CARTOONS THAT SHOULD HAVE RUN LONG JUST LIKE PRIME TIME SHOWS

[guerrero7]

Most Prime Time shows had run for 7, 9, 13 seasons or more. However, sadly to me, most children's animated series didn't have followed the same pattern. It seems unfair to me, because no matter how good they are and the ratings they get, they had given a limited 52 - 65 episode order, although some of them had reached 100 or more, likely because of huge ratings. I could mention various cartoons (mostly from the broadcast networks and first - run syndication) that should have deserved to be long - running shows right now, but I saved them for later. I want you people first share your thoughts about what animated shows do you think should have stayed for a long time, and how many seasons.

 

[landtuna]

It wasn't a cartoon, and it was prime time, but it was partially animated (a factor which caused its demise after one season due to costs) - "My World And Welcome To It".

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

Bugs Bunny/Road Runner and the Bugs Bunny and Tweety shows should have had a fresh, 52-week rotation of different cartoons and different orders each week per season, rather than repeating the same order of shorts 2 or 3 times a year, IIRC. And I wish it was still airing today.

 

[BD Sullivan]

The time it takes to create an animated episode is the main reason that many shows didn't last long. Even now, the time span for an episode of "The Simpsons" is lengthy, but because the show has become an institution, Fox keeps renewing it. South Park has much more primitive animation, so they're able to be much more topical on issues.

 

[cd637299]

I only wish Scooby-Doo DIDN'T run long......*

The only version I cared for was "A Pup Named Scooby-Doo," only because it parodied everything Scooby prior to that....(I also got a kick out of the tinkling piano whenever Velma walked in "Pup".)

I appreciated the humor of "Garfield & Friends," which did run about 7 years, but I felt could have gone longer. Sad that Lorenzo Music passed away---the voice was purr-fect for Garfield.

One that could have easily gone longer IMO if they wished was "Bullwinkle." Rocky & Bullwinkle was IMO one of the rare breed of toons that got better as it went on---William Conrad's voice got more cartoony and there was much more breaking-the-4th-wall as time went on.

*Ditto for The Smurfs.

cd

 

[visaman]

As a wee tot I used to enjoy the Archie cartoons, then a few years ago I rented a DVD of of Archie's Fun-house, and it was pure torture, and not in a bittersweet way either, it was just painful, and that annoying kid audience made me want to hurt myself!

 

[RadioFanBoy]

Bugs Bunny/Road Runner and the Bugs Bunny and Tweety shows should have had a fresh, 52-week rotation of different cartoons and different orders each week per season, rather than repeating the same order of shorts 2 or 3 times a year, IIRC. And I wish it was still airing today.

With the network Bugs Bunny shows, it wasn't a simple matter in 'plugging the cartoons' in as it were. The cartoons chosen for each show together with the made-for-tv intros, and in-between segments had to be put on a single master film reel, which was just as time consuming as making a new cartoon, especially in the seasons when CBS ordered 90-minute episodes! So, you had 13 fresh Bugs Bunny/Road Runner shows every season the show ran (Sep-Dec), and re-runs from previous seasons mixed in, so the same shows didn't air 4 times in a particular season.

 

[cd637299]

As to Archie, the last times I saw it in reruns (CBN's version of the Family Channel?), it truly *was* a dated thing, with the kids in the audience, and the general humor!

cd

 

[ixnay]

I only wish Scooby-Doo DIDN'T run long......*

+1. You want a H-B dog with dignity, there are more worthy candidates than that grating dane (Augie and his daddy, Dino [do dogasauruses count?], Precious Pupp [from Atom Ant] and Muttley [who look and snicker like second cousins], even Wonderdog from SuperFriends).

One that could have easily gone longer IMO if they wished was "Bullwinkle." Rocky & Bullwinkle was IMO one of the rare breed of toons that got better as it went on---William Conrad's voice got more cartoony and there was much more breaking-the-4th-wall as time went on.

But could Bullwinkle adapt to the slight thaw in the Cold War after the Cuban missile crisis?

ixnay

 

[spb]

*Ditto for The Smurfs.

cd

The Smurfs might have had a longer run had NBC not changed to a time travel format during what would be its last season of 1989-90.

 

[Bob1370]

Some of the best of them actually HAVE had long lives. The Flintstones had six seasons in their original prime time run on ABC (1960-66) and went immediately into rerun heaven which still, in some places, continues.

