Cartoons rejected for unfounded reasons.

[Antiyonder]

Now in the interest of playing safe and going with the tried and true characters/storys, networks will sometimes reject a show because it goes outside of the familiar surroundings that viewers presumably tune in for.

It's frustrating to har about those rejections, but understandable that the network wants to take the show which guarantees profit and ratings.

But what about occasions where a show is reject for a reason which is truely unfounded. In other words, an element which has proven to be successful in past shows or at least didn't hamper their success.

Several which were brought to my attention in the Nicktoons forum:

1. http://www.toonzone.net/forums/showthread.php?t=228510: Originally Spongebob Squarepants was going to be rejected. Of all of the reasons, a vice president in animation feared that a yellow character wouldn't go over well with the audience.

Considering Tweety Bird, Winnie The Pooh, The Simpsons and Pokemon have had a great deal of success prior to 1999, one has to wonder how someone would think that a yellow colored character would turn off viewers. I mean every single citizen in Springfield other than the occasional african are yellow.

2. Now a more recent thread prompted this one, but apparently Nick and CN passed on a planned cartoon the Modifyer (http://www.toonzone.net/forums/showthread.php?t=263856) with the reasons apparently being that it's lead character is a female.

Now this is more understable than my first example. Sexism is still something prevalent in society and potentially could inhibit a show's success. But even then, at this point we had more than a couple of cartoons featuring a female character or more in the lead:

- The Powerpuff Girls: Along with Dexter's Laboratory was the highest rated show in the early years of CN. Heck Ed, Edd and Eddy were at this time the third wheel in terms of ratings. But overall the show got 79 episodes and a theatrical movie. And while the movie didn't go over that well, the fact that it went that far is still impressive.

- The Wild Thornberrys: Made it up to 91 episodes and got a theatrical movie unto itself (with the other being the Rugrats crossover).

- Kim Possible: Before Phineas and Ferb, Kim Possible was one of the few longest running Disney cartoons. Even more so it was the first in this decade to get more than 65 episodes. And consider that most toons ended at 52 episode, that's saying a lot.

Any other cartoons you heard of being rejected or consider for rejection when the reasoning proved unfounded?

[Plague Rat]

2. Now a more recent thread prompted this one, but apparently Nick and CN passed on a planned cartoon the Modifyer (http://www.toonzone.net/forums/showthread.php?t=263856) with the reasons apparently being that it's lead character is a female.

How arrogant is that? What are we in the bloody 1800's!? Seriously, they have hardly any female demographic shows, wouldn't they WANT that? You know for... oh, I don't know, RATINGS!?

Seriously, this show looked like it had a lot of potential. (Not to mention the art style makes me think of what it'd be like if Butch Hartman had talent.) Despite knowing that PPG did well, they resort to such a chauvinistic response?

I could rant on, pulling out every expletive, but I'm doing my best to refrain. /feminist rage.

[strawberryjuice]

Of all of the reasons, a vice president in animation feared that a yellow character wouldn't go over well with the audience.

http://images.absoluteanime.com/xiaolin_showdown/omi.jpg
lol

[OriginalGagBonke]

Most executives are to blame for these godawful reasons on why good cartoons and talent are being thrown out the door. The Modyifer had alot and alot of goodness for the words "TV Show" written all over it. Nick mustve been doing dope or something to can it, hence that there isnt much animated stuff with female main characters. Poor choice for rejecting this and allowing Fanboy and Chum Chum as a show.

If I was an executive at my own company I would allow The Modyifer to be as a show. Anyways I think I should mention anything that is planned for the cinemas that is R rated. Now for granted I keep hearing all around the internet that there were planned animated films for the cinemas...But however they are all rejected for America being known as "kids animation". Despite that people are looking at south park and family guy on their tv's...Now this is pretty accurate in my own words, so this is wildly a poor choice.

[Antiyonder]

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone heard of other cartoons rejected for reasons which weren't really valid. I meant to close my first post out on this, but left the library in a hurry.

[Plague Rat]

http://images.absoluteanime.com/xiaolin_showdown/omi.jpg
lol
http://i50.tinypic.com/33jmmag.gif
"What? Who's yellow?"

[strawberryjuice]

Mod Edit: That's quite enough of that if you please.

