3 Cartoon Network Shows That Will Never Get Rebooted (Because They’re Perfect)

Cartoon Network is now in the works on several major reboots and sequels in various stages of development, but there are three classic era shows in particular that will never get a reboot because they’re just perfect. Cartoon Network might be struggling to find a place on streaming platforms like HBO Max as more of them are removed, but there’s still an interest from Warner Bros. on bringing back more of their successful franchises with sequels and follow ups. Franchises like Regular Show, Adventure Time, The Powerpuff Girls and more all have new projects on the way, and there are even more in the pipeline.

There are a few Cartoon Network shows that are likely going to be untouchable. Some are untouchable because of franchise rights and other red tape hang ups behind the scenes, but there are actually a few shows that are pretty much perfect and would only be ruined with a reboot or sequel of some kind. Three shows in particular stand out from the classic Cartoon Cartoons era as being top tier for their era, and they really wouldn’t survive a reboot because they’re perfect as is.

3.) Johnny Bravo

Now there are probably a few other reasons why a show like Johnny Bravo might not ever be looked at for a reboot, but one thing that can’t be replicated is its quality. Johnny Bravo was not only a unique series for its time, but continues to be one of the most unique cartoons ever released in general (and not just with Cartoon Network). Created by Van Partible, Johnny Bravo first debuted with Cartoon Network in 1997 as the second ever show to branch from the Cartoon Cartoons project (which took successful short pilots and expanded them to full original series), and introduced fans to one of the first notable himbos in animation.

Johnny Bravo followed a single man who loved his mother, and was constantly hitting on women that he sees. Each of these women would then turn him down in increasingly violent and slapstick ways, and the humor was always driven by the fact that Johnny himself would never really have any luck in love. It’s a sort of premise that really wouldn’t work as well (or as nuanced) if someone tried to bring it back in the modern era, and that’s even including Cartoon Network themselves. They tried to make episodes without Partible’s involvement, and it ended up resulting in two seasons that didn’t really make a mark until Partible was brought back to end it with a fourth season (not even mentioning its movie special in India). You just can’t do Johnny Bravo again no matter how hard anyone tries.

2.) Dexter’s Laboratory

Speaking of the earliest Cartoon Cartoons, Dexter’s Laboratory was the very first original launched out of this program with Cartoon Network. This series is a bit different from the others in this list as it technically already went through a significant reboot during its original run. Following the first two seasons overseen by original creator Genndy Tartakovsky, Dexter’s Laboratory returned for two final seasons with a completely different creative and production team. It was through these episodes that the franchise already proved it couldn’t be rebooted.

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Dexter’s Laboratory is one of those franchises that fans constantly ask to see again, but Tartakovsky himself has revealed no desire to return to anytime soon. Those first two seasons came to a perfect end that combined all of the separate elements of each of the episodes, and it was hard for the franchise to pick it back up again. It’s just not possible, especially without the original creator’s interest. But at least those first two seasons remain as perfect as they are to this day.

1.) Ed, Edd n Eddy

But if we’re talking about Cartoon Network shows that were not only perfect for their time, and shows that their creator would turn down a reboot for, Ed, Edd n Eddy remains the best and biggest example. Created by Danny Antonucci, Ed, Edd n Eddy was a much different show than fans have ever seen. Following a trio of friends who are always trying to make a quick buck by scamming the other kids in the neighborhood, there are fewer Cartoon Network franchises that got a perfect send off. Not only did the original TV series do everything it could do with these characters, but there was even a big TV film event to cap it all off.

Antonucci has gone on record on how a reboot of Ed, Edd n Eddy would “fail miserably” because the only route to take would be to make them older, but noted how it would still retread the old ideas. Ed, Edd n Eddy was a unique series that had a ton of interesting ideas and that creative spark really can’t be tapped into the same way twice. It’s satisfying from start to finish, and there’s really no way Cartoon Network can ever tap into its authentic energy ever again. Especially in the current animation climate of increasingly retooling older concepts.

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