Later on, Family Guy has ten seasons and counting.

The Mickey Mouse Club's original run on ABC (1955-59) was substantial for a children's show built around a cartoon character but was SUPPOSED to go at least one more season, 1959-60. But Walt Disney thought ABC was trying to cut his budget too much (just like Universal did with his Oswald the Rabbit cartoons 30 years earlier, which led eventually to him taking a walk, starting his own studio, and creating Mickey Mouse). So it went off the air in September of 1959, although it went into syndicated reruns a few years later and after Disney's death went through two revivals. Disney had several other shows on ABC at the time (including "Disneyland" and "Zorro") and pulled them all off the network, coming back in 1961 on NBC. (Of course the end of the story of Disney vs. ABC came in 1996 when Disney BOUGHT ABC and its other properties including such money machines as ESPN).

A cartoon will also claim the all time longevity record for an entertainment show on American prime time television...The Simpsons , which premiered at the end of 1989, has been locked in for several more seasons on Fox's first run schedule, so it will be in production for at least 25 years--five more than Law & Order or Gunsmoke. 60 Minutes has more longevity but it's a news program, popularity notwithstanding.

 

[johnbasalla]

Yes, the Simpsons are quite an animated phenomenon. I agree with the poster who thought that "Rocky and Bullwinkle", "Rocky and Friends" or "The Bullwinkle Show" (pick one) should have continued. The writers could have just moved on to other bogeymen for their comedy. Anyway, the Soviet Union didn't start really dieing out until the Berlin Wall came down, so there would be plenty of decades for Boris Badenov to remain relevant.

I also wish that "Jonny Quest" could have continued on. Better then average art work and cool sci-fi/horror stories for boys made it special.

 

[cwf1701]

Star Trek (TAS) could have gone on for 22 more episodes so as to complete its 5 Year mission.

 

[bpatrick]

I'd pick one we've talked about before: "The Beagles" (not to
be confused with "The Beatles"). The two protagonists, skinny
Stringer and tubby Tubby, were like either Martin and Lewis or
Abbott and Costello (I've always thought the latter; Tubby's
cry of "Stringerrr!" reminded me of "Heeey, Abbotttt!"); what's
more, the songs (they were a rock duo) were passable. Yet CBS
dropped the show despite the fact that it was number one in its
timeslot (12:30 ET Saturdays) in 1966-67; ABC picked it up and
aired it on Sunday afternoons in the fall of '67. I've heard that the
show's creator destroyed the series, which is a shame.

 

[guerrero7]

Don't forget PBS' Arthur TV show, which is the second longest - running animated series AND the longest - running as a kids' cartoon and still on the air. I remember watching its earlier seasons in 1998 and since 2009 I'm watching it again. I have seen all seasons until now, although not in chronological order. I think this is one of the few decent cartoons these days. I also think most animated shows which had limited seasons should have followed this example, as well as The Smurfs's.

 

[Mario500]

^I lost interest in watching "Arthur" years ago after enjoying the program less often and noticing great differences in the characters that affected the quality of the program. If production on "Arthur" had ended after its third series (or season) of new shows, I would have had more positive feelings toward the program and we would not have had episodes such as the one in which Arthur hits his sister Dora Winnifred (D. W.) out of anger for her breaking his model airplane and Binky, a fellow student of Arthur's school, hits him to prove himself to his friends (Binky was not punished for the hitting unlike Arthur).

 

[Markxxx]

^I lost interest in watching "Arthur" years ago after enjoying the program less often and noticing great differences in the characters that affected the quality of the program. If production on "Arthur" had ended after its third series (or season) of new shows, I would have had more positive feelings toward the program and we would not have had episodes such as the one in which Arthur hits his sister Dora Winnifred (D. W.) out of anger for her breaking his model airplane and Binky, a fellow student of Arthur's school, hits him to prove himself to his friends (Binky was not punished for the hitting unlike Arthur).

Arthur became way to "PC" and preachy and that episode you mention was one that was very disliked by even hardcore Arthur fans. That and the "PC" Christmas episode where suddenly Francine was Jewish and Brain was black.

 

[Mario500]

Since I cannot edit my previous post, I must use this post to make a correction. The correct spelling of D. W.'s middle name is W-i-n-i-f-r-e-d.