Toontopia TV: Fulfilling Boomerang's Promise? [Archive]

CapnQuisp

12-28-2005, 02:45 AM

AOL and Warner Bros. recently announced the creation of a new broadband television network called In2TV, scheduled to begin streaming classic television shows in January, 2006. The press release states:

"Thousands of episodes from some of the most popular television series of all time will make a comeback exclusively on AOL.com (http://www.aol.com (http://www.aol.com/)) in early 2006, thanks to a pioneering collaboration between AOL and Warner Bros. Domestic Cable Distribution to form a new broadband network. The network– called In2TV – will allow consumers to stream full-length episodes from favorite series such as Welcome Back Kotter, Sisters, Beetlejuice, Lois & Clark, La Femme Nikita and Growing Pains free and on-demand on the Web. Along with full-length episodes, In2TV will also include unique interactive features such as games, quizzes, polls, trivia contests and more. "

( I think it is important to note that one does not need to be subscribed to AOL to use this service. Anyone with broadband will be able to access In2TV, free of charge as I interpret the info.)

At launch time, 30 series will be available, spread over 6 channels. The cartoon channel is called Toontopia TV, and it will feature these 5 series:

Beetlejuice
Freakazoid
Histeria
Pinky And The Brain
The New Adventures Of Batman (yes, the 70's Filmation one)

A fact sheet provides these additional tidbits:

"• In In2TV’s first year, we will offer:
o More than 3,400 hours of programming
o More than 100 different series
o Approximately 4,800 different episodes
o Six different channels to start, themed by genre; two more channels to come in 2006
o At least 300 episodes each month "

I think this could be a good sign for classic animation fans longing to see toons that have been unseen for quite some time, some since their original network runs. When one considers that Warner Brothers has the rights to all the Looney Tunes, the entire Hanna-Barbera library, and all the DC properties, among others, the possibilities are staggering. With the sheer volume of animation in the vault, I can easily envision a second cartoon-based channel being offered somewhere down the road, focusing on more classic stuff. Eventually, there may even be an animation channel for every decade.

Boomerang, as we all know, is having somewhat of an identity crisis lately. More and more, shows for little kids (Baby Looney Tunes) and Cartoon Network cast-offs (Duck Dodgers) are erasing the original vision for the channel, to be the home of "classic" toon stars, the place where "it's all coming back to you." In2TV seems to be targeting a retro crowd, showcasing gems from the 70's like Alice and Eight Is Enough. I doubt you'll see the big guns like Scooby-Doo and The Flintstones on Toontopia, but I predict it will eventually become the new home for missing-in-action shows like these:

Space Ghost/Dino Boy
Frankenstein Jr./The Impossibles
Moby Dick/Mighty Mightor
Birdman/Galaxy Trio
The Superman/Aquaman Hour Of Adventure
The Cattanooga Cats
The Banana Splits
Shazzan!
Valley Of The Dinosaurs
The New Adventures Of Gilligan
C.B. Bears
Shazam! ( 1981, Animated)
Superfriends
Plastic Man
The Gary Coleman Show
Thundarr The Barbarian
The Dukes
Gilligan's Planet
Pirates Of Dark Water
Tiny Toon Adventures
Animaniacs

You get the point. My questions are:

1. Are you planning to try the In2TV service?
2. How do you feel about watching tv shows online vs. on television?
3. Which of the 5 scheduled cartoon series, if any, are you the most excited about watching again?
4. What show would you most like to see on Toontopia TV?

http://www.vegalleries.com/hbopc/45garytn.jpg

"Whatchoo talkin' 'bout, Toontopia!!

livingfruitvirus

12-28-2005, 03:12 AM

First Trio and now this. The classics are going to broadband.

John Pannozzi

12-28-2005, 08:06 AM

You get the point. My questions are:

1. Are you planning to try the In2TV service?
Sure. It's free, right?

2. How do you feel about watching tv shows online vs. on television?
Can't say until I watch shows on the online service.

3. Which of the 5 scheduled cartoon series, if any, are you the most excited about watching again?
I'm frankly excited about all of them, except for the Filmation Batman.

