China, IL (meaning China, Illinois) is an American adult animated sitcom created by Brad Neely for Cartoon Network's late night programming block, Adult Swim. The series takes place at the "Worst College in America", located at the edge of town. The school's poor reputation is celebrated by the school's uncaring faculty and staff. Steve and Frank Smith (voiced by Neely) are twin professors at the college, teaching history with limited success, while Professor Leonard Cakes (voiced by Jeffrey Tambor) is the father of undergraduate Mark "Baby" Cakes (also voiced by Neely), who spends his time at college with the school staff. Pony Merks (voiced by Greta Gerwig) is the teacher's aide for the history department at the school, and the most rational of the staff, but still willing to go along with the staff's insane plots to avoid working.[1]
The series was originally conceived as a web series on Adult Swim's defunct comedy website, Super Deluxe, in 2008.[2] Neely, who had done Baby Cakes and The Professor Brothers shorts for Super Deluxe in 2006, envisioned the characters in each series to coexist in the same universe.[3] With the relationship in mind, he produced a four-part internet series entitled China, IL, which was published on Super Deluxe in 2008.[2] An 11-minute special combining the shorts, entitled "China, IL: The Funeral", aired on Adult Swim on May 25, 2008.[4] The series officially premiered on October 2, 2011,[5] and ended on June 14, 2015 with a total of 30 episodes.[6]
Series overview
editEpisodes
editPilots
edit| Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "China, IL: The Funeral" | Brad Neely | Brad Neely | May 25, 2008 | |
|
Baby Cakes finds the diary of a dead professor. This 4-act special was originally made for Super Deluxe, and was drawn in the style of Neely's Creased Comics videos. | ||||
| Unaired pilot[7] | Brad Neely Chris Prynoski | Brad Neely | January 10, 2010 | |
Season 1 (2011–12)
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | US viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Rewind, Pause, Pay![8]" | Mike L. Mayfield | Brad Neely | October 2, 2011 | 101 | 0.88[9] |
|
A time-traveling Ronald Reagan attempts to have his revenge on Professor Steve Smith for doing Reagan impressions in a talent show. | |||||||
| 2 | 2 | "Dean Vs. Mayor[8]" | Mike L. Mayfield | Brad Neely | October 9, 2011 | 102 | 1.06[10] |
|
The Mayor is tired of the riots sparked by UCI after the latest one following a math competition and challenges The Dean to an arm wrestling contest for control of the school. | |||||||
| 3 | 3 | "Baby Boom[8]" | Mike L. Mayfield | Brad Neely | October 16, 2011 | 103 | 1.09[11] |
|
When a freak accident causes a science experiment to go horribly wrong, the college has to deal with a giant baby on campus. | |||||||
| 4 | 4 | "Coming Out of the Casket[8]" | Mike L. Mayfield | Brad Neely | October 23, 2011 | 104 | 1.07[12] |
|
The ghost of a dead professor (Jason Alexander) becomes a little too friendly with Professor Frank, while Steve and Crystal wage war over who will have more students for the upcoming semester. | |||||||
| 5 | 5 | "Secret Society[8]" | Mike L. Mayfield | Brad Neely | October 30, 2011 | 105 | 1.15[13] |
|
Steve becomes a tenured professor while Pony blackmails The Dean, threatening to expose his sexual fetishism for old strippers, to gain tenure herself. | |||||||
| 6 | 6 | "Prom Face/Off[8]" | Mike L. Mayfield | Brad Neely | November 6, 2011 | 106 | 1.06[14] |
|
The staff-only prom is held in a condemned building formerly used by Professor Cakes, and Baby Cakes falls for a feral girl with a dark secret. | |||||||
| 7 | 7 | "Chinese New Year[8]" | Mike L. Mayfield | Brad Neely | December 27, 2011 | 108 | N/A |
|
The students all fail their finals and the governor threatens to shut down UCI unless they retake the exams and pass. Professor Cakes builds robotic replicas of the professors so they don’t have to teach, but the robots revolt when they learn that the New Year’s ball drop will trigger a self-destruct mechanism. | |||||||
| 8 | 8 | "Frankensteve[8]" | Mike L. Mayfield | Brad Neely | February 19, 2012 | 107 | 1.28[15] |
|
After suffering near-fatal internal injuries from the annual Faculty League Wrestling match, Professors Frank and Steve are joined at the hip to save both their lives, but use their newly joined body to start winning wrestling matches instead. | |||||||
| 9 | 9 | "Dream Reamer[8]" | Mike L. Mayfield | Brad Neely | February 26, 2012 | 109 | N/A |
