Buddy Television

Buddy Television is a South Australian-American television 2D/3D CGI animation production studio based in South Australia. It was founded on January 1, 2001 as Buddy Television Studios by Cal Brunker, Bob Barlen, Robert Baird and Andrew Millstein. Its first television program, Mario, aired on March 10, 2001.

In 2016, The Australian Television Production Facility Pty. Ltd. merged with Buddy Television Studios, which was acquired by ToonBox Entertainment in 2015, to form Buddy Television.

The studio is known for making television programs, both in traditional 2D, and in 3D CGI, and the company sometimes produces live-action/animated programs. is the television division of Buddy Studios, which was owned by ToonBox Entertainment in 2016.

2001-2009: Founding and development on television
On January 1, 2001, Buddy Studios' television division, known as "Buddy Television Studios," was established in Elizabeth Park, South Australia. It was founded by Cal Brunker, Bob Barlen, Robert Baird, and Andrew Millstein, who are also the founders of Buddy Studios.

The development of the Mario CG-animated television series began on March 10, when the company joined forces with Nintendo, a well-known Japanese video game publishing company. This collaboration aimed to create a TV show based on the popular Mario franchise. The critical response to the game was mixed to positive, with some critics describing it as a "mixed up chaos adventure with Mario and Luigi" and stating that it may not be as enjoyable as the traditional games. However, it is important to note that opinions on entertainment can vary greatly among individuals. While some may have found the game less fun compared to previous titles, others may have still found enjoyment in its unique gameplay and story. Ultimately, whether or not a game is considered fun is subjective and can differ from person to person.

2010-2015: Continued success; The Adventures of Hammy, Donkey Kong's Crazy Quest, etc. and acquisition by ToonBox Entertainment
On January 1, 2010, Buddy Television Studios embarked on the production of Purple Squirrel: The Series in collaboration with ToonBox Entertainment. This animated series was then distributed on television by Boomerang. The series has garnered widespread critical acclaim, with reviewers from Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic heaping praise on it. They describe it as a "stunning series" that revolves around Surly the Purple Squirrel and his friends. Additionally, they commend the show for capturing Will Arnett's enthusiasm perfectly.

In 2010, Buddy Television Studios, in partnership with 21 Laps Entertainment, launched their inaugural live-action series, Super Hero Squad. The series premiered on January 2nd and initially aired on HBO for four seasons before transitioning to Disney+. Super Hero Squad garnered positive reviews from its viewership.

The V-Team, which aired on television by Boomerang on February 14, 2010, received a very positive critical response. According to Common Sense Media, the show was described as a "fun and fast-paced series."

Cal Brunker and Bob Barlen confirmed that the film will set a spinoff series based on the 2009 film was announced. The Adventures of Hammy was premiered on September 11th, 2011, and was co-produced by DreamWorks Animation Television. This show is based on the 2009 American CG-animated slapstick comedy film Hammy, which means fans of the movie can now enjoy more adventures with their favorite character. With DreamWorks Animation behind it, you can expect high-quality animation and entertaining storylines. It's always great to see beloved characters continue their journeys on the small screen! The Adventures of Hammy is a show that had its animation services provided by Bardel Entertainment and was aired on Netflix. It's always positive when a show receives a good critical response, as it indicates that viewers and reviewers appreciated the quality and entertainment value of the series.

On March 12th, 2012, Nintendo teamed up with Buddy Television Studios once again to create Donkey Kong's Crazy Quest, an exciting CG-animated adventure television series based on the beloved Donkey Kong franchise. This collaboration aims to bring the iconic characters and thrilling world of Donkey Kong to life in a new and engaging way for fans of all ages. With its American production, viewers can expect a fresh take on the beloved Donkey Kong universe, filled with exciting adventures, memorable characters, and plenty of fun. The animation services for the project you mentioned were indeed provided by Animal Logic. Animal Logic is a renowned animation and visual effects studio based in Australia. As for the distribution, the project was handled by Cartoon Network, a popular television network known for its animated programming. Cartoon Network has a wide reach and is known for bringing animated content to audiences around the world.

In September 2015, ToonBox bought Buddy Television Studios for AU$800 million, and the company became a subsidiary of ToonBox from December 2015 until July 2016.

2016-2021: ToonBox Entertainment's acquisition of Buddy Studios and Buddy+
On January 15, 2016, ToonBox Entertainment announced plans to acquire Buddy Studios, a South Australian studio for AU$39.8 billion. The merger was approved by both parties on May 25 and finalized on July 16.

On January 18th, 2018, six days after the establishment of Buddy Studios' streaming platform, Buddy+, a plethora of original animated series, live-action series, and hybrid series were soon to debut on the platform. The following original animated series on Buddy+ include Chip 'n Dale: Modern Days (prequel to Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers), The Itchy And Scratchy Show (The Simpsons spinoff), Spongebob: The Origin Story (a Spongebob Squarepants prequel/spinoff), Spark (sequel to Spark: A Space Tail), The Pirates! (spinoff series of The Pirates! Band of Misfits), and Witchcraft (based on the game of the same name). Also outputting are Inside Out: Joy's Emotions (a Inside Out spinoff), Valiant (sequel to the same name), The Nut Job (based on the movie franchise of the same name), Looney Tunes: The Golden Age (a Looney Tunes prequel) and Rainbows (the platform's first original series).

