It is easy to see why so many people are upset over the sudden influx of live-action programming on Cartoon Network. Once groundbreaking for airing animated content around the clock, the network appears to be forsaking its roots in a desperate attempt to catch up with its competitors. This has sparked boundless fears that the network may very well cancel some of its animated programming and focus more on live-action in the future; even the creator of “Chowder”, C. H. Greenblatt himself, adamantly believes that his series is no longer in the network’s future. However, I do not believe that the situation is as bleak as some imagine.
All one has to do is look at the animated programs announced this year at Cartoon Network’s Upfront and they would see why I believe that to be true. Both “Generator Rex” and “Sym-Bionic Titan” have the potential to be amongst the best action shows the network has ever produced, and with the network’s desire to be edgier, they may not be bound by the same restrictions that affected their previous shows such as “Samurai Jack”. I must admit that I know little about these two shows at the moment, as hardly anything has been revealed, but this is the first time in a long time that Cartoon Network has made an announcement that has captured my interest in such a manner. Yet these two animated programs were not the announcement which had me enthralled.
“Adventure Time With Finn And Jake” could very well become the finest animated program on the network. Unlike “Generator Rex” and “Sym-Bionic Titan”, so much information has already been revealed about this series, including the pilot, which aired as a part of Nickelodeon’s “Random! Cartoons”. I have seen scripts. I have seen storyboards. I have seen countless drawings that never ceased to amuse me. Helmed by Pendleton Ward, who just happened to write some of my favorite episodes of “The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack”, “Adventure Time With Finn And Jake” has so much going for it. The series is oft too bizarre for me to describe, but I welcome you to delve into the madness and check out the official Blog for yourself. Unfortunately, with such high expectations there is a chance that the series will fail to live up to them, but based on everything that I have seen, the chances of that happening are slim.
There are other animated programs that have been announced as well. I don’t have the time to mention all of them, but it is simply more proof that the network has no intention of abandoning animation. I am no happier with the live-action than most people, but even with CN Real and the upcoming live-action dramas, there is still a lot for fans of animation to look forward to. It will be unfortunate if some animated programs do get cancelled, but it is my belief that any cancellations will have little to do with CN Real. On a place called Toon Zone, it’s easy for people to see live-action as the enemy, but things are seldom that simple.
In the end, people should just watch what they enjoy, whether it’s animated programming or live-action programming. I fully believe that Cartoon Network will always be a home for new animated content, but in this day and age where most of us have hundreds of channels at our disposal, other new animated content is merely a few clicks away.
|
|
|
