Creators of "Robot Chicken" Bring Original Web Series "Friendship All-Stars" to L/Studio

Stop motion animation series coming this summer to Lexus broadband channel

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Jun 27, 2013, 03:00 ET

TORRANCE, Calif., June 27, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- L/Studio, the Lexus-owned broadband channel behind award-winning entertainment like "Web Therapy" and "Puppy Love," is now partnering with the creators of "Robot Chicken" to debut a new stop motion animated comedy Web series "Friendship All-Stars."

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Beginning July 24 on LStudio.com, "Friendship All-Stars" will feature 10 episodes airing every other week that will chronicle the gloriously mundane and offbeat adventures of pretend celebrity neighbors living together and goofing around in one giant apartment building. The original series was created by Harry Chaskin, Dan Lippert and Justin Michael, and will be executive produced by "Robot Chicken" creators and Emmy® and Annie award-winning producers Seth Green and Matthew Senreich together with Annie award-winning producers John Harvatine IV and Eric Towner.

"This is a really unique, original and funny series. It's unapologetically silly and at times, just plain ridiculous," remarks producer Seth Green. Executive Producers Eric Towner and John Harvatine IV add "This project comes from a place of pure love and admiration for the eccentric personalities it showcases. It's so absurd and fun!"

Episodes feature a variety of amusing and unexpected celebrity pairings. One episode creates a Hawaiian shirt-off between a powerhouse animated film director and a Puerto Rican-American actor with a no-nonsense attitude. Another presents a style-clashing catastrophe when a colorfully androgynous English rock god and an infamous, anonymous street artist each try to put their own spin on their new apartment. Further hilarity ensues when three actors who have all played the same comic book superhero have their biannual slumber party in a bat-themed bedroom.

"'Friendship All-Stars' is a unique addition to L/Studio, delivering a creative and hilarious concept about celebrity community living," said Brian Smith, vice president of marketing for Lexus. "We're pleased that L/Studio continues to give artists the freedom and opportunity to share their vision even if it is a little offbeat."

Currently in its fifth year, L/Studio hosts an eclectic collection of original films, live-action shows, documentaries and comedy programs designed to inspire viewers. The channel also includes original work from the worlds of art, culture, design, science, entertainment, architecture and beyond.

The "Robot Chicken" team will discuss the project at the Nerd HQ panel at this year's San Diego Comic-Con, which takes place July 17-21.

About Lexus

Lexus launched in 1989 with two luxury sedans and a commitment to pursue perfection. Since that time, Lexus has expanded its line-up to meet the needs of global luxury customers. In every vehicle, Lexus incorporates innovative technologies, high-quality designs and luxury materials. With numerous models featuring Lexus Hybrid Drive, Lexus is the luxury hybrid leader and is dedicated to developing vehicles that are kinder to the Earth. Lexus' current vehicles incorporate outstanding driving dynamic characteristics and feature a new design language that includes a spindle grille and distinctive lights, creating a signature look and feel for the luxury brand. In the United States, Lexus models are sold through 232 dealers who are committed to exemplary customer service.

About Seth Green

Green is the co-creator, executive producer, a writer/director and primary voice talent for Robot Chicken, winner of the 2010 Emmy® for Outstanding Short Format Animation series. Green won an Annie Award for directing and the show has won numerous Annies. Robot Chicken airs on Adult Swim and all three Robot Chicken: Star Wars specials earned Emmy® nominations for the show and for Green as Outstanding Voiceover. Green has starred in numerous films and television series including all three Austin Powers films, The Italian Job, Party Monster, Without a Paddle, Can't Hardly Wait, Old Dogs and dozens more with starring roles in both Sexy Evil Genius and The Story of Luke in 2013. Green also stars in the upcoming feature, The Identical, and the miniseries, Delete. This fall, Green stars on Dads, the 20th/Fox live action series with Green as Eli, a manboy who runs a successful gaming business with on-screen business partner Giovanni Ribisi. His life changes when his nightmare absentee dad (Peter Riegert) unexpectedly moves in with him and wreaks havoc. The show extends his relationship with Family Guy boss Seth MacFarlane, where Green has voiced Chris Griffin since the series' inception. He also voices A-Bomb on Disney XD's upcoming Marvel's Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H.