|
Baby Cakes "friends" his imaginary friend Dream Reamer on Facebook. Now Baby Cakes must go back into the dream world to defeat Reamer. | |||||||
| 10 | 10 | "The Dean's List[8]" | Mike L. Mayfield | Brad Neely | March 4, 2012 | 110 | 1.04[16] |
|
The Dean issues his Dean's List, which forces professors and students to form teams and compete in a scavenger hunt, which he watches on monitors with China, Illinois' elites, including Baby Cakes. However, to make the contest more interesting, the Dean turns the scavenger hunt into a Running Man-style fight for survival. | |||||||
Season 2 (2013)
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | US viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 1 | "The Perfect Lecture[8]" | Griffith Kimmins | Brad Neely | September 22, 2013 | 201 | 1.28[17] |
|
Frank wants to give a perfect lecture on the first day of school, then repeats the process over and over when he stumbles onto the perfect one about Benedict Arnold. Meanwhile, Pony is paranoid about aging after finding a grey hair. | |||||||
| 12 | 2 | "Is College Worth It?[8]" | Griffith Kimmins | Story by : Brad Neely Teleplay by : Rebecca Addelman & Brad Neely | September 29, 2013 | 206 | 1.28[18] |
|
Pony must take drastic measures to afford UCI's recently raised tuition, while Baby Cakes turns himself into Robin Hood, prompting The Dean to call for Kevin Costner's head. Frank and Steve con their students into giving them extra cash so they can afford to buy jetskis. | |||||||
| 13 | 3 | "Do You Know Who You Look Like?[8]" | Griffith Kimmins | Brad Neely | October 6, 2013 | 208 | 1.51[19] |
|
The history department hires two new professors: One looks just like Steve and starts impersonating him on campus, the other is a Southern belle who captures Frank's attention. Later, Pony is forced to take an extra language course and reveals she doesn't know how to speak Spanish. | |||||||
| 14 | 4 | "The Diamond Castle[8]" | Griffith Kimmins | Story by : Brad Neely Teleplay by : Jack Kukoda & Brad Neely | October 13, 2013 | 205 | 1.43[20] |
|
Frank, Baby Cakes, and Ronald Reagan search for Thomas Jefferson's secret diamond castle. While they're gone, Steve has to show an inspector named Polly a good time so she'll give UCI's history department its accreditation. | |||||||
| 15 | 5 | "Kenny Winker Rules[8]" | Griffith Kimmins | Brad Neely | October 20, 2013 | 203 | 1.40[21] |
|
Kenny Winker performs a concert in China, IL and is giving away one ticket to hang out with him on his tour bus, The Garden of Hedon. However, a meeting with Baby Cakes makes him question the lyrics of his own songs. Elsewhere, Pony enters into a relationship with a giant bed bug. | |||||||
| 16 | 6 | "China-Man Begins[8]" | Griffith Kimmins | Brad Neely | October 27, 2013 | 207 | 1.73[22] |
|
Frank bets everyone a plate of cheese sticks that he'll become the "Person of the Day" on the local news within a week. Steve and Pony go to extremes to prove to everyone that they're not in love. Baby Cakes tries to deal with new feelings brought on by a salacious chicken nuggets commercial. | |||||||
| 17 | 7 | "Total Validation[8]" | Griffith Kimmins | Brad Neely | November 3, 2013 | 209 | 1.55[23] |
|
Professor Cakes and Baby Cakes go to Total Validation, a new clinic designed to help those in troubled relationships. Steve lets Frank and Pony borrow his Miata while he and his latest girlfriend spend the weekend at her parents' lake house. Things quickly go sour when Steve argues with her about Toy Movie 3. | |||||||
| 18 | 8 | "Surfer God[8]" | Griffith Kimmins | Story by : Brad Neely Teleplay by : Rebecca Addelman & Brad Neely | November 10, 2013 | 204 | 1.57[24] |
|
God returns to Earth in the form of a surfer dude and starts rewriting his own Ten Commandments, but his appearance leads to the spread of a Beach Boys theme around campus, which Steve can't tolerate. Meanwhile, Professor Cakes uses Frank to test out his new invention, the "Haardvark." | |||||||
| 19 | 9 | "Prank Week[8]" | Griffith Kimmins | Brad Neely | November 17, 2013 | 202 | 1.56[25] |
|
Frank becomes a Buddhist monk after being exiled from the university for playing a forbidden prank on Steve during "Prank Week". After dreaming about Joe McCarthy's "witch hunts" during a lecture, Baby Cakes decides to capture various professors who he suspects are witches, leading to rumors of a serial killer roaming China, IL. | |||||||
| 20 | 10 | "Wild Hogs[8]" | Griffith Kimmins | Story by : Brad Neely Teleplay by : Jack Kukoda & Brad Neely | November 24, 2013 | 210 | 1.14[26] |
