New Thundercats animated series (2020)

[wjowski]

Man that's an eyesore.

[Angilasman]

Okay, so in the '80s the Reagan administration's deregulation of children' TV allows - for the first time - toy companies to fund animated TV series that function solely as advertisements for their toys.

In 2011, one of these toy commercial shows is rebooted as a serious, dramatic show. Fans of the original, now adults, like it. But kids (the demo that matters) are lukewarm and toy sales are bad, so for the reasons this new show was made the show is a failure.

7 years later they try again, trying a different take as a cutesy comedy for young children, and the reaction from the adult fans is apocalyptic to the point that animators and people who work on the show are being subjected to harassment while fanboys gnash their teeth and curse the heavens.

Is there some sort of moral or lesson here? I am unsure. Maybe it's something about how older fans should give younger people the space to enjoy the things (or newer versions of the things) that they once enjoyed? Or maybe it's that something created for purely commercial purposes can inspire devotion to the extent that it can no longer properly function as a commercial? Or maybe it's that, shows we all loved as a kid be damned, kids TV should have remained regulated? Or maybe the real Thundercats... were the friends we made along the way?

[MrFrost]

Okay, so in the '80s the Reagan administration's deregulation of children' TV allows - for the first time - toy companies to fund animated TV series that function solely as advertisements for their toys.

In 2011, one of these toy commercial shows is rebooted as a serious, dramatic show. Fans of the original, now adults, like it. But kids (the demo that matters) are lukewarm and toy sales are bad, so for the reasons this new show was made the show is a failure.

7 years later they try again, trying a different take as a cutesy comedy for young children, and the reaction from the adult fans is apocalyptic to the point that animators and people who work on the show are being subjected to harassment while fanboys gnash their teeth and curse the heavens.

Is there some sort of moral or lesson here? I am unsure. Maybe it's something about how older fans should give younger people the space to enjoy the things (or newer versions of the things) that they once enjoyed? Or maybe it's that something created for purely commercial purposes can inspire devotion to the extent that it can no longer properly function as a commercial? Or maybe it's that, shows we all loved as a kid be damned, kids TV should have remained regulated? Or maybe the real Thundercats... were the friends we made along the way?

I think this is a problem with fandom in general ,liking what you like docent disappear if more gets made.

[Gaastra]

The trouble is cn has been doing this for some time ticking the fans off. TTG ticked of the teen titans fans while others were fine with it. Then they ttg Scooby-doo, powerpuff girls and ben 10 plus mighty magisword became more ttg like after the single shorts and it's like most show are getting the ttg treatment. The cn fans hit their breaking point with this. Plus ttg is on 40 times a day doesn't help.

In 2011, one of these toy commercial shows is rebooted as a serious, dramatic show. Fans of the original, now adults, like it. But kids (the demo that matters) are lukewarm and toy sales are bad, so for the reasons this new show was made the show is a failure.

That's what doomed the tick cartoon. Was a huge hit with adults but kids didn't care. The toys bombed as did the game. They still kept it for a season or two more but the people buying ads who promised kids not adults and pulled out. They ended up moving it over to comedy central and aimed a live action series at adults.

Case closed was just the other way around. The show was a prime time show aimed at both kids and adults in japan and really didn't belong on adult swim but those pesky killings means no kids airings also. They split down the middle and aired it early on adult swim around 9pm. It did well--with teens and kids! Not adults. It bombed with adults. The people making the ads were promised adults and pulled out. CN punished the show by pulling it out of it's slot and moving it to 2am for the rest of it's run! That will teach them!

7 years later they try again, trying a different take as a cutesy comedy for young children, and the reaction from the adult fans is apocalyptic to the point that animators and people who work on the show are being subjected to harassment while fanboys gnash their teeth and curse the heavens.

TTG staff gets this all the time and loves it. They put things in the show making fun of it like the teen titans no meme in the internet episode and have made fun of the fact fans hate the show in the show itself.

With that said don't go yelling at the animaters for what cn told them to do guys. They are just doing their jobs.

[Vanguard-01]

The 2011 reboot was set up for failure from the start. CN did what they always do to shows they don't like: they put it in a crappy timeslot and made the toys about as crappy as possible. It never had a chance. That's how they can justify THIS garbage, by saying "Hey! We tried the other way! It didn't sell!"

Yeah, real gold star effort there, CN.

[Immortal Weapon]

For the 2011 show CN kept changing the time slot and would often go on hiatus without warning. IIRC, the show had to finish it's run on Adult Swim. They did everything in their power to screw that show over.

[BaneBreaker]

Always nice to see adults kicking and screaming because there exists something they don't like. So the cartoon isn't geared towards you, no need to crank it to 11 and swan dive off a cliff. I like TTG, I think its funny. Steven Universe has its moments too. I loved Thundercats as a kid, didn't catch the previous series, will have to check this out when it debuts.

[Gaastra]

And the trailer has been removed from cartoon networks youtube page!

[Immortal Weapon]

Always nice to see adults kicking and screaming because there exists something they don't like. So the cartoon isn't geared towards you, no need to crank it to 11 and swan dive off a cliff. I like TTG, I think its funny. Steven Universe has its moments too. I loved Thundercats as a kid, didn't catch the previous series, will have to check this out when it debuts.

Unless it's something in the vein of Family Guy or Rick and Morty no cartoon is geared towards adults. Honestly, that excuse has been piss poor for years.

[BaneBreaker]

Yeah, piss poor. I guess kicking a wall is the better reaction.

[Immortal Weapon]

There's nothing wrong with voicing your displeasure toward something that looks like crap.

[donpricetag]

There's nothing wrong with voicing your displeasure toward something that looks like crap.

Our right as consumers. Looking at it in a vacuum, the animation is slick. It looks good and dynamic, but the second you call it "Thundercats" it turns into "what the @#@$ is happening? Why, why the #@$# would do this?!"

[master of read]

just because something is "made for kids" doesn't mean it can't be well-made and smart. that's why a lot of cartoons from the 80s and 90s are well liked and remembered as opposed to whatever they crank out these days, a few exceptions of course.

my nephews, 10 and 7, don't watch a lot of what's on CN. when they want cartoons, they watch boomerang which is full of old school and classic cartoons. my oldest nephew loves old school scooby doo and looney toons.

[Vanguard-01]

just because something is "made for kids" doesn't mean it can't be well-made and smart. that's why a lot of cartoons from the 80s and 90s are well liked and remembered as opposed to whatever they crank out these days, a few exceptions of course.

my nephews, 10 and 7, don't watch a lot of what's on CN. when they want cartoons, they watch boomerang which is full of old school and classic cartoons. my oldest nephew loves old school scooby doo and looney toons.

Yep. The original Thundercats was marketed exclusively toward kids. It was still a billion times smarter and deeper than this hot garbage will be. Assuming the show even sees the light of day.

[Sain]

just because something is "made for kids" doesn't mean it can't be well-made and smart. that's why a lot of cartoons from the 80s and 90s are well liked and remembered as opposed to whatever they crank out these days, a few exceptions of course.

my nephews, 10 and 7, don't watch a lot of what's on CN. when they want cartoons, they watch boomerang which is full of old school and classic cartoons. my oldest nephew loves old school scooby doo and looney toons.

Which even for awhile now they've been pushing reruns of their current shows on there. You have to do astromical calculations to figure out when you'll catch Tom & Jerry or Loony Tunes. I'm damn near sure they don't even touch the 90s to early 2000s stuff anymore, but that's a topic for another thread. lol