FOX has formally ordered the all-new animated comedy Universal Basic Guys/The Hoagie Bros. (working title) from creators and executive producers Adam and Craig Malamut (Sports Friends, Game of Zones, The Champions) for 2024. The series will be co-produced by FOX Entertainment and Sony Pictures Television, with animation by FOX Ent.’s Emmy-winning Bento Box Entertainment, it was announced today by Michael Thorn, President of Entertainment, of FOX Entertainment.
“Adam and Craig are two of the boldest and most irreverent voices I know. This series’ distinct point of view could only come from a talented multi-hyphenate team that writes, animates and voices their work like no one else,” said Thorn. “And in the tradition of the incredible creators who have been a part of our storied Animation Domination lineup, the Malamuts have an intrepid DIY mentality that has allowed them to create some of the funniest and most surprising characters we’ve seen in a long time.”
In Universal Basic Guys/The Hoagie Bros., brothers Mark and Hank Hoagies suddenly find themselves with no jobs when the Glantontown Hot Dog factory switches over to automation. Lucky for them, the town started a radical Universal Basic Income pilot program, giving all residents of Glantontown $3,000 per month with no strings attached. Now, Mark, Hank and the rest of their local buddies are once again kids in the summertime, overflowing with the perilous combo of free time and stupid ideas. This is a show about men trying to find purpose in a world where they’re no longer needed.
Adam and Craig Malamut are brothers from South Jersey who have been making cartoons together since 2012. The Malamut Brothers are self-taught animators who write, direct, voice act, sound edit, compose music and everything in between. Their first toon together was Sports Friends, which ran for two seasons on Yahoo Screen. This led to an exclusive in-house role at Bleacher Report, where they created seven seasons of Game of Zones. Throughout its run, Game of Zones received multiple Sports Emmy Award nominations and won numerous awards, including a Grand Clio.
During their time at B/R, the Malamuts grew the animation department from just the two of them to a 25-person animation production team, allowing them to develop other hit series and focus on the creative parts of the process they do best. The brothers were the major creative force behind Bleacher Report’s other hit shows such as The Champions, Gridiron Heights and many other viral cartoons. After six years at B/R, the Malamut Brothers decided to pursue their dream of creating an original animated series for television.
