The Oblongs
The Oblongs (stylized as the 𝘖blongs...) is an American adult animated sitcom created by Angus Oblong and Jace Richdale. It was Mohawk Productions' first venture into animation. The series premiered on April 1, 2001 on The WB, and was removed on May 20th, leaving the last five episodes unaired. The remaining episodes were later aired on Cartoon Network's late-night programming block Adult Swim in August 2002, and later aired on Teletoon's "Teletoon Unleashed" (later become former block Teletoon at Night) block. The series is loosely based on a series of characters introduced in a picture  book entitled "Creepy Susie and 13 Other Tragic Tales for Troubled Children". The series was initially pitched to Fox and ABC, but neither of which picked it up for a full series, and thus, the series was submitted to the WB. The show was produced by Film Roman, Oblong Productions, Jobsite Productions and Mohawk Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, and the theme song for the series was composed and performed by They Might Be Giants. This was the only animated series to date to have been produced by Bruce Helford under Mohawk. A total of 13 episodes were  produced. All thirteen episodes of "The Oblongs" were released on DVD on October 4, 2005. As of February 2022, the series is available on Tubi. Setting and premise. The series focuses on the antics of a family who live in a poor valley community, and as a result of pollution and radiation exposure, are all disabled or deformed. The pollution is the direct result of the lavish lifestyle of the rich community known as "The Hills", whose residents exploit and harm the valley residents with absolutely no regard for their safety or well-being. Social commentary. Many reviewers and fans  see the series as a commentary on social stratification. Episodes. Certain episodes were directed by Bob Jaques and Vincent Waller; both of whom were known for their work on "SpongeBob SquarePants", "Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law", and "The Ren & Stimpy Show". Broadcast. The show premiered on April 1, 2001 on The WB but failed to find an audience. On May 20, 2001, The WB aired "Disfigured Debbie," the second episode produced, as the season finale, leaving five episodes unaired. Reruns of the first eight episodes, and the five remaining episodes, aired on Cartoon Network's late-night programming block, Adult  Swim, in 2002. Reruns of the series continue to air intermittently on Adult Swim. In Canada, the series airs on Teletoon as part of "Teletoon Unleashed". In Australia, the show premiered on the Nine Network on December 8, 2001, however due to insufficient ratings, it was withdrawn after one episode, but was eventually shown in a late-night/early morning time slot. The series aired from 2005 to 2006 on TBS's late-night programming block, Too Funny To Sleep. Home media. The entire series was released on two disc DVD set in the United States on October 4, 2005 . Awards and nominations. "The Oblongs" won the Artios award in 2001 for Best Casting for Animated Voiceover – Television Mary V. Buck Susan Edelman.