodes from the original incarnation of the show. [4]
In March 2023, Oakley confirmed in a tweet a Gus and Wally spin-off is "not gonna happen".
Set in the world of teens and 20-somethings, this series follows hip 24-year-old Andy French, whose sheltered suburban teenage brother Kevin moves in with him and his roommates in a big-city loft.
Note: Thirteen episodes of the series were produced while five more were written, but never completed. Animatics for some of these episodes were in production at the time of the series' cancellation. It was planned to put these animatics on the DVD for the series, but this never came to fruition. However, several of the animatics—including a completed video animatic and synchronized audio read-through of the episode "Pretty in Pink (Crap Gets in Your Eyes)"—have been released through various internet outlets.
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | U.S. viewers (millions) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "Pilot (or The Douchebag Aspect)" | Lauren MacMullan | Bill Oakley & Josh Weinstein | September 21, 1999 | 3950-01 | 2.28 [17] |
Andy French, an aspiring cartoonist working at a waterbed store run by a sleazy, ambiguously Eastern European man named Ron, is forced to take in his annoying little brother, Kevin, after Andy's parents decide to move away to Wyoming and not take Kevin with them. Music: "Burning Flies" by Looper, "Couldn't You Wait" (Acoustic Version) by Silkworm, "Don't Let the Bastards Grind You Down" by The Toasters, "Rude Boy Rock" by Lionrock | ||||||
2 | "Andy Joins the PTA (or Great Sexpectations)" | Gary McCarver | Andrew Kreisberg | May 26, 2002(on Adult Swim) | 3950-02 | N/A |
When Andy attends Kevin's parent-teacher conference en lieu of their mother and father, he joins the PTA in order to impress Kevin's English teacher. Meanwhile, Kevin becomes obsessed with an online role playing game. Music: "Machete" by Moby, "Do That Thing" by The Halo Benders, "Major Leagues" by Pavement | ||||||
3 | "Kevin's Problem (or Porno for Pyro)" | Tricia Garcia | J. David Stem & David N. Weiss | October 8, 1999 | 3950-03 | 1.50 [18] |
Kevin faces a moral dilemma when two bullies (Griffo and C-Dog) get blamed for burning down the Mission Hill market, which was an accident Kevin caused after trying to hide a pornographic magazine after one of the bullies catches him masturbating to it. Meanwhile, Jim returns from Japan wearing Day-Glo short-shorts which becomes popular with everyone (except Andy). | ||||||
4 | "Andy Vs. The Real World (or The Big-Ass Viacom Lawsuit)" | Christian Roman | Ben Kull | June 9, 2002(on Adult Swim) | 3950-04 | N/A |
Kevin finds a collection of old videos chronicling the time that MTV's The Real World filmed a season in Mission Hill—and how Andy became part of the cast after one of the house mates gets hit by a bus. Music: "Ape Self Prevails in Me Still" by Quasi, "Everybody Hurts" by R.E.M., "Begin" by Lambchop, "Bad Boys" by Inner Circle "Who's Afraid of Elizabeth Taylor" by Joan of Arc | ||||||
5 | "Andy and Kevin Make a Friend (or One Bang for Two Brothers)" | Mike Kim | Michael Panes | June 25, 2000 | 3950-05 | 1.85 [19] |
Kevin and Andy fight for the affections of George's sister. Meanwhile, Gus gets stabbed in the head and Wally urges him to go to the hospital to have the knife removed. Music: "Everybody Hurts" by R.E.M., "Sideshow" by The Wake, "Dying Culture" by Wumpscut | ||||||
6 | "Andy Gets a Promotion (or How to Get Head in Business Without Really Trying)" | Dominic Polcino | Michael Panes | July 9, 2000 | 3950-06 | 2.25 [20] |
After having his work rejected by nearly every magazine, Andy decides to abandon his dreams as a cartoonist and become Ron's assistant at the waterbed store, which changes Andy's personality for the worse. Music: "Blue Monday" by New Order, "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" by Culture Club, "Le Freak" by Chic | ||||||
7 | "Kevin Vs. the SAT (or Nocturnal Admissions)" | Ilya Skorupsky | J. David Stem & David N. Weiss | July 2, 2000 | 3950-07 | 1.79 [21] |
Kevin and his friends work furiously to crack the code for perfect scores on the SATs after learning that Ivy League schools aren't accepting students unless they have perfect SAT scores (800 Math, 800 Verbal) or are involved in extracurricular activities. Meanwhile, Posey advertises her massage services in a newspaper—which lands her in trouble with a local pimp. | ||||||
8 | "Unemployment: Part 1 (or Brother's Big Boner)" | Scott Alberts | Robin Stein | July 16, 2000 | 3950-08 | 1.81 [22] |
Andy, who just blew his parents' $400 living allowance on an organ in a desperate attempt to have fun without getting drunk or having sex, finds himself unemployed when Ron gets arrested for tax evasion and the waterbed store is seized by the government. When Andy can't hold down a job, Kevin goes to Ron to sign a form that activates Andy's unemployment payment—and becomes the owner of Ron's Ferraro. Music: "Sundown" by Gordon Lightfoot, "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" by Iron Butterfly | ||||||