4. What show would you most like to see on Toontopia TV?
Tiny Toon Adventures

Animaniacs

Pinky, Elmyra and the Brain

Road Rovers

Taz-Mania

The Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries

Natey

12-28-2005, 11:35 AM

Wait, do you have to be an AOL subscriber

Mr. Manager

12-28-2005, 11:39 AM

Wait, do you have to be an AOL subscriber?No. It'll be available on AOL.com.

loveboomerang

12-28-2005, 01:04 PM

what internet speed connection do you need, in order to watch properly ?

k-unit101

12-28-2005, 02:47 PM

Ummmm... not to sound dumb, but what is broadband? I'm not sure if I have that or not.

hobbyfan

12-28-2005, 06:48 PM

[QUOTE=CapnQuisp]AOL and Warner Bros. recently announced the creation of a new broadband television network called In2TV, scheduled to begin streaming classic television shows in January, 2006. The press release states:

"Thousands of episodes from some of the most popular television series of all time will make a comeback exclusively on AOL.com (http://www.aol.com (http://www.aol.com/)) in early 2006, thanks to a pioneering collaboration between AOL and Warner Bros. Domestic Cable Distribution to form a new broadband network. The network– called In2TV – will allow consumers to stream full-length episodes from favorite series such as Welcome Back Kotter, Sisters, Beetlejuice, Lois & Clark, La Femme Nikita and Growing Pains free and on-demand on the Web. Along with full-length episodes, In2TV will also include unique interactive features such as games, quizzes, polls, trivia contests and more. "

( I think it is important to note that one does not need to be subscribed to AOL to use this service. Anyone with broadband will be able to access In2TV, free of charge as I interpret the info.)

At launch time, 30 series will be available, spread over 6 channels. The cartoon channel is called Toontopia TV, and it will feature these 5 series:

Beetlejuice
Freakazoid
Histeria
Pinky And The Brain
The New Adventures Of Batman (yes, the 70's Filmation one)

A lot of people are going to be very happy.:D

A fact sheet provides these additional tidbits:

"• In In2TV’s first year, we will offer:
o More than 3,400 hours of programming
o More than 100 different series
o Approximately 4,800 different episodes
o Six different channels to start, themed by genre; two more channels to come in 2006
o At least 300 episodes each month "

I think this could be a good sign for classic animation fans longing to see toons that have been unseen for quite some time, some since their original network runs. When one considers that Warner Brothers has the rights to all the Looney Tunes, the entire Hanna-Barbera library, and all the DC properties, among others, the possibilities are staggering. With the sheer volume of animation in the vault, I can easily envision a second cartoon-based channel being offered somewhere down the road, focusing on more classic stuff. Eventually, there may even be an animation channel for every decade.

Boomerang, as we all know, is having somewhat of an identity crisis lately. More and more, shows for little kids (Baby Looney Tunes) and Cartoon Network cast-offs (Duck Dodgers) are erasing the original vision for the channel, to be the home of "classic" toon stars, the place where "it's all coming back to you." In2TV seems to be targeting a retro crowd, showcasing gems from the 70's like Alice and Eight Is Enough. I doubt you'll see the big guns like Scooby-Doo and The Flintstones on Toontopia, but I predict it will eventually become the new home for missing-in-action shows like these:

Space Ghost/Dino Boy
Frankenstein Jr./The Impossibles
Moby Dick/Mighty Mightor
Birdman/Galaxy Trio
The Superman/Aquaman Hour Of Adventure
(and the succeeding Batman-Superman Hour of Adventure)
The Cattanooga Cats
The Banana Splits
Shazzan!
Valley Of The Dinosaurs
The New Adventures Of Gilligan
C.B. Bears
Shazam! ( 1981, Animated)
(along with the rest of Kid Super Power Hour)
Superfriends
Plastic Man
The Gary Coleman Show
Thundarr The Barbarian
YES!!:D :D :D :D :D
The Dukes
Gilligan's Planet
Pirates Of Dark Water
Tiny Toon Adventures
Animaniacs

You get the point. My questions are:

1. Are you planning to try the In2TV service?

Dang skippy!

2. How do you feel about watching tv shows online vs. on television?

Online, I can watch any time I want. That rules it, baby!

3. Which of the 5 scheduled cartoon series, if any, are you the most excited about watching again?

New Adventures of Batman!

4. What show would you most like to see on Toontopia TV?

Thundarr, Goldie Gold, Super Friends (1977-up), Hair Bear Bunch

Mr. Manager

12-28-2005, 06:50 PM

what internet speed connection do you need, in order to watch properly ?Brodband.

Mr. Manager

12-28-2005, 06:51 PM

Ummmm... not to sound dumb, but what is broadband? I'm not sure if I have that or not.It's a connection to cable rather than a phone.

