Aug 10, 2019

FXX's new late-night series "Cake" will feature original animated shorts

For years, FXX has expressed its desire to expand into animation. That plan is finally coming to fruition. In September, the Walt Disney Company-owned comedy channel will launch "Cake," a 30-minute late-night series combining animation and live-action shorts.

"Cake" will be "its own series and an incubator for short-form programming with the potential to grow into a half-hour series," FX Networks Chairman John Landgraf told Deadline at a Television Critics Association event, and FXX's 'Cake' will be a great medium to highlight some of its best work."

Other details of the new show are being kept under wraps. However, the channel, which targets the 18-34 age group, launched a new talent search scheme in 2018: the FXX Elevation Award is presented annually at the GLAS Animation Festival, and the winner receives an original animation project at FXX receive $25,000 to develop an original animation project at FXX.

The grant recognizes work that "embodies distinctive characters, bold storytelling, and singular perspectives." It is understood that the grant winners' projects may appear in Cake. The first two recipients of this award are Niki Lindroth von Barr and Sophie Coco Gate.

FXX's animation strategy is led by Kate Lambert, Senior Vice President of Series Development and Animation at FX Networks. She was responsible for the development of "Archer," which first aired on sister channel FX prior to its transition to FXX. In the past, Landgraf has indicated a willingness to commission short animated features of unconventional lengths, such as one or three minutes, as well as the typical seven or eleven minutes. He told Deadline in 2017, "I think producing animated shorts will add a new dimension to a channel that is still very young-centric." Television is being consumed on more and more screens, and we hope FXX will keep up with the short-form consumption habits of younger consumers."

(Top image: "The Adventures of OG Sherlock Kush," a web series that was part of Animation Domination High-Def's Youtube channel)