Five childhood show reboots that failed to live up to expectations

Mattel announced it would relaunch its Barney franchise, but its revamp sparked a conversation among the dinosaur's fans. PHOTO: MATTEL INC

SINGAPORE – Barney is a dinosaur from people’s imagination, as the opening lines to the show’s theme song went.

But all its revamp did was spark a conversation.

Here are five cartoon classics whose do-overs sparked heated discussions and disbelief online.

1. Barney & Friends

Toy company Mattel announced last Monday that it would relaunch its Barney franchise with a new animated series next year.

Twitter users said that the new Barney has lost his plump face and nose, and the colour of his eyes also changed from dark brown to green.

Many were longing for the return of the character they grew up with, that they knew and loved.

“I have no words. I just don’t know how I feel about this. I think I miss old Barney,” said Twitter user Trixie.

Mattel’s chief franchise officer and global head of consumer products Josh Silverman said this new series hopes to tap the nostalgia of parents who grew up with Barney and give the same experience to a new generation of kids.

2. Teen Titans GO!

Viewers called the new iteration of Teen Titans overly childish and poorly written, yearning for the verve of the original show instead. PHOTO: WARNER BROS

The reboot of animated series Teen Titans in 2013 was heavily criticised by fans of the original show for its more comedic tone and simplified animation style, a departure from the original series that balanced teen moodiness with compelling superhero action, said CBR.com.

Viewers took to the Internet, calling the new iteration overly childish and poorly written, yearning for the verve of the original show instead.

However, many also came to the reboot’s defence, saying that it was made for children, and fans who came expecting the original were bound to be disappointed.

“It’s different content aimed at different demographics,” said one Reddit user, and another added that it is a great series for its target audience.

3. Ben 10: The Reboot

Fans of Ben 10 were disappointed that the reboot did not pick up storylines from the original show. PHOTO: CARTOON NETWORK

Ben 10 was another cartoon that received a lot of backlash when Cartoon Network announced a reboot in 2016.

The original was about a young boy who discovers a mysterious device called the Omnitrix that allows him to transform into 10 alien forms with unique superpowers.

“It took arguably the best (or at least most popular) show Cartoon Network has made in the last decade, and watered it down so much, it looks nothing like the original,” said Quora user Sam Johnson.

Other viewers expected the reboot to complete storylines that stemmed from Ben 10: Omniverse, the series right before it, but the stories were left incomplete. 

4. Powerpuff Girls

Some fans of the Powerpuff Girls felt that the personalities of the three characters were reduced to mere caricatures in the 2016 reboot. PHOTO: MEDIACORP

Bubbles, Blossom and Buttercup – the main characters of beloved cartoon Powerpuff Girls – had a large fan base that heavily criticised the 2016 reboot for losing what made the original so special: the feminist messaging, the unbridled action scenes, and its lovable characters.

Powerpuff Girls was a show that prided itself on portraying girls who fought back and had superpowers, who loved both fighting monsters and catching butterflies, encouraging freedom of expression.

The reboot felt like a step backwards, wrote Polygon, as it had less action and fewer adventures for the girls, but more comedic moments. 

Some also felt that the personalities of the three characters were reduced to mere caricatures.

Blossom, who was seen as a leader and voice of reason, was a mere “nerd” in the reboot. Buttercup, who was best known for her tomboyish attitude and fearlessness, was portrayed as a troublemaker, as pointed out by a Reddit user.

The new character, Bliss, failed to find favour with some.

“In a lot of ways, Bliss feels like a collection of well-intentioned afterthoughts that would have worked better earlier on in the series,” wrote Gizmodo.

5. Scooby Doo reboot: Velma

Velma, the 2023 reboot of Scooby Doo, is now the third-worst rated television show in IMDB history, according to Forbes. PHOTO: WARNER BROS

Velma was released in 2023 as a reboot of long-running children’s show Scooby Doo, and has received a lot of backlash for its superficial take on current issues, as well as its deviation from the original cartoon.

Loyal fans of the show were left wondering why this reiteration even made it to the screen.

“There are no episodic mysteries to solve, opting for a more serial-type murder mystery. There is little to no character dynamic carried over from the original,” said a Reddit user.

Others took issue with the show’s superficial take on polarising issues such as biracialism and sexual identity.  

According to Forbes, Velma is now the third-worst rated television show in IMDB history. It has a 1.3 out of 10 rating.

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