Brettfern

12-28-2005, 06:57 PM

Ummmm... not to sound dumb, but what is broadband? I'm not sure if I have that or not. In case you have Verizon Online DSL or Comcast High-Speed Internet, that is broadband.

Eric B

12-28-2005, 07:20 PM

Wow!
If Pinky And The Brain is going to be on there, then does that mean that WB has regained the rights to the Amblin produced WB shows? (Animaniacs, etc) I had been thinking once again of these, and how I never got a chance to become more familiar with them on CN before Spielberg had them yanked back to Nick, and then I lost track of them for good. (Do they even still play over there?) I was thinking "Enough already! let Spielberg (who was only the producer, and not the owner of the characters) reliquish control to WB for good, and let them rejoin the rest of the WB toon family!"

Since this is AOL, which is co-owned with WB, will it only be the BOOM/CN library that it will have access to? (stuff like Gilligan and Shazam is probably owned by Entertainment Rights).

Boomerang, as we all know, is having somewhat of an identity crisis lately. More and more, shows for little kids (Baby Looney Tunes) and Cartoon Network cast-offs (Duck Dodgers) are erasing the original vision for the channel, to be the home of "classic" toon stars, the place where "it's all coming back to you." Just like CN originally had all the classic stuff, and then got into new stuff, eventually pushing the old to the new Boomerang. Now, it seems Boomerang is following suit. Remember, they were apparently seriously considering turning it into some baby cartoons network or something this year. So yes, it's good to have a new place for the old stuff to move to.

dtemplar

12-28-2005, 07:50 PM

I'm looking forward to the 70s Batman cartoon on In2TV as well as Beetlejuice and Freddy's Nightmares.

What I would like to see:

1. Shazam! (74 version)
2. Superfriends
3. 60s Superman cartoons

ltnut

12-28-2005, 08:42 PM

Perhaps I missed it, but is there a charge for this?

veemonjosh

12-28-2005, 09:45 PM

Perhaps I missed it, but is there a charge for this?
Look closely:

free of charge

JCorey3rd

12-28-2005, 10:30 PM

they refer to the people as "consumers." Normally this means there might be a fee involved.

CapnQuisp

12-29-2005, 12:12 AM

Originally posted by JCorey3rd they refer to the people as "consumers." Normally this means there might be a fee involved.
Originally posted by CapnQuisp The network– called In2TV – will allow consumers to stream full-length episodes from favorite series such as Welcome Back Kotter, Sisters, Beetlejuice, Lois & Clark, La Femme Nikita and Growing Pains free and on-demand on the Web. No charge, people. I know it's hard to believe.

Originally posted by Eric B Since this is AOL, which is co-owned with WB, will it only be the BOOM/CN library that it will have access to? (stuff like Gilligan and Shazam is probably owned by Entertainment Rights).You're absolutely right about Shazam ( at least the animated series) and Gilligan, Eric B., good eye! Still, I hope we'll see some shows that have never appeared, or at least in ages, on CN or Boomerang. The New Adventures Of Batman has never aired on either network, correct? :confused:

Anniemaniac

12-29-2005, 07:44 AM

that sounds awesome, luckily i got broadband just recently so i should have no problem watching these. if animaniacs, pinky and the brain, tiny toons and other WB classics are gonna be on there then im in.

1. Are you planning to try the In2TV service?
sure why not, its free and has a cool line up of shows.

2. How do you feel about watching tv shows online vs. on television?
well since most of these shows arnt on TV any more, watchin them online would be great.

3. Which of the 5 scheduled cartoon series, if any, are you the most excited about watching again?
pinky and the brain

4. What show would you most like to see on Toontopia TV?
i would have said animaniacs but since they're coming to DVD soon ide like to watch tiny toons again, the last time i saw that show was when i was 5 so it'd bring back alot of childhood memories.

