I was skeptical when heard Toonami was being revived on Adult Swim. In this modern era, where new anime is streamed online, legally or otherwise, without having to wait for the english dub, something like Toonami just seemed obsolete. Sure, they could still play western action shows... if you can find any that aren't live-action. Conversly, when I heard that Saban, a legendary name in children's entertainment, had returned and were programming a new block to replace Toonzai, I was overjoyed. Instead of more butchered 4Kids dubs, I'd finally see something of the western variety. It's been 2 years since, and I'm surprised to find that the tables have turned: Toonami is bigger than it ever was while Vortexx is becoming just as bad as Toonzai.
On Vortexx, Justice League Unlimited and a handful of other shows have been in repeats since 2013; Yu-Gi-Oh having been in reruns since 2010! Vortexx did have some fresh material including Iron Man Armored Adventures, Transformers Prime, and Power Rangers Lost Galaxy. But all those shows have were cut short before they could finish their runs. More damningly, Lost Galaxy was cut to make room for one full hour of Sonic X, which was also rerun to death on Toonzai. Even when Sonic X finished it's run, rather than replace it with something else, it went right back to reruns! Right now, the only shows worth watching are Digimon Fusion and Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal, Sendokai Champions STILL hasn't premiered yet.
Meanwhile, on Toonami, when one show ends another one takes it's place. One second it's FLCL, next thing you know it's The Big O, then it's Soul Eater, then it's back to FLCL. Then just to throw you off, they add some new shows like Soul Eater, Sword Art Online, and Black Lagoon. That's how it's done! See, that's the reason why broadcast network blocks like ABC Kids, 4KidsTV, and Cookie Jar TV are obsolete; they fail to acquire new content and let E/I requirements hold them back. If Vortexx had followed Toonami's lead, they would be doing so much better right now.
*sigh* And I was so hoping for a return to the glory days of Saturday mornings. But I shouldn't give up yet. If Vortexx can find some new shows before the end of the year and dump the recycled crap, they might be able to survive. But if they can't..., well, least I still have The Zone Weekend...
Saturday, 12 April 2014
Friday, 11 April 2014
YTV Does Something that Should Have Been Done a LONG Time Ago
...No, they didn't bring back Bionix. Stop asking that.
http://www.nickandmore.com/2014/04/08/my-babysitters-a-vampire-haunting-hour-join-ytv/
I noticed last week that YTV has begun airing Spliced, a Teletoon original production. Now I see that YTV will begin airing My Babysitter's a Vampire and The Haunting Hour starting today. It's about bloody time. ...I make no apologizes for the pun. For starters, especially in the case of The Haunting Hour, those two shows should have aired on YTV from the get-go. Whereas Teletoon is supposed to air animation, YTV was free to broadcast everything from LazyTown to Witch Hunter Robin, as long as it appeals to kids and teens. There's absolutely no excuse for these two shows to not air on YTV.
So now it begins, Teletoon is now wholly owned by Corus Entertainment and they have to take steps to make sure their programming doesn't overlap with YTV's. What we are seeing is the first step Corus has taken to do that.
http://www.nickandmore.com/2014/04/08/my-babysitters-a-vampire-haunting-hour-join-ytv/
I noticed last week that YTV has begun airing Spliced, a Teletoon original production. Now I see that YTV will begin airing My Babysitter's a Vampire and The Haunting Hour starting today. It's about bloody time. ...I make no apologizes for the pun. For starters, especially in the case of The Haunting Hour, those two shows should have aired on YTV from the get-go. Whereas Teletoon is supposed to air animation, YTV was free to broadcast everything from LazyTown to Witch Hunter Robin, as long as it appeals to kids and teens. There's absolutely no excuse for these two shows to not air on YTV.
So now it begins, Teletoon is now wholly owned by Corus Entertainment and they have to take steps to make sure their programming doesn't overlap with YTV's. What we are seeing is the first step Corus has taken to do that.
Tuesday, 1 April 2014
CBC Cancels 'Arctic Air & Cracked. Thoughts?
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/canadas-cbc-cancels-arctic-air-689220
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Wonderful. We knew this was coming, and yet it still hurts. The CBC just can't catch a break anymore, can they? I know Cracked won't be missed, but if Arctic Air ends on a cliffhanger... Left and right, all of CBC's shows are getting the can, all because of these damn budget cuts and Rogers stealing the NHL broadcast rights.
