Are people really upset about Boomerang being changed?

[TheMisterManGuy]

This is the comments section of a YouTub rant about Boomerang rebrand https://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=VDxzb7UbY6E More or less, the reactions are what you'd expect. "OMG, New Boomerang is awful" "Boomerang is dead" "RIP Boomerang" "Boomerang should be for classic cartoons" "Stuart Snyder (who doesn't even run Cartoon Network anymore) ruins yet another thing". I don't think calling it ruined or dead now is doing it any justice. Boomerang just rebranded, and it isn't even anywhere near done rolling out all of it's changes yet. So I don't see how people can complain already when it's only got phase 1 of operation rebrand done. Nevertheless, what do you think?

 

[Pac-Attack]

Boom was already dead to me since June of last year, no thanks to Vishnu with his "high performance schedules" dreck.

 

[TheMisterManGuy]

Boom was already dead to me since June of last year, no thanks to Vishnu with his "high performance schedules" dreck.

To be honest, I think Boomerang is using the whole hour long block format as cheap filler until they get some new shows.

 

[Pac-Attack]

To be honest, I think Boomerang is using the whole hour long block format as cheap filler until they get some new shows.

The thing is, they confirmed that they would still use their large library of cartoons, so I don't see why they can't have Dexter's Lab, KND, Eds, Billy and Mandy, etc. on the schedule rather than playing the same episodes of The Garfield Show, Tom and Jerry, and Scooby-Doo over and over again until we get the new shows.

 

[Zanneck]

@Pac-Attack Ex-actly. Why would anyone want to watch that stuff when it is nothing noteworthy? All repeating that trash is going to do is make people abandon the channel before any actually new shows come to the channel.

Also, why do I have the deep fear those new shows won't be worth the wait?!

 

[TheMisterManGuy]

The thing is, they confirmed that they would still use their large library of cartoons, so I don't see why they can't have Dexter's Lab, KND, Eds, Billy and Mandy, etc. on the schedule rather than playing the same episodes of The Garfield Show, Tom and Jerry, and Scooby-Doo over and over again until we get the new shows.

Beats me. However I will say that as lackluster as CN and Boomerang's schedules are right now, they're nowhere near as bad as what Nickelodeon's was a year or two ago, where aside from the preschool block and one or two airings of other shows, Spongebob was the only thing that aired on the network. At least CN has at least 3 overplayed shows (though admittedly, that isn't saying much).

 

[szjdfgs]

What it all comes down to is the people who watch Boomerang and saw the rebrand change the whole channel means they're going full nostalgia mode. Nostalgia goggles glued so hard to their faces, not even Superman can get them off.

I do agree that the removal of some classic cartoons and them adding TTGO! and Gumball into the schedule seems bad and pointless for a channel that's supposed to be about showcasing the Hanna-Barbera cartoons and older CN originals. But it's really hard to have a down-to-earth, civilized conversation about what's good and what's bad about the rebrand when you have these people shouting inaccuracies and "RIP Boomerang" all over the place.

I personally like to blame Amid Amidi from Cartoon Brew who was the first person to announce to the world that "Boomerang was dead" and everyone followed after, but honestly, it shouldn't be his fault. Always blame getting too deep in your nostalgia goggles, that's the real problem. You're never going to have a civilized conversation if you go full nostalgia mode.

 

[Zanneck]

Beats me. However I will say that as lackluster as CN and Boomerang's schedules are right now, they're nowhere near as bad as what Nickelodeon's was a year or two ago, where aside from the preschool block and one or two airings of other shows, Spongebob was the only thing that aired on the network. At least CN has at least 3 overplayed shows (though admittedly, that isn't saying much).

Problem is - those 3 shows are the most hated shows on the network right now. They're targets, regardless of any positive opinion the minority who says otherwise could have on them. This is exactly why AT, RS, & SU need more screentime, period, not to be treated like they are now.

 

[mqg96]

Y'all folks out there would be surprised with the amount of people upset about this rebrand, yes I know for a fact, even a couple of my friends who were into this channel were like "I'm so done with this channel...", get ready for the "R.I.P. Boomerang 2000-2015" trend, and yeah @Pac-Attack since the schedule change and the blocks being removed in June 2014, the schedule has been the same repetitiveness and lack of variety just like CN's schedule.

Add the fact that you even have the Cartoon Cartoon/ended CN original reruns (except for PPG & Foster's Home) removed from the network in place for TTGO and Amazing World of Gumball joining the lineup, which does NOT belong on Boomerang period. I don't even think Grojband or Numchucks should be on Boomerang to some extent either. Think of all the Cartoon Cartoons or ended CN originals out there that could join the lineup any day.

These reasons are making the folks a lot more pissed off about this rebrand. A lot of people don't realize that Boomerang is NO LONGER a predominantly HB rerun channel anymore, it rebranded completely as a ad-supported network, meaning that the channel is taking a new direction now. Think there's not enough classics on the network now (another than Scooby-Doo, Tom & Jerry, or Looney Tunes), wait until the next few years when Boomerang starts having more original programming and acquisitions for the network.

But personally for me, I don't like the rebrand either. Unless the schedule improves and adds more variety to the lineup, I have no hope for Boomerang in the future. Here's another Boomerang rant I'll post down here too and you'll see a lot more comments and complaints about the rebrand on this one!

[video=youtube;9ulJp4sZwwU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ulJp4sZwwU[/video]
https://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=9ulJp4sZwwU

 

[TheMisterManGuy]

Problem is - those 3 shows are the most hated shows on the network right now. They're targets, regardless of any positive opinion the minority who says otherwise could have on them. This is exactly why AT, RS, & SU need more screentime, period, not to be treated like they are now.

The only show really hated is TTG. Clerence is well recieved, and Gumball is generally accepted as pretty good.

 

[Pac-Attack]

Also, why do I have the deep fear those new shows won't be worth the wait?!

To be fair, I feel the same way too, and Numb Chucks is a pretty bad start. And looking at the other Booms, we'll probably be getting all those "Taste Like Diabetes" shows and some other stuff like CGI/Flash reboots of older stuff.

Though, I honestly won't care as long as I get to see my favorite classics, many of which are either not airing or have yet to air!

The only show really hated is TTG. Clerence is well recieved, and Gumball is generally accepted as pretty good.

That's true, but they both also get a good amount of flak (which I can understand, in fact, I don't really watch Clarence these days).

 

[TheMisterManGuy]

But personally for me, I don't like the rebrand either. Unless the schedule improves and addsmore variety to the lineup, I have no hope for Boomerang in the future.

I'm sure the schedule will improve a bit once newer shows start coming in. It still probably won't be perfect, but I think the hour long block format isn't going to last for much longer.

To be fair, I feel the same way too, and Numb Chucks is a pretty bad start. And looking at the other Booms, we'll probably be getting all those "Taste Like Diabetes" shows and some other stuff like CGI/Flash reboots of older stuff.


Though, I honestly won't care as long as I get to see my favorite classics, many of which are either not airing or have yet to air!

To be fair, Numb Chucks was originally planned for Cartoon Network, but it was thrown to Boomerang at the last minute to prep for the rebrand. It's pretty obvious Boomerang doesn't care about the show either, they never air reruns and don't even promote it at all. The international Booms have some interesting stuff though such as Mr. Bean, The Jungle Bunch and Boomerang AU even airs MLP:FiM. So it can't all be bad. Plus, we haven't even seen what their original programming is going to be like yet, so I'll reserve judgement until we see what shows we are getting.

 

[Silverstar]

What it all comes down to is the people who watch Boomerang and saw the rebrand change the whole channel means they're going full nostalgia mode. Nostalgia goggles glued so hard to their faces, not even Superman can get them off.

I do agree that the removal of some classic cartoons and them adding TTGO! and Gumball into the schedule seems bad and pointless for a channel that's supposed to be about showcasing the Hanna-Barbera cartoons and older CN originals. But it's really hard to have a down-to-earth, civilized conversation about what's good and what's bad about the rebrand when you have these people shouting inaccuracies and "RIP Boomerang" all over the place.