Eric B

12-29-2005, 08:40 AM

You're absolutely right about Shazam ( at least the animated series) and Gilligan, Eric B., good eye! Still, I hope we'll see some shows that have never appeared, or at least in ages, on CN or Boomerang. The New Adventures Of Batman has never aired on either network, correct? Yeah; I have an eye for those things, alright. ;)
It's easy when I haven't seen them in ages. (though I did catch the live Shazam on TVL a couple of years ago)
The New Adventures of BAtman is from the same basic era, and I also haven't seen it in ages. No, it has never aired on CN or BOOM, but I was told here that it did air a a few select WB affiliates several years ago. Don't have the slightst idea why.
As for the other stuff, what I really wish s that Time Warner would just go and buy out Entertainment Rights. Are they even making good with their promise to release the shows on DVD? It seems every company that buys that library just locks the stuff up in limbo.:mad: (Is this some conspiracy by those animation critics who hated those shows or something?) For now, Kids on Demand would be nice.

veemonjosh

12-29-2005, 08:47 AM

1. Are you planning to try the In2TV service?
HELL YES

2. How do you feel about watching tv shows online vs. on television?
I'd rather watch them on TV with a bigger screen and without pauses, but just these shows MORE than make up for that.

3. Which of the 5 scheduled cartoon series, if any, are you the most excited about watching again?
Freakazoid and Histeria (I was the only one who actually liked that show...:shrug: ). I've seen Pinky & the Brain on Nick, I never saw enough of Bettlejuice to say if I like it, and I never saw that Batman series AT ALL. However, I haven't seen Freakazoid since it was on some very early hour on CN and I haven't seen Histeria since it was on a WB weekday morning slot.

4. What show would you most like to see on Toontopia TV?
Animaniacs and Tiny Toon Adventures. After that, they've pretty much hit the three most popular Steven Speilburg/Warner Brothers shows, so I'll be happy :p .

ltnut

12-29-2005, 08:54 AM

I'll definitely want to try the service, but I'll probably have to get on broadband before I can do it. I think that this type of service may be eventually where we have to go for classic TV that is no longer on cable. Hopefully there will be more services like this, that are either free or have a reasonable price.

k-unit101

12-29-2005, 01:11 PM

It's a connection to cable rather than a phone.
Okay thanx. We have a connection to cable so I think I have it.

Brettfern

12-29-2005, 01:17 PM

Okay thanx. We have a connection to cable so I think I have it. I sure wish I had it since my internet is so slow..

dtemplar

12-29-2005, 01:37 PM

Since this is AOL, which is co-owned with WB, will it only be the BOOM/CN library that it will have access to? (stuff like Gilligan and Shazam is probably owned by Entertainment Rights).
Gilligan is owned by Warner when Time Warner bought Ted Turner's company. The animted version of Shazam is owned by Entertainment Rights. Warner has the rights to the live-action series since Shazam is a DC Comics character.

Brettfern

12-29-2005, 01:49 PM

The animted version of Shazam Hasn't TV Land aired that before?

dtemplar

12-29-2005, 04:21 PM

Hasn't TV Land aired that before?
No, TV Land aired the live-action version

Brettfern

12-29-2005, 04:46 PM

No, TV Land aired the live-action version Oh. I see.

Eric B

12-29-2005, 09:37 PM

Gilligan is owned by Warner when Time Warner bought Ted Turner's company. The animted version of Shazam is owned by Entertainment Rights. Warner has the rights to the live-action series since Shazam is a DC Comics character. I always would have thought so, as the original live action Gilligan was a staple of TBS. But the cartoon never showed up on any of Turner's networks.

Perhaps since it was last part of the Groovie Goolies and Friends package, it remained in that library, and was never aquired by Turner. The way BOOM overplayed the same HB stuff in its year by year block, you would think they would break out stuff like this, as it was sorely needed. But then again, they never played the New Adventures of Batman either. I would think that might have remained packaged with Tarzan and the other shows it was paired with, except for hearing that some WB stations played it.
Likewise, the animated Shazan is probably Entertainment Rights because of the Hero High characters who were not owned by WB (and were originally supposed to be the Archies superheroes, from what I heard!).
I don't know why then, the live action Shazam was on Viacom's TVL like the Bradys, and other stuff like that, then. BOOM could have played it, because it is not specifically a "CARTOON" network like its sister station, and it does play the live action HB stuff.

CapnQuisp

12-30-2005, 08:07 PM

Originally posted by dtemplar Gilligan is owned by Warner when Time Warner bought Ted Turner's company.I checked Entertainment Rights' programming page to confirm, and dtemplar knows his stuff, which should be no surprise to any regular viewer of this forum. Thanks for setting us straight! This means we might get a chance to see the two Gilligan toons on Toontopia (though probably not due to overwhelming demand :D ). I think the live-action Shazam! series would fit nicely on In2TV's Heroes And Horror channel.

