CN signs on to more Live Action shows... wait, what?

Cartoon Network’s upcoming slate of programming was announced at the 2009 Upfront presentation yesterday at Time Warner Center in New York. Here’s some excerpts from the press release:

Cartoon Network Continues Its Evolution With Largest, Most Diverse Development Slate in Network History

• 19 New Programming Ventures: Seven New Animated Series and Four Original Movies (Live-Action/CG-Animated)

• Network Introduces For the First Time Six Live-Action “Alternative” Series and Two Scripted Live-Action Pilots

• Sports Partnership with NBA, Recruits Boston Celtics Superstar Eddie House for My Dad’s a Pro Short-Form Series

Highlights of Cartoon Network’s new content strategy to launch across the 2009-2010 season include the following:

COMEDY AND ACTION-ADVENTURE ANIMATED SERIES
• Adventure Time with Finn and Jake The 30-minute series is from Cartoon Network Studios, created by Pendleton Ward and executive produced by Fred Siebert and Derek Drymon.
• Stoked Six teenaged groms (young surfers) come together for 12 weeks over summer to work and surf . From Cake Distribution and Fresh Animation, Stoked is created by Jennifer Pertsch and Tom McGillis (Total Drama Island).
• Total Drama Action Showcasing all the elements of favorite reality TV shows, fourteen contestants face thrilling challenges on an abandoned film studio back-lot, all inspired by the movies. From Cake Distribution and Fresh Animation.
• Ben 10: Evolutions An all-new animated series .
• Sym-Bionic Titan From creator Genndy Tartakovsky (Dexter’s Laboratory, Samurai Jack) comes an exciting hybrid of high school drama and giant robot battles.
• Generator Rex Infected by microscopic molecular-altering nanites, 15-year-old Rex has the ability to grow incredible machines out of his body. From Man of Action, creators of Ben 10.
• Scooby-Doo – Mystery, Inc. More Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and Scooby-Doo.

ALTERNATIVE LIVE-ACTION SERIES
• The Othersiders This thrilling reality adventure series follows five friends on real missions to explore mysterious, potentially haunted locations in search of evidence that will confirm or deny the existence of paranormal activity.
• Survive This An exciting reality series challenges teenagers ages 14 to 17 to push their limits, overcome fears and develop lifelong survival skills. Hosted by Les Stroud (Survivorman), each episode aims to test endurance, wit and self-determination.
• Destroy Build Destroy In a huge construction zone, two teams become demolition experts with the guidance and assistance of experts in the field, using wrecking balls, human destroyers and real explosions. Each week brings a new challenge to build from the debris, with strategy, wits and teamwork deciding which team’s creation out-performs the other—and whose hard work goes up in smoke.
• Head Rush Kids participate as game show contestants playing for cash while riding thrill-inducing amusement park rides.
• Dude, What Would Happen? This series stars three adventurous teens who ask and answer imaginative questions such as, “Dude, what would happen if you attached 350 helium balloons to a sumo wrestler?”
• Bobb’e Says Starring Bobb’e J. Thompson (30 Rock, Human Giant), Bobb’e Says is a fast-paced, viral video clip show where other people’s painful mistakes become tools for Bobb’e as he dispenses sage wisdom to an unsuspecting public.

LIVE-ACTION AND ANIMATED ORIGINAL MOVIES
• Ben 10: Alien Swarm An all-new, live-action movie based on the hit animated series
• Scooby Doo! The Mystery Begins The never-before-told story of how a mismatched quartet of teenagers first came together before becoming known as the Mystery Inc. gang. Directed by Brian Levant (Snow Dogs, The Flintstones).
• Firebreather Cartoon Network’s first original all-CG animation adventure, Peter Chung (Aeon Flux) is attached to direct.
• Tiger’s Apprentice The best-selling young adult book by Lawrence Yep will be brought to life in a live-action movie. Wayne Wang (The Joy Luck Club) is attached to serve as executive producer/director

SCRIPTED LIVE-ACTION PILOTS
• Unnatural History An action-packed series centered around Henry Griffin, a teenager with exceptional skills acquired through years of globe-trotting with his anthropologist parents. Henry faces his biggest challenge of all when he moves back to America to attend a high school stranger than any place he’s ever lived before. Created and written by Mike Werb (Face/Off, The Mask)

• Prepped A rebellious teen wakes up one morning to find himself trapped at a mysterious prep school that offers no escape. He forms a secret group to discover what they’re being trained for and how to escape. The pilot is executive-produced and written by Paul Dini (Batman Beyond).

Via CartoonBrew