| Network | Fox (2013–2015) FXX (2015–2016) |
|---|---|
| Launched | July 21, 2013 (2013-07-21) |
| Closed | March 5, 2016 (2016-03-05) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Format | Adult animation Satire Adult comedy |
| Running time | 1 hour 30 min |
| Official website | www.foxadhd.com |
Animation Domination High-Def (also calledAnimation Domination HD,Fox ADHD, andADHD) was a late-night programming block broadcast byFox. Originally premiering on July 21, 2013 as aspin-off ofAnimation Domination, the block originally focused on new, originaladult animation series—similarly in style toAdult Swim. The ninety-minute block and its content were primarily produced by Friends Night, a television animation studio headed by Adult Swim alumniNick Weidenfeld, Hend Baghdady, and creative directorBen Jones (who also createdThe Problem Solverz forCartoon Network)—including its programs, along with interstitials (ADHD Shorts) and other content featured during its programming.
In April 2014, it was reported that Fox planned to discontinue the ADHD block on television that June, citing an inability to reach the correct demographics among viewers; however, ADHD's digital outlets, which feature additional content such as online shorts, continued to operate until March 5, 2016. The block's last airings on Fox consisted only of reruns.
On January 8, 2013, Fox announced that it would launch a spin-off adult animation block – similar in format to Adult Swim – called Animation Domination High-Def.[1] The block (alternately known as ADHD) ran Saturday late nights, originally airing for 90 minutes from 11:00 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. local time in most markets – later reduced to 11:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. on September 7, 2013 with the 12:00 a.m. half-hour being given back to its owned-and-operated stations and affiliates to carry other programming – with some affiliates delaying the block by 30 minutes to an hour to run late evening newscasts. Overruns ofFox Sports broadcasts caused further delays on many evenings.
Animation Domination High-Def was created to fill the first-run programming hole in Fox's Saturday late night schedule left by the 2010 cancellations ofThe Wanda Sykes Show (a short-lived satirical talk show that replacedMADtv the year prior) andTalkshow with Spike Feresten, with the 90-minute block being filled thereafter by reruns of the network's primetime series.[2][3]Fox Entertainment Group's president at the time,Kevin Reilly, announced the block would feature alternative programming, highlighting short films and extended film trailers in between the episodes.[4]Nick Weidenfeld, former development head at Adult Swim, was tapped to oversee the block.[5][6][7][8][9] The block uses various animatedbumpers that were produced each week (in comparison to Adult Swim) with a new "Week In Review" piece that aired each Saturday.[10]
Weidenfeld stated in an interview withThe New York Times that Animation Domination High-Def would celebrate "the paramount importance of youth and love and friendship and hanging out and being awesome – not ironically awesome, just awesome." His intent was for the block to offer viewers new content with a significant lack of cynicism, which he believed contrasts his former employer (Williams Street, programmer of Adult Swim), which he stated is "not an optimistic channel."[11] Despite this, Weidenfeld allowed Cartoon Network/Adult Swim ownerTurner Broadcasting System to purchase commercial time during the premiere night of ADHD (one ad aired at 11:30 p.m. with a Talking Heads reference stating that Adult Swim was first in the format, and the last ad aired at midnight congratulating the crew before the start of a rerun ofThe Cleveland Show).[12] Weidenfeld responded: "We love Adult Swim and we’re happy to receive both their attention and their ad dollars!" Fox executives were not made aware of the local ad buys, which was done without their knowledge.[12]
All content within the block – the animation for the programs themselves, bumpers and interstitial short films (some of which feature parodies of different characters) – were produced by Friends Night Studios at its offices onSunset Boulevard inLos Angeles. Along with the short seasons offered for production approval (six to twelve episodes a year) and Fox's ownership of all content in the process, this setup was designed to reduce total costs and significantly shorten the turnaround time for most shows.[11] In addition to the Fox lineup, ADHD's programming is also available for streaming on a dedicated website (FOXADHD.com) andmobile app as well as throughHulu. All of the programs in the lineup were generally shown without commercial interruption, and with few exceptions, aired without editing. TheHigh School USA! episode "Best Friends Forever" was released briefly on Hulu and not broadcast on Fox due to content issues with the network'sstandards and practices department.
