CBS Eye Animation Productions

**CBS Eye Animation Productions** is an American animation studio division of CBS Studios owned by Paramount Global. The studio is closely associated with the *Star Trek* franchise with its first projects, *Star Trek: Lower Decks* and *Star Trek: Prodigy.* CBS reinstate it as an animation division in late 2018 before its re-merger with Viacom in 2019.

## Background

In the 1950s, CBS began to invest further into television programs, creating many live shows as *I Love Lucy* and *Captain Kangaroo.* However, in 1955 CBS purchased Terrytoons from Paul Terry under CBS Films. After the deal's closure in 1956, CBS placed Terrytoons the management of UPA's Gene Deitch (which they'd already secured a contract with CBS). Deitch would soon produce animated *Tom Terrific* shorts for *Captain Kangaroo* in 1957. Terrytoons would continue animation under CBS until its closure in 1972 after the corporate spin-off of the original Viacom International.

Despite the change of operations, CBS would continue to air many animated programs such as Terrytoons (which they still owned), Games Animation and Hanna-Barbera Productions within the 1970s and mid-1980s. Throughout the late 1980s and '90s, they acquired broadcasting rights to multiple series from different studios such as *JeremyToons* (now owned by J LTD.), *Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle*, *Garfield and Friends* (both now owned by parent company Paramount Global), *Muppet Babies* (now owned by Disney), as well serval toy-based shows.

The network would continue with broadcast syndication cartoons from serval companies (such as Nelvana) up until the late 1990s. In the 2000s, CBS (now merged with Westinghouse) switched to licensing more educational drive shows. Viacom had also acquired CBS as it agreed to air Nickelodeon/Nick Jr. on CBS until 2006 (after Viacom & CBS' split).

CBS would later resume airing animated programs by launching Cookie Jar TV until 2013. On May 12, 2007, CBS, alongside Classic Media and DIC Entertainment, launched an animation-focused channel, UltraToons.

## History

In late 2018 CBS Studios unveiled CBS Eye Animation Productions to produce animated content for CBS All Access (later Paramount+). *Star Trek: Lower Decks* would become the first TV series, followed by *Star Trek: Prodigy* (a co-production with sister studio Nickelodeon Animation Studio). Initially, the studio would only create shows based on the *Star Trek* franchise but has invested in other shows such as *Lucy*, *The Terrytoons Show* and *The Harper House*.

On September 29, 2022, the employees of CBS Eye Animation Productions formed a union with Animation Guild IATSE Local 839 to publicly submitting a letter for voluntary recognition.

## List of CBS Eye Animation Studios productions

### TV series

#### Late Night Cartoons, Inc.

 1
Tim Luecke, R. J. Fried,
and Matt Lappin
Licht Media Solutions
CBS Studios
Showtime Networks
 2
Tim Luecke, R. J. Fried,

Mike Leech, and Zach Smilovitz
Licht Media Solutions
RJ Fried Worldwide
CBS Studios
(2020)

Paramount+
(2021)

Comedy Central (2022–present)

## See also

* Nickelodeon Animation Studio
* UltraToons Studios
* Paramount Animation
* MTV Animation
* List of animation studios owned by ViacomCBS