or


[05/12/08 - 09:04 AM]
20th Century FOX Television and FOX Broadcasting Maintain Primetime Animation Leadership with Creation of 'FOX Inkubation'
"Fox Inkubation" will develop animated series through the creation of fully-formed "shorts" rather than by traditional script development.

[via press release from FOX]

20TH CENTURY FOX TELEVISION AND FOX BROADCASTING MAINTAIN PRIMETIME ANIMATION LEADERSHIP WITH CREATION OF 'FOX INKUBATION'

JENNIFER HOWELL NAMED HEAD OF TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX TELEVISION ANIMATION

New Exec Will Run Point on Partnership Between Network and Studio To Find Next Generation of Toon Talent

In a bold move designed to build on over two decades of animation success, and in hopes of discovering the next Matt Groening, Seth MacFarlane or Mike Judge, Fox Broadcasting (FOX) and sister studio 20th Century Fox Television (TCFTV) have partnered on an aggressive initiative entitled "Fox Inkubation" � a significant investment of resources aimed at continuing FOX's domination of primetime animation and finding the next cartoon blockbuster.

In addition, the studio has created a new department focused entirely on animation and has tapped Jennifer Howell, formerly executive vice president of Important Films (Matt Stone and Trey Parker's production company), and a former supervising producer on "South Park" to run it. Howell reports to TCFTV chairmen Gary Newman and Dana Walden, who have teamed with FOX entertainment president Kevin Reilly to spearhead this ambitious new animation drive.

With over a dozen deals already in negotiations designed to feed the FOX pipeline, "Fox Inkubation" will develop animated series through the creation of fully-formed "shorts" rather than by traditional script development. Writer/animators will receive funding to produce a set of completed 2-minute shorts. If the material shows promise, the individuals or teams will advance through the production process and create additional material, or possibly be teamed with an experienced producer to bring the idea to pilot and ultimately series. The potential for digital distribution or viral marketing of the shorts is contemplated as part of the plan.

While Howell will run point for the studio on "Fox Inkubation," she'll also be charged with developing new TCFTV animated properties for internet portals, cable channels and other networks.

Reilly, Newman and Walden believe that this innovative approach to fostering animation will be more effective than traditional development, in which a pitch is ordered to script and then revised over time before a single frame of animation is produced. By directly greenlighting the animation, the team will have the opportunity to see jokes and situations that are unique to the visuals but aren't always fully realized in script form.

Several months ago, Walden and Newman set forth a plan to create a new department within the studio framework solely dedicated to animation. Concurrently, Reilly had made FOX's long-term animation supremacy a priority. With properties like THE SIMPSONS and FAMILY GUY driving a significant portion of their businesses, they set their sights on assembling a team of innovative executives to build on the powerhouse FOX/TCFTV animation brand.

Ultimately, Walden and Newman recruited Jennifer Howell to serve as Senior Vice President, Animation and assigned Senior Vice President, Production Marci Proietto to oversee production of the department's projects. A veteran of the form, Howell had been with Stone and Parker from the earliest days of "South Park" and worked with the pair since their original feature film, "Orgazmo." One week into production on the film, "South Park" was picked up to series and Howell became part of their permanent team.

She worked closely with Stone and Parker on their other projects as well, including the critically acclaimed feature film "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut" - released in 1999. Howell also served as co-producer on the 2001 Comedy Central series "That's My Bush!" which made fun of sitcoms and portrayed the Commander in Chief as the lovable, often bumbling, title character. Additionally, Howell served as co-producer on Stone and Parker's all-marionette, action-adventure feature "Team America: World Police," released in 2004.

Marci Proietto has been with the studio since 1995 and has overseen production on virtually all of Twentieth Century Fox Television's animated hits, including THE SIMPSONS, FAMILY GUY, KING OF THE HILL, AMERICAN DAD and "Futurama". As Senior Vice President, Production, she works closely with the shows' creators Matt Groening, Seth MacFarlane and Mike Judge, as well as their teams of writers, animators, storyboard artists and production staffers, to ensure the nearly year-long production of each episode concludes on time and on budget.





  [may 2008]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
    


· AMERICAN DAD (TBS)
· FAMILY GUY (FOX)
· FUTURAMA (HULU)
· KING OF THE HILL (FOX)
· SIMPSONS, THE (FOX)
· SOUTH PARK (COMEDY CENTRAL)
· THAT'S MY BUSH (COMEDY CENTRAL)





[11/22/24 - 01:31 PM]
Video: "Suits LA" Arrives February 2025 - NBC
The all-new spinoff of the beloved legal drama, starring Stephen Amell, Lex Scott Davis, Josh McDermitt, and Bryan Greenberg, lands on the West Coast.