On April 17, 2014,Broadcasting & Cable reported that Fox would discontinue Animation Domination High-Def after the June 28, 2014 broadcast of the block, citing an inability to reach the correct demographics during its Saturday late night timeslot—particularly as a result of overrunningcollege football games. Through the digital platform, Fox planned to reposition ADHD as an "incubator" for new series that could premiere on its Sunday primetime lineup—with plans for Friends Night to produce two half-hour series to debut in June 2015.[13][14]
The block itself continued to air on some Fox stations until March 5, 2016, albeit consisting solely of reruns of programs from ADHD and Fox's Sunday lineup.[15] A series created by Ben Jones, entitledStone Quackers, premiered onFXX on October 27 as part of a special preview.[16]
In 2015, Fox began to shift the original series it had produced through ADHD to its cable networks. On December 17, 2014, it was announced that they would encompass a new late-night block onFXX beginning on January 22, 2015, also branded asAnimation Domination,[17] with new episodes ofAxe Cop,[17]Lucas Bros. Moving Co andStone Quackers joined by reruns of other ADHD series and shorts. To promote the new block, previews of the two series were aired at midnightET on January 1, 2015 as a lead-out for a marathon ofThe Simpsons, while new episodes of the two series aired following the premiere of thesixth season ofArcher on FX on January 8, 2015.[15]
FX Networks' Chuck Saftler viewed the additions as a complement to their existing animated series, explaining that "based on the successful launch ofThe Simpsons on FXX, this is the perfect time to expand our animation offerings and make FXX the after hours destination for animated shorts and series." Reruns of these new episodes can still potentially air on Fox.[15][18] The FXX adaptation of this block includes an "Everything That Happened This Week" recap that appears in between the first two shows. That recap was discontinued in 2016.
| Title | Year | Created by | Co-production(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADHD Shorts | 2013–2016 | ADHD | A series of animated shorts used as interstitial programming between episodes. Most of them are in sketches form with a few animated songs. Writing is primarily done byHeather Anne Campbell with most songs performed by Liz Beebe, apart from the short introductory title card using an excerpt of the song St Jacques[19] byLightning Bolt. | |
| Axe Cop | 2013–2015 | Malachai Nicolle Ethan Nicolle | Based on thecomics of the same name by brothers Malachai Nicolle andEthan Nicolle (primarily from Malachai's imagination), this show follows the adventures of an axe-wieldingpolice officer named Axe Cop (voiced byNick Offerman), his partner Flute Cop (voiced byKen Marino), and their team ofsuperheroes as they face off against various supervillains. | |
| High School USA! | 2013, 2015(Episode 6) | Dino Stamatopoulos | Fragical Productions | High School USA is a parody cartoon of theArchie comic book characters and modern issues not generally explored in those comics. The show is about the millennial high-school experience, following a clique of sunny, well-meaning students consisting of Marsh Merriwether (voiced byVincent Kartheiser), Amber Lamber (voiced byZosia Mamet), Cassandra Barren (voiced byMandy Moore), Brad Slovee (voiced byT.J. Miller), and Lamort Blackstein (voiced byNathan Barnatt). |
| Lucas Bros. Moving Co. | 2013–2015 | The Lucas Bros. | Oh Snap | Created by brothersKenny and Keith Lucas, who play easy-going (and often unpaid)movers inBrooklyn going through various misadventures. |
| Golan the Insatiable | 2013–2015 | Josh Miller | Double Hemm Amazing Schlock(Season 1 only) | Ademigodwarlord named Golan (voiced byJosh Miller) from the dimension of Gkruool befriends a goth tween named Dylan Beekler (voiced byMary Mack) and ends up stuck in the suburbs living with her yuppie family after being banished from Gkruool by its rebels. The series was picked up by Fox for its own half-hourprime-time series featuring a new voice cast andalternate continuity which premiered on May 31, 2015 on Fox'sSunday Funday lineup.[20][21] |
| Stone Quackers | 2014–2015 | Ben Jones | Ben Jones Studio, Inc. | Created by Ben Jones, who also createdThe Problem Solverz. Set on the fictional island city of Cheeseburger Island, the series revolves around the misadventures of twoducks named Whit and Clay (voiced by Whitmer Thomas and Clay Tatum respectively) along with their friends Barf (voiced byBen Jones) and Dottie (voiced byHeather Lawless), plus the incompetent police officer named Officer Barry (voiced byJohn C. Reilly) and neighborhood kid Bug (voiced byBud Diaz). |
| Major Lazer | 2015 | Diplo Ferry Gouw Kevin Kusatsu | Mad Decent | Set in thefuture, Major Lazer (voiced byAdewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) is a Jamaicansuperhero with a laser gun for a right hand who fights against the dystopian forces led by Jamaica's leaderPresident Whitewall (voiced byJ.K. Simmons) and his servantGeneral Rubbish (voiced byJames Adomian). Major Lazer is assisted in his fight by President Whitehall's daughter Penny Whitewall (voiced byAngela Trimbur) andhacker Blkmrkt (voiced byJohn Boyega). |
Fox ADHD has a range of collections of series that have a compilation of shorts. Some come from these, while others don't and run originally.[22] Each of which continues on relating to the media, such as:• Scientifically Accurate[23]• Songs You Didn't Know Had Lyrics[24]• The Adventures Of OG Sherlock Kush[25]• Pug Lord[26]