2017 in animation is an overview of notable events, including notable awards, list of films released, television show debuts and endings, and notable deaths.
Events January January 14: Paw Patrol concludes its third season on TVO in Canada with the episodes "Pups Save Their Floating Friends/Pups Save a Satellite". Season later concluded on Nickelodeon on January 26."Paw Patrol Episode Listings". The Futon Critic. Retrieved March 22, 2018. January 15: Your Name becomes the highest grossing anime film, grossing nearly $300 million. January 16: PBS Kids Channel launches and became available on many PBS member stations as a digital subchannel (particularly those that in the past, PBS had routinely supplied content for their independently programmed, kid-targeted subchannels) and through apps and streaming services, features a broad mix of the public television service's current inventory of children's programming. The final episode of Regular Show airs on Cartoon Network. January 23: As a result for Alphablocks. Numberblocks premieres on CBeebies for the first time at 10:20.
January 30: Cartoon Network greenlights a new upcoming series for its line-up titled "Summer Camp Island". January 31: The Scooby-Doo direct-to-video film Scooby-Doo! Shaggy's Showdown releases on digital services; later released on DVD on February 14."WHV Press Release: Scooby-Doo! Shaggy's Showdown". November 30, 2016. Archived from the original on April 5, 2018. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
February February 2: Adventure Time concludes its eighth season on Cartoon Network with the final part in the Islands miniseries "Islands Part 8: The Light Cloud". February 3: Clarence concludes its second season on Cartoon Network with the episode "Pizza Hero". February 6: Season 4 of Paw Patrol begins on Nickelodeon in the US with the premiere of the episodes "Pups Save a Blimp/Pups Save the Chili Cook-Off". Season later premiered on TVO in Canada on March 4. February 4: 44th Annie Awards. February 10: The third & final season of Clarence begins on Cartoon Network with the premiere of the episodes "Sumo Goes West" and "Valentimes". Series 1 ends for Numberblocks. February 19: The Simpsons episode "The Cad and the Hat" premieres, guest starring Seth Green. February 20: SpongeBob SquarePants concludes its ninth season on Nickelodeon with the premiere of its 200th episode "Goodbye, Krabby Patty?", Jon Hamm guest stars as the character Don Grouper. The season's finale was seen by over 2.6 million viewers that night.Mitch Metcalf (February 22, 2017). "Top 150 Monday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 2.20.2017". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on February 23, 2017. Retrieved February 22, 2017. February 26: 89th Academy Awards: Piper by Alan Barillaro and Marc Sondheimer wins the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. Zootopia by Byron Howard, Rich Moore, and Clark Spencer wins the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. February 27: Star vs. the Forces of Evil concludes its second season on Disney XD with the episodes "Face the Music/Starcrushed"."Shows A–Z – Star vs. the Forces of Evil on Disney". The Futon Critic. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
March March 9: Cartoon Network greenlights another new upcoming series for its line-up titled "OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes", which is based on Ian Jones-Quartey's Lakewood Plaza Turbo short (and its recent mini web series based on it). An upcoming tie-in game based on the series was also announced. March 12: The Simpsons episode "22 for 30" airs, in which the couch gag is animated by Bill Plympton, the fifth time he has done so. March 30: Cartoon Network greenlights two more upcoming shows for its line-up, them being "Apple & Onion" and "Craig of the Creek".
April April 1: Season 3 of Rick and Morty begins on Adult Swim with the premiere of the episode "The Rickshank Rickdemption". The season's premiere was only seen by 676 thousand viewers that night due to it secretly premiering as an April Fools' Day joke.Porter, Rick (April 4, 2017). "Saturday cable ratings: Surprise 'Rick & Morty' premiere gets solid numbers". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on April 5, 2017. Retrieved September 2, 2017. April 2: The Simpsons episode "The Caper Chase" premieres, guest starring scientist Neil deGrasse Tyson. April 21: PBS Kids launched "PBS Kids Family Night," a weekly block on Friday evenings (with encore airings on Saturday and Sunday evenings) that showcase themed programming, premieres or special "movie-length" episodes of new and existing PBS Kids children's programs. Season 9 of Adventure Time begins on Cartoon Network with the premiere of the episode "Orb".
May
May 1: The second series of Numberblocks begins.
May 11: Steven Universe concludes its fourth season on Cartoon Network with the two-part episodes "Are You My Dad?/I Am My Mom". The season's finale was seen by over 1.1 million viewers that night.Metcalf, Mitch (May 12, 2017). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 5.11.2017". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on May 13, 2017. Retrieved May 12, 2017. May 19: The second series ends for Numberblocks. May 21:Porter, Rick (May 23, 2017). "'Bob's Burgers' and 'Family Guy' finales adjust up, 'AFV' adjusts down: Sunday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 23, 2017. Retrieved May 23, 2017. The Simpsons concludes its 28th season on Fox with the episode "Dogtown", guest starring english actor Michael York. The season's finale was seen by over 2.1 million viewers that night. Family Guy concludes its 15th season on Fox with the following episodes: "Dearly Deported" "A House Full of Peters" Both episodes were seen by over 2.1 million viewers that night. May 24: SMG4 creator Luke Lerdwichagul announces the creation of his company "Glitchy Boy" (which later became Glitch Productions the following year).SMG4 (24 May 2017). Big Things Are Happening (AND TONS OF AWESOME FAN ART!) - SMG4 Mail Time #10 (Video). Archived from the original on 17 November 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2026 – via YouTube. May 29: The fifth & final season of Steven Universe begins on Cartoon Network with the premiere of a 4-episode'd event titled "Wanted". May 30: Season 2 of F Is for Family premieres on Netflix.
