Top 10 Kids Cartoons Reboots That Nobody Asked For
#10: “G.I. Joe Extreme” (1995-97)
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Most fans said G.I. ‘no’ to this ill-conceived and even more ill-fated revival. The recipe for the original series’ success shouldn’t have been too hard to replicate, but the reboot decided to make itself unrecognizable by adding a heaping dose of “extreme.” Really, the only thing extreme about it was how extremely misguided it was. Anyone involved should have realized that abandoning familiar characters, grounded action, and even Cobra was the exact opposite of what fans wanted. Instead, the lame cash-grab was somehow overly dramatic yet full of cringey humor, which is pretty disappointing.
#9: “Quack Pack” (1996-97)
Before we got the praise-worthy reboot that is the 2017 “DuckTales,” we had… “Quack Pack.” We’re not sure if there was too little distance between the success of the original show and this 90s remake or what, but it just didn’t work. Huey, Dewey, and Louie - who were aged up to teens - seem to be exclusively concerned with picking up girls. They weren’t much more than boring and bratty. Fans asked for more Donald, but what they got was a bland, almost antagonistic version of him, and an altogether absent Scrooge McDuck. While there are some charming family hijinks buried in the feathers, the lack of focus kept this show from truly spreading its wings.
#8: “ThunderCats Roar” (2020)
Since the original series is at the very top of the food chain when it comes to beloved animated classics, this immediately-questionable reboot became easy prey for fan disapproval. Before it even aired a single episode, the caricature art-style and overly comedic tone seemed to betray the authentic undercurrent of the classic “ThunderCats.” Admittedly, this revival had some genuinely chuckle-worthy moments, but they’re exceedingly out of place in a show that should’ve really been titled something else. In the end, fans roared their disapproval loud enough to get it canned after just one season.
#7: “The Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder” (2020-)
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If these are the kinds of wishes Cosmo and Wanda are granting, maybe we’re better off without them. The original animated program sank after shoehorning in too many new characters, so it’s baffling that the live-action reboot fell into the exact same pitfalls, only worse. Timmy - yes, that’s Timmy - goes off to college, leaving his fairies behind with his cousin, Viv. While we wish we could say the lack of Timmy is the show’s biggest issue, that’s just scratching the surface of its missteps. The fact that it’s live action in the first place is pretty disorienting, but the cringey laugh track, cheap-looking special effects, and downright embarrassing costumes make us wish Cosmo and Wanda could wipe this from our memory.
#6: “All Grown Up!” (2003-08)
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Ever wanted to see Tommy, Dil, and Angelica hit puberty? No? Well, you aren’t alone. The whole point of “Rugrats” is that the main cast is in diapers, which is important since the same kinds of stories just don’t work with a teenage ensemble. Without the childlike sense of wonder, things like Angelica’s over-the-top dramatics go from cute to eye-rolling real fast. Plus, it’s just plain weird to see characters we literally watched grow up…go out and party. The whole thing just felt uncomfortable instead of nostalgic. It seems that without their classic baby babble, these guys really crapped their diapers.
#5: “Speed Racer: The Next Generation” (2008-13)
On principle, an American-made spin-off of an acclaimed Japanese anime is to be approached with caution. But, that’s not enough when this show gassed itself up with no regard for its legacy and employed a cast thinner than cardboard. The engine revved too fast to develop any sort of coherent plot, and that’s if you can stomach the shoddy animation. Even if the writing was up to snuff, the horrible CGI races and subpar voice acting would have failed it. This pit-stop in the franchise was made to tie into the forthcoming live-action film, which should tell you everything you need to know.
#4: “Be Cool, Scooby Doo” (2015-18)
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Zoinks, is this bad. After decades of consistent characterization, it takes a lot to make the Scooby Gang feel this off-brand. Despite the best efforts of its returning voice cast, this unrecognizable take on the franchise abandons its ghoulish tone for overly crude humor. Look, we aren’t expecting realism from a show about a dog that solves crimes, but “Be Cool” leans so far into zaniness that it becomes a self-parody. And don’t even get us started on the animation style. At the very least, the chase scene music is still totally worth a Scooby Snack; we just wish we could say the same for the rest of the show.
#3: “Loonatics Unleashed” (2005-07)
Drop the looney, there’s none of that in this post-apocalyptic superhero cartoon. At a conceptual level, putting the eccentric cast of “Looney Tunes” character - or rather, their descendents - into a dark, gritty world misses the entire point of their light-hearted origins. The show continued to drop the anvil with tonally confused storylines, poorly-cast voice talent, and wholly out-of-character writing. Somehow, “Loonatics Unleashed” still made it two full seasons before mercifully saying “that’s all folks.” However, the damage was already done. The show was so poorly received that the entire franchise had to go on hiatus afterwards for some major brand rehabilitation.
#2: “The New Adventures of He-Man” (1990-91)
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After an acclaimed run of fantasy, magic, and action, the pitch for this sequel was apparently just He-Man…in space. We wish we were kidding. Despite existing in the same continuity as its predecessor, the marked shift in tone, setting, and visuals made this continuation feel more like a bad fever-dream. Even fans that weren’t turned off by the galaxy-sized changes had to contend with too many new characters and an overly ambitious narrative. It shoehorned in so many excessive elements that there wasn’t enough time for He-Man in his own show. From the very start, his new, scrawnier design should’ve told everyone involved that this was a mistake.
#1: “The Powerpuff Girls” (2016-22)
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Fans who’d spent years clamoring for a revival of this iconic superhero show got their wish in 2016, but it came as a result of Mojo Jojo’s paw curling. Without input from the original creator, this silly, charmless iteration lacked any of the original series’ wit, humor, or fun. Even worse, the titular trio were unfathomably recast. Reportedly, the original voice actors - who all still have very active careers, mind you - weren’t even considered to reprise their roles. Fans wanted more from this franchise, but all they got was a tasteless recipe made up of sugar, spice, and nothing nice.
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