Good thing Republic of Doyle is almost done, I can't imagine that show lasting another season with the CBC in it's current state. In fact, a lot of comedies/comedy-dramas on CBC are still on the air; most of the shows that got the boot were police procedurals and standard drama fare. That's why I loved how Sally Catto brought up how CBC Television needed to get creative with their original programming to distinguish themselves from the other private broadcasters. Maybe the CBC needs to take some lessons from FX and AMC Networks?
Of course, without any revenue, it'll be hard for CBC to make any new shows, let alone keep their own shows on the air. It sounds like a challenge but, if we could produce SCTV, we can produce something just as great. It's all about being creative and making do with what you got. ...But seriously, between the budget cuts, the horrible Rogers deal, and a rebrand of Radio-Canada that blew $400,000, I'm starting to think someone really is trying to kill the CBC!
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Wonderful. We knew this was coming, and yet it still hurts. The CBC just can't catch a break anymore, can they? I know Cracked won't be missed, but if Arctic Air ends on a cliffhanger... Left and right, all of CBC's shows are getting the can, all because of these damn budget cuts and Rogers stealing the NHL broadcast rights.
Good thing Republic of Doyle is almost done, I can't imagine that show lasting another season with the CBC in it's current state. In fact, a lot of comedies/comedy-dramas on CBC are still on the air; most of the shows that got the boot were police procedurals and standard drama fare. That's why I loved how Sally Catto brought up how CBC Television needed to get creative with their original programming to distinguish themselves from the other private broadcasters. Maybe the CBC needs to take some lessons from FX and AMC Networks?
Of course, without any revenue, it'll be hard for CBC to make any new shows, let alone keep their own shows on the air. It sounds like a challenge but, if we could produce SCTV, we can produce something just as great. It's all about being creative and making do with what you got. ...But seriously, between the budget cuts, the horrible Rogers deal, and a rebrand of Radio-Canada that blew $400,000, I'm starting to think someone really is trying to kill the CBC!
Thursday, 27 March 2014
What's Next?
Spring is right around the corner: Time to get out of my hiding hole and get back to work! I haven't started on episode 11 of Reycralibur yet because I was working on the remake of episode 3 and The Abridged Knights of Brawl finale. Now that both of these are taken care of (I WILL have the finale ready for rendering this weekend, goddamn it!), I can review the script for episodes 11-13 and start filming the next episode.
As for TAKOB, I will be abridging the third season but, I won't continue on that until after I finish episode 11 of Reycralibur. Unfortunately, I have to rewatch the third season of Knights of Brawl to know what I'm up against; and it is horrible. There are other projects I've been wanting to work on, in particular, I've been eying Star and Friends because of how easy it would be to make episodes of that show. I was also hoping to start a new sketch comedy show..., I use the term "comedy" loosely. But, as you know, my work ethic isn't really the best. I already started a few other side projects that I still haven't finished yet. So, once I'm done with TAKOB finale, I'm going to finish those up.
As for TAKOB, I will be abridging the third season but, I won't continue on that until after I finish episode 11 of Reycralibur. Unfortunately, I have to rewatch the third season of Knights of Brawl to know what I'm up against; and it is horrible. There are other projects I've been wanting to work on, in particular, I've been eying Star and Friends because of how easy it would be to make episodes of that show. I was also hoping to start a new sketch comedy show..., I use the term "comedy" loosely. But, as you know, my work ethic isn't really the best. I already started a few other side projects that I still haven't finished yet. So, once I'm done with TAKOB finale, I'm going to finish those up.
Thursday, 20 March 2014
Why I Hate ZippCast
Don't get me wrong. I'd LOVE to see a new video sharing site become popular enough to make YouTube it's bitch. That's precisely why I signed up for ZippCast two years ago. But once I did get there, Oh God... I get it, it's a new website, there will be problems. But if that's the case, maybe you should actually try to get your damn site working BEFORE you announce it to the world! Still don't know why I, someone who despises YouTube almost as much as he hates his own brother, am not drinking the ZippCast Kool-Aid?
First and foremost, the layout. Pros: Because it's the old YouTube layout, it's looks lovely. Cons: Because it's the old YouTube layout, it's not as easy to use as YouTube's current layout. In YouTube 2.0, It was SO EASY to customize my channel and the variety was a nice bonus. In ZippCast's layout, I have to go back and forth between two windows just to make sure I did everything right. And of course, their rendition of the 2.0 channels is treated with as much loving care as a Uwe Boll video game adaptation. At least navigation of the rest of the site isn't as bad.
