MeTV TOONS - What I Want (and DON'T Want) To See

 

Previously, I broke down a bit of my thoughts about the upcoming launch of MeTV TOONS, an over-the-air broadcast network dedicated to classic animation launching on June 25, 2024 , in the United States (and fringe markets near the US border).

Needless to say, I'm a fan. 

And like so many classic animation fans, I I know what I want to see and what I don't want MeTV TOONS to air. Everybody has their thoughts on what should and shouldn't be there, and apparently, I'm no different, so, let me bore you to tears with what I want to see from a classic animation broadcast network in 2024:

WHAT I WANT TO SEE on MeTV TOONS:

• Retro anime titles from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s: When MeTV TOONS was officially announced, the network revealed a pair of classic anime titles, Speed Racer and Marine Boy, will be part of the network's launch. Anime from the 1960s and 1970s have rarely been seen on mainstream television. The fact that Marine Boy, which hasn't been on television in over 50 years, is part of MeTV TOONS' lineup gives fans of that era hope that others could potentially come in the future. Black-and-white anime like Astro Boy, Gigantor, and 8th Man would surprise a generation who never really saw early Japanese television animation. 1970s and early 1980s anime Battle of the Planets, Star Blazers, and Force Five would be welcome as well (and getting full dubs of the original Gatchaman, Space Battleship Yamato, Gaiking, Danguard Ace, Getter Robo G, Grendizer, and Starzinger would be a hell of a bonus). Of course, getting Voltron: Defender of the Universe, the grandmother of the modern anime industry as we know it, as well as 1980s syndication-era shows like Saber Rider, Tranzor Z, and Robotech, would be huge gets for MeTV TOONS. And while it's more of a recent series to American audiences, I wouldn't mind seeing the original Mobile Suit Gundam and Saint Seiya on MeTV TOONS as well (sidenote: could you imagine seeing Saint Seiya, Woody Woodpecker, and Top Cat on the same American broadcast network in 2024?). All of those shows are "retro" enough for the era and not so widely available, especially compared to shows like the Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball franchises or any CN Toonami-era show.  
• Animated anthology/weekend/afterschool specials: One thing that has been missing on American television is the weekly anthology showcase. The ABC Saturday Superstar Movies, The ABC Weekend Special, and CBS Storybreak often provided stand-alone stories on a weekly basis for years. While the ABC Afterschool Specials and CBS Schoolbreak Specials get all the glory and fame (or is that infamy?), the others I mentioned tended to present animated tales, many of them haven't been seen in decades. Perhaps a weekly showcase of those stories on MeTV TOONS could bring some of those stories back unifying all of those specials under one umbrella brand. In fact, why not stop there? Perhaps MeTV TOONS could bring some of Nippon Animation's World Masterpiece Theater episodes and shows like Grimm's Fairy Tale Theater under that umbrella. Some of those stories, many based on Western books, have been dubbed. Every story should be celebrated and told (that sounds mighty familiar), and MeTV TOONS would be a perfect place to tell some of those classic stories.
• Batman: The Animated Series: You know DC shows have to be a part of MeTV TOONS roster, especially when Warner Bros Discovery is a major part of the network's roster and ownership. Although Krypto the Superdog is the only DC-related series officially confirmed for MeTV TOONS, I doubt it'll be the only one present on the network. I could easily imagine the Filmation DC cartoons and the Hanna-Barbera Superfriends series being on MeTV TOONS. That said, if there's one DC series that absolutely has to have a presence on the channel, it's Batman: The Animated Series. The 1992 series hasn't aired on broadcast television in since 2000 and hasn't been on linear television since it aired on The Hub over a decade ago. The Emmy-winning dramatic action series is a hallmark of the animation industry and a standard many action cartoons still have to live up to. Airing a groundbreaking series like BTAS on MeTV TOONS is a must.
• A strong continuity package: I know this doesn't mean much to a lot of younger consumers of modern televised entertainment, but I want to see MeTV TOONS create a strong presentation of its programming. Continuity is largely absent thanks to the advent of streaming media, but you occasionally great packages emerge like CBS's current campaign.  strong continuity package could make a channel like MeTV TOONS stand out. Hiring a veteran voiceover artist like Bob Bergen to be the continuity announcer was a great first step in creating a unique brand for the network. He bridges network continuity with vocal characterizations, serving as the long-time voice of characters like Porky Pig, Tweety, and Marvin the Martian, animated characters who are a part of MeTV TOONS' roster of stars. I would also love to see the network stand out visually and audibly. I want to see MeTV TOONS embrace a bold, animated visual identity, not unlike what companies like Corey McPherson Nash and Primal Screen did in the past for networks like Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network. Likewise, I would love to see Stephen Arnold Music create an audio package and sonic branding campaign on par with what they've done with MeTV and Catchy Comedy for Weigel's newest network. I know the shows are the true stars of MeTV TOONS, but presentation goes a long way and can resonate with viewers for a lifetime.