I personally like to blame Amid Amidi from Cartoon Brew who was the first person to announce to the world that "Boomerang was dead" and everyone followed after, but honestly, it shouldn't be his fault. Always blame getting too deep in your nostalgia goggles, that's the real problem. You're never going to have a civilized conversation if you go full nostalgia mode.

Quoted for truth.

YouTube commenters are naturally going to complain because they're YouTube commenters, that's what they do. A good chunk of the noise being made about this rebrand is coming from people who are waist deep in nostalgia and you're not going to get a civilized, rational discussion out of them. These people just want Boomerang to go back to the way it was 15 years ago which is impossible and would be ratings suicide.

Am I upset about the rebrand and Boomerang's format change from baby boomer Hanna-Barbera nostalgia channel to ad-supported kids and family channel? No. To be honest, I feel this change is long overdue. I'd just like to see more come of it. I understand that Boomerang is undergoing a 'stealth rebrand' with the changes coming in gradually as opposed to all at once, but currently from an observational standpoint it just looks like Turner has reduced Boom's schedule to showing the same 10 shows (2 of which are also currently airing on Cartoon Network) and the same 2 promos over and over again, and I can see how that would be off-putting to some. I don't think it would hurt Boom too much if Turner tossed in a few older CN shows such as Dexter's Lab, Johnny Bravo, Courage or KND as placeholders just to break the monotony a little. Either that, or maybe they should have just gone full throttle and gave us the whole new schedule, new shows, originals, imports, the whole she-bang, all at once. That would have been more final and taken the ease off this wait.

 

[Checkerboard]

I am upset. Why should I spend hundreds of dollars on DVDs when I could watch these shows (classics) on TV on Boomerang?

 

[Silverstar]

I am upset. Why should I spend hundreds of dollars on DVDs when I could watch these shows (classics) on TV on Boomerang?

Come on, that's an exaggeration. DVDs don't cost that much. They're $20 to $25 on average. You're not spending "hundreds of dollars" on DVDs unless you're planning to purchase 40 or 50 of them in one trip.

I don't mean to sound like a jerk, but I get a little tired of remarks along the lines of "Boomerang owes us classics!" They don't. Boomerang is a network and a business, not our parents. They don't owe us classic cartoons any more than they owe us a reason for opting not to carry them anymore. Boomerang is a business, and the goal of every business is to make profit; Boomerang has to air what they think their target audience, kids aged 4-11, want to see. If you're 20 or older, it doesn't make a ton of sense to demand or expect a channel aimed at young children to cater to your personal whims.

Ultimately it comes down to "how bad do you want it?" I hear people complain about how their favorite shows aren't airing on TV anymore, but these same people aren't willing to actually do something about it, like getting their fix in some other way; they'd much rather just sit on their collective duffs and demand that a TV network that has to program for millions of people on average bend over backwards to meet their specific desires.

If watching these classic cartoons really means something to you, then it shouldn't matter where or how you have to watch them. If you're not willing to make even the slightest personal sacrifice, not even putting aside 20 or 25 bucks to buy a flipping DVD, then these classic cartoons can't have meant that much to you in the first place.

 

[Checkerboard]

Hardly an exaggeration if there are 20-30 shows I'd watch. Just do the math. Or you'd be willing to pay $350+ for these DVDs? Maybe more?

Why should I not demand Boomerang to air these classics all of a sudden just because they underwent a rebrand? OK, Boomerang changed. New shows. New look. I get it. It needed to happen. I get that as well.

But don't tell me Turner can't find space on the channel for these classics anymore just because of that. That's just an excuse. I don't want Boom to be retro 24/7 like it used to be. No, because I know that's not happening - although I find it sad, because no similar channel exists and because Boomerang has it in its name. But why can't Boom have an oldschool block every day is beyond me. 3 hours of retro every day is all I ask for. And maybe 6 on weekends. It's enough to please old viewers and enough not to disrupt the concept of the new Boom.