9 | "Unemployment: Part 2 (or Theory of the Leisure Ass)" | Michael Dante DiMartino | Aaron Ehasz | July 14, 2002(on Adult Swim) | 3950-09 | N/A |
After weeks of staying at home eating Bugles and getting drunk, Andy discovers that Jim has a job—as a high-ranking executive of an advertising agency and decides to stop being a slacker and get back in the work force. Music: "Supermarket" by Clemek (from the Run Lola Run soundtrack), "The Spark that Bled" by The Flaming Lips, "9 to 5" by Dolly Parton, "Urban Gentleman" by The Jim Ruiz Group | ||||||
10 | "Kevin Finds Love (or Hot for Weirdie)" | Cynthia Wells | Dan McGrath | July 21, 2002(on Adult Swim) | 3950-10 | N/A |
Kevin asks out Eunice Eulmeyer (guest voice Jennifer Jason Leigh), the weirdest girl at his school, in the hopes that her famous scientist father will write him a letter of recommendation for Yale University. Meanwhile, Andy, Jim, and Posey are denied admission to a new nightclub, prompting them to create their own nightclub. Music: "Yo Yo" by Basement Jaxx, "Phalanx" by Jega, "Yakety Sax", "Breaking the Law" by Judas Priest | ||||||
11 | "Stories of Hope and Forgiveness (or Day of the Jackass)" | Christian Roman | Dan McGrath | July 28, 2002(on Adult Swim) | 3950-11 | N/A |
Andy is asked to the Grammys by actress Becca Michelle Butterfield; Posey meditates in an attempt to find nirvana; and Kevin gets involved in a protest when news of an international crisis hits. Music: "Arctic Cat" by The Gloria Record | ||||||
12 | "Happy Birthday, Kevin (or Happy Birthday, Douchebag)" | Mike Kim | Rob Schwartz & Rich Siegel | August 4, 2002(on Adult Swim) | 3950-12 | N/A |
Kevin's birthday is coming up, and, now that he's not at home with his family, he becomes depressed and miserable. Meanwhile, Natalie brings home a boa constrictor from an animal testing raid, and Carlos worries that the boa constrictor will attack their baby. Music: "Unsung" by Helmet, "Everloving" by Moby, "Cherry Pie" by Warrant. | ||||||
13 | "Plan 9 from Mission Hill (or I Married a Gay Man from Outer Space)" | Jim Shellhorn | Dan McGrath | August 11, 2002(on Adult Swim) | 3950-13 | N/A |
Kevin becomes fascinated with classic films when he sneaks into a local theater to watch Midnight Cowboy under the assumption that it's a porno film because of its "X" rating—and uncovers a lost B-movie that Wally directed in the 1950s. Music: *"Everybody's Talkin'" by Harry Nilsson, "Midnight Cowboy" by John Barry, György Ligeti's "Requiem for Soprano, Mezzo Sprano, two mixed choirs and orchestra" as performed by the Bavarian radio orchestra and conducted by Francis Travis is played as Kevin watches the film 2001: A Space Odyssey . |
No. | Title | Written by | Prod. code |
---|---|---|---|
14 | "Meditations on a Career in Advertising (or Supertool)" | Ben Kull | 3950-14 |
Andy and Jim work together on the "Chef-A-Rooni" account at the ad agency, but Jim ends up getting credit for it. Meanwhile, Kevin, Toby, and George buy an upscale Port-A-Potty after thugs Griffo, C-Dog, and Phat Ass take over the boys' room. | |||
15 | "To Grandmother's House We Go (or Freaky Weekend in the Crappy Crudwagon)" | Michael Panes | 3950-15 |
Andy, Kevin, Jim, and Posey take a road trip on Memorial Day Weekend to Andy and Kevin's grandmother's house, but Andy locks Kevin in the trunk. Eventually, an argument breaks out between Andy, Posey and Kevin about whether or not they should go to an Indian casino, the boys' grandmother's house or a large field of sunflowers. Meanwhile, Gus and Wally take care of Stogie. Music: "Karma Chameleon" by Culture Club is the only known song used in the episode, as an animatic clip on the Internet featuring what would have been the actual soundtrack is used. The rest of the animatic has not been released to the public. The script does mention a lot of 1980s songs being used as all the radio stations are playing 1980s music during the three-day weekend. | |||
16 | "Pretty in Pink (or Crap Gets in Your Eyes)" | Aaron Ehasz | 3950-16 |
Andy and Gwen's relationship goes through a rocky period after Gwen breaks up with Andy and Andy drunkenly sleeps with Jim's assistant, Stacie, who loves Jim and also only slept with Andy because she was drunk. | |||
17 | "Death of a Yale Man (or Premature Metriculation)" | Robin Stein | 3950-17 |
Toby and George think Kevin is dying after he comes to school bald (which was from Kevin trying to get rid of a bad haircut) and decide to ask the head of Yale University to let Kevin in as his final wish. Meanwhile, Andy and Jim fight back against yuppie SUV drivers who keep cutting them off in traffic. | |||
18 | "Bye Bye Nerdy (or I Was a Teenage Porn Star)" | Andrew Kreisberg | 3950-18 |
