Mar 13, 2018

TV ROUNDUP: Amazon, Nickelodeon, Adult Swim, Netflix

Here is a roundup of anime series projects currently in development or in production. [Amazon has decided to produce its first original animated series, "Undone. The half-hour drama is from "Bojack Horseman" creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg and "Bojack" screenwriter Kate Purdy, who won a Writers Guild Award.

The adult-oriented show follows the main character Alma as she discovers that she has gained a new relationship with time as a result of her near-death experience. Alma, who uses her newfound powers to investigate her father's death, is voiced by Rosa Salazar of the "Maze Runner" film series.

Like Netflix's recent "Tuca & Bertie," "Undone" will be produced by Michael Eisner's Tornante Company; Noel Bright and Stephen A. Cohen of Bojack Horseman; Bob-Waksberg, Purdy, executive producers, along with Tommy Pallotta of A Scanner Darkly. [Amsterdam-based studio Submarine and Austin-based studio Minnow Mountain co-produced the animation, and are the animation sequence directors of Cobain: Montage of Heck and the 2012 Ottawa International Hisko Halsing, the filmmaker behind "Junkyard," which won Best Independent Animated Short at the 2012 Ottawa International Animated Film Festival, will design and direct. [series co-creator Kate Purdy adds, "Hisko's beautiful artwork and stunning use of light and color will create a look never before seen on a television show that will keep audiences engaged."

Undone is currently in pre-production and will premiere on Amazon Prime Video in 2019 in over 200 countries and territories.

Nickelodeon announced that it is developing a spin-off of its popular show The Loud House, which Mike Rubiner (Kablam.) will co-executive produce after creator Chris Savino was fired. The show is currently the number one television series for children ages 2-11

and is the most popular show on television for children ages 2-11

The project, still in development, has the working title of Los Casagrandes and will focus on Lincoln Laud's friend Ronnie Ann Santiago and her extended multi-generational family, the Casagrandes.

Nickelodeon has also confirmed that the Casagrande family is at the center of a six-episode arc in the fourth season of Loud House, which has been greenlit for a total of 26 episodes. writer and producer of Fox's short-lived show "Bordertown." cartoonist Lalo Alcaraz, who served as a cultural consultant on Disney-Pixar's Coco, will serve as cultural consultant and consulting producer for the Loud House story arc.

Nickelodeon also ordered 20 episodes of Pony, an original 2d buddy comedy about 9-year-old Annie and her best friend Pony, a talking pony who lives with Annie and her family in their city apartment.

Pony was produced by Ant Blade, director of London-based Bird Box Studios. It was the first animated comedy series to be greenlit for the U.S. by Nickelodeon International. Like the other half-hour series Breadwinners and The Loud House, Pony was originally produced as a pilot for Nick's short film development program.

The new 15-minute series, Ballmastrz 9009, will premiere on Adult Swim on Sunday, April 8. Created by Christy Caracas ("Superjail."), the show combines his unique style with "his favorite anime elements."

Animation is done by Titmouse, who has also produced animation for Caracas' "Superjail" since Season 2.

Set in the year 9009, the series follows notorious party girl Gaz Diggsy, who is forced to reform after joining the worst team in The Game, an ultra-violent tournament aimed at eliminating the need for war.

Dizzee is voiced by Natasha Lyonne (Orange is the New Black) and stars Dana Snyder, Dave Willis, Jessica DiCicco, Eric Bauza, Christopher McCulloch, and Caracas himself. Special guests include Norman Reedus, Stephanie Shaye, and Mike O'Gorman.

A new series of episodes debuts every Sunday at midnight ET/PT.

Netflix's upcoming series "The Last Kids on Earth" is in production and is scheduled to premiere in 2019.

The show is based on Max Brailer's popular book series of the same name, which recently won the Texas Bluebonnet Award for Children's Literature. The Last Kids on Earth follows Jack Sullivan and his middle school classmates who live in a tree house and defend themselves against zombies in the aftermath of the apocalypse.

The adventure comedy series is produced by Vancouver-based Atomic Cartoon. Atomic Cartoon is a division of Thunderbird Entertainment, which also produces the Netflix original children's series "Beat Bugs" featuring Beatles covers by artists such as Sia, Eddie Vedder and Pink.

Emmy-nominated screenwriter Scott Peterson, who was nominated for "Phineas and Ferb" and "My Life as a Teenage Robot," will serve as showrunner. Max Bleiler, creator of the series, will co-write episodes with Peterson and executive produce the show with Atomic's Jennifer McCarron and Matthew Berkowitz.