In the last year, animation fans have seen two big miracles happen in the form of beloved series (canceled too early), making a rebooted return to the airwaves. First we will get a new season of Samurai Jack on Adult Swim in March, while a third season of the DC superhero series Young Justice is headed to Netflix.
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With series like Voltron having already successfully ported geeky cartoon classic into the modern age, we began to think back to other great animated series we wish we could see make a much-needed comeback. Here are 5 Great Cartoon Series That Need Reboots.
Space Ghost Coast to Coast
Space Ghost Coast to Coast was an awesome satire about celebrity culture, which ran for a decade from 1994 – 2004. Since that time, it’s not like celebrity culture has gotten better – or like the methods of media consumption have gotten simpler.
If there is any show that can skew the modern age of talk shows, fake news, Internet memes, viral videos, and social media trends (while keeping it totally retro), it’s Space Ghost Coast to Coast.
Captain Planet
We’re not the first, second, twentieth or even hundredth to suggest that this needs to happen. There have been suggests for TV and movie reboots, even fan-films that envision what it could be like.
However, with the environment arguably under greater threat than ever before, it’s time for a new generation of viewers to get a taste of awareness; maybe a more serious taste than our generation had.
Like the new Power Rangers movie, Captain Planet is due for a serious superhero makeover, and for his team of eco-warriors to take on a much more serious fight.
Photo Credit: Phil Cho @ DeviantART
X-Men: The Animated Series
The X-Men comics have changed so much since the beloved ’90s cartoon series was on the air; not to mention, an entire X-Men cinematic universe has sprung up, and is about to blow out in a big way. With live-action TV series and interconnected movies all on the way, a new animated series is needed, as well.
There have been several X-Men animated series that have come along since the ’90s cartoon, but none of them have quite captured all the elements of the expanded franchise the right way. A new X-Men cartoon could take the best parts of the live-action and comic worlds and meld them – and/or act as an extension of either of them.
Justice League
The Justice League animated series was an epic cartoon event more so than just a TV show. The series ran from 2001 – 2004, airing epic hour-long adventures in a prime time slot. For fans of the time, it was as close to a DC movie universe as we had.
The Justice League Unlimited sequel series was plenty of fun, but never quite as epic or deep (in terms of character and story arcs) as the original Justice League series.
Right now, DC Animation is putting out the more light and retro Justice League Action series, but with Zack Snyder’s movie arriving this year, and so many DC animated features having laid foundation for a passionate fanbase, now is the time for a proper reboot of the 2000s Justice League cartoon.
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is the longest running and most awarded animated series of all time, and it’s already set for seasons 29 and 30. However, eventually The Simpsons does have to end – but then, it sort of doesn’t…
It’s no secret that, like SNL, The Simpsons has earned a stigma as being a pale version of the show it once was, but even in later seasons, there’s been one type of episode that still pleases: the future prediction episodes for Bart and Lisa.
A rebooted Simpsons that actually takes the adult Bart/Lisa/Maggie concept and runs with it (using the characters’ adult lives as new reflection of modern family life and the world) would be so much richer than the current series’ attempts to update with time, without aging its many characters.