Long live Filmation!

Brettfern

12-30-2005, 09:15 PM

I think the live-action Shazam! series would fit nicely on In2TV's Heroes And Horror channel Is that channel available on Dish Network or DIRECTV?

CapnQuisp

12-31-2005, 10:29 AM

Originally posted by Brettfern Is that channel available on Dish Network or DIRECTV?No, it is part of the In2TV package that will be launched Jan. 2006 at aol.com

Brettfern

12-31-2005, 03:06 PM

No, it is part of the In2TV package that will be launched Jan. 2006 at aol.com Cool. Now I see what it is..

JVipond

12-31-2005, 06:45 PM

This is the first I've heard about Toontopia. For that matter, it's the first I've heard about classic TV shows being made available free to broadband Internet users. I'm always hoping that Time Warner and King World will settle their ownership issues regarding the H-B Little Rascals series, which I'd like to see on Toontopia.

Fifi Fanatic

01-01-2006, 01:09 AM

Freakazoid is going to be there! Count me in! :D

Wow!
If Pinky And The Brain is going to be on there, then does that mean that WB has regained the rights to the Amblin produced WB shows? (Animaniacs, etc) I had been thinking once again of these, and how I never got a chance to become more familiar with them on CN before Spielberg had them yanked back to Nick, and then I lost track of them for good. (Do they even still play over there?) I was thinking "Enough already! let Spielberg (who was only the producer, and not the owner of the characters) reliquish control to WB for good, and let them rejoin the rest of the WB toon family!"
Well, Spielberg hanging onto those characters is both a curse and a blessing. If ol' Steven were to completely turn them over to WB, we would very quickly be seeing either Loonatic-ed versions of Buster and Babs or "Baby Animaniacs." And I'm sure none of us would want that! :(

k-unit101

01-01-2006, 10:16 PM

I sure wish I had it since my internet is so slow..
LOL it does come in handy. But when our cable goes out our internet goes otu too cuz it's hooked up through cable whick sucks

Eric B

01-02-2006, 12:19 AM

Well, Spielberg hanging onto those characters is both a curse and a blessing. If ol' Steven were to completely turn them over to WB, we would very quickly be seeing either Loonatic-ed versions of Buster and Babs or "Baby Animaniacs." And I'm sure none of us would want that! :( Maybe instead, we would have seen new Tiny Toons and Animaniacs INSTEAD of Baby Looney Tunes. Or even Baby Tiny Toons/Animaniacs would have been better (more in character) than baby versions of the grown Looney Tunes.

I still don't understand why he controls the characters when he was just a producer and not the owner. How much better is it on Nick's shelves than on CN's? At least BOOM has more time for something like that in its rotation.

Brettfern

01-02-2006, 03:37 PM

How much better is it on Nick's shelves than on CN's? Not so good..

Fifi Fanatic

01-02-2006, 07:00 PM

Maybe instead, we would have seen new Tiny Toons and Animaniacs INSTEAD of Bably Looney Tunes. Or even Baby Tiny Toons/Animaniacs would have been better (more in character) than baby versions of the grown Looney Tunes.

I still don't understand why he controls the characters when he was just a producer and not the owner. How much better is it on Nick's shelves than on CN's? At least BOOM has more time for something like that in its rotation.

Yeah, we all hope that Tiny Toons, Animaniacs, or even the classic Looney Tunes would return in some new series; and that the people in charge would do it right. But frankly, I have no confidence in the current powers that be at Warner Bros. So, I am quite glad that they cannot completely get their hands on the TTA or A! characters. It's bad enough having to see the classic characters get bastardized. :(

I mean, there's Fifi right there in my icon. No way I would want to see her turned into some "hip", "edgy"..... thing from the year 2772! :( And they can't do it so long as Steven has even nominal control over them. :)

Anyways, Animaniacs and Pinky & The Brain are already on thier way to DVD. That leaves only Tiny Toons. :D

Brettfern

01-03-2006, 04:12 PM

Anyways, Animaniacs and Pinky & The Brain are already on thier way to DVD. That leaves only Tiny Toons. Histeria! also.. How about Taz-Mania and Freakazoid?

Fifi Fanatic

01-03-2006, 06:48 PM

Histeria! also.. How about Taz-Mania and Freakazoid?

Oh absolutely! We need to have 'em all! :D

I didn't think too much of the rest of the cast, but I would love to have the Bull & Axl episodes of Taz-Mania on my shelf. :cool:

JCorey3rd

01-04-2006, 10:49 AM

they still haven't launched the service - it's only saying Jan. 2006 - no real date or countdown clock

John Pannozzi

01-04-2006, 03:17 PM

Here's the site for In2TV, not much there at the moment, but still worth a look-see: http://television.aol.com/in2tv

JordanS.

01-04-2006, 04:01 PM

4. What show would you most like to see on Toontopia TV?

Well, I think want to see is....

Cool McCool
The Beatles (the cartoon series)
Pink Panther and Sons
The Pink Panther (1993)
Super 6

I guess that's what I want to see :) :anime: :D

Jordan

Brettfern

01-04-2006, 05:31 PM

Didn't Boomerang ever air The Brady Kids cartoon series?

Eric B

01-04-2006, 10:02 PM

No.

CapnQuisp

01-04-2006, 11:44 PM

While we're waiting with fevered brows for the first In2TV signals, here are a few extra tidbits for ya.

According to a multichannel.com article Time Warner " is negotiating with other studios to give it an arsenal of content that could not only let it compete with traditional TV networks, but eventually make it become home to online versions of top broadcast and cable networks."(This means that any cartoon owned by any company is conceivably fair game in the long term. And there might one day be an online Boomerang, with completely different programming than the television Boomerang.

Eventually, there might be channels dedicated to individual cartoon characters. Why not?)The same multichannel.com piece notes that "the shows on AOL will offer 336 lines of resolution, which the online service said would be close to the picture quality offered by digital-cable or satellite signals. The shows will offer “CD-quality” audio, AOL executive vice president Kevin Conroy said." (This is going to rock, but hard!)

Finally, this from a variety.com article:"If it proves popular, In2TV promises to create a revenue stream for library titles that have largely exhausted their potential in syndication and on DVD."When it started 20 years ago, cable only aired 'classics,' but now you see original programming and high-profile repeats," said Eric Frankel, president of Warner Bros. Domestic Cable Distribution. "We hope this is the beginning of the same evolution in broadband."On the Net unlike on cable, an infinite number of shows can potentially be made available. Thus, even if they appeal to a small audience, skeins ( tv series ) can live on, and earn money, forever online."(The implications for us devoted cartoon fans are staggering. With broadcast, video, and dvd models, it was always about getting the most popular shows to the masses for maximum profits. Now, the industry is shifting to a model wherein any and all shows could be made available to stream or, eventually, download, which iTunes is experimenting with even now.The future just got a whole lot brighter) :)

JCorey3rd

01-06-2006, 12:58 AM

Eventually, there might be channels dedicated to individual cartoon characters.
Finally, this from a variety.com article:"If it proves popular, In2TV promises to create a revenue stream for library titles that have largely exhausted their potential in syndication and on DVD."When it started 20 years ago, cable only aired 'classics,' but now you see original programming and high-profile repeats," said Eric Frankel, president of Warner Bros. Domestic Cable Distribution. "We hope this is the beginning of the same evolution in broadband."On the Net unlike on cable, an infinite number of shows can potentially be made available. Thus, even if they appeal to a small audience, skeins ( tv series ) can live on, and earn money, forever online."(The implications for us devoted cartoon fans are staggering. With broadcast, video, and dvd models, it was always about getting the most popular shows to the masses for maximum profits. Now, the industry is shifting to a model wherein any and all shows could be made available to stream or, eventually, download, which iTunes is experimenting with even now.The future just got a whole lot brighter) :)

How is the future any brighter? I thought this new broadband website is supposed to be free. Are they going to sell ads on it? Where does that revenue stream flow? How much do they expect us to pay for the Hong Kong Phooey channel? And will it be cheaper to pick up the DVDs than pay for a channel with barely 6 hours of programming?

In these days were we discover how much people can peek into our lives, do we really want them knowing exactly what we're watching at any moment?

I have a pal who already has an internet device that gives him 50 channels of "adult entertainment" through his computer and into his TV. I know that all this is possible. But the whole idea of a complete narrowcasting universe sounds almost too splintered. How do they expect to connect with the slightly curious? You have to want to watch something in this new enviroment. It's not just turn on a channel and see what's there. I didn't discover these cartoons by just watching them. They were on the TV while I was flipping around and I stopped turning the dial.

