NBC is borrowing a page from “The Simpsons” to launch a new animated show.
“Julia’s P.O.V.,” a cartoon from the producers of the Comedy Central series, “Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist,” will debut in July in the form of short spots – called interstitials – that will air between commercials during NBC’s teen-oriented Saturday-morning lineup.
If the spots prove popular it could pave the way for the network eventually to add “Julia” to its prime-time lineup.
It’s a roundabout road to prime-time – but one that has been used before.
More than 10 years ago, “The Simpsons” were introduced as interstitials during the “Tracey Ullman Show.”
“You want teens to find it themselves,” a network source told The Post. “Our research shows that if you force things on teens they’ll not want to get into it.”
“Julia’s P.O.V.” is a series of ad-libbed stories taken from the real-life taped phone conversations of “Dr. Katz” creator Jonathan Katz’s 16-year-old daughter Julia and her friends.
“It’s a kind of experimental programming and I think that’s what ‘The Simpsons’ was in a lot of ways,” said NBC’s Robin Schwartz, vice president of Saturday morning programing and prime-time television.
Katz, along with Tom Snyder, head the team that also produces ABC’s “Squiggle Vision,” and the short-lived UPN show, “Home Movies.”
So far, NBC has ordered 13, 30-second spots that will launch in late June or early July and will start promoting them in September.