How much time should there be between cartoon reboots?

[The Overlord]

How much time should there be between cartoon reboots? In the old days there would big gaps between cartoons and their reboots, like the old Spider-Man cartoons (1967, 1981, 1994 and 2008 respectively), now a Spider-Man cartoon ends and there is new one 6 months later. Same deal with TMNT, there was a big gap between the 1987-1996 cartoon to the 2003 cartoon, but the gap between the end of the 2012 TMNT cartoon and the 2018 one is less then a year. The gaps between Transformers cartoons is getting pretty small too. The gap between the last two Avengers cartoons was pretty short too.

Maybe I sound like a old grouch, but I think there should be at least 2 years at a minimum between cartoon reboots, though I would prefer it to be longer. If Marvel makes new X-Men and Fantastic Four cartoons after buying Fox, at least it would have been over decade since their last cartoons aired. I think reboots at this fast pace, makes these properties seem stale.

 

[Frontier]

I think the thinking behind popping out new cartoons for major IP's and franchises on such a consistent basis is to keep up brand awareness and keep kids' attention towards a new show for said property.

 

[The Overlord]

I think the thinking behind popping out new cartoons for major IP's and franchises on such a consistent basis is to keep up brand awareness and keep kids' attention towards a new show for said property.

I wonder if there is a danger of kids getting sick of this stuff if too many cartoons with the same subject matter is released so close together.

 

[Dudley]

You should add Batman to that list as well.

These reboots happening closer together reminds me of various Japanese shows where each installment in the franchise lasts a year, has a new gimmick but overall plays the same as previous iterations. Power Rangers is the most famous example, but Pretty Cure, Ultraman, and even Digimon do it.

I’m just glad the US shows haven’t reached the point where they’re as formulaic as Japanese shows.

Anyhoo, they do the reboots for toy purposes. Toys have a certain shelf life, so when it ends, a new toy line can begin, and thus a new show to promote it.

I wonder if there is a danger of kids getting sick of this stuff if too many cartoons with the same subject matter is released so close together.

If so, they’ll just wait longer before they reboot it again.


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[Red Arrow]

How much time should there be between cartoon reboots? In the old days there would big gaps between cartoons and their reboots, like the old Spider-Man cartoons (1967, 1981, 1994 and 2008 respectively), now a Spider-Man cartoon ends and there is new one 6 months later.

You forgot the 2003 series.

But anyway, you are completely right. There is nothing special about a new Spider-Man, Transformers, Mickey Mouse, Ben 10 or TMNT cartoon anymore. No one will be surprised when a new one comes out.

I really hope that other studios won't turn into Warner Bros, who just reboots Looney Tunes, Tom & Jerry, Scooby Doo and Batman forever, with little to no actually new cartoons being made.

If it is true what they say about Viacom's ceo, then Nickelodeon will probably turn into Warner Bros 2.0.

 

[SourSweetGone]

It depends on the property. Some you expect to get rebooted constantly, others you may just see once every decade or so.

 

[Red Arrow]

It depends on the property. Some you expect to get rebooted constantly, others you may just see once every decade or so.

But TMNT was a property that got rebooted every decade or so... That's the point of this thread.

 

[Mostezli]

Just one per decade is enough if said brand is that popular. Way more than DC with its various alternate takes of characters going on at the same time in the same medium, I never thought Transformers would one day get close to that.

 

[SourSweetGone]

I'm fine with multiple incarnations at the same time. Fiction is a multiverse. It's not really confusing and its nice to have choices.

 

[CNReactionGuy18]

Honestly, the reboots should've been stopping at its 50th episode. I mean that some reboots even surpassed their original show series finale season. They could've have done the same to the originals. Heck, Teen Titans Go! And Ben 10 surpassed their original series finale.

 

[Oakley]

How much time should there be between cartoon reboots?

I don't think there needs to be any set amount of time. They could do it immediately if they really wanted to. Personally, I think they should just renew the older show for another season rather than rebooting it, but if they must....

 

[Fone Bone]

I would not shed a tear if starting tomorrow they just stopped rebooting shows period. We need more original material.

 

[SourSweetGone]

I would not shed a tear if starting tomorrow they just stopped rebooting shows period. We need more original material.

