It seems that all of television is slowly losing its identity. The History Channel doesn't cover history. TV Land clogs their airwaves with run-of-the-mill reality shows. Comedy Central gives Carlos Mencia his own show. It must be hard to draw in the kind of ratings the average television executive expects (average=viewers who are willing to commit mass suicide if they miss a rerun of Chico and the Man) when you're anchored to one theme or genre. But it's not impossible.
One network that seems very close to giving up entirely is the Cartoon Network. According to the Los Angeles Times, CN's new lineup of live-action, reality-based programming is tanking in the ratings and rumors are swirling that the CN may drop the "C" in its name. Does the head of Radio Shack now work for the Cartoon Network?
It seems the network's animation nation aren't happy with the network's new direction. Animators are finding their work extremely frustrating and leaving the building on their own or have gotten the big ol' pink slip. The network's new direction of reality based kid shows such as Survive This, Brainrush and Destroy-Build-Destroy aren't doing any better.
Granted, the network hasn't always been a ratings giant and its Adult Swim block has been successful but hardly enough to carry an entire network. But who thought more reality shows would be a good idea? I understand that it's a successful trend, but not when every single network has one under their wing with nobody watching them. What worries me is that this trend will just repeat itself until every pay channel on my dial is just an endless string of reality shows grasping at hope of an audience.
Just imagine, with nothing to watch on TV, I might be forced to (gulp) turn it off and go outside. Where is your God now?
[via TVTattle.com]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
8-18-2009 @ 10:16PM
MCW said...
I'd rather it not lose it's cartoon distinction. I turned to "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" this year, and found it to be quite enjoyable. If they had more programs that had that much effort put into them, and had cross-generational appeal, we wouldn't be in this situation.
Instead, they don't know who their audience is, and always either go too kiddy (see their commercials), or too abstract that even adults stay away.
I say, turn Cartoon Network into a mini-Pixar. Put all your effort into brand new cartoons and computer animated shows, but make them for a wide range of audiences. Cartoons aren't JUST for kids, and you'd think that of all networks, Cartoon Network would understand that. Remember Cow & Chicken? Clearly a show for adults, and the sense of humor there was insane. But of course, the hard part is getting people to go to your network @ primetime, when you don't even have a primetime.
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8-20-2009 @ 12:01AM
Jen said...
How about a little truth in advertising and just call themselves "The C Network"?
8-18-2009 @ 10:17PM
Bubbameister33 said...
If they do that it would suck worse than when they canceled Justice League Unlimited.
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8-18-2009 @ 10:26PM
Argent said...
the only quasi-decent 'animated' shows on CN that are worth watching are the shows they are importing from canada. which is sorta sad (but wtg, canada.)
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8-20-2009 @ 12:21AM
Joseph Gallagher said...
Hahaha no.
Batman Brave and the Bold, Flapjack, CHowder and Clone Wars are the good animated shows on CN.
The Canadian imports are mediocre at best.
9-28-2009 @ 12:48AM
Chrissherwood said...
Dude hate to sound rude but chowder and flapjack are some of the dumbest things I've ever viewed. Those shows are a disgrace to a channel I grew up enjoying. The direction the producers are going in to make ratings is sad. As some one said earlier what happened to cow and chicken? Dexter? johnny bravo and the biggest question where the hell is Bugs bunny?. Hell the idols of CN are not even present, that was the start of CN. Roots have been abandoned.
Shows we watched growing up had morals and also rude crude humor which made it enjoyable for all ages. Now I only view this channel when Adult swim is on. I'll go out on a limb and say if there were original shows that didn't suck so bad on, I would watch. Re-runs to. I just can't stress enough though how bad these new shows are though. (Specifically Flap and chowder)
8-18-2009 @ 10:46PM
Tom said...
Whatever happened to cable/satellite providing 150 uniquely themed channels? Instead we end up with 150 versions of the same thing.
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8-19-2009 @ 1:14AM
CParis said...
Yup! And paying $80 a month for reruns of Law & Order on 5 different channels and Frasier on 4 more.
8-18-2009 @ 10:51PM
donna said...
Okay I know there's boomerang, but I really think Cartoon Network could benefit from not just showing the newer cartoons, but reruns of old classics (rotating the schedule of course) like adult swim does. I mean think of all the good (or maybe just okay) cartoons they used to show: johnny bravo, the powerpuff girls, dexter's lab, yes and of course cow and chicken! Courage the cowardly dog (which they occasionally show now). All great and I think they could easily be reintroduced to today's audience.
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8-18-2009 @ 11:12PM
Val said...
LOL its funny you say that MCW.. Cartoon Network WAS a place where the younger generation and the older generation could sit and watch together JUST CARTOONS but then Betty Cohen left for Lifetime and set fire to the network..
Its like CN doesn't pay attention to its own ratings. The cartoons are getting the most viewers on their network but they still try to push the live-action that fails time and time again..
Cartoon Network seems to want to be everybody else except themselves.. Now the latest turn of events they are trying to be Disney XD and they are failing miserably.. again.. I still remember when they were trying to make CN more girl friendly because Disney and Nickelodeon was kicking their ass (still kicking their ass). CN has to realize they will never be as big as Nick and Disney so top bastardizing your content..
I think I watch more Nicktoons Network now..
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8-19-2009 @ 1:35AM
H said...
I wish WB hadn't been such jerks and raised the price of their super hero tradmarks. I loved Justice League and Teen Titans. I miss the days when they would run THOSE for weekend marathons.
Aside from super hero series, I also miss Dexter's Lab, the Powerpuff Girls, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends and (sadly enough) Johnny Bravo. I can't actually believe I've reached a point in time where I could say I miss Ed, Edd and Eddie and Cow and Chicken, but those were preferable to the crud they have now.
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8-24-2009 @ 6:23AM
vijay said...
Interseting to know that CN is not doing well these days, I love some of the cartoon shows in it.
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8-19-2009 @ 8:23AM
Rocketboy said...
If all of you commentors above are going to talk about "classic" cartoon network cartoons, how DARE you not mention Two Stupid Dogs.
Dexter's was cool, but semi-redundant, Foster's was great, and as a guy, I always have a soft spot in my heart for Ed Edd and Eddie.
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8-19-2009 @ 9:21AM
mdk said...
I haven't watched Cartoon Network since they shipped all their classic 'toons off to Boomerang (which also sucks since they now consider shows from the late 90's like Dexter's Lab "classic cartoons") and started showing movies and reality shows. Maybe they can just go the (Anything but) Sci Fi Channel route, skip animation altogether and change their name to Cy Yn. Although at their current sorry state, I think the name BM would be more appropriate.
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8-19-2009 @ 12:42PM
miller980 said...
Whenever the kids, at the school I occasionally volunteer at, talk about cartoons, it's always Nick or Disney, never Cartoon Network. Maybe they should just bag the kid concept and make Adult Swim 24x7.
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8-19-2009 @ 1:57PM
Eludium-Q36 said...
When looked at as a whole, all of subscription programming is a study in failure. There's flickers of success here and there, but the network brands are diluting themselves with cheap reality shows (eg, MTV, SciFi->SyFy, Nick, Cartoon, Bravo, etc) and it's just an overall EPIC FAIL.
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8-19-2009 @ 11:43PM
John davis said...
OMGosh dude Cartoon Network totally ROCKS!
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8-19-2009 @ 11:54PM
RobynM said...
In regards to their current live action slate, maybe they should take a closer look at what's going on. There's a difference between "lack of viewers" and "active boycott". Of course, most of the boycotters aren't in the desired demographic, so they're probably ignoring it outright.
Craig McCracken left? C.H. Greenblatt fired? Maxwell Atoms' contract expired? Idiocy on the hoof. At least they've managed to hold onto Paul Dini and Genndy Tartakovsky - for now.
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8-20-2009 @ 1:05PM
Andy said...
The problem today is after the writer strike many veiwers stopped watching tv and moved to other things such as the web. Studios now face smaller audiences and as result try to spend less on shows. Reality is cheap and always has a market as a result most networks are turning to reality in order to continue to make a profit.
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8-20-2009 @ 5:25PM
Nick545 said...
Here's an idea. - Drop the Anime!!
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