June June 11: Bob's Burgers concludes its seventh season on Fox with the episode "Into the Mild", guest starring United States Marine actor Rob Riggle. The season's finale was seen by over 1.5 million viewers that night.Porter, Rick (June 13, 2017). "Stanley cup adjusts up, 'Funderdome' and 'Megyn Kelly' adjust down: Sunday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on June 15, 2017. Retrieved June 13, 2017. June 15: The Loud House episode "L Is for Love" premieres on Nickelodeon, it is revealed that the character Luna Loud is Bisexual and has a crush on a girl. June 16: The Walt Disney Company/Pixar film Cars 3 is released. The second sequel to the 2006 Pixar film draws closer to the original Cars movie (due to negative reception from the previous sequel) and dedicates the tribute to Paul Newman’s final character Doc Hudson. June 24: Season 11 of SpongeBob SquarePants begins on Nickelodeon (despite still being in its tenth season) with the premiere of the episodes "Spot Returns/The Check-Up". The season's premiere was seen by over 1.9 million viewers that morning.Mitch Metcalf (June 27, 2017). "Top 150 Saturday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 6.24.2017". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on June 28, 2017. Retrieved June 27, 2017. June 27: The direct-to-video Tom and Jerry film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is released, which marks the latest film in the franchise to be directed by Spike Brandt and the last to be involved with Warner Bros. Animation's founder Hal Geer. The film was brutally panned during the release.
July July 15: Season 3 of Star vs. the Forces of Evil begins on Disney XD with the premiere of the TV-movie "The Battle for Mewni". July 21: The upcoming Disney XD series Country Club was announced to be renamed to as Big City Greens.Kevin Melrose (July 21, 2017). "First Look at Disney XD's Big City Greens Opening Credits". CBR. Archived from the original on June 18, 2018. Retrieved June 20, 2018. Adventure Time concludes its ninth season on Cartoon Network with the episode "Three Buckets". July 28: Tony Leondis' The Emoji Movie, produced by Sony Pictures Animation is released. It grossed more than $217 million, but was widely panned for its poor script, product placement, and lack of originality and plot, and was named by several major outlets as one of the worst films of 2017.
August August 1: OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes premieres on Cartoon Network. August 12: DuckTales, a reboot of the original 1987 series premieres on Disney XD. August 19: The first episode of Michael Pitts' independent webseries Sheriff Hayseed, titled "Strategically Stupid", is released on YouTube.
September September 8: Season 4 of BoJack Horseman premieres on Netflix. September 9: Sprout rebrands to Universal Kids which caters to children aged 2–11 in primetime, and features content from NBCU-owned DreamWorks Animation as well as child-specific reality TV shows. However, Sprout's preschool-specific programming will remain a major part of the schedule, as a programming block airing from 3:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.. September 11: American Dad! concludes its 14th season on TBS with the episode "West to Mexico". The season's finale was watched by only 868 thousand viewers that night, marking a new low for the show's viewership.Porter, Rick (September 14, 2017). "Monday cable ratings: 'Monday Night Football' opens lower". Tvbythenumbers. Archived from the original on September 14, 2017. Retrieved September 14, 2017. September 13: Season 21 of South Park begins on Comedy Central with the premiere of the episode "White People Renovating Houses"."Watch South Park Episodes Online Season 21 (2017)". TV Guide. Archived from the original on August 13, 2019. Retrieved September 13, 2019. September 17: The tenth & final season of Adventure Time begins on Cartoon Network with the premiere of the following episodes: "The Wild Hunt" "Always BMO Closing" "Son of Rap Bear" "Bonnibel Bubblegum" September 29: Big Mouth premieres on Netflix.
October October 1:Porter, Rick (October 3, 2017). "'NCIS: LA' and '60 Minutes' adjust up, 'Wisdom of the Crowd' and 'Ten Days in the Valley' down: Sunday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 3, 2017. Retrieved October 3, 2017.Porter, Rick (October 3, 2017). "Sunday cable ratings: 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' returns, 'Outlander' ticks up again". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 3, 2017. Retrieved October 3, 2017. Season 8 of Bob's Burgers begins on Fox with the premiere of the episode "Brunchsquatch". The season's premiere was seen by over 2.9 million viewers that night. Season 29 of The Simpsons begins on Fox with the premiere of the episode "The Serfsons", guest starring European actors Billy Boyd and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. The season's premiere was seen by over 3.2 million viewers that night Season 16 of Family Guy begins on Fox with the premiere of the episode "Emmy-Winning Episode", guest starring the following actors: Julie Bowen, Louis C.K., Frances Callier (playing Shonda Rhimes), Jonathan Kite (playing Alec Baldwin), Bill Maher, Sofía Vergara, Miriam Margolyes, Christina Pickles, Asa Akira & Ty Burrell (in live-action). The season's premiere was seen by exactly 2.8 million that night. Rick and Morty concludes its third season on Adult Swim with the episode "The Rickchurian Mortydate". The season's finale was seen by exactly 2.6 million viewers that night. October 6: My Little Pony: The Movie a film based on My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is released in theaters.