Liquid Television

Liquid Television was an animation showcase broadcast on MTV^[2] from 1991 to 1995. It launched several high-profile original cartoons, including Beavis and Butt-Head and Æon Flux.^[3][4] Other recurring segments include "The Art School Girls of Doom",^[5] The Specialists, and Brad Dharma: Psychedelic Detective.^[6] Independent animators and artists created most of the material specifically for the show, and some previously produced segments were compiled from festivals such as Spike and Mike's Festival of Animation.

Liquid Television
Title card from 1991 to 1995
Created by	Japhet Asher[1]
Composer	Mark Mothersbaugh
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	4
No. of episodes	27
Production
Executive producers	Japhet Asher Chris McCarthy John Hays Phil Robinson Jeff Fino Eli Noyes Kit Laybourne Samir Shah
Running time	30 minutes
Production companies	Colossal Pictures MTV Networks BIG Pictures Noyes & Laybourne Enterprises BBC (1991–1992)
Original release
Network	MTV
Release	June 2, 1991 (1991-06-02) – January 1, 1995 (1995-01-01)

The first season of Liquid Television also aired on BBC Two in co-production with MTV. Ultimately, MTV commissioned three seasons of the show, produced by Colossal Pictures. The show was eventually succeeded by Cartoon Sushi. Mark Mothersbaugh composed the theme music.

The show was broadcast in Canada on MuchMusic, in Asia on Channel V, in Australia on SBS and in New Zealand on TV3.

History

Many animation pieces were adapted from Art Spiegelman's comic compilation, RAW. RAW features underground cartoonists such as Mark Beyer, Richard Sala, and Peter Bagge. In particular, Dog-Boy by Charles Burns was based on the artist's series from RAW.^[7]

Due to the extensive use of licensed music throughout the series (many episodes begin with a contemporary music video being "liquified"), full episodes of Liquid Television have not been broadcast since their original run.^[8] Selected segments from the series, including the debut of Æon Flux, were released on two VHS tapes in the late 1990s as The Best of Liquid Television.^[a] A collection volume, Wet Shorts (The Best of Liquid Television), with the content of the two VHS tapes, was released on DVD in 1997.^[a]

Credits

1. Japhet Asher – Executive Producer/Creative Director
2. Prudence Fenton – Executive Producer/Story Editor
3. Mark Mothersbaugh – Composer, Theme Music
4. XAOS Inc. – Title Sequences, Liquid Lips, Liquid Eyes, End Credits Bed
5. A BIG Pictures & Noyes & Laybourne Collaboration
6. Produced by (Colossal) Pictures for MTV & BBC-TV

Series overview

Season	Episodes		Originally released
			First released	Last released
1	6		June 2, 1991	June 30, 1991
2	10		September 24, 1992	December 3, 1992
3	6		December 31, 1993	January 1, 1995
4	5		May 15, 2014	June 12, 2014

Episodes

Season 1 (1991)

