Friday 28 May 1999
By eBroadcast Staff and agencies.

America's NBC network is borrowing a page from The Simpsons to launch their new animated contender Julia's P.O.V.

Often imitated, never duplicated.

You might remember, about ten years ago, when The Simpsons debuted on the Tracey Ullman Show in the form of interstitials (short spots or teasers intended to expose viewers to a potential prime-time program without giving away the whole enchilada). If folks respond to the spots, as was the case with The Simpsons, the network will likely add the program to its prime-time lineup. "You want teens to find it themselves," an NBC source told The New York Post. "Our research shows that if you force things on teens they'll not want to get into it."

Julia's P.O.V., a cartoon from the producers of Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist, will debut in July during commercials of NBC's teen-oriented Saturday-morning lineup. "It's a kind of experimental programming and I think that's what The Simpsons was in a lot of ways," said Robin Schwartz, NBC's vice president of programming, and big fan of anything experimental (possibly including battery operated devices).

Katz and team, no strangers to headache-inducing animation, produce ABC's Squiggle Vision and the short-lived Home Movies. NBC recently ordered 13, 30-second spots that will debut in late June or early July.