Adult Swim has announced two full slates of programming – for Adult Swim, the millennials’ most loved cable station, and AdultSwim.com, its equally popular digital domain.
Adult Swim’s carefully nurtured balance of original programming and acquisitions for 2016-17 include the return of Samurai Jack (can Jack finally best Aku and return to his own time?), Robot Chicken: The Walking Dead Special (it’s about time!), Mister Neighbor’s House (like Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood if he’d been a hair’s width away from going completely psycho – and it’s live action!) and more.
Follow the jump to get the complete picture (and start planning your sick days, vacation days and mental health days now!).
Adult Swim Continues to Capture Millennial Audiences With Multi-Platform Programming Slate
The #1 Home to Millennials for More Than a Decade
New Robot Chicken: The Walking Dead Special Announced
Adult Swim, a division of Turner and basic cable’s #1 home with millennials for over a decade, is once again departing from the ordinary, announcing two new slates of programming in advance of the Turner Upfront 2016 presentation on May 18 in New York City. Known for its unique approach to content development and having a voice that resonates with its audience, Adult Swim has not only crafted a robust and diverse slate for its top-rated cable network but also for its ever popular digital domain AdultSwim.com. An ongoing leader in the digital space, Adult Swim has charted double-digit growth across multiple platforms and mobile gaming, including a +97% increase in web and app usage.
Adult Swim’s returning original hits Rick and Morty, The Venture Bros. and The Eric Andre Show will be joined by new on-air programming, including Robot Chicken: The Walking Dead Special; live-action series Million Dollar Extreme Presents: World Peace and Dream Corp, LLC from John Krasinski; a new comedy special from Brett Gelman; and the much anticipated return of Genndy Tartakovsky’s Samurai Jack. Adult Swim also continues its successful collaboration with creator Dan Harmon (Rick and Morty) on a new pilot project, Art Prison.
Extending viewing hours beyond their linear programming, Adult Swim continues to follow its fans across multiple platforms by introducing new original programming for streaming all day long through AdultSwim.com. An entirely new slate of original content created by members of the Adult Swim staff now includes such weekday shows as Stupid Morning Bullshit, Williams Street Swap Shop, Call of Karaoke and Development Meeting. These shows join popular anime fan show Toonami: Pre-Flight and everyone’s favorite afternoon addiction, FishCenter, on AdultSwim.com, which to date has two million registered users to interact daily with the show hosts through their live chat feature.
“Adult Swim is a one of a kind destination that simply knows its audience,” said Christina Miller, president and general manager, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and Boomerang. “Mike Lazzo and his team have always found new and interesting ways to produce and distribute content that can’t be found anywhere else.”
“Adult Swim has developed a relationship with millennials like no other media brand,” said Donna Speciale, president of Turner Broadcasting Ad Sales. “That connection is a key access point for advertisers who want to utilize an authentic voice across custom, branded content and partnerships rich with direct to fan experiences.”
Original Series and Specials
Robot Chicken: The Walking Dead Special
In keeping with the tradition of working with major franchises such as Star Wars and the DC Comics universe, the Emmy®-winning team behind Robot Chicken joins forces with the creators of The Walking Dead to bring fans an all new and extra bloody half-hour special. Robot Chicken creators Seth Green and Matthew Senreich and their Stoopid Buddy Stoodios partners, John Harvatine IV and Eric Towner, will bring an animated zombie apocalypse to Adult Swim with The Walking Dead‘s creator/executive producer Robert Kirkman and showrunner/executive producer/writer Scott M. Gimple.
Montana James
In this half-hour live-action special, adventure has one name, Montana James. Follow our feathered-cap-wearing explorer on another one of his rip-roaring syndicated television odysseys. This time Montana is on the hunt for the coveted Holy Grail Cup, but watch out Montana, the Order of the Red Arm Band is on your tail again! Created by Nick Corirossi and Charles Ingram, and produced by Funny Or Die.
