Adult Swim's New Kid-Friendly Direction

[JMTV]

When I was a college freshman, I briefly went back to Cartoon Network as I heard about a character saying "piss," but Cartoon Network obviously changed their mind about that word being okay to say.

Yeah, I remember to this day about the time when Mordecai said "you pissed me off" at age 11, and I eat it all up.

Though, I do heard over the years they toned down the cursing, which disappoints me honestly.

 

[Conttactt]

Yeah, I remember to this day about the time when Mordecai said "you pissed me off" at age 11, and I eat it all up.

Though, I do heard over the years they toned down the cursing, which disappoints me honestly.

It was more like immediately. They got a lot of pushback from parent groups that still had clout and pull back in 2011. That episode had its voice track edited to use a more PG word. I don’t think the pissed/hell cut of the episode ever aired again.

I’ll give CN credit here, they tried. I wonder what things would have turned out like if they ignored the outrage and just kept CN open to upper PG tier content. We might not be sitting here complaining about the network’s imminent demise.

 

[aegisrawks]

Unicorns did PRETTY WELL actuall, look at the ratings.

Unicorn: Warriors Eternal Ratings

Latest Nielsen ratings of Unicorn: Warriors Eternal television program on Adult Swim.

ustvdb.com

Unicorn: Warriors Eternal Daily Ratings
Date	Demo	Audience	Rating
2023-Jul-01	P2+	168,000	0.05
P18-49	117,500	0.09
2023-Jun-29	P2+	204,000	0.07
P18-49	117,500	0.09
P25-54	97,300	0.08
2023-Jun-22	P2+	217,000	0.07
P18-49	143,600	0.11
P25-54	133,700	0.11
2023-Jun-15	P2+	128,000	0.04
P18-49	78,300	0.06
2023-Jun-08	P2+	201,000	0.06
P18-49	117,500	0.09
P25-54	97,300	0.08
2023-Jun-01	P2+	203,000	0.07
P18-49	143,600	0.11
P25-54	109,400	0.09
2023-May-25	P2+	195,000	0.06
P18-49	117,500	0.09
P25-54	133,700	0.11
2023-May-18	P2+	183,000	0.06
P18-49	130,500	0.10
P25-54	133,700	0.11
2023-May-11	P2+	187,000	0.06
P18-49	117,500	0.09
P25-54	85,100	0.07
2023-May-04	P2+	232,000	0.07
P18-49	182,700	0.14
P25-54	145,900	0.12

Top Adult Swim Shows​

The season final hd 200k and a healthy sizeable audience watching

 

[The Overlord]

There's no Max in Canada, Corus gets the rights to the animated Max originals and airs them on their Cartoon Network and Adult Swim channels. It's been that way for years.

As for the US, Max doesn't like sharing its originals, so that's why you rarely see Looney Tunes Cartoons and Harley Quinn on TV.

Apparently Superman is streaming on Teletoon Plus in Canada.

Also I saw video about this subject on YouTube:

 

[JMTV]

I’ll give CN credit here, they tried.

Yeah, at least they tried.

I wonder what things would have turned out like if they ignored the outrage and just kept CN open to upper PG tier content. We might not be sitting here complaining about the network’s imminent demise.

Honestly, they should've stick to their own guns and not worrying about the backlash from parents, and just make good shows that can appeal to everyone rather than appealing to little kids. That way, this whole fubar over this would've been over by now

 

[Conttactt]

Honestly, they should've stick to their own guns and not worrying about the backlash from parents, and just make good shows that can appeal to everyone rather than appealing to little kids. That way, this whole fubar over this would've been over by now

It sucks to think about because they got the formula right TWICE on their first attempt. Adventure Time and Regular Show were hits with all age groups. Those two shows did wonders for revitalizing the network after a sharp falloff from the Real era. But then they kinda just stopped making that type of content. Both shows persisted on for years, but nothing ever came to fill their shoes. And then the TTGo virus took root and they never managed to recover. There were occasional signs of life like Infinity Train, but they were always fleeting.

