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Show IT EMS Week of March 1991 23-2- 9, Animation Sifts prime time By DEBORAH HASTINGS AP Television Writer LOS ANGELES Bart (AP) Simpson's contribution to American culture goes beyond the profound admonishment "Don't have a cow, man." The smart-alecimaginary has a whole genre of prime-tim- e programming. What began as a figment of cartoonist Matt Groening's overactive imagination has sent the three other networks scrambling to the drawing board. ABC, CBS and NBC all have elaborate plans to bring their own cartoons to nighttime k, television. For all its success, however, Fox Broadcasting Co.'s "The Simp- sons" did not invent the wheel aniwhen it comes to prime-tim- e mation. The Stone Age inhabitants of "The Flintstones" still qualify as the longest-runnin- g animated series on nighttime television (airing 1960 to 1966). And while the simple characters on "The Simpsons" may look easy to draw, producing an animated series is a laborious, expensive and from painstaking process easily derailed by production problems and acts of God. cartoon show can require as many as 18,000 individual drawings and, on the average, costs about 10 percent more than a program. To cut costs, most animated artwork is subcontracted to overseas firms whose cartoonists are paid far less than their American counterparts. A single, half-ho- live-acti- Just how much less, network executives won't say. A recent New York Times article quoted one animation expert as saying, "A rule of thumb is that an Asian makes in a month what an American would make in a week." But the price of cheap labor can be delays caused by things such as bad weather: Last year, for example, a typhoon in Korea briefly halted the making of "The Simpsons" and some Saturday morning cartoons. CBS has had the most recent prime-tim- e experience with such obstacles. The network's highly touted "Family Dog" cartoon, produced n film directors Stevby en Spielberg ("E.T.") and Tim Burton ("Batman") was supposed to premiere in prime time this month. CBS had even run two animated promotional ads for the program during February's highly rated broadcast of the Grammy awards. This month, however, CBS said the program was not ready. In fact, the network said, "Family Dog" would not be ready for at least six months. "We made the attempt with considerable risk," said Peter Tortori-c- i, senior vice president of program planning. "We were all on a very ambitious time period to get the show on this year." The drawings that came back from overseas animators were unacceptable to the meticulous producers of "Family Dog," Tortorici said. well-know- "In order to make it, everything in the world had to go exactly right," he said. Everything didn't. The cartoon series, which views life from the perspective of a household pet, won't be seen until the fall season. To safeguard themselves against the problems of animation, ABC and NBC have not announced premiere dates for their cartoon series. NBC won't even specify what year its two animated programs will debut. Nor will the network say what they're about. 's One will be produced by David Kirschner. The other will be done by Reginald and Warington Hudlin, the filmmaking Hanna-Barbera- brothers who made last year's "House Party." True to the television axiom that more is better including more of the same every network is not only bringing animation to prime time, some of their story lines are very similar. ABC is working on "Capitol Critters," which views life from the perspective of rodents. But these are no ordinary rats and cockroaches. These household pests belong to George and Barbara Bush. Tortorici said he isn't worried about the competition to his network's "Family Dog." "There's always room for more than one type of show," he said. "If there were a rule about having only one show of its kind on television, you'd lose 25 percent of the schedule." "Capitol Critters" is not expected to air before next January. Photo courtesy of Great Performances Indian epic on mini-serie- s Peter Brook's epic retelling of the Indian class, "The segments, Mahabharata," premieres in three Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 8 p.m. on Channel 7. two-ho- Sanskrit poem, the work Adapted from the of it evolved from a savage mankind as the story presents war between rival branches of a royal family. 