Then you get to the uploader; It's so primitive. On YouTube, I just drag and drop; on Dailymotion, I press the button and select my file. On ZippCast, I press the button, fill in ALL of the video information, and then I can press the button and select my file. Then the damn loading bar stops working and I'm never sure if the video is still uploading (and processing) or if the upload failed until 10 minutes later! Man, I friggin HATE that uploader!
The community is, without calling anyone pathetic, childish. They actually think that just because ZippCast used the old layout, it was better than YouTube. If rest of the world ran on bullshit logic like that, we'd ditch Windows 8 and switch to using Chromebooks! When I first used ZippCast, they rolled out this new chat function. I ended up talking to this 7 year old brat who actually believed more famous YouTubers would jump ship simply because of the layout. Then the bloody chat started bugging out his end. Nice. Oh, and then the entire site shut down a few months later. Fantastic.
The following year, ZippCast came back the first videos I saw uploaded was a bunch of bias bullshit blasting the new YouTube layout and Google. Look at those bastards, mocking people for still using YouTube. Jokes on them, the website, once again, shut down not even half a year later! Now that's funny...in a bittersweet way. Everyone's in such a rush to get off of YouTube, they delude themselves to thinking ZippCast is a perfect alternative. Then they get hit by an assortment of problems that would NEVER happen to YouTube or any other video hosting site. Dailymotion's new layout is shit, but you don't see me abandoning it.
So, here we are; ZippCast is back for the fourth time. Still think It's going to replace YouTube in the future? No, I think that you think that when you do sign up for ZippCast, you're not going to completely jump ship. You're gonna keep uploading videos on YouTube and generally spend more time there, despite their new layout. Why? Because you know, that it's what's on the inside that counts.
First and foremost, the layout. Pros: Because it's the old YouTube layout, it's looks lovely. Cons: Because it's the old YouTube layout, it's not as easy to use as YouTube's current layout. In YouTube 2.0, It was SO EASY to customize my channel and the variety was a nice bonus. In ZippCast's layout, I have to go back and forth between two windows just to make sure I did everything right. And of course, their rendition of the 2.0 channels is treated with as much loving care as a Uwe Boll video game adaptation. At least navigation of the rest of the site isn't as bad.
Then you get to the uploader; It's so primitive. On YouTube, I just drag and drop; on Dailymotion, I press the button and select my file. On ZippCast, I press the button, fill in ALL of the video information, and then I can press the button and select my file. Then the damn loading bar stops working and I'm never sure if the video is still uploading (and processing) or if the upload failed until 10 minutes later! Man, I friggin HATE that uploader!
The community is, without calling anyone pathetic, childish. They actually think that just because ZippCast used the old layout, it was better than YouTube. If rest of the world ran on bullshit logic like that, we'd ditch Windows 8 and switch to using Chromebooks! When I first used ZippCast, they rolled out this new chat function. I ended up talking to this 7 year old brat who actually believed more famous YouTubers would jump ship simply because of the layout. Then the bloody chat started bugging out his end. Nice. Oh, and then the entire site shut down a few months later. Fantastic.
The following year, ZippCast came back the first videos I saw uploaded was a bunch of bias bullshit blasting the new YouTube layout and Google. Look at those bastards, mocking people for still using YouTube. Jokes on them, the website, once again, shut down not even half a year later! Now that's funny...in a bittersweet way. Everyone's in such a rush to get off of YouTube, they delude themselves to thinking ZippCast is a perfect alternative. Then they get hit by an assortment of problems that would NEVER happen to YouTube or any other video hosting site. Dailymotion's new layout is shit, but you don't see me abandoning it.
So, here we are; ZippCast is back for the fourth time. Still think It's going to replace YouTube in the future? No, I think that you think that when you do sign up for ZippCast, you're not going to completely jump ship. You're gonna keep uploading videos on YouTube and generally spend more time there, despite their new layout. Why? Because you know, that it's what's on the inside that counts.
Dear Dailymotion, STOP RIPPING OFF YOUTUBE!!!
I'm a Dailymotion guy. Their copyright standards aren't as bullshit as youtube's, the comment section is quiet, and it just feels like, you know, a video sharing website. I only have one complaint, their constant need to look just like youtube. I get it, Dailymotion's layout isn't as accessible as youtube's, but is that any reason to ripoff their layout? No, and why would you?
I never complained about the 2.0 channels, but youtube's layout's are just so...wrong. I can't turn off the comment section or related videos, so the pages are just so unnecessary long. My channels don't encourage personalization, so I'm stuck with just a stupid banner. Oh, and don't get me started on how horrible the homepage is. And then they changed the subscription page..., Seriously?!!? Of course, that's no reason to flock to a broken piece of crap like ZippCast. I'll never understand why a website that looks like the old youtube but runs even worse the current youtube gets treated like the real deal. Maybe people like rooting for the underdog...or maybe One Channel gave youtubers more brain damage then they already have.