At the same time, these old shows have a more valid place on the channel than new shows CN is producing. Putting brand new shows on Boomerang makes no sense. They belong on Cartoon Network.

And all of a sudden Boomerang completely ignoring its past is not good either.

There is no reason why these shows can't be on Boom anymore. It would cost Turner next to nothing.

There are many shows the Warner Archive has yet to release and even those that are available... I find it irrational to spend so much money on them if I could watch them on TV for free whenever they're on and I feel like it. I just want that option.

Many people feel the same way as you can see and aren't happy with Boom's new direction. And it doesn't surprise me. This new Boom is extremely childish and the programming is terrible without a speck of creativity. Those double bills and new shows need to go.

There is so much there could be done with Boom to cater to both old and new viewers alike, but Boom seems to be once again stuck. This time the opposite way.

 

[Goldstar!]

In a just world, Syfy would still be a channel for science fiction programming and Tech TV would still be around. Unfortunately things change, and if Turner isn't going to air the old-school Hanna-Barbera cartoons on TV anymore, then you may as well start looking elsewhere to enjoy them. Yeah, it sucks, but if watching these old cartoons really means something to you, you'll do whatever needs to be done. One DVD a week or every couple of weeks really isn't a lot of money, if you have a steady job, unless you're buying 20+ DVDs at a time, and honestly, who does that?

Also, it's too early to be complaining about Boom's new schedule, as many of the original shows which will be airing on the network haven't debuted yet. The Upfront isn't happening until May. We'll just have to wait and see what Turner does after that.

 

[Checkerboard]

Well, I'm willing to give them time until summer. Hopefully they amaze us.

But if Turner isn't willing to use that library they might as well sell it to someone who will. The Warner Archive is hardly sufficient.

I might eventually purchase all the shows, but it really irritates me and I don't think I'm in the minority. Turner has two channels for kids, yet neither of them airs any of the classics anymore. Just irrational in my eyes.

Boom is imho trying to become the new Hub, but I think they'll eventually fail because the changes they made to the channel over night are too drastic. It really is a new channel now and its name is quite misleading. Unless it's referring to being CN's recycle bin.

 

[Goldstar!]

Turner has two channels for kids, yet neither of them airs any of the classics anymore. Just irrational in my eyes.

It's been proven that kids would rather watch new shows than older ones. Turner knows that a fairly recent episode of The Garfield Show will put more butts into seats than a 50 year old rerun of The Jetsons would. I get that you don't that like Turner isn't catering to the nostalgia crowd anymore, but at the same time, you can't fault them for airing what they believe the channels' target audience wants to see.

Boom is imho trying to become the new Hub, but I think they'll eventually fail because the changes they made to the channel over night are too drastic

Ironically, one reason why The Hub failed is because that channel likewise relied too heavily on canceled reruns of older shows and there weren't enough new and original shows airing on it. Hasbro believed that running Animaniacs and Tiny Toons reruns was enough to sustain the network, and they paid dearly for that misstep. Nostalgia should be lightly sprinkled across various spots on the schedule, but you can't build an entire schedule around canceled reruns. People like to see new shows and without them they'll inevitably start reaching for the remote to see what else is on. One compliant that I have about the new Boomerang is that they promised us new shows, and so far, there's not enough that's new.

 

[Checkerboard]

Many kids at the same time can't tell how old a show is if you're using a good master. It's not that much about how old a show is, but how good it is. Or how good you make it to be through promos.
There should be a balance, just like in the old days. If not 50% new and 50% retro, then at least 75% new and 25% retro. Boom doesn't need to suddenly go all new to succeed.
Turner is in a unique position, because they really have the largest library of classic toons. No one else has that. And all they do is sit on it.
If they think they do, they should offer a proper VOD service that would include EVERYTHING their library has to offer.
And they should change the name simply just to "BOOM", because being called Boomerang and showing purely new stuff... I don't think it will work.
READ AGAIN - I don't want Boomerang to be only retro 24/7. I don't need that. I want only 25-50% of it to be oldschool. Even 15% would do as long as the shows were in rotation so that all of them got a play.