NBC takes risk with animated series

By Bill Keveney
USA Today

Looking for a hit during prime time's comedy drought, NBC is gambling on a long shot: a pricey, computer-generated cartoon.

"Father of the Pride" (8 p.m. Tuesday), a fanciful look at the lives of a lion family in Siegfried & Roy's Las Vegas act, has a big chip in its favor: producer DreamWorks, the company responsible for the "Shrek" movies.

NBC's Jeff Zucker approached DreamWorks' Jeffrey Katzenberg three years ago about a "Shrek"-like series, but technological advancements only recently made a weekly series possible. "And only at the very highest end of the kind of costs and gambles one does take in television," Katzenberg says.

Neither Katzenberg nor NBC will discuss specific costs for "Pride," being made round-the-clock by teams in California and Hong Kong. NBC says an episode of "Pride" costs more than the $1 million or so for an average new sitcom but less than the $2 million reported.

"Every show is a gamble," NBC program chief Kevin Reilly says. "There's a lot of competition, and comedy is struggling for its next fresh voice. You wouldn't mistake this for seven other shows on the air. It catches the eye."

Some wonder whether viewers accustomed to "Shrek" and "Toy Story" will be all that dazzled. The DreamWorks brand name should help gain attention in a crowded fall lineup, but that's just a start, says Cartoon Network's Michael Ouweleen. " 'From the makers of "Shrek" ' will definitely get people to tune in the first week. If it's funny and has good characters, they will continue to come back."