Posted in: Fox, Preview, TV | Tagged: eddie murphy, fox, Gumby, Pokey, snl

FOX Lands Gumby, Dammit! Eyes Animated & Live-Action Series Takes

Published Tue, 08 Feb 2022 14:35:10 -0600

See, now this is one of those news announcements that's just begging for a joke or two. Obviously, you can go down the Saturday Night Live/Eddie Murphy route which would make perfect sense. Or if you're like us, you're feeling your fingers ache over not going with one of about three Rudy Giuliani jokes you have swirling around in your head right now (like his character's name would be "Drippy" or "Tucky"). But will side the angels this time around and (aside from that opener) play things straight by announcing that FOX has acquired the rights to Art Clokey's "Gumby" universe for a series reimaging that would span across linear, digital, and blockchain platforms.

FOX finalized the deal (which includes Pokey and all of Gumby's friends) with the estate of Joseph Clokey, son of creator Art Clokey, and is reportedly already reaching out to & having conversations with a diverse selection of top-level creative talent for both animated and live-action series pitch consideration. And the deal is an extensive one, encompassing film, TV & streaming, consumer products, licensing, publishing, and all other categories. The deal also means that FOX will have aces to the full library of Gumby animated series, specials, movies, and additional content (with much of the franchise's content also set to find a home on free streamer Tubi). "Competition for globally recognized intellectual property is fierce. Uncovering this gem, with its built-in awareness and affinity, and bringing it to Fox, adds meaningful value and creative possibilities to the IP itself and to multiple divisions of our company," said Fox Entertainment CEO Charlie Collier. "Fox is proud to be home to these iconic characters. Welcome one and all." Gumby and his pals have had series lives in the past, first for NBC in 1955 and then for Lorimar-Telepictures in 1988 (as well as a feature film in 1995).

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