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Cartoon Network Adds Live-Action, Reality Shows

Mar 25, 2009  •  Post A Comment

Cartoon Network announced it’s making a move into live-action programming, with six reality projects and two scripted shows in development.
At its presentation to advertisers and media buyers Wednesday morning in New York, the Turner-owned kids channel also said it is working on seven new animated series and four original movies as part of the largest commitment to new content in its history.
“These exciting new projects represent the next phase in Cartoon Network’s ambitious, ongoing strategy to reinvent the network and re-energize our youth business overall,” said Stuart Snyder, president and chief operating officer of Turner Broadcasting’s Animation, Young Adults and Kids Media division.
The new alternative shows include younger versions of “Survivor” and “Ghosthunters.”
“Last year, we outlined a strategy focused on genres of programming,” said Rob Sorcher, chief content officer for Cartoon Network. “Today we revealed how that strategy continues to grow with additional nights of signature programming and expands to include both scripted live-action and alternative content, as well as animation. We’re committed to delivering a diverse range of engaging, aspirational content to our audience.”
Many of the most successful shows on Cartoon’s higher-rated competitors, Nickelodeon and Disney Channel, are live-action shows.
Cartoon is trying to carve out a niche for itself in the kids market by targeting boys.
Cartoon Network’s “alternative” series include:
—“The Othersiders,” described as a reality adventure series following five friends who explore potentially haunted locations in search of evidence of paranormal activity;
—“Survive This,” a show that challenges teens to overcome fears and develop survival skills by testing their endurance, wit and self-determination;
—“Destroy Build Destroy,” in which two teams build something from debris in a construction zone, then demolish the losing creation;
—“Head Rush,” a game show in which kids compete while on amusement park rides;
—“Dude, What Would Happen,” in which kids seek answers to over-the-top questions such as, “Dude, what would happen if you attached 350 helium balloons to a sumo wrestler?”; and
—“Bobb’e Says,” a viral video clip show starring Bobb’e J. Thompson.
One of the scripted live-action series is “Unnatural History” (working title), an action show about a teen with martial arts skills who returns to the U.S. with his parents to attend an American high school. It’s produced by Warner Horizon Television.
The other scripted show is “Prepped,” in which a teen wakes up to find himself trapped at a mysterious prep school that offers no escape.
Movies on the slate are “Ben 10: Alien Swarm,” “Scooby Doo! The Mystery Begins,” “Firebreather” and “Tiger’s Apprentice.”
New animated series include “Adventure Time With Finn and Jake,” “Stoked,” “Total Drama Action,” “Ben 10: Evolutions,” “Sym-Bionic Titan,” “Generator Rex” and “Scooby-Doo—Mystery Inc.”
Cartoon also said it will have 164 new half-hour episodes of returning comedy and action-adventure series including “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” “Chowder,” “The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack,” “The Secret Saturdays” and “Batman: The Brave and the Bold.”

17 Comments

  1. In other words, they’re not showing as many cartoons any more. What nonsense. Reminds me of when MTV started showing mostly reality shows and stopped having actual music. Oh well, CN definitely had a good run…

  2. Sounds like a great big step in the right direction for Cartoon Network. They now will target all age groups instead of just the youngsters. Looking forward to The Othersiders show.

  3. This is just sickening. Reality TV is a plague. Looks like we got another Disney Channel.

  4. Oh come on. Most of this stuff looks like 90s Nickelodeon crap. It just screams low budget and quality. Sure its good for ratings and business, but it should be about the quality of the programs. It makes me sad :C

  5. Sierra:
    Funny you should say that considering that Cartoon Network wasn’t even originally aimed for children, but rather for people who enjoyed cartoons.
    American societies tend to think for some reason that cartoons are simply for children, which I view strange, personally.
    Cartoon Network should be just that: A network for cartoons. If they wanted to make an ambiguous kids network, they should start a new network for that live action. Or perhaps they should re-fuse CN and Boomerang again and start and make Cartoon Network into something else for kids.
    I guess that’s what they aimed for when they made boomerang in the first place, but I wish that they had made a separate channel instead.
    But what the hell am I rambling about, I don’t know much about the entertainment industry. I’m just a bit sad I guess.

  6. what happened to all the cartoons on cartoon network, and nickalodeon? invader zim, the GOOD episodes of courage the cowardly dog? where have they all gone and why? im so confused…..

  7. I look forward to the teenage teams going at it in Destroy-Build-Destroy. The show smacks of science and ingenuity – I’ll be tuning in.

  8. I morn the lose of cartoon network being all toon. It started with adult swim with tim and eric which I still refuse to watch, now in prime time too.
    One of the few good channels left finally caved into this pop culture crap that is most shows since the turn of the century.

  9. sounds like this Othersiders show is about the last thing the paranormal community needs, another show where teens jump and scream when the floorboards creak and rely on phsycics more than scientific evidence….i wish networks would stick to what theyre good at and stop selling themselves out for hit ratings.

  10. The reality shows are going to be a disaster. Remember the live action shows like “Out of Jimmy’s Head” or that dumb friday night skit “Fried Dynamite” with that annoying host
    “Blake “Hundred Bucks Blake Is Gay” Micheal”? Both cancelled. CN is constantly kicking itself in the head with stuff like this. Its hard not to laugh at how much stupidity they have now. CN can still redeem itself if it stops with the live action crap and gives us whats in its name. It’s not that hard.

  11. I think that The Othersiders will be totally sick!!! I’m a girl and all of my friends I think that The Othersiders will be totally sick!!! I’m a girl and all of my friends

  12. I believe that Cartoon Network is going to be a train wreck because of its dumbest conceptions of live reality shows. Face it, I like Most Haunted on the Travel Channel but not the Othersiders. According to the article there is a gender discrimination towards females. Younger viewers are aware that reality shows are B.S. I am aware that Cartoon Network is trying to act like Disney Channel. Cartoon Network is STRICTLY an animation station, not an effed up wannabe. F.U. Cartoon Network.

  13. I believe that Cartoon Network is going to be a train wreck because of its dumbest conceptions of live reality shows. Face it, I like Most Haunted on the Travel Channel but not the Othersiders. According to the article there is a gender discrimination towards females. Younger viewers are aware that reality shows are B.S. I am aware that Cartoon Network is trying to act like Disney Channel. Cartoon Network is STRICTLY an animation station, not an effed up wannabe. F.U. Cartoon Network.

  14. Teletoon in Canada has developed its first live
    action show called “Majority Rules”. It looks
    excellent. It includes 2D animation with live action. You can find the trailer online too. Have a look.

  15. No no no, this is wrong in so many levels. Cartoon Network is not turning into MTV. Please tell me this ISN’T happening…

  16. CN has been goin downhill since they started killing off all there cartoon blocks. The ultimate knife to the heart was when they killed off the toonami block. CN will die painfully just like MTV and G4!

  17. CARTOON NETWORK is a home for cartoons!! not some live action LAME stuff! they are ruining the soul of the channel, i miss the good old times when the cartoon cartoons aired every friday night and this teenager crap was only on nickelodeon.

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