And now we are at the stage where course correction would take a miracle. The Real era to AT/RS was less than 2 years. Recovery was possible. We are currently on year 10 of the network being irredeemable. Even the typically blind executives seem to understand that no new shows can thrive on this wasteland.

 

[Bluebaron]

Its still feels like lol random humor.

 

[J'onn J'onzz]

Unicorns did PRETTY WELL actuall, look at the ratings.

Unicorn: Warriors Eternal Ratings

Latest Nielsen ratings of Unicorn: Warriors Eternal television program on Adult Swim.

ustvdb.com

Unicorn: Warriors Eternal Daily Ratings
Date	Demo	Audience	Rating
2023-Jul-01	P2+	168,000	0.05
P18-49	117,500	0.09
2023-Jun-29	P2+	204,000	0.07
P18-49	117,500	0.09
P25-54	97,300	0.08
2023-Jun-22	P2+	217,000	0.07
P18-49	143,600	0.11
P25-54	133,700	0.11
2023-Jun-15	P2+	128,000	0.04
P18-49	78,300	0.06
2023-Jun-08	P2+	201,000	0.06
P18-49	117,500	0.09
P25-54	97,300	0.08
2023-Jun-01	P2+	203,000	0.07
P18-49	143,600	0.11
P25-54	109,400	0.09
2023-May-25	P2+	195,000	0.06
P18-49	117,500	0.09
P25-54	133,700	0.11
2023-May-18	P2+	183,000	0.06
P18-49	130,500	0.10
P25-54	133,700	0.11
2023-May-11	P2+	187,000	0.06
P18-49	117,500	0.09
P25-54	85,100	0.07
2023-May-04	P2+	232,000	0.07
P18-49	182,700	0.14
P25-54	145,900	0.12

Top Adult Swim Shows​

The season final hd 200k and a healthy sizeable audience watching

https://www.reddit.com/r/Toonami/s/tQ31uf6KEZ

I found some ratings from last year for the last of Unicorn and first of Superman. I don’t think I would consider this bombing. You can see that the ratings on Toonami were actually even better than on Thursday, and on par with Superman. If Gendy can get over his refusal to have shows premiere on Toonami, then that would be the place to move a theoretical season 2 to. I think AS would probably just overrule him at this point like they did with Jack season 5. Thursday nights doesn’t really work for action premieres. Fox reruns would get better ratings on weeknights, but these shows perform decently on Toonami.

 

[Tacomaster]

Even if it rated decently, Unicorn pretty much fallen out of the public consciousness not even a year after debut. And Royal Crackers has never been in the popularity sphere, and has been polarizing from the start. These shows aren’t popular like Smiling Friends and Superman are.

 

[Light Lucario]

The fact that there hasn't been any news about Unicorn getting another season at this point is really telling. I don't think that the series was bad, but it was focused a bit too much on its own lore. Ending on a cliffhanger without a guaranteed new season was also not a good idea. That being said, I still think it got better treatment on Adult Swim than it would have on Cartoon Network proper. At least it aired a good timeslot consistently as opposed to being on a Saturday morning death slot. Not to mention I think it would have stood out like a sore thumb on their regular lineup.

 

[JMTV]

Even the typically blind executives seem to understand that no new shows can thrive on this wasteland.

Yeah, I mean, this is what happens when you don't hire people who knew what they are doing.

 

[aegisrawks]

Even if it rated decently, Unicorn pretty much fallen out of the public consciousness not even a year after debut. And Royal Crackers has never been in the popularity sphere, and has been polarizing from the start. These shows aren’t popular like Smiling Friends and Superman are.

Adult Swim doesnt care about that. It cares about ratings and how many people watch the televised premieres. James Camerons avatar "Pretty Much fell out of the public consciousness" and many said the second would bomb but then that outdid it.

People can talk all they want but we need TANGIBLE proof people are watching and not just the ramblings of what might as well be just a vocal minority.

