Gephyrophillia | Watch This Space #142

Originally Posted on 05/16/2006 by Jeff Harris

Hi Bob.

My name is Jeff.

I've been watching your actions for a while now, and while I tried to understand the decisions made by you, I also understand that you just don't get the whole animation industry, let alone how to operate an animation outlet like Cartoon Network. I know you came here under auspicious circumstances (inbetween one myopic regime that only believed in broadcast television and another myopic regime that tends to believe that the definition of the word cartoon is fluid at best), and I know you have friends at 4Kids Entertainment.

I know, I know, I'm not the biggest fan of 4Kids Entertainment, but I do understand where they're coming from. Sure, I'm not one to subscribe to the belief stated by Al Kahn that kids are illiterate little merchandising machines. Kids aren't stupid. I look at my nine year old cousin as proof of that. He's at the younger end of the supposed target demographic of the so-called new Toonami as presented two years ago when your network relaunched the block and launched the younger-skewing Miguzi block. You remember Miguzi, right? It's the block that replaced Toonami because you and the rest of the guys at Cartoon Network felt that the viewership might be a little too old for comfort. In short, you didn't want guys like my watching the network in the daytime.

I'd say "Mission accomplished," but I know what kind of trouble one gets into when he places such a statement in a proud banner, so I won't say it. However, it is safe to say that I no longer watch Cartoon Network in the daytime or even primetime, save Saturday nights. Wonder why . . .

While I'm on the subject of Pokemon, I don't hate the show. I felt that it's placement on Miguzi was a long-awaited one. It's a good kid-skewing, toyetic franchise that is perfect for the demographic aimed towards the afternoon block. However, the placement of Pokemon Chronicles as the head series of Toonami troubles me, which explains why I have my sonic rifle's gunhammer cocked and pointed in your direction.

When I (and a whole lot of more people than you can even fanthom) think of Toonami, I don't think cutesy Sanrioesque monsters facing each other like cock fighters. I think of martial artists kicking ass. I think of superheroes and villians locked in eternal mortal combat. I think of adventurers exploring the seas and worlds unknown to the rest of us. I think of animated drama with a touch of adult innuendo. Heck, I even think of childlike demons facing each other like cock fighters and weird afroed beings fighting other weirdos with yards of nosehair. I think of a card-battle show that openly mocks the concept of other card-battle shows. The average Toonami viewer gets it. The Toonami producers and imagemakers get it. The Cartoon Network programmers and executives, particularly with titles like Senior Vice President of Programming and Original Animation, eh, not so much.

I'm not even saying that Cartoon Network shouldn't have picked up Pokemon Chronicles. After all, as much as the average older viewer hates it (and The CW recently canceling the series), Pok mon is still a marketable franchise. It's just not a franchise that belongs on Toonami. At all. You have made a good choice in making the series a marquee franchise on Miguzi, and, you know, it should remain a Miguzi-exclusive franchise. I think that Pokemon Chronicles could have worked better as a Friday evening exclusive, between Miguzi and that Friday night block that the network is so keen on Odeonizing. Not only would that have kept viewers from turning the channel at 6 PM to whatever Nick or Disney are showing at that time, but it'll also raise the ratings for the Friday night block, which really isn't all that great. Seriously, since Cartoon Network isn't counting Adult Swim as their own shows anymore, Naruto is the highest-rated series on Cartoon Network.

So, Bob, I know the fans of Pokemon are looking forward to the Chronicles stateside, but I don't think that they belong on the Saturday night action block that we call Toonami. Unlike the folks in the UK, Americans know what that name represents.

*end transmission*

Jeff Harris,
The X Bridge Creator/Webmaster
May 16, 2006