I think what's going to be really exciting is the ability to set up your own TV channel that can broadcast through broadband to your friends. You can pick through your DVD collection to provide the content. Wouldn't you rather have your pal with taste and a giant DVD collection tap into your TV?

iggy

01-06-2006, 03:49 PM

I think what's going to be really exciting is the ability to set up your own TV channel that can broadcast through broadband to your friends. You can pick through your DVD collection to provide the content. Wouldn't you rather have your pal with taste and a giant DVD collection tap into your TV?

That would be so cool owning your own TV channel!! have your own schedule. I really wanna do that have a Tv channel i could broadcast through broadband:cool:

Brettfern

01-06-2006, 04:08 PM

No. I could have sworn one of my friends (this was a couple years ago) said they were airing it.

CapnQuisp

01-06-2006, 06:55 PM

How is the future any brighter? I thought this new broadband website is supposed to be free. Are they going to sell ads on it? Where does that revenue stream flow? How much do they expect us to pay for the Hong Kong Phooey channel? And will it be cheaper to pick up the DVDs than pay for a channel with barely 6 hours of programming?

In2TV will be ad-supported, but there is no monthly charge. I also just found out that shows will be available for download, starting in late 2006. I think the future is brighter because I see technology FINALLY broadening the choices I have as a viewer, a rather picky viewer, instead of just catering to the masses.
In these days were we discover how much people can peek into our lives, do we really want them knowing exactly what we're watching at any moment?

I don't care if the FBI knows I'm watching Hong Kong Phooey at 3 A.M.

I have a pal who already has an internet device that gives him 50 channels of "adult entertainment" through his computer and into his TV. I know that all this is possible. But the whole idea of a complete narrowcasting universe sounds almost too splintered. How do they expect to connect with the slightly curious? You have to want to watch something in this new enviroment. It's not just turn on a channel and see what's there. I didn't discover these cartoons by just watching them. They were on the TV while I was flipping around and I stopped turning the dial.

I'm sure AOL.com will advertise this service in their TV ads. I really don't care about the slightly curious. I just want to watch the cartoons ( and other tv shows) I want to watch when I want to watch them, and dvds and In2TV are steps in the right direction. Skepticism has it's place, but I'm giving credit where credit is due. At least one of the new channels is devoted to cartoons. That's better than a Gilmore Girls channel!

I think what's going to be really exciting is the ability to set up your own TV channel that can broadcast through broadband to your friends. You can pick through your DVD collection to provide the content. Wouldn't you rather have your pal with taste and a giant DVD collection tap into your TV? </p>
This will never, ever happen, but, I bet your channel would be great.

CapnQuisp

01-06-2006, 07:00 PM

Didn't Boomerang ever air The Brady Kids cartoon series?
In 1999, TVLand aired "The Brady Kids" as part of a saturday morning cartoon block called Super Retrovision Saturdays. Good times.

JCorey3rd

01-06-2006, 07:29 PM

of course they won't have a Gilmour Girl channel since they're still selling the DVD boxsets at a pretty good clip and they make a tidy sum off the syndication. It looks like a majority of the programming Warners is talking about are shows that Nick At Night/TVLand aren't interested in buying.

Although they probably know that if they had a Gilmour Girl channel on this service - it'd probably score higher than "Roman Holidays" channel.

I know that they are offering pie in the sky on this channel. But I remember all the talk when music started getting offered over the internet. And there's so much music that you can't legally buy over the net - not to mention all the records that never made the transition from vinyl to CD. It's going to take a lot of effort to create proper digital transfers, load them into the system and monitor them.

Cartoon series are the easiest thing for them to do. A majority barely lasted 14 episodes. It's not like they're tackling Gunsmoke.

It sounds like an amazing technology, but I've been promised a lot of cyber joys over the past decade only to discover they're just vapor tigers meant to impress the boss and sucker investors (or stockholders).

I just want them to keep putting out the DVDs at a fast pace.