[Marvin Tikvah]

I recall hearing that Cartoon Network passed on SpongeBob Squarepants a while ago. Not sure why though, but I'm sure whoever made the call is probably crying himself to sleep every night.

[Chazooma]

I know that this thread isn't suppossed to be funny, but I had a good laugh.



2. Now a more recent thread prompted this one, but apparently Nick and CN passed on a planned cartoon the Modifyer (http://www.toonzone.net/forums/showthread.php?t=263856) with the reasons apparently being that it's lead character is a female.
So, if the Modifyer had a male lead, then Nick or CN would have set it up for production? There is something wrong here.
:(

[megasentai]

I recall hearing that Cartoon Network passed on SpongeBob Squarepants a while ago. Not sure why though, but I'm sure whoever made the call is probably crying himself to sleep every night.


Yea it kind of makes you wonder what if cartoon network give the green light for Sponge Bob,without a doubt CN see some success but fail to the very end,you well see little adverting and merchandise on CN'S part and the show would only get 60 or 50 episodes.

[Bubblegum Girl]

Crash Nebula(Nick) - Nick aired the FOP spin-off pilot which would be about Crash Nebula as a teen attending an academy for space police cadets.

But Nick didn't go through with making it into a series. I heard rumors that the reason why Nick didn't greenlight this series was because they were afraid that they would be accused of copying Sky High, a Disney film which was about teens attending a school for superheroes...:shrug:

[Restless]

Was there any confirmation on The Modifyers being turned down because of the female lead? I only see a post saying it was "supposedly" because of that reason. I don't think it's too fair to jump on Nick for that unless they truly rejected it because of that. Regardless, it seemed like a promising show...

[Dudley]

http://images.absoluteanime.com/xiaolin_showdown/omi.jpg
lol

To this day, I still can't believe they approve of his design.

[Rho]

I believe Nickelodeon declined picking up Adventure Time because it was "too weird".

[Justy]

I believe Nickelodeon declined picking up Adventure Time because it was "too weird".And this is the same network that premiered Ren and Stimpy....*heh*

[Spaceman]

Was there any confirmation on The Modifyers being turned down because of the female lead? I only see a post saying it was "supposedly" because of that reason. I don't think it's too fair to jump on Nick for that unless they truly rejected it because of that. Regardless, it seemed like a promising show...

I believe the reasons for it's rejection are sadly true. Craig McCracken recently stated on his deviantART account that kids networks currently don't want to do any girl-centric cartoons (he says so in the comments page for a journal entry on his wife's dolls (http://cmcc.deviantart.com/journal/28288949/#comments)). Kinda sad to hear that from the creator of Powerpuff Girls, which is/was CN's biggest moneymaking original property of all-time.

[Silverstar]

Offhand, I can't think of a more unfounded reason for passing on a show than "It stars a girl". The fact that here in 2010, the Suits in charge of kids' TV have suddenly developed this phobia/aversion towards girl-centric shows both infuriates and disturbs me: if no one wants to see a show starring a girl, then explain the success of The Powerpuff Girls. Also shows like Pepper Ann, Totally Spies! and Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi, while not huge commercial successes, nonetheless had strong fan followings and managed to get a number of seasons worth of episodes.

If you make the show and the characters interesting, and provided you don't make the look and feel of the show too overtly girly, then guys will watch it, whether they admit to it publicly or not.

This current rejection of girl-centric cartoons especially bothers me because I love working with female characters, and several of the shows which I have in the wings waiting to made into TV cartoons have female leads.

[Elrohir]

Veggie Tales was originally considered to be one of Nick's first cartoons. They rejected it because they said they didn't want 3D.

[Dudley]

I heard Plastic Man got rejected because the suits didn't think kids would associate plastic as a power that can stretch. Or something stupid like that.

As for the Cartoonstitute, judging from the content in some of the shorts, I don't think that was meant to air on television. And I don't remember anywhere saying it was going to.

[ajac]

http://images.absoluteanime.com/xiaolin_showdown/omi.jpg
lol

so thats what walmart looks like if it was a cartoon evil smiley faces!

[Bubblegum Girl]

Veggie Tales was originally considered to be one of Nick's first cartoons. They rejected it because they said they didn't want 3D.

I thought it was because Veggie Tales had Christian references.