Mr. Neighbor’s House
Mr. Neighbor’s House is a half-hour, live-action children’s show hosted by Brian Huskey (Childrens Hospital, Veep). He’s like any other host of kids programming, except that he is barely able to contain the suppressed rage boiling underneath his quiet demeanor. From the safe confines of his home, he throws to various “educational” vignettes: puppets, animation, stop motion, spoken word and mixed medium elements that all blend together into one half-hour special… that is NOT for kids. Mr. Neighbor’s House was created by Huskey, Jason Mantzoukas (Childrens Hospital, The League), and Jesse Falcon, who also serve as executive producers with Rob Corddry (Childrens Hospital, Hot Tub Time Machine).
Brett Gelman’s Dinner in America
For the third installment in their “Dinner” series of half-hour specials, Brett Gelman and director Jason Woliner present Brett Gelman’s Dinner in America, an exploration of the racial problem in this country. The premise is simple: A roundtable discussion in which Brett attempts to engage four distinguished actors – Loretta Devine (The Carmichael Show), Shareeka Epps (Half Nelson), Joe Morton (Scandal) and Mack Wilds (The Wire) – in an open forum on racism. But as his motives are questioned and the guests refuse to respond in the way that he had hoped, this misbegotten exercise in “doing good” soon goes very, very wrong. Subverting and then bounding past the conventions of “awkward comedy” and becoming something wholly unique, Brett Gelman’s Dinner in America is unflinching, confrontational and unlike anything previously broadcast on television. Created and written by Gelman and Woliner and produced by Abso Lutely Productions.
Samurai Jack
After 12 years, Jack is back. Original creator and executive producer Genndy Tartakovsky continues the epic story of Samurai Jack with a new season of half-hour episodes.
Dream Corp, LLC
Dream Corp, LLC is an absurd workplace comedy set in a neglected dream therapy facility. Each week, viewers will watch as a rotating cast of desperate patients have their dreams recorded and analyzed by Dream Corp’s absent-minded professor, Dr. Roberts (Jon Gries), and his team of unremarkable scientists. Dream Corp, LLC is created by Daniel Stessen (The Gold Sparrow) and executive-produced by alums of both American and British versions of The Office, John Krasinski and Stephen Merchant, as well as Krasinski’s Sunday Night partner Allyson Seeger.
Million Dollar Extreme Presents: World Peace
This quarter-hour live-action comedy series features sketch comedy troupe Million Dollar Extreme. A super pure tragicomedy rosary of pious prayers bringing unity, joy and excellent living to the people of all sizes, sexualities and colors, this series stars misandrous comedioterrorists Sam Hyde, Nick Rochefort, Charls Carroll, and is directed by Andrew Ruse. World Peace will unlock your closeted bigoted imagination, toss your inherent racism into the burning trash and cleanse your intolerant spirit with pure unapologetic American comedy. Open your eyes or you’ll get thumb goggles, for what naive slob expects hemlock medicine to taste of milkshake? For the record, none of us plan on killing ourselves, and if we do it’s CIA or Mossad.
Brad Neely’s Harg Nallin’ Sclopio Peepio
A new quarter-hour animated sketch show created by Brad Neely (China, IL), Harg Nallin’ Sclopio Peepio features a collection of frenetic one-off bits, shorts and songs, all filtered through Neely’s signature visual style. Beware however, as this show hates you. Neely and Daniel Weidenfeld serve as executive producers, with Dave Newberg as co-executive producer and Titmouse, Inc. producing.
Decker: Unclassified
A successful web series and an action-packed powerhouse, Decker: Unclassified follows Agent Jack Decker as he subverts terrorist plots against his beloved America. Joined by ally and master code breaker Agent Jonathan Kington, the two navigate evils both foreign and domestic threatening a once great nation. The series was created by and stars Tim Heidecker and Gregg Turkington, and is produced by Abso Lutely Productions.
FLCL
Created in 2000, FLCL told the tale of Naota, a 12-year-old boy who met a woman that would forever change his life…whether he liked it or not. Sixteen years later, Adult Swim and legendary animation studio Production I.G (Ghost in the Shell) are creating two new six-episode seasons to continue the tale, which will premiere in Adult Swim’s Toonami block. In the new season of FLCL, many years have passed since Naota and Haruhara Haruko shared their adventure together. Meanwhile, the war between the two entities known as Medical Mechanica and Fraternity rages across the galaxy. Enter Hidomi, a young teenaged girl who believes there is nothing amazing to expect from her average life, until one day a new teacher named Haruko arrives at her school. Soon enough, Medical Mechanica is attacking her town and Hidomi discovers a secret within her that could save everyone, a secret that only Haruko can unlock. Back for the new season is FLCL series creator Kazuya Tsurumaki, serving as supervisor with director Hideto Iwai (Last Dinner).