No.	Original air date	Summary
1	June 2, 1991	Open: Robert Palmer "Addicted to Love" Soap Opera "A Steamy Scene" Buzz Box Grinning Evil Death Æon Flux Invisible Hands (by Richard Sala) Lea Press on Limbs Stick Figure Theatre "John Wayne in Angel and the Bad Man" Miss Lidia's Makeover to the Stars "Sinead O'Connor" The Art School Girls of Doom "Drummer" Psycho-Gram "Serum" (serialized throughout episode)
2	June 2, 1991	Open: John Denver PSA Winter Steele "Eat Crow" Invisible Hands Stick Figure Theatre "Mister Alfred Hitchcock" Rocky (by Malcolm Bennett) Footwork "Dog Flirting" Dog Brain (by J. Falconer) Dangerous Puppets Cut-Up Camera "Aerobics Instructor" Excerpt from Joy Street Weird (by Derek Philips) Æon Flux Psycho-Gram "Hostage" (serialized throughout episode)
3	June 9, 1991	Open: Faith No More "Epic" Soap Opera "Diandra Wastes Away" Buzz Box (a short film by David Daniels) Snookles (by Juliet Stroud) Stick Figure Theatre "Edmond O'Brien in D.O.A." Cut-Up Camera "Roller Coaster" Miss Lidia's Makeover to the Stars "Sylvester Stallone" Invisible Hands Prophet & Loss (by Jonathan Bairstow) Black Hula (by Marv Newland) The Art School Girls of Doom "Beach" Beach Chair (by Pixar) Æon Flux Psycho-Gram "Operative X" (serialized throughout episode)
4	June 16, 1991	Open: Dental Health Winter Steele "Ball of Communion" Jac Mac and Rad Boy "Go!" Footworks "Scoring" Dangerous Puppets The Thing What Lurked in the Tub Invisible Hands Monk's Purpose Stick Figure Theatre "Madonna in Express Yourself" Æon Flux Psycho-Gram "Music Industry" (serialized throughout episode)
5	June 23, 1991	Open: The B-52's "Love Shack" Soap Opera "Caught in the Act" Push Comes to Shove (Enemies) (by Bill Plympton) (serialized throughout episode) Cut-Up Camera "Pizza Delivery" Face Like a Frog – Mystic Knights "Don't Go in the Basement" Invisible Hands Miss Lidia's Makeover to the Stars "George Michael" Stick Figure Theatre "José Ferrer in Cyrano de Bergerac" The Art School Girls of Doom "The Bra" They Might Be Giants "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" Æon Flux episode 5 (bug in glass, cracker spread, news show) [9] Psycho-Gram "Suburban Housewife" (serialized throughout episode)
6	June 30, 1991	Open: Chalk test bars and tone Winter Steele "Stupid Hippies" Cut-Up Camera "Elevator" Invisible Hands Stick Figure Theatre "Jimmy Stewart in It's a Wonderful Life" Æon Flux (entire first season + episode 6) Psycho-Gram "Time Travel" (serialized throughout episode)

Season 2 (1992)

