Logo to the AKA Cartoon Network evening slot (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
It’s been awhile since we’ve discussed the state of affairs at Cartoon Network. I think the last time was when they tried to institute live-action programming because the same guy who disabled American Movie Classics continued his war on specialty channels. Now Cartoon Network faces a whole different problem and one I haven’t seen addressed by cartoon commentary shows on YouTube.
From my fellow Reviewers Unknown contributors I got interested in The Mysterious Mr. Enter and I stumbled upon Saberspark on my own, but I’ve seen others, including RUer The Cartoon Hero, who is more of a reviewer and hasn’t really covered Cartoon Network’s decline. However, everyone seems to agree that what’s killing CN is Teen Titans Go, or at least the overplaying of the show. At least in the US; the UK schedule has a better balance of shows from what I’ve heard. Frankly that’s my only real problem with it since I can otherwise ignore it and outside of not following up from the beloved Teen Titans cartoon (not the first because Filmation had a Teen Titans segment on The Superman/Aquaman Hour Of Adventure) while still using assets from the show in a different art style and taking pop shots at critics I really don’t care. I liked the Teen Titans cartoon as well but I’m still disappointed they weren’t in the DCAU as was teased in an episode of Static Shock. But that’s all I’ll say on the matter because that’s not what I’m here to talk about.
When these commentators discuss the lack of variety of Cartoon Network and their treatment of recent shows like the finale of Regular Show or the debut of OK KO: Let’s Be Heroes they usually bring up the Cartoon Cartoons lineup or some of the other comedic shows like Uncle Grandpa or Steven Universe that air in the few spaces not owned by TTG. However, two shows in particular are never mentioned and for different reasons the ignoring of both shows speaks to one problem about CN’s lineup that they’ve botched completely: any action shows not airing on Toonami, which is now just for dubbed anime edited for television, are given the shaft. Why is CN’s action drought not being brought up?
While I think too many stories give too many flaws or think flaws themselves make for a good character, there has to be at least something to challenge the hero. No matter how powerful Superman is, he still has to deal with Kryptonite, magic, and the weaknesses of his own personality at times. I also hear that about Optimus Prime, but I can refute that rather easily just in the original cartoon. Nobody is perfect, but while there is nothing wrong with making a character really good at dealing with a given situation you can also make your heroes too flawless as to be unrelatable. (And no, I don’t see Superman as unrelatable. Optimus maybe but I can still connect with him. He’s just not Bumblebee.) James Harrington 
