Television Animation
American prime-time animation was effectively dead between The Flintstones and 1989, when The Simpsons proved that an animated series could hold an adult audience in an evening slot. What followed was a thirty-year expansion in which animation became the medium's most reliable home for satire, absurdism and formal experiment — partly because it is cheaper to make anything happen in animation, and partly because networks have historically applied less scrutiny to cartoons.
About Television Animation
American prime-time animation was effectively dead between The Flintstones and 1989, when The Simpsons proved that an animated series could hold an adult audience in an evening slot. What followed was a thirty-year expansion in which animation became the medium's most reliable home for satire, absurdism and formal experiment — partly because it is cheaper to make anything happen in animation, and partly because networks have historically applied less scrutiny to cartoons. The characters that emerged are unusually merchandisable because television animation design favours flat colour, bold outlines and extreme silhouette simplicity.
Animation design for television favours flat colour and extreme silhouette simplicity, which is exactly what reproduces well on a printed garment.
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Key eras
| Era | Years | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| Prime time returns | 1989–1999 | The Simpsons, then South Park and Family Guy. |
| Cable expansion | 1999–2010 | SpongeBob, Adult Swim and a widening tonal range. |
| Streaming | 2013– | Rick and Morty, Bluey and a global distribution model. |