‘Annoying Orange’ Picked Up By Cartoon Network

The news of a TV series based on one of YouTube’s most popular series, The Annoying Orange, has been out there for over a year. But today came word just where that show is going to live, as Cartoon Network picked up creator Dane Boedigheimer’s six-episode longer form animated version.

Management company and production house The Collective partnered with Boedigheimer to produce 15 half-hour episodes of The Annoying Orange animated TV comedy series. The episodes come complete with A-list cartoon talent, including Tom Sheppard (Pinky and the Brain) handling writing responsibilities, Conrad Vernon (co-director of Monsters and Aliens, Shrek 2) executive producing, and Malcom McDowell lending his voice to one of the characters.

“Basically the plan is to really take advantage of TV’s longer format and expand the AO world way beyond what it is on YouTube…really dive into the characters and their personalities,” Boedigheimer told us today. “Of course we would continue to do the YouTube show as well. I think there’s an advantage to being able to drive traffic to TV via the web and vice versa. The two will work together in tandem.”

Release date is not yet set, though sometime in the first half of next year is what we are hearing. The online version will continue on their YouTube channel, with its 2.2 million subscribers still a very fertile platform for the franchise.

Check out our recent sit down interview with Annoying Orange’s Boedigheimer and producer Bobby Jennings, who still have yet to score Nathan Fillion in an episode. But never say never.