Adult Swim (stylized as [adult swim] and [as]) is an American adult-oriented television programming block aired by the American basic cable channel Cartoon Network during the evening, prime time, and late-night dayparts. The channel features stylistically varied animated and live-action series targeting an adult audience. The content includes original programming (particularly comedies and action series), syndicated series, and short films with generally minimal or no editing for content. Adult Swim is programmed by Williams Street, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Television Studios that also produces much of the block's original programming.
Launched on September 2, 2001, Adult Swim has frequently aired animated sitcoms, adult animation features, parody, satire, mockumentaries, sketch comedy, and pilots, with many of its programs being aesthetically experimental, transgressive, improvised, and surrealist in nature. Adult Swim has contracted with various studios known for their productions in absurd and shock comedy.[1] In addition to comedy, Adult Swim also broadcasts Japanese anime and American action animation, and since May 2012 this type of programming has generally been aired on its Saturday night Toonami block, which itself is a relaunch of the original block of the same name that ran on Cartoon Network from March 1997 to September 2008.
Adult Swim initially ran in the late night hours.[2] It began to expand into prime time in 2008, and moved its start time to 8:00 p.m. ET/PT in 2014.[3][4] To take advantage of adult viewership of Cartoon Network in the daypart, Adult Swim expanded further to 7:00 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays beginning in May 2023.[5] After experiencing success with the changes, Adult Swim further expanded to 5:00 p.m. on August 28, 2023; on weekdays, the expanded runtime is filled by classic programming from the networks' libraries, with Mondays through Thursdays featuring Checkered Past, which airs classic Cartoon Network original series from the 1990s and 2000s,[6] and Fridays featuring Toonami Rewind, which broadcasts classic Toonami programming.[7]
Due to its differing demographics, Adult Swim is usually promoted by Warner Bros. Discovery as being a separate network time-sharing with Cartoon Network on its channel allotments, with its viewership being measured separately by Nielsen from the youth-oriented daytime and afternoon programming carried under the Cartoon Network branding.
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- ^ Donnelly, Caroline (November 4, 2011). "Thinking Small". Channelweb.co.uk. Archived from the original on January 5, 2016. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
- ^ Bernstein, Paula (June 11, 2001). "Cartoon Net Dives into 'Adult Swim'". Variety. Archived from the original on October 27, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
- ^ Ball, Ryan (November 5, 2008). "Adult Swim Expands with King of the Hill". Animation Magazine. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
- ^ Littleton, Cynthia (February 3, 2014). "Adult Swim Block To Expand By One Hour, Cartoon Net Amps Digital Content". Variety. Archived from the original on June 4, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
- ^ Hayes, Dade (March 29, 2023). "As Adult Swim Gets Set To Add An Hour Of Daily Programming, President Michael Ouweleen Sees Warner Bros Discovery In A More Settled Post-Merger State: "We're All Feeling More Possibility"". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 19, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
- ^ Flook, Ray (July 17, 2023). "Adult Swim Reveals "Checkered Past" This August - at 5 PM? (TEASER)". Bleeding Cool. Archived from the original on July 26, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
- ^ Mateo, Alex (May 17, 2024). "Adult Swim Announces Toonami Rewind Block With Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball Z Kai, Naruto Anime". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 30, 2024. Retrieved May 31, 2024.