Back on topic, in ripping off youtube's layout, Dailymotion actually looks worse then it did before. The new homepage looks ugly, the new channels are shameless knockoffs, and the new video page looks even worse than youtube's. I'm actually tempted to try out ZippCast again! What's next? Are they gonna team up with Facebook and require you to make a FB account to post comments? I'm surprised youtube hasn't sued Dailymotion for ripping off their crap...; ZippCast, not so much.
It's just so...bleahhh. It looks so horrible that it makes me want to vomit. I'm just thankful the actual site still works. However, if Dailymotion thinks they're going to attract new users with a horrible layout like this, then clearly they don't know why people left youtube in the first place.
How do you say idiots in french?
Tuesday, 11 March 2014
Fave Five: Channels I Don't Like.
1) M3
Make no Mistake, I'm glad MuchMore has finally bit the dust and, as of writing, M3 is a bit more polished now then it was at launch. But it still has it's share of problems. Yes, M3 is NOT a music channel anymore, but it's still licensed as one. As such, it's music offerings, as far as studio-made programming is concerned, needs more work. I like the new format of the M3 Countdown, but the video list is near identical to that of the Much Countdown (and the videos are even shorter, if you can believe that!). If I want to watch mainstream music videos, I'll watch Much. Hell, I do watch Much and, unless it's shifting to a more music-based format, I like it the way it is, thank you very...much.
2) CMT
Unlike M3, which abandoned it's music format, CMT is much more faithful to country music. But when it comes to shunt programming, the results can be very...cringe-worthy. On one hand you have shows like Rules of Engagement, Wife Swap and AFV. On the other hand, you have shows like Fear Factor, Burger Wars, JFL Gags, Pizza Wars, Cash Mob, Taco Wars, and a whole bunch of shows from W Network. Wanna know what the best part is? Some of those shows are originals. ...Like I said, much more faithful to music than M3.
3) Twist TV
...Do I really need to say anything? ...Yeah, that's what I thought. Next!
4) MTV2
At the very least, as of writing, MTV2 Canada is finally airing some different shows. It's slightly better than it was before, but it's still a lifeless network. The main problem here is, MTV2 is for young male adults, this channel is targeting teenagers. Whatever MTV2 Canada is doing, it's not what MTV2 in the US is doing. Aside from Cribs and True Life, it's not even airing MTV shows anymore. It's subscriber base is almost nonexistent, they have no fresh original or acquired shows to give to it's audience. The only channel I can compare MTV2 Canada to is G4, which has also been running on autopilot...until it finally shuts down for good. At least the Canadian G4 has Reviews on the Run, EP Daily, Rude Tube and Bang Goes The Theory going for it.
5) YTV
Back in Feburary, while I was mourning the lost of Bionix on YTV's Facebook page, I caught the attention of someguy/girl by the name of Joshua Dillon Veuskens . Unfortunately for me, s/he turned out to be one of those anime wackos. You know? The insane anime fanboys who believe that Japanese cartoons are superior to that of western shows. (S)He was so messed up the head by the cancellation of Bionix four years ago, that s/he believes YTV is in some sort of funk right now because of it; pinning the blame on post-movie Spongebob episodes and YTV's original programming. Total. Bullshit. It's weirdos like him/her that are precisely the reason why I HATE socializing. Too many morons.
Unfortunately, s/he has a point. Because of ABC Spark, YTV doesn't have to target teenagers anymore. Unlike teens, kids don't really fancy dramas or mature anime. Say goodbye to Friday Night Lights, Smallville, and Ghost in the Shell SAC. Say Hello to reruns of America's Funniest Home Videos, Just for Laughs Gags, and Wipeout Canada. It doesn't help that Nickelodeon's programming, which YTV has relied on for so many years, has also gone downhill save for a couple of shows. Seriously, their new sitcoms feel like they came from the It's a Laugh crap factory and their original Nicktoons (that is, the shows that aren't based on licensed properties) are loosing their luster. Personally, the only Nick shows worth watching are Spongebob, Korra, TMNT, Power Rangers, Sanjay & Craig, and Digimon Fusion.
In terms of original programming, YTV's game shows (especially Splatalot, Japanizi, and The Next Star) are way better than their scripted shows. I don't know about you, but shows like Numb Chucks are exactly the kind of kid-pandering crap I despise the most about television nowadays. Teletoon's offerings are much more entertaining. They're addictive and imaginative..., though I can't say the same about Rocket Monkeys.
