Seth Green

AS TCA 2006

Adult Swim announced their programming highlights for original and acquired animated television series’ and films throughout the fall and winter months. The announcement was made at the annual Television Critics Association earlier today. Animated programming announced here includes everything from the animated feature Swords of an Honrorable Ruler to Robot Chicken and 12 oz. Mouse. Adult Swim looks to maintain its lead throughout the second half of this year in acquiring highly rated anime programs as well as in continuing to produce consistently popular comedy programming.

Discuss the following announcements on A.I.’s Adult Swim Forum.

JULY:

July 10th: Pee-wee’s Playhouse, the winner of an astounding 22 Emmy Awards and a pop culture touchstone nearly 20 years after its debut, joins the Adult Swim lineup beginning Monday, July 10th, 2006. It will air Monday-Thursday at 11:00 p.m. (ET, PT). The acclaimed series stars Paul Reubens as his alter-ego Pee-wee Herman and features a rich cast of characters who drop by “the place where anything can happen.”

In Pee-wee’s Playhouse, Pee-wee, dressed in his too-small grey suit and red bowtie, welcomes a cavalcade of characters to his playhouse, including the King of Cartoons, Cowboy Curtis, Miss Yvonne, Pteri the Pterodactyl, Randy (the resident trouble-starter), Captain Carl, Jambi the genie, nosey neighbor Mrs. Rene, and Reba the Mail Lady. Adult Swim will air all 45 original half-hour episodes of the series and the rarely-seen Pee-wee’s Playhouse Christmas Special. Many of the episodes have not been seen on TV since the series’ original Saturday morning run.

AUGUST:

August 6th: Metalocalypse, a new animated comedy series that follows the on- and off-stage adventures of Dethklok, the world’s most popular and heaviest metal band, debuts on Sunday Aug. 6 and will air weekly at 11:45 p.m. (ET, PT). Dethklok is the world’s most popular band - so popular that thousands of fans will travel to a remote area of Scandinavia to hear them perform a single song: a jingle for a coffee company. They’re so popular that these fans will sign “pain waivers” in case anything truly horrible happens to them at a show, which invariably occurs. The band members are also incredibly selfish and stupid, and they create a wave of mayhem, death and destruction wherever they go. Needless to say, this incredible cultural force has created the attention of a shadowy and seemingly powerful group of world leaders. Metalocalypse was created by Tommy Blacha (a writer for Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Da Ali G Show) and Brendon Small (co-creator of Home Movies).

August 8th: Two series that helped launch Adult Swim will have their final episodes released on DVD on Tuesday, Aug. 8th 2006. The Brak Show: Volume 2 includes 14 side-splitting episodes starring adolescent Brak’s wacky adventures and quirky family on a planet that resembles a wholesome American suburb. Sealab 2021: Volume 4 compiles the final 13 episodes of the series set in a dysfunctional undersea workplace. Among its extra features is a compilation of the “Best of Sealab.”

August 12th: InuYasha The Movie 3: Swords of an Honorable Ruler makes its debut on August 12th, 2006 at 11 p.m. (ET, PT). Many years ago, the Great Dog Demon wielded the Three Swords of the Fang. Upon his death, he bequeathed a sword to each of his sons, InuYasha and Sesshomaru. The third sword was locked away forever by the wrath-filled Sounga. Now, Sounga’s power has awakened, and the two brothers must put away a sibling rivalry to face off against a force that spells for doom for all mankind.

SEPTEMBER:

September 2nd: Adult Swim marks its fifth anniversary on the air. Something big may happen. Something big may not happen.

September 4th: Winged superhero-turned-middling lawyer Harvey Birdman is back with a new season of trials and office politics. In this season of Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, two main characters die just like that, Avenger speaks and Peanut continues to act inappropriately. And Harvey will no doubt ably represent an assortment of cartoon litigants while he continues to climb the ladder at his law firm. Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law will air Sundays at 10:45 p.m. (ET, PT).

September 9th: Adult Swim will begin airing the anime series Bleach. Ichigo Kurosaki is an average 15-year-old who never asked for the ability to see ghosts. He was born with the gift. When his family is attacked by a Hollow, a malevolent lost soul, Ichigo becomes a Soul Reaper, dedicating his life to protecting the innocent and helping the tortured spirits find peace. Bleach debuts September 9th, 2006 and will air Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. (ET, PT).

September 9th: Adult Swim will begin airing the anime series Trinity Blood In Trinity Blood, a new animé series to air in Adult Swim Saturdays at 12 a.m. (ET, PT), the world has been rebuilt from the Armageddon that destroyed civilization 500 years prior. New cities have been built in gothic styles, elaborate airships patrol the sky and it seems that peace and harmony reign. But underneath the surface, the forces of darkness hold onto old grudges. Vampires, once believed to be extinct, have risen again and brave defenders of humanity, now armed with advanced weaponry, hunt them at every turn.

September 17th: A new season of squids marked by brown liquor-fueled rage and regret starts on Sunday, September 17th, 2006 when the Williams Street series Squidbillies, produced by Dave Willis (Aqua Teen Hunger Force) and Jim Fortier (The Brak Show) returns. The Cuyler family, a close-knit crew of squids stranded in the hills of north Georgia, has adapted to the gun-shooting, law-skirting ways of the natives. New episodes will air Sundays at 12 midnight (ET, PT).

September 17th: The stop-motion animation program Robot Chicken returns with a new season of 10 episodes on Sunday, September 17th 2006. Created by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich, the fast-moving sketch comedy skewers all elements of popular culture, from politics to celebrities and even the occasional thrashing of geek culture. Past highlights have included Sex in the City re-imagined starring The Golden Girls, President Bush as a taco-loving boob, a comic value of kicks to the groin and voice cameos from Scarlett Johannson, Burt Reynolds, Ryan Seacrest, Mark Hamill, David Hasselhoff, Gene Simmons, Hugh Hefner and Macaulay Culkin. New episodes will air Sundays at 11:30 p.m. (ET, PT).

September 17th: In the new season of 12oz. Mouse, the crude and mysterious Williams Street series created and drawn by Matt Maiellaro (Aqua Teen Hunger Force), Mouse continues to unravel the mystery that envelops his life. One thing we know is that he is fond of beer, firearms and odd jobs.

OCTOBER:

October 15th: From the creators of one of Adult Swim’s founding original series, Sealab 2021, comes Frisky Dingo, which will air Sundays at 12:30 a.m. beginning October 15th, 2006. In the animated comedy, Killface is the most evil villain of all time, and he’s determined to destroy the Earth by propelling it into the sun. The problem is, he’s a little short on funding these days and, to be honest, his enthusiasm for the plan is waning a bit. Doing everything he can to stop him-or at least keeping up appearances-is Awesome-X, the alter ego of billionaire Xander Crews. But Xander has his own ambivalence about stopping Killface: doing so might hurt his ability to sell more Awesome-X toys, the means by which he props up his billionaire playboy lifestyle. Frisky Dingo is co-created by Matt Thompson and Adam Reed.

October 15th: The insanely popular Adult Swim original series >o?Aqua Teen Hunger Force returns on October 15th 2006 with a new 10-episoode season. New episodes will debut at 10:30 p.m. (ET, PT) every Sunday night. Frylock, Master Shake and Meatwad continue to live together in the suburban New Jersey rental home they share and destroy. When they are not being visited by an odd assortment of villains, they like to hang out in their next-door neighbor Carl’s above-ground swimming pool. Aqua Teen Hunger Force was created by Matt Maiellaro and Dave Willis and will soon spawn its first feature film, set for release in February 2007.

DECEMBER:

December 23rd: InuYasha The Movie 4: Fire on the Mystic Island, the next installment of movies based on the popular animé series, premieres on December 23rd 2006 at 11 p.m. (ET, PT). Within the dark recesses of Horai Island, a group of half-demons lives under the demonic rule of the Four War Gods. Escaping with barely a shred of hope, Ai, the youngest of the half-demons, returns to the island with InuYasha, who must face not only the Four War Gods, but the past he left behind on the island 50 years ago.