We've gotten a lot of original material this decade though. Adventure Time, Steven, Gumball, We Bare Bears, OK KO, Gravity Falls, Star VS, Loud House, Craig of the creek, Bojack Horseman, Final Space etc. The reboots and what not have been lesser then in past decades it seems but people just seem to obsess over them more.

And hey reboots can still lead to great things like the current Ducktales or MLP toons or the upcoming She-Ra series which looks amazing IMHO.

 

[Fone Bone]

DuckTales and Transformers Prime seem to be the winning argument for continuing to reboot things. And I won't lie. Those shows ARE awesome. But most reboots aren't those shows. To put it mildly.

 

[SourSweetGone]

DuckTales and Transformers Prime seem to be the winning argument for continuing to reboot things. And I won't lie. Those shows ARE awesome. But most reboots aren't those shows. To put it mildly.

Fair enough. I won't deny relaunching or re-imagining a popular I.P. is always a risky endeavor. At the same time however I'd rather things stay around for people to enjoy then just fade away. And in fairness original series can turn out poorly as well (I still have nightmares about Nick's Breadwinners) over all the key or one of them seems to be just to be lucky enough to find the right people for the job. And releasing your show at the right time.

 

[Fone Bone]

I think a good rule to reboot a show is that if the producers don't bother to make it better than the original property, they shouldn't bother. That's why Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2003 struck me as a good reboot and 2012 struck me as a bad one. If you don't have anything new or fresh to say with the premise, it's fine to come up with your own show instead.

What bothers me is the notion of "Evergreen" franchises like Batman or Spider-Man, where the people in charge believe that Batman and Spider-Man should always have a cartoon on the air, even if it sucks. The reboots that are made solely to keep the property in the public consciousness tend to be terrible. And I think that's almost always the case.

 

[SourSweetGone]

I would agree overall. A new version of a property should bring in new ideas and visions to the table. Which is why I for one am extremely hyped for Rise of the TMNT!

As for Evergreen properties. I like the concept myself, but I agree don't make it just to make it. Make it because the people involved are passionate about it and have a story to tell or a unique vision to put out into the world.

As for the question of the thread I think things like Power Rangers or Transformers that have a trend of rebooting every 3 years or so are fine, but not every franchise should fully reboot.

Pokemon gets by with just changing its region/local. MLP could arguably be the American Pokemon if it just kept on the path of expanding its world and developing more of its extended orcsupporting cast.

As for Batman or Spider-Man I would say they need at least 1 cartoon a decade just due to how well known they are. But yea cycling through 2-3 series a decade is a bit much. Give em a long running series like Batman & X-Men had in the 90's so they have room to grow & breath.

 

[Red Arrow]

Is it just me or has the Batman craze stopped after what CN did to Beware the Batman?

Somehow I think we won't get a new Batman cartoon in a while. Just lots of animated movies (direct-to-DVD), some live-action movies (theatrical) and Gotham S5 (if that counts). More than enough, I'd say.

 

[SourSweetGone]

Is it just me or has the Batman craze stopped after what CN did to Beware the Batman?

Somehow I think we won't get a new Batman cartoon in a while. Just lots of animated movies (direct-to-DVD), some live-action movies (theatrical) and Gotham S5 (if that counts). More than enough, I'd say.

True. After the DC Nation shows more or left got the shaft WB seems to be kind of silent on ongoing Bat-animations for TV, I wouldn't blame them if when they do eventually do another Batman cartoon they just put it on their upcoming DC Streaming service.

Honestly I kind of wish DC would do more cartoons for other heroes. An Aquaman or Wonder Woman cartoon would be pretty neat. Speaking of DC reboots I hope CN treats Faust's upcoming DC Superhero Girls Reboot better then they treated JLA. Hopefully it'll get lucky and end up being a prized cow like TTG & Unikitty and not thrown to the curb like JLA, Buniccula, What's Cool Scooby Doo!?, Wabbit, etc. Man CN has done their sister dirty a lot this decade.

 

[Red Arrow]

An Aquaman or Wonder Woman cartoon would be pretty neat.

I literally said that sentence aloud yesterday. It's probably what we're all thinking.