[11/22/24 - 12:11 PM]
Video: Peacock Releases First Look at the Third Season of Emmy Award-Winning Reality Competition Series "The Traitors" Returning January 9 with Alan Cumming as Host
Last season, "The Traitors" became the #1 unscripted series in the U.S. across all streaming platforms during launch week, according to Nielsen.

[11/22/24 - 10:15 AM]
Apple's Drama "Your Friends & Neighbors" Lands Early Season Two Renewal
Starring and executive produced by Emmy Award winner Jon Hamm, "Your Friends & Neighbors" will premiere globally on Apple TV+ on Friday, April 11 with two episodes, followed by one new episode weekly through Friday, May 30.

[11/22/24 - 09:01 AM]
Apple Original Films' "Fly Me to the Moon" to Premiere December 6, 2024
Since its debut in theaters worldwide, the film has received the Verified Hot certification on Rotten Tomatoes by fans.

[11/22/24 - 08:03 AM]
Peacock Exclusively Streams Blumhouse's "Speak No Evil" Beginning December 6
The psychological horror thriller stars James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, Aisling Franciosi, Alix West Lefler, Dan Hough, Scoot McNairy, and more!

[11/22/24 - 07:35 AM]
2024 "Emirates NBA Cup" Championship Game Exclusively on ABC and ESPN+ December 17
In addition, ESPN platforms will exclusively present a semifinal game and a quarterfinal game as part of its 2024 Emirates NBA Cup Knockout Round coverage.

[11/22/24 - 07:12 AM]
Peacock and Sky's Original Hit Drama Series "The Day of the Jackal" Scores Second Season Renewal
In the US it ranked #1 on Peacock's Top 10 TV Shows on its platform and was a Top 5 streaming original in the US for its opening weekend (according to preliminary Nielsen data).

[11/22/24 - 06:31 AM]
Video: "Chef's Table" Volume 7 - Official Teaser - Netflix
Meet five world-class chefs who redefine culinary boundaries with delicious, innovative dishes honoring their diverse cultures and personal philosophies.

[11/22/24 - 05:41 AM]
"They Call It Late Night with Jason Kelce" Set for January 2025 on ESPN
Airing on Friday nights/early Saturday mornings, the new personality-driven, one-hour program will take its inspiration from traditional late-night television, emphasizing a comedic approach throughout all five scheduled episodes which run in conjunction with the finale of the NFL regular season and playoffs.

[11/22/24 - 03:01 AM]
Video: "Ad Vitam" - Official Trailer - Netflix
After escaping an attempted murder, Franck Lazarev (Guillaume Canet) must find his wife Léo, who has been kidnapped by a mysterious group of armed men.

[11/21/24 - 04:01 PM]
"Rugged Rugby: Conquer or Die" Premieres December 10: A Battle for Supremacy Begins
In the shadows of Korea's rugby world, seven teams engage in a fierce battle of strength, strategy, and teamwork - all vying to be crowned champion.

[11/21/24 - 04:00 PM]
ABC Presents a Two-Night Special Event To Commemorate the Diamond Anniversary of "Mary Poppins"
First, "The Untold Story of Mary Poppins: A Special Edition of 20/20," a two-hour special from ABC News Studios chock full of rarely seen footage, photos and stories from the film's living legends, airs Wednesday, November 27 on ABC and streams next day on Hulu and Disney+.

[11/21/24 - 01:32 PM]
2024 International Emmy Nominees on Hulu
Check out these Emmy-worthy international series streaming on Hulu.

[11/21/24 - 01:12 PM]
"Dancing with the Stars" Semifinals Is Top Program of the Night in Adults 18-49 and All Key Women Demographics
The spectacular season 33 penultimate episode grew over the previous week's 500th episode celebration in both Total Viewers (5.19 million vs. 5.13 million) and Adults 18-49 (0.75 rating vs. 0.71 rating), hitting a season high in Total Viewers.

[11/21/24 - 01:05 PM]
NBC Orders Five Additional Episodes of Its Friday Night Comedy Hit "Happy's Place"
The "Happy's Place" premiere has hit 14 million viewers across all platforms.