Primetime Animated Dramas

[Depression Moon]

I've been pondering recently about something. I've come to see a lot of primetime 1 hour length live-action shows like Mad Men, Heroes, The Walking Dead, True Blood, etc., but I haven't really anything equivalent in the animated side. Does anyone know of any? I don't think there any as of current.

[rubah]

Archer is on at 10pm. Is that Prime Time?

[Depression Moon]

Well it is, but it's a comedy like Venture Bros or The Office.

[Jessweeee♪]

The closest we get here is shows like Teen Titans. Perhaps that's why anime is so popular. It covers a genre we don't see here :p

[Shlup]

If you don't mind me stating the obvious, there's still this general feeling out there among people that it it's drawn it must be for kids. Which makes no sense to me, but it is what it is. The only cartoons that are made for adults, you may have noticed, aren't exactly very sophisticated in their humor either. Which I totally love, but, hey, you were the one asking why there's no animated dramas.

Adults are slowly coming to accept animation as a medium though. Very, very slowly. Notice how even kids cartoons are often popular with adults when they offer real story lines--I'm thinking specifically of Teen Titans, My Little Pony, and Adventure Time.

Our time will come. :mwahaha:

[Del Murder]

Adults watch My Little Pony? Adults with jobs, I mean.

[Depression Moon]

Yeah I didn't know anyone outside of little girls watch that/play with the toys.

[Shlup]

Clearly you both live in a cave.

I've seen home made MLP plushies go on eBay for hundreds of dollars. Ponies are crazy popular.

[Del Murder]

I'm sure rare Barbies go for similar prices. Doesn't mean she has 'real story lines'.

[Shlup]

You're talking about collectables. I'm talking about home made plushies that people want just because they're crazy. I'm also talking about the new My Little Pony series, by the way, not the 80s one.

Look at this. LOOK AT IT AND tit YOURSELF. (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fluttershy-Galloping-Gala-Custom-Plush-My-Little-Pony-Friendship-Magic-/120792470190?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c1fcad2ae)

[Freya]

Holy Tits! Starting price .99 cents what the ef?!

[Jessweeee♪]

Jeebus!

[Shlup]

Holy shit it doubled since I posted it.

[Wolf Kanno]

The best you'll get out of animation is a dramedy (god I hate the word...) and even then, those shows don't tend to last very long. Morel Orel started off as a funny satire of Middle America, Christianity, and the shear delusion that was the 1950's "Nuclear Family" ideal, but its last season actually had some crazy episodes and it really turned into this giant story about trying to live up to an unrealistic ideal and family issues. The stories about Orel's parents are rather poignant and disturbing to say the least, but its all dark humor anyway.

Mission Hill was a great series too that got one lousy season but despite some of its humor, I actually liked how relate-able it was to the slacker generation, and the idea of growing up.

[Shlup]

Oh yeah, Daria. Just thought of that one.

[Agent Proto]

I doubt we'll see any current animated dramas in America. For one, most Americans, when they see animation, they will assume it's meant for kids and/or is a comedy rather than a drama. Another reason is the cost of keeping an hour long animation on tv. The best we could do for any animated drama is to get them from other countries, like Japan.

Btw: King of the Hill is the closest to an animated drama, but that's been canceled a few years ago. :(

[Del Murder]

That was supposed to be a comedy! But I see the point that it was one of the few primetime animated shows that had ongoing storylines.

[Miriel]

King of the Hill was the worst thing ever.

[Depression Moon]

You made a lot of people cry tears of propane.


Another reason is the cost of keeping an hour long animation on tv. The best we could do for any animated drama is to get them from other countries, like Japan.


A lot of the live action have to cost big cash too. Watching last night's episode of the Walking Dead looked hella expensive. They used a highway and got dozens of cars just to sit in the middle of it. Not to mention all those zombies they had to cost a lot for costume and make up. With animation you don't have to worry about renting a location, props, extras, costumes, make up, and effects.

Maybe considering all that stuff animation would balance out. Most of the money would go into the animation of course and the other half would go to voice actors.

[Jessweeee♪]

King of the Hill was the worst thing ever.

I love King of the Hill. (For some reason it is funnier if you live in Texas, even though you don't really need to in order to get all the jokes.) But with all of the satirical sexism involved, sometimes there's an off thing or two that I feel was not intentional :erm:

[Agent Proto]

Maybe considering all that stuff animation would balance out. Most of the money would go into the animation of course and the other half would go to voice actors.

Yeah. that's what I meant. Of course, if the animation was more like how it's done on South Park, it wouldn't be much of a big concern to have an hour long episode regularly. Matt and Trey seem to almost always be up to date on today's issues.

[Laddy]

My Little Pony can emotionally resonate with me, so you should definitely try it. It's primarily comedic, but it has plot lines and character development that is touching and engrossing.

I mean it.