WHAT I DON'T WANT TO SEE on MeTV TOONS (besides recently produced cartoons [i.e. anything made in the last 20 years] readily available everywhere):

• Live-action shows/movies: I think it goes without question that an all-animation channel shouldn't air live-action series of any kind on it. If a channel sells itself as a classic animation channel for older audiences, it should be just that - a classic animation channel. That said, there are some folks who want MeTV TOONS to be an outlet celebrating Saturday morning culture of the past, which not only includes cartoons but also live-action shows like Batman '66, Pee-Wee's Playhouse, The Lone Ranger, Captain Kangaroo, various Super Sentai shows, and shows from Sid & Marty Kroft, Filmation, and others. If MeTV TOONS was Saturday Morning MeTV, I could see them showcasing those kinds of shows. That said, many animation fans still have bitter feelings about Cartoon Network's 2005 push to add live-action while making animation secondary with the CN Real block, and they don't want MeTV TOONS to fall in that trap that audiences want to see live-action on a cartoon channel. Weigel has several channels that could air retro Saturday morning-era TV shows such as H&I (which airs Batman '66, The Adventures of Superman, and Wonder Woman and could easily house something like Electra Woman and Dyna Girl, Shazam!, Isis, The Ghost Busters, and Land of the Lost),  Catchy Comedy, and, of course, MeTV (which aired several Kroft Brothers shows in the past). Just leave those shows far, far away from MeTV TOONS. And, for god's sake, we don't need "retromercials" either. Again, let's actually have a classic cartoon channel instead of a retro channel. That's what MeTV is for. 
• Network-made shows from Cartoon Network and other cable channels. MeTV TOONS doesn't need to air any Cartoon Network-made shows at all. MeTV TOONS also doesn't need to air any Nicktoons or Disney Channel Originals. There are plenty of other outlets that could air the original shows produced by those channels, most notably streaming platforms their parent companies such as MAX, Paramount+, Pluto TV, HULU, and Disney+, respectively. Or, and this may be seen as a controversial and radical idea, how about airing those cartoons on Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Nickelodeon, Nicktoons Network, TeenNick, Disney Channel, Disney XD, and Freeform as well? Look, I get why some people want to see older Cartoon Network shows on MeTV, I really do. But even that's a dual-edged sword for one factor: people would eventually want later and more recent shows as well. You give audiences Dexter's Laboratory, Johnny Bravo, Cow and Chicken, and the Powerpuff Girls, they'll demand Ed, Edd 'n Eddy, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Codename: Kids Next Door, Ben 10, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Camp Lazlo, Juniper Lee, Flapjack, Chowder, Adventure Time, Gumball, Steven Universe, and so on. In short, they want to push out all the older cartoons and put Cartoon Cartoons all over MeTV TOONS, just like what happened to Cartoon Network in the 2000s. History does not need to repeat itself. Similarly, if you put on Nicktoons or Disney Channel original cartoons, you'll have some audiences wanting the live-action shows that aired on those channels from the past as well, and as I mentioned, I don't want to see live-action shows on a classic animation channel. What those folks really want is yet another outlet to air the same stuff you could see nearly everywhere except, sadly, the channels that spawned them. It's a mouse and a cookie situation with those folks. Maybe those folks who want those shows back on the air should show the same kind of drive and push Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, and Disney Channel to return those shows to their linear channels instead.
• Sped-up video and shrunk-down credits: Nothing shows of modern television like speeding up the video to fit in more ads with less time for the actual show or squishing down credits to the size of a postage stamp or displaying them in the tiniest of type that you need three magnifying glasses to see them. As I said earlier, presentation is everything when it comes to television, and I want MeTV TOONS to present their shows and shorts in the best quality they can, and that includes their opening and closing credits intact and not sped up or shortened. I also don't want to see episodes sped up jarring the video experience. While MeTV doesn't squish down their opening and closing credits like many similar channels, they do speed up some video from time to time, and I hope they don't do that for this channel. 

It's all a bit much, I know, but I'm very picky about these kinds of things. I want to see MeTV TOONS be the best animation experience on television. I want it to be the ultimate showcase and celebration of classic cartoons, something that respects the medium, and something that can be enjoyed by all audiences, and I feel they have the folks who can make it happen. 

Here's hoping I get a chance to see it in my part of the world over-the-air..