Happy Ouweleen

[Dr. Insomniac]

I don't think Warner has any interest left in CN, since they only premiered one new non-AS show last year and that died out as soon as it started. You can't even blame it on cable dying because Nick and Disney still premiered a handful of shows in 2020.

[Avaitor]

To be fair, Cartoon Network Studios had a couple of series ready, The Fungies and Tig n Seek, but they were sent to HBO Max. It was alarming to see only one new show air on the channel last year, and 2021 isn't looking a whole lot better for them.

[Daikun]

Kind of odd that it's been a year since Christina Miller left, and yet Cartoon Network is still running under the same aesthetic. I guess part of that may be because of Covid, but I don't think I even know who the new CEO is?

Interestingly, CN went through TWO presidents in 2020.
The first was Michael Ouweleen, and he was only interim until they found a permanent replacement. Even though he handed over the reins to CN, he still runs Adult Swim.
The second is Tom Ascheim, who currently has a hand in both CN and Warner Bros.

[Daxdiv]

To be fair, Cartoon Network Studios had a couple of series ready, The Fungies and Tig n Seek, but they were sent to HBO Max. It was alarming to see only one new show air on the channel last year, and 2021 isn't looking a whole lot better for them.

I don't even think we got a highlight reel of shows/things to expect for CN in 2021 like we did for previous years as well. Guess it does show low little attention CN has been getting. Funny part was when I decided to look it the things to look forward to in 2020 on CN, it did list Infinity Train... which went to HBO Max. Oops.

[Peanutbutter]

Well here's hoping whenever the pandemic and restrictions are lifted, CN gets a normal transition going. Could be why they don't have a full lineup planned yet.

[Daikun]

WarnerMedia released their huge programming slate yesterday, and I think it's safe to say the network will be safe in Tom Ascheim's hands.

https://pressroom.warnermedia.com/us/media-release/warnermedia/warnermedia-expands-kids-family-offerings-cartoon-network-and-hbo-max-under-new

-Ben 10 is once again crossing over with Generator Rex.
-Total Drama Island (yes, the original series) is coming back for two new seasons.
-Infinity Train Book Four
-Tiny Toons Looniversity
-Gumball is getting a finale movie.
-Cartoonito makes its U.S. debut.
-Craig of the Creek is getting a 4th season and a spinoff.
-New Genndy Tartakovsky series: Unicorn: Warriors Eternal.
-Teen Titans Go! is getting a spinoff series based on its most popular episode, "The Night Begins to Shine."

These are just the highlights. There's a lot more in this press release.

[Daxdiv]

I'm looking forward to The Night Begins to Shine spin-off, since those episodes were always pretty good watches. Along with Gumball getting that finale movie, so now that the final episode doesn't feel like a huge tease. Kinda surprised to see Total Drama going back to it's roots, cause I'm kinda used to it's Spin-off Babies show.

The other thing I do find interesting is CN having another crack at making a preschool block. I don't mind CN having a block for preschoolers, since I think we can all agree that CN's schedule is the most boring/stagnant out of the major kids networks with it's constant Gumball and TTG reruns, at least Disney Jr and Nick Jr have some interesting shows on their block. The only thing I will find funny is the transition from Adult Swim to Cartoonito. Imagine watching whatever airs at 5 AM slot and then going to a preschool aimed show.

[Peanutbutter]

Looking forward to Genndy's Unicorn show. Hope it gets a decent shot as it will be nice to have action on Cartoon Network again after half a decade. Jade Armor sounds really cool, too. Not sure about that Gross Girls thing they mentioned, but if it manages to be funny I'll watch it. Also a nice surprise they're doing the Tiny Toons reboot since I thought they would put it on HBO Max.

Overall, that's a pretty decent variety. And that's without their preschool block. I have no idea if it will be any more successful than Tick U, but as Daxdiv pointed out it will at least break up the monotony of Teen Titans Go and Gumball reruns that have dominated the schedule too long. I don't know how TT Go's airings have been doing in the ratings lately, but far as I know Cartoon Network overall has still been very low. Maybe the new guy can give it a shot in the arm for the new decade.

[Peanutbutter]

Looks like there's a possibility of Cartoon Network being merged with HBO Max, as [as] seemingly has been already. Thoughts?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5qvx3FyGps

[Daikun]

...and now Ascheim is gone. Thanks, Discovery!

[Avaitor]

That didn't last long at all.

Ascheim was kind of a mixed bag. He was trying new things for the channel, or at least helped to make the daytime half more than just TTG and Gumball all day. I'm not sure if Cartoonito and Acme Night have been major successes, but they're something. But I didn't love his reliance on live-action for a lot of it, especially when they got the rights to Degrassi.

Still, he was in the process of some interesting changes for CN, and I hope that we lose as few of those series in development as possible.

[Peanutbutter]

He barely even got started, so I don't know if its good that Ascheim leaving is a good thing or not. Like Avaitor said, he was at least trying to put variety in the schedule. But he was also putting live-action stuff back on which Cartoon Network doesn't need at all. Hoping whomever Discovery brings in will do a good job. It'd be nice to get someone that gives action shows a chance by putting advertising for them. Or at least focuses on making more than one hit cartoon.

[Avaitor]

I'll admit that I've softened my opinion on live-action on CN. I don't mind movies airing that fit with the channel's vibe, which Acme Night mostly seems to have followed. At least, I think that airing DC and Star Wars movies are better fits than Crazy Rich Asians.

As for originals or TBS simulcasts? Eh, again, it depends on how they fit. I don't think that Cartoon Network should be trying to recreate Disney Channel's content, but I'd like to see a better fit for the channel than CN Real.

I just don't see how Degrassi can work on CN in this reality, though.

[Dr. Insomniac]

Yeah, forgot they're doing Degrassi. Why would that work? Kids don't know what Degrassi is since the last show ended about 5 years ago. The fans won't care unless their favorite character shows up for an episode. The franchise's premise isn't unique enough that you couldn't just make up a new high school teen drama entirely. I guess it's so the parents who grew up on one of the many Degrassi shows can go "Hey, it's that thing I recognize! I'll show that to my kid!", but Discovery's got a big enough library that they could have done that with plenty of other IPs. It's gonna be like how the new Saved by the Bell died after only 2 seasons.

And I don't know about live-action on CN. It's not that it's inherently bad by any means, but there's no point copying other channels when those same kids can just watch those other channels. I never understood why CN Real tried so hard at making knockoffs of Mythbusters or Ghost Hunters when any kid can watch the genuine articles. Any cable package that had CN would also have Discovery Channel or any one of the other networks that churn out reality TV content.

[Daikun]

Michael Ouweleen, who temporarily ran CN before being replaced by Ascheim and solely focusing on running Adult Swim, is running CN again.

Michael Ouweleen, who runs Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and Boomerang, will continue in that role and will report to Finch with Amy Friedman, who was head of kids and family programming at Warner Bros., and her team reporting to Ouweleen.