American television animation studio
20th Television Animation (formerly Fox Television Animation and 20th Animation) is an American television production company and animation studio that creates, develops and produces adult animated television series and specials. It is a unit of Disney Television Studios, a subsidiary of Walt Disney Television.[1]
History
This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: "20th Television Animation" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
20th Century Fox Television and 20th Television animation unit (1999–2020)
Logo used as Fox Television Animation (1999–2020).
The studio was established in 1999.[2] Its first project was the continued production of Family Guy for its third season, which it took over from the series' previous home at Film Roman for seasons one and two. The studio would become the home of future animated series co-created by Seth MacFarlane: American Dad! and The Cleveland Show.[3] In 2016, Fox Television Animation assumed production of The Simpsons, taking over from Film Roman.
Most animated projects from 20th Television Animation are subcontracted to third party animation production companies such as Film Roman, Titmouse, Inc., Bento Box Entertainment and Rough Draft Studios, but the company maintains 20th Television Animation as an in-house option. Because the company acts as a production house for hire, it is not treated as a labeled division of 20th Century Studios like Touchstone Television or Searchlight Pictures. The studio specializes in animation pre-production and post-production, while the actual animation production is handled by studios in South Korea. 20th Television Animation's frequent contractors include Digital eMation, Yearim Productions, AKOM Production, and Rough Draft Korea.
The studio maintains a location in the Miracle Mile neighborhood of Los Angeles[4][5] Its workers are represented by The Animation Guild, I.A.T.S.E. Local 839.[6]
Under Disney Television Studios (2020–present)
Logo used as 20th Animation (2020–2021).
In September 2020, the animation company was renamed as 20th Television Animation[citation needed] as part of a merger requirement to drop the word "Fox" from the acquired assets to avoid brand confusion with Fox Corporation. Less than three months following this change in December 2020, the name was shortened to simply 20th Animation.
In March 2021, Disney Television Studios renamed the studio back to 20th Television Animation and relaunched it as a standalone unit from 20th Television, naming Marci Proietto as president of the company. 20th Television Animation focuses on producing and developing animated projects targeted at adults, as opposed to the kid-targeted sister studio Disney Television Animation. Under the new incarnation, 20th Television Animation would assume executive supervision of the production of all animated projects that had, up to that point, been overseen by 20th Television. This allowed series that 20th Television Animation was already producing animation for under 20th Television's watch to be brought entirely under one company, while series whose animation was produced by a third party company would retain that relationship, with 20th Television Animation only absorbing the above-the-line production and acting as the new client for the animation contractor.[7]