 

[JMTV]

I blame on WB/Turner's two decades of mismanagement and oversensitively parents that led to fall of Cartoon Network after strong bloom in 1990s and early 2000s, so parents were reason for death of Toonami on Cartoon Network. Hey parents, get a grip!

Now, linear TV is declining and WBD don't know to do with future of Cartoon Network, so they went to invest in Adult Swim to see if it does generate the rating and they basically turn Cartoon Network/Adult Swim into experimental channel. The rating will tank as linear TV continues to decline further.

As for myself, I don't know about what I wanted to see on Cartoon Network or Adult Swim, so I don't care about it anymore. If Adult Swim takeovers, I can't help and complain to WBD on your behalf won't make any difference, so WBD don't listen to viewers, but they listen to Nielsen. The Nielsen may be reliable if it is online viewing but it is difficult to do with cable TV and satellite TV without internet, so how we know about how many viewers watch Cartoon Network with basic cable that has no direct internet access to transmit the data to Nielsen (no setup boxes). Spectrum killed the traditional cable and moved to linear streaming, but not everyone watch linear streaming as they did with traditional cable.

I'm all for equal fix to Cartoon Network and Adult Swim, but WBD's attention to Adult Swim and ignores Cartoon Network.

THIS!!!!

Best post I've seen all day! Thank you.

 

[Corwin Haught]

Is everyone predicting Iyanu getting dumped to Adult Swim next?

The voice cast for that was announced, and it was stated that it would still be a Cartoon Network show:

‘Iyanu’: Voice Cast Revealed For Cartoon Network And Max Animated Superhero Series

'Iyanu': Voice Cast Revealed For Animated Series

deadline.com

 

[BlooMac]

I think CN rarely has risky shows because of the international feeds, which have become overly sensitive for the past decade or so, especially Europe. They just love censoring and banning episodes to the point that they can easily be compared to 4Kids. There are even shows they have refused to air.

As a global brand, it's not very sustainable to make a show that's only going to air in the Americas, they need that European-Asian market.

While Adult Swim is mostly a streaming hub in Europe and Asia, those shows can at least make it there easier than on the soccer mom-run versions of Cartoon Network.

 

[PicardMan]

I think CN rarely has risky shows because of the international feeds, which have become overly sensitive for the past decade or so, especially Europe. They just love censoring and banning episodes to the point that they can easily be compared to 4Kids. There are even shows they have refused to air.

The hole in that argument is that Latin American Cartoon Network is okay with showing My Adventures with Superman to kids. What Cartoon Network US airs doesn't determine where it airs internationally.

 

[MissionHill4Ever]

So I'm guessing with this new direction we won't be seeing Berserk airing uncut? lol

 

[Golden Geek]

Fionna and Cake is also airing on the Canadian Cartoon Network despite being TV-14. (Likely has a PG in Canada.)

Canada has always had a better relationship with its youth networks actually being "all ages"; hence why Total Drama had to be edited so heavily for American audiences despite most episodes carrying a G rating on Canadian TV, as well as YTV airing anime that were airing on Adult Swim here on a block actually meant for their target audience.

 

[PicardMan]

So I'm guessing with this new direction we won't be seeing Berserk airing uncut? lol

They still aired the super gory and edgy Ninja Kamui (an original created by Adult Swim no less) and the edgy zombie action/comedy Zom 100. They are airing both their kiddy stuff and edgy stuff, making Adult Swim feel very disjointed. Toonami going from the kiddy My Adventures with Superman to the TV-MA Zom 100 is whiplash to a ridiculous degree.

 

[MissionHill4Ever]

They still aired the super gory and edgy Ninja Kamui (an original created by Adult Swim no less) and the edgy zombie action/comedy Zom 100. They are airing both their kiddy stuff and edgy stuff, making Adult Swim feel very disjointed. Toonami going from the kiddy My Adventures with Superman to the TV-MA Zom 100 is whiplash to a ridiculous degree.

I remember years ago I thought Boomerang should've rebranded into Kids WB! once the block ended and split it's time with Toonami as it's late night programming. CN/AS would've kept their split. They really missed a chance to create the American home for Anime.