2,000-year-o- ld ii you do not subscribe to Cable TV, you can get reception from the FREE stations, 2, 4, 5, 7, 11, 13 and 14 designated in the listings with a white on black code... If you do subscribe to Cable TV, the following guide will help you locate the available stations in Provo and Orem. For other cities, contact your cable company to determine the positions of the various stations on your dial. WCCkdSyS lf TtlHlilni stillMi llsttf ! O O O O O Salt Lake City (NBC) Salt Lake City (ABC) Salt Lake City (CBS) U of U Salt Lake City BYU, Provo Salt Lake City KXIV, Salt Lake City 14 (AMC), American Movie Classics (CBN), CBN Cable Network (DIS), Disney Channel ESPN), Sports Network (HBO), Home Box Office (MAX), Cinemax (LIFE), Lifetime (MTV), Music Television NASH), Nashville Network (NIK), Nickelodeon (SHO), Showtime (TDC), Discovery Channel (TNT), Turner Network (USA), USA Network (WGN), Chicago, III (WTBS), Atlanta, Ga KUTV, KTVX, KSL, KUED, KBYU, KSTU, rrai Oram irtaHsralfl Entartslner 2 2 4 4 5 5 7 7 11 11 13 13 12 22 14 8 16 10 12 6 na 19 18 17 23 20 26 38 19 25 17 15 27 34 35 37 16 25 33 23 26 22 9 8 3 na a NBC News 5:OOAM O ABC News ICC) Ag Day Q CD Fall Guy (AMC) Movie (CBN) Flintstone Kids (COUG) Varied Programs (DIS) Movie (LIFE) It Figures (NIK) Mr. Wizard's World (CC (USA) Cartoon Express (WGN) Robert Tilton (WTBS) Tom & Jerry's Funhouse 5:15AM CD A M Weather (AMC) Varied Programs O NBC News O CBS News CD BYU Devotional CB Varied Programs CD This Morning's Business (CBN) Popeye (LIFE) Everyday Workout (NIK) Yogi Bear (TNT) Popeye Hour 6:00AM O O News Q This Morning 5:30AM CD CD Ghostbusters Jetsons (AMC) Movie (CBN) Dinosaucers (LIFE) Attitudes (NIK) Inspector Gadget (WGN) Banana Splits 6:05AM (WTBS) Leave It to Beaver 6:15AM O A.M. Weather Prgrams presented each weekday O Mister Rogers Hooked on Aerobics 6:30AM CD (CC). (R) Flintstones Super Mario Bros. Super Show (AMC) (DIS) Varied Programs CD CD 7:45AM 8:00AM (AMC) Varied Programs 0 Focus Sesame Street (CC) CD CD Merrie Melodies (CBN) 700 Club (DIS) Good Morning, Mickey! (ESPN) Varied Programs (LIFE) Sister Kate 6:35AM (WTBS) Bewitched (NIK) Eureeka's Castle 7:00AM O Today (CC) (In Stereol (TDC) Dr. Edell's Medical Journal America (CC) Good (TNT) Movie O Morning (USA) New Mike Hammer O Zoobilee Zoo CD Captain Kangaroo (CC) (R) (WGN) Magnum, P.I. CB Tiny Toon Adventures (CC) 8:05AM (WTBS) Movie CD Video Power 8:30AM O Figuring It Out CB Jim Henson's Muppet Babies (CC) (CBN) Hazel CD Mighty Mouse (DIS) Mousercise Knows (LIFE) What Every Baby (DIS) Care Bears (CC (NASH) VideoMorning (In Stereo) (LIFE) Day by Day Lassie (NIK) (TDC) Your Health! (TDC) Assignment: Discovery 9:00AM Q (WGN) Joan Rivers (In Rock Stereo) (TNT) Fraggle 7:05AM (WTBS) Little House on the O Live - Regis & Kathie Lee Prairie O Price Is Right 7:30AM Q Sesame Street (CC) O Applied Mathematics CD Size Small Country CD Mister Rogers (CC) (R) CD Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (CC) CD Police Academv (CC) CD Wake. Rattle & Roll CD Dick Van Dyke (AMC) Movie (AMC) Movie (CBN) Flying Nun (CBN) Heart to Heart With Sheila Walsh (DIS) You and Me. Kid (LIFE) Born Famous (COUG) America: The Second Century (NIK) Maya the Bee (DIS) Donald Duck Presents (TNT) Muppets (ESPN) Getting Fit (WGN) Bewitched (Continued on TV2) (CBN) Littles (NIK) Heathcliff (WGN) Bozo (In Stereo) |