|
The UCI history professors place suggestion boxes in their classrooms, but one student's prank message in Frank's box convinces him to turn anorexic. Baby Cakes helps a foreign transfer student he calls "Aladdin" around campus, convinced that he's a genie. Overwhelmed by his worst fear, an infestation of wild "brown hogs" on campus, The Dean shuts himself off from the world and gives Pony carte blanche to bring the problem under control. | |||||||
Season 3 (2015)
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | US viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | 1 | "A Gentleman's Bet[8]" | Griffith Kimmins | Brad Neely | April 5, 2015 | 301 | 1.52[27] |
|
Frank and Steve make a bet involving their students, while Pony and Baby Cakes get caught in a think tank. | |||||||
| 22 | 2 | "Best Face Forward[8]" | Angelo Hatgistavrou | Brad Neely | April 12, 2015 | 302 | 1.44[28] |
|
Frank's anus learns to speak, and quickly becomes a world-famous stand-up comedian. Meanwhile Steve becomes ensnared in a net of white brothers. | |||||||
| 23 | 3 | "Charlize[8]" | Griffith Kimmins | Brad Neely | April 19, 2015 | 304 | 1.12[29] |
|
When a fog leaves Earth almost uninhabited, Pony searches for clues as to what happened.. | |||||||
| 24 | 4 | "Crow College[8]" | Angelo Hatgistavrou | Brad Neely | April 26, 2015 | 309 | 1.41[30] |
|
Crows have the intelligence of 4-year old humans, so The Dean enrolls a murder of them at UCI as new students. Baby Cakes has deep thoughts. | |||||||
| 25 | 5 | "Bi-Topping-Ality[8]" | Angelo Hatgistavrou | Brad Neely | May 3, 2015 | 303 | 1.16[31] |
|
The Mayor bans eating anchovies in China, IL, while Trump's Kid joins UCI as its newest student. | |||||||
| 26 | 6 | "Parent's Day[8]" | Griffith Kimmins | Brad Neely | May 10, 2015 | 305 | 1.36[32] |
|
Students, staff, and their relatives party on campus. Baby Cakes tries to get his parents back together. | |||||||
| 27 | 7 | "Displays of Manhood[8]" | Griffith Kimmins | Brad Neely | May 17, 2015 | 306 | 1.01[33] |
|
Frank proves his masculinity by challenging a boxing legend to a fight. Baby Cakes and Pony battle in a game of Dungeons and Dragons. | |||||||
| 28 | 8 | "Life Coaches[8]" | Angelo Hatgistavrou | Brad Neely | May 31, 2015 | 307 | 1.30[34] |
|
Steve, Frank, Pony and Baby Cakes become life coaches for each other. | |||||||
| 29 | 9 | "Gummie World[8]" | Angelo Hatgistavrou | Brad Neely | June 7, 2015 | 310 | 1.27[35] |
|
Steve and Baby Cakes strike it rich by using a 3D printer to make everyday items out of gummi candy. Frank falls in love with a pubic hair. Pony suspects Sammy is guilty of causing harm to Kim. | |||||||
| 30 | 10 | "Magical Pet[8]" "China, IL The Musical" | Griffith Kimmins | Brad Neely | June 14, 2015 | 308 | 1.05[36] |
|
Hour-long musical episode. Baby Cakes asks his dad for a magical pet to avoid willing himself to death, Frank tries a hair-growth treatment. Steve dates a satyr while Pony dates cyclops. | |||||||
References
edit- ^ Basile, Nancy (May 16, 2013). "China, IL—Show Guide and Review". About.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
- ^ a b Matheson, Whitney (October 12, 2011). "Awesome animator Brad Neely lands on Adult Swim". USA Today. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
- ^ Neely, Brad; Weidenfeld, Daniel (October 25, 2013). "China, IL's Brad Neely and Daniel Weidenfeld: The CFQ Interview". The Huffington Post (Interview). Interviewed by Pearsons, Dan. 8:10–8:24. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
- ^ "China, IL (a Titles & Air Dates Guide)". Epguides. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
- ^ "China, IL Season 1 episodes". TV Guide. CBS Interactive. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
- ^ Blabber, John. "SHOCKING! Is China IL donezo? Creator says yes..." Bubble Babbler. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
- ^ Neely & Weidenfeld 2013, 10:58–11:18.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad "China, Il Episodes on Adult Swim". Adultswim.com. Archived from the original on October 1, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
- ^ Pucci, Douglas (October 6, 2011). "Sunday, October 2, 2011 Broadcast & Cable Final Ratings". The Voice of TV. Archived from the original on October 7, 2011.
- ^ Pucci, Douglas (October 13, 2011). "Adult Swim ratings (October 3–9, 2011)". The Voice of TV. Archived from the original on October 17, 2011.
