What exactly was Nick's problem with Zim?

[Daughterof_Evil]

When the first Zim crisis came around, I heard that Nick was thinking of cancelling the series because of Jhonen Vasquez's other works (namely Johnny the Homicidal Maniac) and pressure from "concerned" parents. Does this have any truth to it?

Obviously, Nick got their wish to cancel the show, but is there any news on possibly releasing the whole series to DVD?

[Alaskanbullworm]

Well, Nick says it's because of ratings, but that's bull. They never gave the show a chance. I guess they didn't like the outcome after they asked Jhonen to make a series.(They saw his other works and wanted one, more child appropriate)

A DVD, well I'd be surprised if they do release one. They may not think it'll be a money maker, so only time will tell.

[Exatron]

Sadly, ratings are the reason Nick is cancelling the series. The situation is similar to why Fox cancelled The Tick. Invader Zim was drawing a demographic that Nickelodeon didn't want, so they cancelled the show rather than put it somewhere to take advantage of the audience it was drawing.

[Chris Sanders MSX]

It's kind of stupid. the reason for TV Shows is to get you to look at the commercials and buy things, so if a show is pulling in an unwanted demographic just put it where it can best fit. In thsi shows case teen Nick.

Nick needs to hire new people to run things if they make stupid business decisions like the ones they have.

[JustJack]

Well...it was a number of things. Ratings being one...though the ratings were good, it was pulling in numbers from teens...not tweens. Heaven forbid! A community of gothy teens always looks bad, doesn't it?

After September 11th, the show kinda got screwed in the butt, as Jhonen likes to say "We were all of a sudden the biggest risk for children, after 9/11." And it went downhill from there. Being as Nick would schedule Zim for a certain time, but end up showing it an hour earlier, or something of that sort. By doing that, 2 or 3 people were able to actually watch it...everyone else got stuck with Rugrats.

In the end, Nick didn't want to give it a chance. It was one lady inside Nick who suggested they give Jhonen a chance...when the rest of the Nick crew saw it, they did the evil-squinty eye thing of doom, and it basically met its fate then and there.

ShaneIvey: Best of luck with the show and everything else.

JhnenV: Watch the show and be angry when NICK doesn't air it!!

ShaneIvey: Say, where should we be angry TO?

ShaneIvey: Does Nick have a "Mad ZIM Fans" department we can email or call?

JhnenV: heh...just kick any shifty looking people who look NICK-related, in the groin.

ShaneIvey: Take THAT, Amanda Bynes!

JhnenV: Thanks again.

JhnenV: Pleasant something, people.

ShaneIvey: Thanks Jhonen!

JhnenV: Kick them groins.

JhnenV: BYE!

[lupin the 3rd]

My area show's it in slam!!

[Zyzzybalubah]

IT's a shame I never got the opportunity to see this show. Nickelodeon of America's idea of a kid's action block is a joke (at least the UK has Yu-Gi-Oh! and Card Captor Sakura on theirs). Instead of seeing a highly praised show like Invader Zim, we get to see gems like "MiB: The Animated Series", "Butt-Ugly Matians", and the "hillarious" "Super Duper Sumos." I mean, seriously, does Nick not want people interested in that block? The only show that is somewhat cool on Slam! is Speed Racer, but I prefer the older one.

[RZetlin]

Maybe this will shed some light:

When the Simons appeared at a Saturday NekoCon panel, all the fans wanted to hear was their take on the end of Zim, and that's what they got. In short, Rikki Simons said that Zim disappeared in a battle of wills between Vasquez and the cable executive - and he takes Vasquez' side of the argument.

"Everything that anyone does at Nickelodeon is run through a committee of executives," said Simons. He wasn't part of those discussions and heard much of the story second hand, but what Simons heard was there wasn't any executive support for the unusual Zim stories. "Most of the things that made the audience laugh the most, they never liked. It wasn't their style of humor. They are terrified of offending anyone who would plop their kids in front of the TV and babysit them - that's what that channel is for.

[ZorBrak]

Uggh I sometimes think these execs are like required to have an I.Q. below 100....I mean ZIM ROCKED! As did Rocko...::sniff:: I miss that show

[Killtacular]

Even if Nick didn't like the humor, they would have kept the show going if it were high-rated.

However, it wasn't. It was a ratings disaster, and for its pricetag (a very hefty $1.2 million per episode), it was not worth continuing.

Think Treasure Planet.

[Mackenzie Rainelle]

Originally posted by Matt Wilson
Even if Nick didn't like the humor, they would have kept the show going if it were high-rated.

However, it wasn't. It was a ratings disaster, and for its pricetag (a very hefty $1.2 million per episode), it was not worth continuing.

Think Treasure Planet.

But at the same time, Nick never really gave it a running chance. It's more like Disney and the Miyazaki films fiasco than Treasure Planet.

[Conan-san]

Originally posted by Rad Recker
IT's a shame I never got the opportunity to see this show. Nickelodeon of America's idea of a kid's action block is a joke (at least the UK has Yu-Gi-Oh! and Card Captor Sakura on theirs). Instead of seeing a highly praised show like Invader Zim, we get to see gems like "MiB: The Animated Series", "Butt-Ugly Matians", and the "hillarious" "Super Duper Sumos." I mean, seriously, does Nick not want people interested in that block? The only show that is somewhat cool on Slam! is Speed Racer, but I prefer the older one.

for a start whats wrong with MIB?