Pilots
Art Prison
In this half-hour live-action pilot, talented convicts vie for one last shot at success inside a Prison for the Performing Arts because they have to. Created by Tom Kauffman (Rick and Morty) and Paul Isakson, who serve as executive producers with Dan Harmon (Community, Rick and Morty), this pilot is being produced by Starburns Industries.
Lazor Wulf
This quarter-hour animated pilot follows a wolf who carries a laser on his back and believes that love has no limit, that wearing do-rags gives you power and that Gawd is a lie. It was created by Henry Bonsu and written/executive-produced by Bonsu and Daniel Weidenfeld (China, IL).
Chuck Deuce
A half-hour animated masterpiece written by Lars Kenseth about Chuck, Chuck Deuce is about a NorCal slacktivist/surfer who paddles out to carve mavericks, when – GAH-DOOSH! – a giant wave crushes him. Three weeks later, he walks ashore with no idea where he’s been, how he survived, or why his brain is now ravaged by hallucinations – everything from conjoined CIA agents, talking sex dolls, and sock puppet headed freaks. Like his herpes, Chuck ignores it and returns to his daily grind of violating nudity bans, protesting decency laws and skirting home-yak-milking statutes in his native Santa Cruz. But the question persists, what happened to Chuck out there… and is it really over? Chuck Deuce is executive produced by creator Chioke ‘Stretch’ McCoy and Matt Iles, with Jenn Tolman serving as producer.
Returning original series:
Black Jesus
Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule
The Eric Andre Show
Infomercials
Mike Tyson Mysteries
Mr. Pickles
Neon Joe Werewolf Hunter
Robot Chicken
Rick and Morty
Squidbillies
Tim & Eric’s Bedtime Stories
The Venture Bros.
Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell
New acquisitions:
Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans
Hunter x Hunter
Dimension W
Returning acquisitions:
American Dad!
Bob’s Burgers
Cleveland Show
Dragonball Z Kai
Family Guy
Inuyasha: The Final Act
King of the Hill
Naruto: Shippuden
Oblongs
One Piece
Parasyte: The Maxim
Samurai Champloo
AdultSwim.com Streaming Shows
Stupid Morning Bullshit – Weekdays at 11 a.m. (ET)
Hosts field calls and break down current events in pop culture while occasionally setting things on fire in an otherwise relaxed, morning show environment.
Williams Street Swap Shop – Weekdays at 1 p.m. (ET)
Trade goods with other viewers or sit back and enjoy the fellowship of this live, daily community call-in swap meet.
Crosswords – Weekdays at 2 p.m. (ET)
Novices and experts alike are encouraged to call in to help solve a variety of challenging daily puzzles, including the esteemed New York Times crossword.
FishCenter – Weekdays at 4 p.m. (ET)
Fourteen enchanting and colorful fish are the stars of this live, daily interactive comedy and game show based around the Adult Swim aquarium.
Call of Karaoke – Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. (ET)
Call in and sing along with your golden-throated, game-playing hosts who are happy to take requests while attempting to annihilate the enemy in a variety of shoot-em-up games.
Daytime Fighting League – Thursdays at 5 p.m. (ET)
Sixteen amateur fighters enter the ring to compete in ridiculous battles for a shot at the ultimate prize.
Sports Bitches – Thursdays at 6 p.m. (ET)
A couple of alpha males confront each other in various sports-themed video games while debating callers and showing clips of the biggest national sports stories of the week.
Development Meeting – Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. (ET)
Adult Swim fans are invited to call in and pitch their ideas to actual Adult Swim development execs, who also provide sneak peeks at new and never before seen clips.
Game Humpers – Fridays at 5:30 p.m. (ET)
Call in live to impress the experts with your best tips and tricks for a variety of games and challenges.
Toonami Pre-Flight – Fridays at 6:30 p.m. (ET)
A deep dive into all things Toonami, including an in-depth look at shows and an interactive Facebook Question of the Week that gives fans a chance to join in the conversation.