- ^ Pucci, Douglas (October 20, 2011). "Adult Swim ratings (October 10–16, 2011)". The Voice of TV. Archived from the original on October 29, 2011.
- ^ Pucci, Douglas (October 27, 2011). "Adult Swim ratings (October 17–20 & 22–23, 2011)". The Voice of TV. Archived from the original on January 1, 2012.
- ^ Pucci, Douglas (November 3, 2011). "Adult Swim ratings (October 24–30, 2011)". The Voice of TV. Archived from the original on December 2, 2011.
- ^ Pucci, Douglas (October 13, 2011). "Sunday Cable Ratings: The Walking Dead, Hell On Wheels Lead AMC + Boardwalk Empire, Homeland, Dexter & More". TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. Archived from the original on December 13, 2013.
- ^ Pucci, Douglas (October 23, 2012). "Adult Swim ratings (February 13–19, 2012)". The Voice of TV.[dead link]
- ^ Pucci, Douglas (March 14, 2012). "Adult Swim ratings (February 27 – March 4, 2012)". Son of the Bronx. Blogger. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
- ^ Pucci, Douglas (September 24, 2013). "Adult Swim Weekly Ratings Scorecard (September 16–22, 2013)". TV Media Insights. Archived from the original on February 25, 2014.
- ^ Bibel, Sara (October 1, 2013). "Sunday Cable Ratings: Breaking Bad Wins Big, Talking Bad, Homeland, Boardwalk Empire, Masters of Sex & More". TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. Archived from the original on October 24, 2013.
- ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (October 8, 2013). "Sunday Cable Ratings: Keeping Up With the Kardashians & Thursday Night Football: Special Edition Tie for Lead + Real Housewives of New Jersey & More". TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. Archived from the original on October 11, 2013.
- ^ Bibel, Sara (October 15, 2013). "Sunday Cable Ratings: The Walking Dead Wins Night, Talking Dead, Witches of East End, Homeland, Boardwalk Empire & More". TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. Archived from the original on October 18, 2013.
- ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (October 22, 2013). "Sunday Cable Ratings: The Walking Dead Wins Night + Talking Dead, NASCAR, Boardwalk Empire, Guy's Grocery Games & More". TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. Archived from the original on October 22, 2013.
- ^ Bibel, Sara (October 29, 2013). "Sunday Cable Ratings: The Walking Dead Wins Night, Talking Dead, Homeland, Boardwalk Empire, Witches of East End & More". TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. Archived from the original on October 31, 2013.
- ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (November 5, 2013). "Sunday Cable Ratings: The Walking Dead Rules Again + Talking Dead, Real Housewives of Atlanta, Keeping Up With the Kardashians & More". TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. Archived from the original on November 5, 2013.
- ^ Bibel, Sara (November 12, 2013). "Sunday Cable Ratings: The Walking Dead Wins Night, Talking Dead, Boardwalk Empire, Homeland, Killing Kennedy & More". TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. Archived from the original on November 12, 2013.
- ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (November 19, 2013). "Sunday Cable Ratings: The Walking Dead Wins Night + Talking Dead, Real Housewives of Atlanta, NASCAR & More". TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. Archived from the original on November 22, 2013.
- ^ Bibel, Sara (November 26, 2013). "Sunday Cable Ratings: The Walking Dead Wins Night, Talking Dead, Homeland, Boardwalk Empire, Witches of East End & More". TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. Archived from the original on November 28, 2013.
- ^ Pucci, Douglas (April 7, 2015). "Sunday Cable Ratings: MLB Baseball & 'The Real Housewives of Atlanta' Top Night + 'Keeping Up With the Kardashians', 'Mad Men' & More". tvbythenumbers. Archived from the original on October 23, 2016.
- ^ Baron, Steve (April 14, 2015). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'Game of Thrones' Wins Night, 'Silicon Valley', 'MTV Movie Awards', 'Mad Men', 'Veep', 'The Royals' & More". tvbythenumbers. Archived from the original on October 23, 2016.
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- ^ Baron, Steve (May 19, 2015). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'Game of Thrones' Tops Night + 'Keeping Up With the Kardashians', 'Mad Men' & More". Archived from the original on October 23, 2016.
- ^ "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'Game of Thrones' Tops Night + 'Keeping Up With the Kardashians', 'Silicon Valley', 'Naked and Afraid' & More". The Nielsen Company. June 2, 2015. Archived from the original on October 23, 2016.
- ^ "Showbuzzdailys Top 100 Sunday Cable Originals: 6.7.2015". Showbuzzdaily.com. June 9, 2015. Archived from the original on March 31, 2019. Retrieved October 23, 2016.
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