Predictions For The Future Of Animated Television, Part 1

I’ve written on several occasions about animated television. We’ve come far but still have room for innovation. Here are some of my predictions for what animated TV could look like in the future.
Art provided by Ivan Shavrin.
Mini-Series

Mini-series like Over The Garden Wall and Samurai Jack‘s fifth season are evidence that sometimes short and sweet is best. Pouring the budget into higher production values and a focusing on telling one story can make for a better show over all. Anime has been doing this for years with some series lasting only ten to twelve episodes.
Hour-Long Episodic Series

Episode length also has its advantages. Cartoons have  evolved from 11 minute self- contained episodes to 22 minute episodes with an ad-break in the middle. However, hour-length episodes have been relegated exclusively to live action.

I’d love to see a gritty crime show like True Detective or a period-piece fantasy series like Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrel, but animated. Premium channel shows have larger budgets to deliver cinema quality writing, acting, and special effects. If we apply that level of quality to animated programing, it opens up exciting possibilities.
I’ll talk about those possibilities in my next article.