About John Harvatine IV

As executive producer of the longest stop-motion series on television, Robot Chicken, Harv is a true innovator, with years of experience perfecting his craft on a variety of TV shows, commercials, and features. In 2004, he began animating on Robot Chicken and Moral Orel. Harv's work on Robot Chicken soon led him to become an executive producer on the series as well as on the Annie-award winning special Robot Chicken DC Comics. After much success on the special, he is currently working on its highly anticipated follow up. Harv also currently serves as producer and director for Mad's animated Spy vs. Spy for Warner Bros Television Animation and Cartoon Network. Harv began his career as a stop-motion animator with Wreckless Abandon Studios, working on various projects for NBC, CBS and FOX affiliated shows. For 8 years Harv successfully ran studios, beginning in 2003 with animation studio, Make Out City Studios, LLC, where he produced and directed content for the NFL and Interscope Records. In 2008, he partnered with Eric Towner to form Buddy System Studios, a full service production house creating content for the likes of ESPN, NFL, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Fischer Price and Lego. In 2011 and 2012, he served as executive producer and directed multiple episodes of College Humor's stop-motion comedy Dinosaur Office, which was filmed using the latest 3D technology and can be viewed in all three wondrous dimensions on the Nintendo 3DS. Harv continues to stay ahead of the curve in animation technology, creating his own techniques that are paving the way for the industry. He is currently developing shows that he co-created with Eric Towner for Disney and Cartoon Network, and they have an original movie in development with Sony Pictures Animation that will break new ground in animation.

About Matthew Senreich

Co-creator, writer and executive producer of the Emmy® and Annie award winning Adult Swim hit series Robot Chicken, Senreich's originality and creativity has made him a force to be reckoned with in the stop-motion world. The popularity of Robot Chicken, which won the Emmy® for Outstanding Short-Form Animated Program and numerous Annie's, has led to three Emmy® nominated Robot Chicken Star Wars specials and a DC Comics Special, each a hit with fans and critics alike. Senreich started his career in journalism, overseeing editorial production on all of Wizard Entertainment publications. During this time, he met up with actor Seth Green who shared a similar passion for comics, thus leading to a newfound partnership in creating a series of stop-motion animated shorts entitled "Sweet J Presents" for Sony's Screenblast.com. Matt also partnered with top comic book writer Geoff Johns (Teen Titans, Flash, Green Lantern) to co-create and write two one-hour drama television pilots for Fox in 2003 and 2004. In 2009, Senreich wrote, produced and directed a second series for Adult Swim called Titan Maximum which became a huge hit for the network. Senreich is currently working on season 7 of Robot Chicken as well as a follow up to the successful DC Comics Special.

About Eric Towner

Annie award-winning producer, animator, writer and director Eric Towner is a pioneer in the world of animation, leading the charge in creating groundbreaking original content for all different forms of media. In 2005, Towner began animating on Morel Orel as well as on Cartoon Network's Emmy® and Annie winning series Robot Chicken, for which he won an Annie award for Best Character Animation. He now serves as an executive producer for Robot Chicken as well as for its widely successful Annie award-winning DC Comics special, which he is currently working on the follow-up to. Towner also produces and directs Mad's Spy vs. Spy for Warner Bros. Television Animation and Cartoon Network. Towner showed his flair for animation at an early age, garnering nearly a dozen awards at festivals for his college live-action short Sunday Paper, including the CINE Golden Eagle award and the Columbus Silver Alumni award. Shortly after, his first stop-motion short Paper Cut was featured in the Slamdance Film Festival as well as at the Big Bear Lake International Film Festival, where it went on to win the Audience Award. In 2006, Towner broke new ground with a music video he directed for Otafuku Rex by creating the "stop-live" technique, which combines stop-motion and live action footage in an innovative way. In 2008, Towner co-found Buddy System Studios with John Harvatine IV, a full service production house creating content for the likes of ESPN, NFL, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Fischer Price and Lego. In 2010, Towner directed the pilot for Dinosaur Office, a stop-motion series created by College Humor's Kevin Corrigan, Caldwell Tanner and Brian Murphy, for which he also executive produced. As a director and co-creator with John Harvatine IV, Towner is working on an original stop-live feature project with Sony Pictures Animation, a pilot at Disney XD, and they have a project in development with Cartoon Network.