Secondly we get the s****y Navela dub of Cardcaptors and Yu-gi-oh has been going on an endless cycle since Dungon Dice monsters...

[Greek_Honeybee]

They are terrified of offending anyone who would plop their kids in front of the TV and babysit them - that's what that channel is for.

This is why I watch Cartoon Network. Zim would fit in just fine over there.

They told Jhonen that kids don't like monsters, robots and aliens. They said that kids like stories that involve school.

Kids don't like monsters, robots and aliens?? Since when? And when I was a child, the LAST thing I wanted to see when I got home from school was more school. What are these people on??

[Killtacular]

But at the same time, Nick never really gave it a running chance.

Nick gave it two season's worth of chance.

[Karkull]

Originally posted by Matt Wilson
Nick gave it two season's worth of chance.

Yeah...with a bad timeslot and no repeats during the week. The big "let's let it die with little publicity and claim that we gave it our all" chance (or, as some of us like to call it, the Futurama chance).

Originally posted by Greek_Honeybee
Kids don't like monsters, robots and aliens?? Since when? And when I was a child, the LAST thing I wanted to see when I got home from school was more school. What are these people on??

I agree, Greek_Honeybee: that's the dumbest statement that I've ever heard concerning children's programming. Watching anything about school after being there was never on my agenda.

***

Basically NICK did the same stupid thing that ABC did with Clerks: they purchased a property without researching it properly, then let it die a lingering death after they realized that it was it wasn't formulaic enough for their bland, tasteless network. It's NICK's fault, but we and Jhonen had to pay for it.

[Conan-san]

They told Jhonen that kids don't like monsters, robots and aliens. They said that kids like stories that involve school.

Pokemon, Medabots, Gundam and Outlaw star (no matter how bad the Tonnami dub was) Reeeeeehhhhheeallly showed that now (Sarcasum)

[kzanth]

Originally posted by Matt Wilson
... and for its pricetag (a very hefty $1.2 million per episode), it was not worth continuing.

I'm curious, Matt... where did you find that figure for the budget? Simpsons is approximately $1 million per episode, and most of that is because of the voice actors and 'producers' (ie. writers) pulling down ridiculously huge salaries.

I'd be very shocked to hear that $1.2 million was an accurate amount, but I'm not denying it's possible.

[Greek_Honeybee]

Originally posted by Greek_Honeybee
Kids don't like monsters, robots and aliens?? Since when? And when I was a child, the LAST thing I wanted to see when I got home from school was more school. What are these people on??

Oh, I forgot. They're on a 'parent' trip. It's the parents of kids that don't like monsters, robots and aliens, and want their children focused on school 24/7. What was I thinking, that they actually cared about the kids?

[candy17]

What exactly was Nick's problem with Invader Zim? Well, I don't know? Could it be that:

a) Nick doesn't want any smart, clever, daring, and creative cartoons on their channel?

b) Nick doesn't have a brain and/or a steel pair to air half-way decent cartoons (read: cartoons that don't suck from the moment of conception) like their archnemesis, Cartoon Network (which has better cartoons on it--both classic and contemporary, IMO)?

c) Nick doesn't want another Ren and Stimpy fiasco like they did back when some of their programming was either excellent or okay to watch when nothing else was on?

d) Nickelodeon is just like MTV: It thinks it knows what's cool and what isn't, but wouldn't know what was cool if they stepped in a freezer wearing only their underwear?

e) After 9/11 and pressure from overprotective parents, Nick caved in like they did with R&S?

Who knows? All I know is that: here lies a twisted, daring cartoon (Invader Zim) that looked like something CN would air, but as cruel fate would have it, it ended up on a channel filled to the brim with mediocre cartoons and shows that would make even the sleaziest network TV execs wretch with disgust.

Invader Zim, you will be missed. I wish I had taken the time to know you better, but you were on the wrong channel. May you live on forever on DVD and VHS (if you ever return).

[Zyzzybalubah]

Originally posted by Conan-san
for a start whats wrong with MIB?

Secondly we get the s****y Navela dub of Cardcaptors and Yu-gi-oh has been going on an endless cycle since Dungon Dice monsters...

IMO, I just don't like Men in Black: The Animated Series. It just wasn't funny or interesting to me.

While I haven't heard the dubs in your country, I guess), I could understand where you're coming from there. Personally, I am not a huge fan of Yu-Gi-Oh and haven't seen too much Card Captor Sakura (from what I saw it was alright), but for sure I like them better than the sumos and butt-ugly martians.

Which comes to mind, if Nickelodeon is claiming that the parents or kids that don't like aliens or robots, then why are they showing MiB or Butt-Ugly Martains?

When I was little, I loved Nickelodeon but wished that they would have some action cartoons. Invader Zim may not be all-action, but from what I read it sounded creative and hillarious, two things that the majority of Nickelodeon isn't!

Nickelodeon is a hypocritical network that doesn't know what kids want so they try to put shows down the kids throat that feel like they are what the kids want. Maybe a few exceptions like Spongebob come to mind because almost everyone I know loves that show.