No.	Original air date	Summary
7	September 24, 1992	Open: Uncle Louie's Travels (by Drew Friedman) (serialized throughout episode) Æon Flux "Gravity" The Adventures of Thomas and Nardo Beavis and Butt-Head "Frog Baseball" (by Mike Judge) The Specialists Winter Steele "Soft Heart, Hard Alcohol" Stick Figure Theatre "Night of the Living Dead" Dog-Boy (by Charles Burns)
8	October 1, 1992	Open: The Safety Twins Bobby & Billy "Let's Go to the Party!" Wishful Thinking (by Candy Guard) Dog-Boy The Specialists Office Space (by Mike Judge) The Listener (by Chris Landreth) Was (Not Was) "Hello Dad, I'm in Jail" Directed and Produced by Christoph Simon Copyright 1988 Wishful Thinking (by Candy Guard) Part 2 Glove Story (Animated & Directed by Miles Flanagan, Mole Hill, Mark Slater) Æon Flux "Night" (Renamed "Mirror" on the Æon Flux DVD collection) Written, Designed, Produced and Directed by Peter Chung
9	October 8, 1992	Open: Concert (excerpt from a short film by Ondrej Rudavsky) Joe Normal (Written/Directed by Stephen Holman) Part 1 Was (Not Was) "What Up, Dog?" Copyright 1987 Speedbump the Roadkill Possum "Slipp'ry When Wet" Doktor Züm "Cafe Le Bad" The Adventures of Thomas and Nardo Meggamorphosis (by Sean Schur, featuring the voices of Tim Curry as "The Snake" and Annie Potts as The "Egg") Stick Figure Theatre "Wm. Shakespeare's Henry V" Joe Normal (Written/Directed by Stephen Holman) Part 2 The Specialists "Anti Matter World" Part 2/"Necator" Part 1 Bobby & Billy "Winter Fun" The Killing of an Egg (Animation by Paul Driessen) Dog-Boy "Date with Rondy" Part 1 Joe Normal (Written/Directed by Stephen Holman) Part 3
10	October 15, 1992	Open: Stick Figure Theatre "Mr. Jimi Hendrix performing "The Star-Spangled Banner" (Woodstock, 1969)" Doktor Züm "Typical Records" Elvis Meets the Spider People From Hell Winter Steele "All Men Suck (Except Crow)" Dog-Boy "Date with Rondy" Part 2 Getting to Know Each Other (by Candy Guard) Was (Not Was) "Earth to Doris" Copyright 1986 The Honky Problem (by Mike Judge) Bobby & Billy "Camping Out" Bob the Frog in "Burp" At the Beach (From Feggorama) The Specialists "Necator Part 2"/"Fifi Breakout" Part 1
11	October 22, 1992	Open: The Running Man (excerpt) The Specialists Stick Figure Theatre "Sergei Eisenstein's silent classic The Battleship Potemkin (USSR, 1925)" Flugbild (by Thomas Meyer-Hermann) Ladies (by Candy Guard) Dog-Boy The Running Man (by Yoshiaki Kawajiri)
12	October 29, 1992	Open: The Twelve Dangers of Skydiving (serialized throughout episode) Bobby & Billy "Soap Box Derby" Speedbump the Roadkill Possum "Batt'ry-fied" Dog-Boy Doktor Züm "Atom Bomb Factory" Stick Figure Theatre "The Crash of the Hindenburg May 6, 1937" Let's Chop Soo-E (by Eric Pigors) Winter Steele "Rhinestones 'n' Concussions" The Specialists
13	November 5, 1992	Open: Door #8 The Adventures of Thomas and Nardo This is Not Frank's Planet Æon Flux "Leisure" Dog-Boy In the Aquarium (Excerpt) Stick Figure Theatre "Jack Nicholson and Boris Karloff in The Terror" The Specialists Koko's Earth Control (by Max Fleischer, 1928) (new music and sound effects added, abridged)
14	November 12, 1992	Open: Devil's Angels (trailer) Smoking Section (Feggo) The End (by Walter Cavazzuti) Heads Winter Steele "F.T.W." The Specialists Pickpocket (Feggo) The Street Sweeper Speedbump the Roadkill Possum "Buck-a-Roost" The Hitchhiker Beware of Dog (Feggo) Dog-Boy
15	November 19, 1992	Open: Theatrical trailer for Truck Turner The Adventures of Thomas and Nardo Conversations (serialized throughout episode) Dog-Boy The Specialists Beavis and Butt-Head "Peace, Love & Understanding" (by Mike Judge) Bobby & Billy "Earning Money" Æon Flux "Tide"
16	November 24, 1992 [10]	Open: Amore Baciami The Adventures of Thomas and Nardo Æon Flux "War" The Specialists Dog-Boy Stick Figure Theatre "Miss Bette Davis in Of Human Bondage" Winter Steele "Desperate Beauty" Amore Baciami (sung by Nuccia Bongiovanni)

Season 3 (1993–95)

No.	Original air date	Summary
17	December 31, 1993	Open: Stick Figure Theatre "The Naked Edge part one" The Blockheads "Mall" Crazy Daisy Ed "To Officer with Love" Gas Planet Smart Talk with Raisin (created by John R. Dilworth) The Dangwoods "Nightmare in Trailer City"
18	July 6, 1994	Open: The Day of the Dead Guy Uncle Louie' Party Anyway (created by Run Wrake; serialized throughout episode) Technological Threat Brad Dharma: Psychedelic Detective Stick Figure Theatre "The Naked Edge part two" One Less Ant The Bill and Willis Show (created by Wayne White)
19	July 13, 1994	Open: Strangers in Paradise Brad Dharma: Psychedelic Detective Nightwatchman Nietzsche Pops Beat Dedication Doctor X vs Mister Y Stick Figure Theatre "The Naked Edge part three" Crazy Daisy Ed "Fast, Loud, Dumb and Proud" Sound Asleep
20	July 27, 1994	Open: Uncle Louie "Blind Date" Genie Junkie Stick Figure Theatre "The Naked Edge part four" Cat and Mouse at (The) Home The Blockheads "TV" The Chore Human Bomb
21	October 3, 1994	Open: Krazy Teens USA Rico & Klein Honey Bunny (serialized throughout episode) Stick Figure Theatre "The Naked Edge part five" Crazy Daisy Ed "Let's Go to the Stinkin' Movies" Balloon Guy Sweat Green Beret
22	January 1, 1995	Open: Medallion Love Crazy Daisy Ed "Hill Bomb Skate Sniper" Swine Cowboy Stick Figure Theatre "The Naked Edge part six" Autoguard 2000 The Big City Beat Brad Dharma: Psychedelic Detective The Invisible Man in "Blind Love"