2020 was a dark period for the company. Other production companies, such as Sony Pictures Animation, 20th Century Animation and Warner Bros. Animation, were seeking distribution from other television studios, such as FX, HBO and ABC, causing Buddy Television to cease operations on television programs, mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, until April 2021.

In April 2021, production for television programs resumed.

2022-present: Resurgence, other deals of acquisition (Technicolor, Paramount Global)
As of June 28, 2022, Buddy Television's estimated revenue has decreased, and is now at AU$26.8 billion, to which it was originally AU$27.1 billion the day before. The company's total assets were increased from AU$72.6 billion to AU$74.4 billion, as listed on the ASX.

In February 2022, Technicolor SA expressed interest in acquiring Buddy Television, owned by Buddy Studios, for a substantial amount of AU$70 billion. However, the offer was declined by ToonBox Entertainment, the parent company of Buddy Studios. Paramount Global expressed interest in acquiring the company in May, offering a substantial amount of USD$125 billion. However, just like the previous offer from Technicolor, the company declined this proposal as well. Nevertheless, discussions regarding both deals are scheduled to take place on August 1.

On August 1st, 2022, it was announced that both companies have decided to acquire Technicolor SA. The acquisition deal is valued at AU$72 billion. The merger process was successfully completed on August 4th.

On January 1st, 2023, Ben Bocquelet announced several spinoffs of The Amazing World of Gumball will be coming to Buddy+ and Cartoon Network. This marks the first time a TAWOG spinoff show will be released on both platforms simultaneously. This announcement came after the conclusion of the show's sixth season.

Divisions
After the acquisition of Buddy Studios' television division by ToonBox Entertainment in 2016, several new divisions were established within Buddy Television.


 * Buddy Reality - founded in 2016
 * Buddy Documentary - founded in 2017
 * Buddy Television Violence Studios - founded in 2016
 * Buddy News - founded in 2021

Network series
Buddy Television premiered their first animated series, Mario, in March 2001 and again in March 2011. This series was a collaboration with the renowned video game company Nintendo. Buddy Television partnered with ToonBox Entertainment for their second animated series titled Purple Squirrel: The Series, released in January 2010 to coincide with the theater premiere of Purple Squirrel: The Reckoning. The series was subsequently broadcast on Boomerang. The V-Team, based on the V-Team franchise, premiered in February 2010 also on Boomerang and ended in October 2018.

The first anthology animated series, Looney Tunes Shorts, was developed by Sam Register and was based on the original Looney Tunes series. It featured different animation styles with various characters animated by distinct studios including Reel FX Animation Studios for Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd, Mikros Image for Daffy Duck and Porky Pig, Mercury Filmworks for Sylvester and Tweety, and Yowza! Animation for Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner. The series premiered in October 2013 and ended in May 2021, being produced by Buddy Television and Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Buddy Television collaborated with Nintendo to produce Donkey Kong's Crazy Quest, a CG-animated series based on the Donkey Kong franchise (2012-2020). The animation was provided by Animal Logic and it aired on Cartoon Network.

Buddy Television and ToonBox Entertainment partnered to co-produce several animated series. Their productions include Purple Squirrel: The Series (2010-2017), Buddy! (2010-2020), Spark (2018-2020), and The Nut Job (2020-present). Other animated series collaborations were with Disney Television Animation. They produced House of Mouse (2012-2021), Goofy (2013-2021), Maroon Cartoon (2014-2022), Chip 'n Dale: Modern Days (2018-2023), TaleSpin (2018-2021), and Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers (2019-2022). The first of these to be streamed on Buddy Studios' own service, Buddy+, was Chip 'n Dale: Modern Days.

Streaming series
The 2011 to 2020 spin-off series, The Adventures of Hammy, based on the 2009 film Hammy, was produced by Buddy Television and DreamWorks Animation Television. The animation services were provided by Bardel Entertainment and it was aired on Netflix.

Network series
Buddy Television released its first live-action network series, Super Hero Squad, in January 2010. The show was co-produced with 21 Laps Entertainment. This series first aired on HBO and ran for first four seasons. Later, it transitioned to Disney+ for final two seasons.

Streaming series
Buddy Television's first live-action streaming series, The Spy, premiered in February 2014 on Netflix in collaboration with Regency Television. The second live-action series of Buddy Television titled Umbrella, premiered in June 2018 also on Netflix, with production involving Illumination Entertainment.

Network and Streaming series
Its first live-action/animated series, Wish, was premiered in February 2004 and ended in March 2018. The series, developed by Daniel Chong and Eric Goldberg, was produced by Buddy Television and Troublemaker Studios, with animation services provided by Sony Pictures Imageworks. It initially aired on CBS for eight seasons and moved to Buddy+ for its final season. The second live-action/animated series, Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Series, premiered on December 25, 2010, and ended on December 19, 2020. The show was produced by Buddy Television, 20th Television, 20th Television Animation and Bagdasarian Productions. Initially, it aired on Hulu for three seasons before moving to Buddy+ for its final two seasons. The series is based on the Alvin and the Chipmunks franchise created by Janice Karman and Ross Bagdasarian Jr., with the original cast reprising their roles.

Films
The television films are produced by Buddy Television Films, a division of Buddy Television.

Trivia
TBA