Disney Launches 20th Television Animation, Promotes Veteran Exec Marci Proietto To Run New Unit Responsible For ‘The Simpsons’ & ‘Family Guy’

Disney Television Studios is doubling down on adult animation with the launch of a new division devoted to the genre and has tapped 20th Century Television veteran Marci Proietto to run it.

The company has launched 20th Television Animation, a new unit to develop and produce animated series and house its library of existing hits such as The Simpsons and Family Guy.

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The move means that these legacy shows, which also include American Dad and Bob’s Burgers, will no longer be produced by 20th Television with all animated programming coming out of the new Proietto-led unit.

It is a similar move to the one made to launch Walt Disney Television Alternative, a new non-scripted production unit run by Rob Mills.

While 20th Television and ABC Signature report to Dana Walden, chairman of entertainment for Walt Disney Television, the alternative studio and this new animation unit will report to Walt Disney Television President of Entertainment Craig Hunegs.

20th Television Animation has 11 series currently in production including the recently ordered Koala Man at Hulu and Solar Opposites, which launched its second season on the streamer last week. This also includes Fox’s The Great North, which airs at 8:30pm on Sundays, The Simpsons, Family Guy, Bob’s Burgers, Bless The Harts, Duncanville and American Dad, Central Park, which returns to Apple TV+ in June and HBO Max’s The Prince, which launches later this spring.

The company said that there are currently “dozens” of additional projects in development for a range of platforms.

Proietto has been with 20th Century for nearly thirty years, taking a job as the assistant to the head of production out of college. She joined The Simpsons in its sixth season and has worked on every other Fox animated property, which also includes King of the Hill and Futurama, since its inception, most recently promoted to EVP Animation of what was then 20th Century Fox TV in 2018. It is estimated that Proietto has now worked on over 2,440 episodes of 22 animated television series in her 29 years at the studio.

Hunegs said, “Many of the greatest family sitcoms on television – The Simpsons, Family Guy, Bob’s Burgers, Solar Opposites, Central Park, The Great North and the list goes on – come from the genius creators 20th Television Animation has assembled and nurtured over the past two decades. Marci has been a part of all of these phenomenal successes. She is an extraordinary executive who is much beloved and respected by our creators and her studio team. And knowing Marci’s relentless passion, we’re just getting started.’

“This studio is literally the only place I’ve ever worked, and I’ve been fortunate to have a front row seat to the creativity and genius of artists like Matt Groening, Seth MacFarlane, Loren Bouchard and Justin Roiland,” added Proietto. “I love what we get to do and I am grateful to Craig and Dana Walden for this vote of confidence. This is truly a boom time in adult animation and I’m excited to continue to build on the leadership of this studio with this new production unit laser-focused on growing our roster of successful animated series.”

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