Fox TV has made the decision to axe its “underperforming” Animation Domination HD block of programming. The Saturday night program’s last night will be June 28; no replacement for the 11 p.m. hour has yet been announced, according to Broadcasting and Cable.
The Animation Domination High Def (ADHD) brand will continue on digital platforms off the air, including FoxADHD.com, Broadcast and Cable reported. Sunday’s primetime Animation Domination block, which airs shows like The Simpsons and Family guy, is staying put, executives said.
Animation Domination’s Saturday night block, which had been geared toward young males and resembled Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim programming, made its debut last year. Fox describes ADHD as “alternative animated series, shorts and user-adapted material.”
According to Entertainment Weekly, viewer complaints about ADHD’s risque content contributed to the program’s downfall, along with poor ratings. On April 16, Broadcasting and Cable reported, the Parents Television Council called on Fox to take down a promotional video for ADHD called “Easter Bunny’s Coming,” saying the video was “the most explicit material we’ve ever seen produced by a broadcast television network.” ADHD
Another factor to scrap ADHD was college football — games on Saturday nights often ran longer than scheduled, pushing into ADHD’s time slot.
Broadcasting and Cable reported that Fox will most likely replace the programming block with reruns. According to Entertainment Weekly, ADHD’s website will continue to be utilized as a sort of “incubator” to develop new potential on-air series for Fox.