Kevin accidentally appears in the background of a porno movie being filmed in the building. When his parents discover this, they force Kevin to move with them to Wyoming, only to find out that having Kevin around again is killing their romance. |
The series takes place in a district named Mission Hill. Mission Hill is a distinctive neighborhood in a much larger city named Cosmopolis. Cosmopolis is depicted as a large modern urban metropolis similar to New York City or Chicago. The official website states Mission Hill is a mix of Mission Hill in Boston (only miles away from where creator Bill Oakley went to college), Mission District in San Francisco, Silver Lake in Los Angeles, Wicker Park in Chicago, and Williamsburg in Brooklyn. The exact location of Cosmopolis has never been revealed, as it is a mix of East and West Coast cities. Most of the series takes place in the neighborhood of Mission Hill, although the skyscrapers of Downtown Cosmopolis are seen in the background. In the DVD commentaries, Josh Weinstein says that a large portion of the development of the series was spent developing Mission Hill into a functional, albeit fictional, city. Writers and animators worked together to create fictional advertisements, bands, foods, and even bus schedules. Boston, MA has a neighborhood called Mission Hill in the Roxbury section of the city which bears many similarities to its fictional counterpart.
Warner Home Video released all 13 completed episodes on DVD on November 29, 2005. The collection replaced some of the original soundtracks with stock music, most glaringly "Everybody Hurts" by R.E.M. in the episode "Andy Vs. The Real World". The DVD collection also dubbed over some of the original voice tracks to remove any references to the replaced music, for example changing Andy's voice track from saying "Gordon Lightfoot" to "Scott Joplin" in the episode "Unemployment Part 1".
Mission Hill received the 2000 Pulcinella Award for "Best Series for All Audiences"; the award cited the series' "stylized design and honest approach to sexual and moral issues." [23]
The series won an award from GLAAD for its positive portrayal of a gay relationship. [24]
The WB Television Network was an American television network launched on broadcast television on January 11, 1995, as a joint venture between the Warner Bros. Entertainment division of Time Warner and the Tribune Broadcasting subsidiary of the Tribune Company, with the former acting as controlling partner. The network aired programs targeting teenagers and young adults between the ages of 13 and 35, while its children's division, Kids' WB, targeted children between the ages of 4 and 12.
The Oblongs is an American adult animated sitcom created by Angus Oblong and Jace Richdale. It was Mohawk Productions' first venture into animation. The series premiered on April 1, 2001, on The WB, and cancelled due to low ratings on May 20, leaving the last five episodes unaired. The remaining episodes were later aired on Cartoon Network's late-night programming block Adult Swim in August 2002, with the series premiering on the network in production order. The series is loosely based on a series of characters introduced in a picture book entitled Creepy Susie and 13 Other Tragic Tales for Troubled Children.
Batman Beyond is an American superhero animated television series based on the DC Comics superhero Batman. Created and developed by Paul Dini, Bruce Timm, and Alan Burnett and produced by Warner Bros. Television Animation, the series began airing on January 10, 1999 on Kids' WB, and ended on December 18, 2001 on Cartoon Network. In the United Kingdom, it began airing on September 4, 2000. After 52 episodes spanning three seasons and one direct-to-video feature film, the series was brought to an end in favor of the Justice League animated series. Batman Beyond is the third series of the DC Animated Universe, and serves as the sequel to both Batman: The Animated Series and The New Batman Adventures.
Josh Weinstein is an American television writer and producer, known for his work on the animated comedy series The Simpsons. Weinstein and Bill Oakley became best friends and writing partners at St. Albans School; Weinstein then attended Stanford University and was editor-in-chief of the Stanford Chaparral. He worked on several short-term media projects, including writing for the variety show Sunday Best, but was then unemployed for a long period.
William Lloyd Oakley is an American television writer and producer, known for his work on the animated comedy series The Simpsons. Oakley and Josh Weinstein became best friends and writing partners at St. Albans School; Oakley then attended Harvard University and was Vice President of the Harvard Lampoon. He worked on several short-term media projects, including writing for the variety show Sunday Best, but was then unemployed for a long period.
The Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries is an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Television Animation which aired from September 9, 1995 to February 5, 2000 on Kids' WB. The final episode, containing the segments "The Tail End?" and "This Is the End", was never shown on Kids' WB, not premiering until December 18, 2002, when the show aired in reruns on Cartoon Network. 52 episodes were produced.
Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain is an American animated sitcom featuring characters from the television series Tiny Toon Adventures and Pinky and the Brain, both created by Tom Ruegger. Serving as a spin-off and crossover to the two series, the series was executive produced by Steven Spielberg and produced by Warner Bros. Television Animation and Amblin Entertainment. It aired from 1998 to 1999 on Kids' WB, running for 13 episodes. This show would be Spielberg's final collaborative effort with Warner Bros. Animation until the 2020 revival of Animaniacs.
Waynehead is an animated television series created by actor/comedian Damon Wayans and ran from 1996 to 1997 on Kids' WB, and on YTV from 1996 to 1998. It was a co-production of Warner Bros. Television Animation and Nelvana, with overseas animation by Hanho Heung-Up Co., Ltd., and Philippine Animation Studio, Inc., while the opening sequence was animated by TMS-Kyokuchi Corporation in Japan.
The New Adventures of Gilligan is an American Saturday morning animated series produced by Filmation, which aired on ABC during the 1974–75 seasons. The show was based on the 1964–67 sitcom Gilligan's Island. A few years later, Filmation produced a sequel, Gilligan's Planet.
The Hanna-Barbera New Cartoon Series, a.k.a. The New Hanna-Barbera Cartoon Series or The Wally Gator Show, was an American syndicated television package of three animated series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. The package started on September 3, 1962, and ended on August 26, 1963, and included the following unrelated short cartoon segments featuring talking animals characters:
Baby Blues is an American adult animated sitcom, based on the comic strip of the same name by Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott, produced by Warner Bros. The first eight episodes of Baby Blues originally aired in the United States on The WB between July 28 and August 24, 2000, before being canceled. The five remaining episodes from the first season eventually aired on Adult Swim in 2002. A second season, consisting of 13 episodes, was produced but never aired.
Young Justice is an American superhero animated television series developed by Brandon Vietti and Greg Weisman for Cartoon Network and distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television. The show, instead of a direct adaptation of Peter David, Todd Dezago and Todd Nauck's Young Justice comic series, is an original story set in the DC Universe with a focus on teenage and young adult superheroes.
The first season of the American supernatural drama television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer originally aired between March 10 and June 2, 1997, on The WB. Conceived as a mid-season replacement, the season consists of twelve episodes, each running approximately 45 minutes in length, and originally aired on Mondays at 9:00 pm ET.
The fifth season of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer premiered on September 26, 2000, on The WB and concluded its 22-episode season on May 22, 2001. It maintained its previous timeslot, airing Tuesdays at 8:00 pm ET. This was the final season to air on The WB before it moved to UPN; The WB billed the season five finale as "The WB series finale".
The sixth season of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer premiered on October 2, 2001, with a two-hour premiere on UPN and concluded its 22-episode season with a two-hour finale on May 21, 2002. It maintained its previous timeslot, airing Tuesdays at 8:00 pm ET. This season marked the series' network change from The WB to UPN.
The first season of the television series Angel, the spin-off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, premiered on October 5, 1999, on The WB and concluded its 22-episode season on May 23, 2000. The season aired on Tuesdays at 9:00 pm ET, following Buffy.
The third season of the television series Angel, the spin-off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, premiered on September 24, 2001, on The WB and concluded its 22-episode season on May 20, 2002. The season aired in a new timeslot, Mondays at 9:00 pm ET. This was the first season where Angel and Buffy did not air on the same network, as Buffy had moved to the UPN network beginning with its sixth season.
Looney Tunes Cartoons is an American animated television series developed by Pete Browngardt and produced by Warner Bros. Animation, based on the characters from Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies. The series made its worldwide debut at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 10, 2019, and premiered on HBO Max on May 27, 2020.
The WB was an American broadcast television network operated as a joint venture between the Warner Bros. Entertainment division of Time Warner and the Tribune Broadcasting subsidiary of the Tribune Company. Launched on January 11, 1995, it was one of two networks developed by major film and television studios in late 1993—alongside the United Paramount Network —to compete with Fox and the longer established Big Three television networks.
Toon In with Me is an American live-action/animated anthology television series created by Neal Sabin for MeTV and MeTV Toons. It previously also aired on MeTV Plus until the launch of MeTV Toons. A special preview episode aired on January 1, 2021, with the main series officially debuting on January 4, 2021.