CapnQuisp

01-07-2006, 02:24 AM

Yes, classic cartoon fans get burned all the time. It's easy to be jaded. Most adults still regard animation as kiddie fare, even Looney Tunes, which were obviously made for adults. The general masses aren't losing sleep because Woody Woodpecker is rotting in the back of a vault in Burbank. The people who are the guardians of these priceless characters and films , irreplaceable American artifacts, are businessman who would sell steaming turds if consumers were willing to buy them. They care nothing about history, unless it's printed on a dollar bill.
You know, I'm very proud to be part of this community of animation preservationists. If we didn't make our voices heard, in forums like this one, with online petitions, and on fan pages all over the web, there would not be so many great dvds coming out, now on a regular basis. The Looney Tunes Golden Collections are a great example of what we can accomplish fighting the good fight. Volume 3 was the best yet IMO, largely due to input from people like us, people who cared about the cartoons, who felt they were more than kid's stuff, who felt these films were as much a part of the American cultural fabric as Elvis songs or Marlon Brando movies.
The point is, there are two camps. Camp One: people at places like Warner Bros. who are running a businesss and need to embark on profitable ventures. Camp Two: folks who want the cartoons we grew up watching to stay in our lives, for our enjoyment and for future generations to enjoy. I may be wrong, but it seems to me that In2TV and the concept of internet tv in general offer the perfect marriage of the two camps. It's all about the distribution. Vinyl records, 8-track tapes, compact discs, laserdiscs, videotapes,and now dvds have all fallen into the same basic category: manufactured copies of a work that must be sold in MASS quantities to be profitable. Similarly, the shows on any given network must draw large audiences to be attractive to advertisers. Network advertising rates continue to edge upward, making it more and more prohibitive for smaller companies. This is why every third commercial today is for a new pharmaceutical (drug companies coffers are fuller than Uncle Scrooge's vault). Internet TV is a whole different animal. There can conceivably be a thousand or more channels operating through one portal, such as AOL.com, streaming content for many small, but enthusiastic communities such as ours. Smaller businesses will be able to afford the lower rates and target their advertising dollar more precisely. The Hippy Channel will run commercials by organic food producers, for example. The 24-hr. DC Comics Network could advertise that month's current comic releases or collectibles. Surely, the distributors of classic cartoon dvds will jump at the chance to reach their target audience by advertising on Toontopia and the other classic cartoon streamers that will follow.
Wow, I didn't realize I had written so much. Ok, so a lot of this may not ever come to pass, and a year from now, I might be eating my hat. I realize that. Still, with Cartoon Network becoming the all-anime network, and Boomerang becoming The Daycare Channel soon, ultimately, In2TV and it's future permutations ( in combination with continuing DVD releases, for sure) look very promising to me. I just wish it would launch already!!!

JCorey3rd

01-07-2006, 01:58 PM

The point is, there are two camps. Camp One: people at places like Warner Bros. who are running a businesss and need to embark on profitable ventures. Camp Two: folks who want the cartoons we grew up watching to stay in our lives, for our enjoyment and for future generations to enjoy.

There are two camps at Warners - there are the folks that do Looney Tunes collections and the putzes that put out the Tom and Jerry cartoons. The folks who handle the vault releases understand that people who collect DVDs care about quality restorations, unique bonus features (including vintage shorts) and a low price so they'll buy in bulk. The folks at Warners kiddies just want to get it over with fast, half ass the bonus features and charge through the nose (note their Scooby Doo boxset prices).

The selling of Mass quantities has to deal with how much a project costs. Warners won't have to sell as many copies of the RKO King Kong as Universal will have to this spring to make the same profit. At this moment, these cartoons have paid for themselves. Sure Hollywood bookkeeping will always make things look like they're in the red, but The Flintstones are pretty much free to run on Boomerang. And to create the boxsets of The Flintstones is an excuse to print money compared to Warners putting out a modern TV show. They don't have to move as many copies of the DVDs and make their cash. I have enough pals who do indie projects and they don't have to sell a million units. It's all about the budget.

When it comes to NBC-Universal, don't count on anything out of them. They killed Trio TV.

And why are the pill companies taking over ad space? Because they're a huge industry that has never had the ability to advertise until now. They have billions to spend to lure in new customers for fake diseases (adult ADD?). Why would Bob's Seed Company in Des Moines want to buy 30 seconds on "Lost?" And local companies can still buy an amazing number of ad slots via the cable channel, but they normally don't cause they don't think it's effective for luring in customers compared to radio and print or a website.

While it's great to think of the massive revolution and the millions of portals that can attack the little audience, in the end, the giant industrial companies don't want it. They lure you in with such programming, but in the end, they want the big eyeballs. VH1Classic doesn't show as many freakish videos that weren't hits. ESPNClassic would rather repeat this year's bowl games that run vintage rollerderby.

I'd be interested in knowing how much action Warners gets on their online Looney Tunes page. They're already offering a dozen classics for free. Are people swamping the site?