Adult Action Shows on Networks....

While they do get good ratings in Japan and on VENUES like Toonami, take it from a guy who's been around the block, non-family action is the HARDEST KIND OF SELL. When Spawn and Beavis and Butthead were on the air, maybe, but now you're better off doing a webcomic and just keeping you're fingers crossed someone licenses it from the internet if you get enough web ratings. 

With industry TV power players adult = hard sell. 

If you've got something violent, you can either A) Tone your violence, sex, and cussing down and make a REAL franchises (because adult shows aren't real franchises in the eyes of networks), i.e. PG-14 Level. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle style.

or B) Struggle with rejection. and no sale.

Just because Adult Swim uses the word "adult" in their name doesn't mean they're giving a greenlight for everyone to sell adult shows. Graphic content is the hardest sell there is. Don't dumb it down, but yes, if you want to make a TON of money, there will  be a 90% certainty networks WILL want to tone your work down. It's a casualty of war. Accept it or make a webcomic. They're the future you know...

I mean, for chriminy sake, look at Jhonen. Do you really think if Jhonen could have made Zim an adult show and had the political TV industry power to do that by now, he WOULD HAVE?? Of course he would have done Zim on MTV or Adult Swim instead of Nickelodeon. But as anyone in the industry is aware, Jhonen had to make his share of compromises to get his show on air, almost just as many as ANY children's show creator. He sold to Nick what he was ABLE to sell. Which is not to say Zim didn't recieve the TREATMENT of having an adult edge. It did.  But don't think for a second Jhonen would have Toned Zim Down for the Censors and Network business agenda if he wasn't forced to at knifepoint by the decency Police. Well, that and he didn't want the show to fail by being a completely adult show, as much as the most adult shows like Spawn and Spicy City.