[Lychii]

Constant Payne was originally pitched to Nick but after 9/11 it was rejected. It was going to be Nick's first action-adventure show and looked like it was going to have a continous plot but it was probably deemed "too dark". You can see it and read more about it here (http://homepage.mac.com/leperous/iMovieTheater5.html). Its a shame it was never produced. It had lots of promise and could appeal to both boys and girls.

[Tommypezmaster]

Veggie Tales was originally considered to be one of Nick's first cartoons. They rejected it because they said they didn't want 3D.

yet later, Nick used CGI anyway.

[Justy]

Constant Payne was originally pitched to Nick but after 9/11 it was rejected. It was going to be Nick's first action-adventure show and looked like it was going to have a continous plot but it was probably deemed "too dark". You can see it and read more about it here (http://homepage.mac.com/leperous/iMovieTheater5.html). Its a shame it was never produced. It had lots of promise and could appeal to both boys and girls.Wow! This looked SO great! It's a tragedy it didn't get made...it's potential was unlimited depending on the story. Although made by Madhouse, the character designs (especially the teenagers) reminded me of the 2D Marathon shows (Totally Spies!, Martin Mystery, etc.). What a shame...

[KJ Styles]

He-Man was rejected by all the letter networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) when it was trying to become a Saturday Morning Cartoon. But the syndication networks picked it up and it became a huge hit, and the letter networks execs who passed on it were kicking themselves afterwards and regret that decision to this very day.

[SpaceCowboy]

I remember reading that Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends almost got rejected by Cartoon Network for being too weird, and look how much of a success that show became.

[stephane dumas]

Wow! This looked SO great! It's a tragedy it didn't get made...it's potential was unlimited depending on the story. Although made by Madhouse, the character designs (especially the teenagers) reminded me of the 2D Marathon shows (Totally Spies!, Martin Mystery, etc.). What a shame...

I wonder if Constant Payne and the Modifyer could had been broadcasted via syndication?

[SpaceCowboy]

I wonder if Constant Payne and the Modifyer could had been broadcasted via syndication?
The market for syndicated children shows has been pretty dead for a few years. It may have had a chance 10-15 years ago, but now local broadcast stations would rather play endless informercials or reruns of network sitcoms. :sad:

[radioflyer]

Offhand, I can't think of a more unfounded reason for passing on a show than "It stars a girl". The fact that here in 2010, the Suits in charge of kids' TV have suddenly developed this phobia/aversion towards girl-centric shows both infuriates and disturbs me: if no one wants to see a show starring a girl, then explain the success of The Powerpuff Girls. Also shows like Pepper Ann, Totally Spies! and Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi, while not huge commercial successes, nonetheless had strong fan followings and managed to get a number of seasons worth of episodes.

If you make the show and the characters interesting, and provided you don't make the look and feel of the show too overtly girly, then guys will watch it, whether they admit to it publicly or not.

This current rejection of girl-centric cartoons especially bothers me because I love working with female characters, and several of the shows which I have in the wings waiting to made into TV cartoons have female leads.

Maybe we aren't as enlightened as we think. It's said that J.K. Rowling made a very conscious decision to make her lead character in the Potter books a male. AND to use her initials as author, instead of her full name, on the belief that boys would balk at reading a book written by a female. What a fragile thing is the male psyche! :evil:

[Elrohir]

I thought it was because Veggie Tales had Christian references.
This was before the first video was even produced. It was still a dream in Phil Vischer's mind. Phil originally wanted a studio to produce it since he didn't have any money to do it himself. If Nick had done it, he would have had to conform to the standards of the network. Since he ended up borrowing money from friends and did it on his own, he was able put in as many Christian references as he wanted.

[blazecat]

I remember reading that Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends almost got rejected by Cartoon Network for being too weird.

Wow, that's crazy. If that's the case, then I wonder why Chowder wasn't almost rejected by Cartoon Network for being too weird.

[King_of_doom]

Constant Payne was originally pitched to Nick but after 9/11 it was rejected. It was going to be Nick's first action-adventure show and looked like it was going to have a continous plot but it was probably deemed "too dark". You can see it and read more about it here (http://homepage.mac.com/leperous/iMovieTheater5.html). Its a shame it was never produced. It had lots of promise and could appeal to both boys and girls.

Wow, the animation looked nice also like the story. Reminds me of The Secret Saturdays only the main protagonist is a girl and his dad, don't know why Nick didn't pick it up after it passed 9 years only changing a bit how the mother died, looks promising.