Season 4 (2014)

No.	Original air date	Summary
1[11]	May 15, 2014	Most Days Tiny Chainsaw (by Joel Veitch) Gummie Chernobyl Bedtime Stories with Abraham Willosby I Sick Bruce Institutional Mechanisms Mac & Cheese Disco Destroyer 01 Liquid Television Valentine We Are the Universe From We Can Do It! Cougar Bike Mini Sketchbook Animation 010-019 Best Song Ever (by Wallpaper.)
2[12]	May 22, 2014	The Lost Coin Let's Make Out The Long Legs 6 - "Nick the Cockroach" Rad Fluffy McCloud Haerskogen Disco Destroyer 02 Slander Heal Everything Heal Everyone from We Can Do It! You Came Out (by We Have Band) Playing For Keeps Bedtime Stories With Abraham Willosby II Laser Beamer Boy (by Milgrom)
3[13]	May 29, 2014	16Bit 'Dinosaurs' The New Leeds Account Reverse The Long Legs 1 - "Fatherly Advice" Change Your Relationship to Nature from We Can Do It! Drifters Anna Mammoth Anaconda Outside the Box Dad Teaches Me to Shave Playing for Keeps Wisdom of the Lurkers Untitled Yellow Éclats de Suie Odin's Afterbirth 1 Crystal Antler's - Two Way Mirror
4[14]	June 5, 2014	Bombguy Freatures The Subway Time Metal Wisdom Of The Lurkers Magic Hole Hello Bottle Story from North America Your Heart Is A Prism from We Can Do It! Plunge Dirk Odin's Afterbirth 2 Too Many Words
5[15]	June 12, 2014	Delta Heavy - 'Hold Me' The Chair Wisdom Of The Lurkers Dress Dancing Animals The Long Legs 10 - "Larry and Christopher" Chernokids Howard Booty Clap Fleet Foxes - 'The Shrine / An Argument' Odin's Afterbirth 3

Revival

On October 13, 2011, MTVX, MTV's cross media group, announced the return of Liquid Television.^[16] It became an online network. Its first content was "F**KING BEST SONG EVERRR" by Wallpaper, available on the website. Full-length episodes featuring the online content and all-new material were released in 2013.

LiquidTelevision.com

• The Head - Animated series about the adventures of a young man who has an alien hatch out of his head.
• The Maxx - Animated adaptation of comic book series The Maxx, the story follows the dual-reality adventures and struggles of the Maxx and his social worker Julie. Aired on MTV's Oddities, which was a sub-category of Liquid Television in the 1990s.
• Daria - Daria Morgendorffer is a smart, acerbic, and somewhat misanthropic teenage girl who observes the world around her in this spin-off of Beavis and Butt-Head.
• Wonder Showzen - Live-action and animated sketch comedy series about a darkly perverse kids' show modeled after Sesame Street.
• Celebrity Deathmatch - Clay animation series featuring overly violent wrestling matches between celebrities. Originally part of LT's follow-up, Cartoon Sushi.

See also

• Adult Swim
• Cartoon Sushi
• Exposure
• Eye Drops
• Go! Cartoons
• KaBlam!
• Nicktoons Film Festival
• Off the Air
• Oh Yeah! Cartoons
• Random! Cartoons
• Raw Toonage
• Short Circutz
• Spike and Mike's Festival of Animation
• Too Cool! Cartoons
• What a Cartoon!

Notes

1. These have been out of print.^[8]