Screw Nostalgia! The fact that I'm still watching Teletoon proves that you don't need to be a kid to know what a good kid show is. That is unless you're a member of the PTC, Common Sense Media, or the people running YTV nowadays, in which case, thanks for corrupting the youth AND ruining good television, Assholes.
...You know, Teletoon at Night would make a great successor to Bionix...
Make no Mistake, I'm glad MuchMore has finally bit the dust and, as of writing, M3 is a bit more polished now then it was at launch. But it still has it's share of problems. Yes, M3 is NOT a music channel anymore, but it's still licensed as one. As such, it's music offerings, as far as studio-made programming is concerned, needs more work. I like the new format of the M3 Countdown, but the video list is near identical to that of the Much Countdown (and the videos are even shorter, if you can believe that!). If I want to watch mainstream music videos, I'll watch Much. Hell, I do watch Much and, unless it's shifting to a more music-based format, I like it the way it is, thank you very...much.
2) CMT
Unlike M3, which abandoned it's music format, CMT is much more faithful to country music. But when it comes to shunt programming, the results can be very...cringe-worthy. On one hand you have shows like Rules of Engagement, Wife Swap and AFV. On the other hand, you have shows like Fear Factor, Burger Wars, JFL Gags, Pizza Wars, Cash Mob, Taco Wars, and a whole bunch of shows from W Network. Wanna know what the best part is? Some of those shows are originals. ...Like I said, much more faithful to music than M3.
3) Twist TV
...Do I really need to say anything? ...Yeah, that's what I thought. Next!
4) MTV2
At the very least, as of writing, MTV2 Canada is finally airing some different shows. It's slightly better than it was before, but it's still a lifeless network. The main problem here is, MTV2 is for young male adults, this channel is targeting teenagers. Whatever MTV2 Canada is doing, it's not what MTV2 in the US is doing. Aside from Cribs and True Life, it's not even airing MTV shows anymore. It's subscriber base is almost nonexistent, they have no fresh original or acquired shows to give to it's audience. The only channel I can compare MTV2 Canada to is G4, which has also been running on autopilot...until it finally shuts down for good. At least the Canadian G4 has Reviews on the Run, EP Daily, Rude Tube and Bang Goes The Theory going for it.
5) YTV
Back in Feburary, while I was mourning the lost of Bionix on YTV's Facebook page, I caught the attention of someguy/girl by the name of Joshua Dillon Veuskens . Unfortunately for me, s/he turned out to be one of those anime wackos. You know? The insane anime fanboys who believe that Japanese cartoons are superior to that of western shows. (S)He was so messed up the head by the cancellation of Bionix four years ago, that s/he believes YTV is in some sort of funk right now because of it; pinning the blame on post-movie Spongebob episodes and YTV's original programming. Total. Bullshit. It's weirdos like him/her that are precisely the reason why I HATE socializing. Too many morons.
Unfortunately, s/he has a point. Because of ABC Spark, YTV doesn't have to target teenagers anymore. Unlike teens, kids don't really fancy dramas or mature anime. Say goodbye to Friday Night Lights, Smallville, and Ghost in the Shell SAC. Say Hello to reruns of America's Funniest Home Videos, Just for Laughs Gags, and Wipeout Canada. It doesn't help that Nickelodeon's programming, which YTV has relied on for so many years, has also gone downhill save for a couple of shows. Seriously, their new sitcoms feel like they came from the It's a Laugh crap factory and their original Nicktoons (that is, the shows that aren't based on licensed properties) are loosing their luster. Personally, the only Nick shows worth watching are Spongebob, Korra, TMNT, Power Rangers, Sanjay & Craig, and Digimon Fusion.
In terms of original programming, YTV's game shows (especially Splatalot, Japanizi, and The Next Star) are way better than their scripted shows. I don't know about you, but shows like Numb Chucks are exactly the kind of kid-pandering crap I despise the most about television nowadays. Teletoon's offerings are much more entertaining. They're addictive and imaginative..., though I can't say the same about Rocket Monkeys.
Screw Nostalgia! The fact that I'm still watching Teletoon proves that you don't need to be a kid to know what a good kid show is. That is unless you're a member of the PTC, Common Sense Media, or the people running YTV nowadays, in which case, thanks for corrupting the youth AND ruining good television, Assholes.
...You know, Teletoon at Night would make a great successor to Bionix...
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