Other than Saturday Night Live, not a lot of series over the years have been successful adhering to a schedule on the least TV-friendly night of the week. Fox tried to sway young homebodies on Saturday nights with its Animation Domination High-Def block of programming, but the only people tuning in were viewers well beyond Fox’s key demographic. As such, the network will remove ADHD from their schedule after a final airing on June 28, but will continue working with the animation company for primetime series as well as continued online content. So it isn’t a failed project, but it’s kind of like putting roller skates on animals before using them on people.
ADHD began airing last September, anchored on shows such as the comic adaptation Axe Cop, Dino Stamatopoulos’ Archie spoof High School USA!, the plainly titled Lucas Bros. Moving Co. and the demigod/teen buddy comedy Golan the Insatiable, along with a seemingly endless supply of shorts. According to THR, two ADHD series have been picked up for the big time, and will likely air on Sunday nights starting in June 2015, presumably to keep viewers who aren’t keen on watching Simpsons and Family Guy repeats. (Bob’s Burgers repeats are always good, however.) Unfortunately, the story doesn’t specify if these two shows are newly conceived or if they’re just stretching out already existing series.
Do we really need a half-hour long Axe Cop?
Fox’s senior vice president of multi-platform programming Kiliaen Van Rensselaer understands that it isn’t the shows that are the problem, but where the network focus was aimed. “When we looked at it,” he told THR, “we were reaching the wrong audience.” The average age of ADHD viewers is 47, and the programming occasionally ran into problems with college football games running late. They’ll still have to deal with the NFL on Sundays, but not until August and September.
In the meantime, Fox will continue to promote the shorts on Hulu while they figure out other ways to attract younger viewers through other online outlets. It’s not as if the brand is a dud or anything, as their shorts have occasionally gone viral over the past few months, especially their “Scientifically Accurate” vids and the “Sympathy for Slender Man Song,” which has earned itself a Webby Award nomination. Check it out below.
Will you guys be sorry to see ADHD go, or were you always busy doing something else on Saturday nights anyway?
