GeezerVison

The studio was established on May 19, 1999.^[4] Its first project was the continued production of Family Guy for its second season, which it took over from the series' previous home at Film Roman for season one, following "production differences".^[5] The studio would become the home of future animated series co-created by Seth MacFarlane: American Dad! and The Cleveland Show.^[6] In 2016, Fox Television Animation assumed production of Matt Groening's The Simpsons, once again taking over from Film Roman.

Most animated projects from 20th Television Animation are subcontracted to third party animation production companies such as Film Roman, Titmouse, Inc., Bento Box Entertainment, and Rough Draft Studios, but the company maintains 20th Television Animation as an in-house option. Because the company acts as a production house for hire, it is not treated as a labeled division of 20th Century Studios like Searchlight Pictures. The studio specializes in animation pre-production and post-production, while the actual animation production is handled by studios in South Korea. 20th Television Animation's frequent contractors include Digital eMation, Yearim, AKOM, and Rough Draft Korea.

The studio maintains a location in the Miracle Mile neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.^[7][8] Its workers are represented by The Animation Guild, IATSE Local 839.^[9]

In March 2019, 20th Century Fox Television, 20th Television, and Fox Television Animation were acquired by the Walt Disney Company and integrated into Walt Disney Television as part of Disney Television Studios.^[10] In September 2020, the company was renamed as 20th Television Animation starting with newer episodes of shows in production at the company.

In December 2020, it was announced that 20th Television Animation would be relaunched as a standalone unit from 20th Television. In March 2021, Marci Proietto was tentatively named as president of the company. 20th Television Animation focuses on producing and developing animated projects targeted at teens and adults, as opposed to their children-targeted sister studio Disney Television Animation. Under the new incarnation, 20th Television Animation would assume executive supervision of the production of all animated projects that had, up to that point, been overseen by 20th Television. This allowed series that 20th Television Animation was already producing animation for under 20th Television's watch to be brought entirely under one company, while series whose animation was produced by a third-party company would retain that relationship, with 20th Television Animation only absorbing the above-the-line production and acting as the new client for the animation contractor.^[11][12]

On March 16, 2022, it was announced that the studio would collaborate with sister studio Disney Television Animation, for the creation of family-friendly and young adult animated series, miniseries and films for Disney+ with the first project under this collaboration being the animated series Rhona Who Lives by the River.^[13]

In April 2025, Disney announced that it would not renew its lease with Fox Corporation and that it leave the Fox Studio Lot business in Century City at the end of 2025. As a result, 20th Television Animation relocated to Walt Disney Studios in Burbank.^[14]