Gephyrophillia | Watch This Space #19

Originally Posted on 01/08/2003 by Jeff Harris

Welcome to the not-so-new year. Chances are that 2003 might be a clone of 2002, but we're not going to make the same mistakes again. New year, new rules, and there's definitely change in the air.

Sure, the calendar's already changed, but in a couple of weeks, the Toonami lineup is changing . . . again. The digital ink is barely dry on the now two-week old lineup, but there's already a change taking place starting January 20, just one day before I turn a quarter century (*shudders*). Gone from the lineup is the popular He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. Why is this series leaving? For starters, to give the show a rest. MOTU didn't have that many episodes to begin with this season, and quite frankly, the weekday stripping of the series is stretching the episodes to the breaking point. It'll still be around on weekends, but the series will likely return in the spring on weekdays.

So, what's going to replace MOTU on the weekday lineup? The return of Batman Beyond. Once again, the series is going to have a temporary run on the block, most likely until March when a new lineup MIGHT premiere. I'm not saying that something might not premiere on Toonami during the anniversary month, nor will I sign anything saying that. Afterall, last year's fifth anniversary was acknowledged briefly, and I don't know what the network will plan on or before Monday, March 17, 2003, the sixth anniversary of Toonami. They tell me nothing. Besides, we all know that the lineup is temporary because, well, it's Toonami. Nothing is permanent and everything changes.

The new lineup, effective on Monday, January 20, 2003, is: