BET was the perfect example of how underfunded a cable network could be, with its amateur broadcast graphics taking up one-third of the screen. Since the cancellation of 106 & Park, BET's programming has been on a downhill slope. Beyond tent-pole events, original scripted fare, news specials, town-hall meetings, gospel music, and documentary programming that make better use of a low-budget than any cookie-cutter reality show, the bulk of the network's programming is still 2000s syndicated fare and DVD movies. That's fine if you live in the United States, but you can't even watch most of BET's acquired slate in Canada due to "programming rights".
I use quotes because no other network in Canada airs the acquired shows and movies seen on BET. No Wayans Bros (anymore). No Martin. No Tyler Perry movies or any other "blackbuster". How can BET not have clearance to air any of their programming, when no other Canadian broadcaster gives two shits about the needs of Black Canadians? Yes, we have FEVA and Afroglobal, but they're more focused on international and Caribbean programming than anything American.
I've concluded that either Canadian companies are so greedy that they are willing to keep the rights to a bunch a crap they will never air, just to make sure the imported American feeds can't air them, or Viacom seriously needs a reality check the next time they threaten to take BET out of Canada, when BET's Canadian feed is almost barebones and worthless. It figures that the year when Donald Trump took the oval office would be BET's worst yet.
But at the start of 2017, BET came running out of the gate and packing heat, with high-quality scripted programming in tow. The New Edition Story has been met with critical acclaim and was the highest-rated program for the three nights it aired. I, myself, really enjoyed the second and third parts! So far, the Quad has also been met with positive reviews and the ratings look healthy enough. It helps that BET managed to make a fourth season of the equally-praised Being Mary Jane happen despite some production trouble.
Up next, BET will debut Rebel, a gritty police drama with a very "anti-police" vibe; Benched, a six-episode legal dramedy; Comedy Get-down, a mockmentary comedy featuring George Lopez, DL Hughley, Cedric the Entertainer, Eddie Griffin and Charlie Murphy that will hopefully be better than recent seasons of Real Husbands of Hollywood; and Tales, an ambitious new anthology series inspired by hip-hop songs.
You can count on BET announcing another go around of unscripted programming at this year's upfronts. Whether Music Moguls or The Gary Owen Show will return for another go around is up in the air. I rather those shows be given a second chance than Ink, Scissors, Paper or F in Fabulous; take that garbage back to the ghetto where it belongs. Black America could not be facing darker times and the last thing they need to see on the most prominent network targeting them are shows so trashy WorldStarHipHip fans wouldn't touch them with a pole.
Just stick to the Tyler Perry reruns, at least those shows are watchable.
It doesn't even matter, the scripted programming alone promises a year that will see BET return to higher-prominence. I've said it before and I'll say it again, BET is more of a brand, a voice, than a cable network. But so far this year, they've actually looked and felt like a cable network. BET's new broadcast package really helps in this regard; It's simple, clean, and far less obtrusive than their old look.
In an era where the United States is more divided than ever, Black America needs a voice. Let's hope that as one of Viacom's flagship six, BET can truly own that voice in the linear world.
Yes to Black. Yes to Us. Yes to a BETer cable network.
Monday, 13 March 2017
Saturday, 4 March 2017
Let's Talk About Viacom's "Flagship Six": Nickelodeon
Between the preschool block and Nick@Nite, there isn't much wiggle room for Nickelodeon to air anything besides their new and current programming. It's a perfect analogy to how crappy cable networks have become: Not only is Nickelodeon is only concerned with shows that get high ratings, with anything that doesn't getting banished to Nicktoons, but it seems the flagship channel will only air fresh new programming in the mere six or seven hours it has to itself.
That means even if something like the Loud House doesn't trip in the ratings like Harvey Beaks before it, even if Nickelodeon continually renews the show until the end of time, they don't have to air new episodes on the main channel. Right off the bat, that's a MAJOR problem the internet has with Nick. Nick Jr. is now a flagship channel as well. Does this mean Nickelodeon will dump any "underperforming" show onto that network from now on? Better question: Will Nickelodeon let someone who actually knows what the hell they're doing handle this and stop letting stupid kids run their network?
It's even worse than Cartoon Network, because at least Cartoon Network gives fair exposure to the shows that they give a crap about (as opposed to the shows that people actually want to see) and they operate on a much smaller scale than Nickelodeon does. Nickelodeon has a lot more to lose than the other networks, while most of the problems with Cartoon Network as of late could be solved if Dixie Carter wasn't in charge.
No, I'm not apologizing for that reference.
As part of Viacom's five-point plan, non-flagship networks will have their resources drained to fuel programming and events for networks like Nickelodeon. Nick Jr targets a slightly different audience than the rest of Nick's networks and, as such, is also a flagship network.
Was this the end game all along? NickMom? Winx Club? Oggy and the Cockroaches? This is all programming that have no business on a preschool network; the only logical excuse was ratings. I'm probably giving them too much credit or, considering how Nick Jr's decay was stupid, unnecessary, and shouldn't have happened in the first place (Kinda like Nickelodeon's involvement with Winx Club), I'm not giving them enough of the crap that they deserve.
So that leaves us with Nicktoons (or as the unfunny pricks are accurately calling it, "Nick Too") and TeenNick. There's no denying that TeenNick's days are numbered. No matter how successful their retro block was, TeenNick is still the spinoff that gets the least love. I want to say cancelling Degrassi was a big mistake, but...
Relaunching Nicktoons as a defacto secondary channel for Nick programming would be a no-brainer. They barely give a focus on animation anyways and the network has more clearance than TeenNick does. It wouldn't take much to move The Splat to Nicktoons; Nickelodeon has already dumped damn near everything else onto Nicktoons anyways!
TeenNick is pretty much a pre-pubescent MTV, there's almost no need for it to exist. I know I'm probably missing something from a business standpoint, but from a branding standpoint, I don't see the appeal in this network outside of The Splat. Not that turning TeenNick "into" the Splat is a good idea, quite the opposite. MTV already tried their hand at a retro network with MTV Classic and, whether it was low ratings or poor management, it didn't work.
In conclusion, there is a lot of work than needs to be done at Nickelodeon, especially with the mothership channel. All I can say is: Thank goodness YTV isn't this bad.
That means even if something like the Loud House doesn't trip in the ratings like Harvey Beaks before it, even if Nickelodeon continually renews the show until the end of time, they don't have to air new episodes on the main channel. Right off the bat, that's a MAJOR problem the internet has with Nick. Nick Jr. is now a flagship channel as well. Does this mean Nickelodeon will dump any "underperforming" show onto that network from now on? Better question: Will Nickelodeon let someone who actually knows what the hell they're doing handle this and stop letting stupid kids run their network?
It's even worse than Cartoon Network, because at least Cartoon Network gives fair exposure to the shows that they give a crap about (as opposed to the shows that people actually want to see) and they operate on a much smaller scale than Nickelodeon does. Nickelodeon has a lot more to lose than the other networks, while most of the problems with Cartoon Network as of late could be solved if Dixie Carter wasn't in charge.
No, I'm not apologizing for that reference.
As part of Viacom's five-point plan, non-flagship networks will have their resources drained to fuel programming and events for networks like Nickelodeon. Nick Jr targets a slightly different audience than the rest of Nick's networks and, as such, is also a flagship network.
Was this the end game all along? NickMom? Winx Club? Oggy and the Cockroaches? This is all programming that have no business on a preschool network; the only logical excuse was ratings. I'm probably giving them too much credit or, considering how Nick Jr's decay was stupid, unnecessary, and shouldn't have happened in the first place (Kinda like Nickelodeon's involvement with Winx Club), I'm not giving them enough of the crap that they deserve.
So that leaves us with Nicktoons (or as the unfunny pricks are accurately calling it, "Nick Too") and TeenNick. There's no denying that TeenNick's days are numbered. No matter how successful their retro block was, TeenNick is still the spinoff that gets the least love. I want to say cancelling Degrassi was a big mistake, but...
Relaunching Nicktoons as a defacto secondary channel for Nick programming would be a no-brainer. They barely give a focus on animation anyways and the network has more clearance than TeenNick does. It wouldn't take much to move The Splat to Nicktoons; Nickelodeon has already dumped damn near everything else onto Nicktoons anyways!
TeenNick is pretty much a pre-pubescent MTV, there's almost no need for it to exist. I know I'm probably missing something from a business standpoint, but from a branding standpoint, I don't see the appeal in this network outside of The Splat. Not that turning TeenNick "into" the Splat is a good idea, quite the opposite. MTV already tried their hand at a retro network with MTV Classic and, whether it was low ratings or poor management, it didn't work.
In conclusion, there is a lot of work than needs to be done at Nickelodeon, especially with the mothership channel. All I can say is: Thank goodness YTV isn't this bad.
Let's Talk About Viacom's "Flagship Six": Spike and Paramount
The end of Spike TV is, frankly, tragic. It only goes to show how far cable television has fallen when men can't even have their own TV channel anymore. Sure, they can play the sexism and misogyny card, but that doesn't change the fact that a majority of ratings-driven cable networks these days play favorites to women. Not to mention women's television can be just as trashy as men's can be juvenile, as evidenced by the Bad Girls Club franchise and other C-list reality shows.
Alas, even without the politics, Spike has been in a rut for some time now.
Their 2015 rebrand has failed to elevate the network beyond its previous "A&E-knockoff for men" format. Though the success of Lip Sync Battle begat an entourage of original game shows, Spike's main programming still consists shows like Cops, Police Videos, and other programs aimed at men. In other words, not much has changed since 2013.
When Spike talked about its return to scripted programming, I was hoping this would extend to acquired shows as well. I'm not talking about syndicated sitcoms, I was thinking more along the lines of Smallville or 24: big, action-y, explosive television shows that don't get any airtime anywhere these days, mostly because you can find them on Netflix. But as long as Viacom insists on running My Wife & Kids to death, I should think they would at least be more "inclusive" to something other than sitcoms to fill daytime hours.
This is what makes Paramount getting their own TV channel so attractive. For one thing, why doesn't Transformers or Mission: Impossible have their own spinoff cable drama like the Marvel Cinematic Universe does? Why not take all the spectacle and hype of the big-budgeted, summer blockbuster and squeeze it into a cable drama? Who said such programming was limited to premium networks like HBO; The Shanarra Chronicles on MTV lacks characters worth rooting for, but looks and feels on par with something like The Lord of the Rings. THIS is the kind of programming Spike should have done more of after they cancelled Blue Mountain State and ditched Impact Wrestling.
While The Paramount Network will also incorporate unscripted programming, you gotta believe the majority of Spike's current slate will get the axe. For one thing, Ink Master, Bar Rescue, Lip Sync Battle, and Bellator events are all guaranteed a spot on the new network, but shows like Cops might not be so lucky. Beyond that, I can't say I'm exited about what else Paramount will offer to the unscripted genre that hasn't already been done before.
More than that, it's still disheartening that men can't have their own cable network anymore. Yes, there's El Rey Network, MTV2 (to an extent), and various subchannel networks that offer all the things guys like. But between Spike TV, and the inevitable downfall of the Esquire Network, I just don't know anymore.
Alas, even without the politics, Spike has been in a rut for some time now.
Their 2015 rebrand has failed to elevate the network beyond its previous "A&E-knockoff for men" format. Though the success of Lip Sync Battle begat an entourage of original game shows, Spike's main programming still consists shows like Cops, Police Videos, and other programs aimed at men. In other words, not much has changed since 2013.
When Spike talked about its return to scripted programming, I was hoping this would extend to acquired shows as well. I'm not talking about syndicated sitcoms, I was thinking more along the lines of Smallville or 24: big, action-y, explosive television shows that don't get any airtime anywhere these days, mostly because you can find them on Netflix. But as long as Viacom insists on running My Wife & Kids to death, I should think they would at least be more "inclusive" to something other than sitcoms to fill daytime hours.
This is what makes Paramount getting their own TV channel so attractive. For one thing, why doesn't Transformers or Mission: Impossible have their own spinoff cable drama like the Marvel Cinematic Universe does? Why not take all the spectacle and hype of the big-budgeted, summer blockbuster and squeeze it into a cable drama? Who said such programming was limited to premium networks like HBO; The Shanarra Chronicles on MTV lacks characters worth rooting for, but looks and feels on par with something like The Lord of the Rings. THIS is the kind of programming Spike should have done more of after they cancelled Blue Mountain State and ditched Impact Wrestling.
While The Paramount Network will also incorporate unscripted programming, you gotta believe the majority of Spike's current slate will get the axe. For one thing, Ink Master, Bar Rescue, Lip Sync Battle, and Bellator events are all guaranteed a spot on the new network, but shows like Cops might not be so lucky. Beyond that, I can't say I'm exited about what else Paramount will offer to the unscripted genre that hasn't already been done before.
More than that, it's still disheartening that men can't have their own cable network anymore. Yes, there's El Rey Network, MTV2 (to an extent), and various subchannel networks that offer all the things guys like. But between Spike TV, and the inevitable downfall of the Esquire Network, I just don't know anymore.
Wednesday, 8 February 2017
What I Missed
Emotionally, I'm in a transitional time in my life right now. You can tell by the fact that I'm talking about myself in this blog when I should be talking about something important. For example.
CMT is going big with Nashville -- Did you know that CMT is the only music channel owned by Viacom that actually gives a fuck about music? Don't let Party Down South fool you, mainly because that show is finally finished. The secret is that CMT has shifted towards country lifestyle programming and programs related in someway or form to music. The current lineup is a lot more coherent, but it hasn't translated into good enough ratings. With the arrival of Nashville, the success of Still The King, the newly rebranded CMT Music, an new on-air graphic refresh (that looks oddly similar to graphics for CMT Canada's music blocks), and MTV and VH1 abandoning their music video blocks, it looks like CMT is done playing games.
Oxygen shifting towards crime programming -- Of course I didn't know about this until after I started working on "Oxygen's New Reality Show", but it looks like NBC is tempting fate with their women's networks again. It's not really must-see television, but Snapped is one of Oxygen's longest-running original series and a staple on C-list networks like LMN and ReelzChannel. Oxygen has built a crime block centered around the series and, since launch, has seen better numbers that what its other shows were getting. Thus, with the help of Dick "Law and Order" Wolf, Oxygen will rebrand this summer as a crime-themed network.
I don't blame the network's fans/viewers/people-who-still-give-a-shit-about-this-wannabe-Lifetime if they're worried. It was good move to kill Style Network in favor of the male-targeting Esquire Network, but I would have never known that the new network would end up being even worse than Style. That the ratings at launch were nonexistant should have been a red flag, but when the original programming have as much attention as grass growing versus retro television shows, Ninja Warrior, and syndicated crime dramas that are already airing on USA Network (and Syfy), you just know that Esquire Network will go down as one of the biggest screw-ups NBCUniversal has ever made.
I'll talk shit about Bell Media until the world ends, but at least they aren't as hyper-incompetent as the clowns running this conglomerate.
Turner's cable networks are airing fewer commercials during original programming -- 'Nuff said.
Impact Wrestling has a new logo -- ...And it looks like the logo of my public school basketball team. I'd comment on Impact bringing back the repetitive "Sinister Rise Above" theme, Anthem's plans to retire the TNA name, or talk more shit about Teru Mikami's favorite angle, but I'm still waiting on Lucha Underground to return from haitus. I got a bad feeling that it will be a LONG wait. Speaking of long waits, where the hell is GFW's TV show!?
I'm reading superhero comics now -- You can thank DC Rebirth, Young Animal, and Dynamite for that.
Amazon Prime Video is now in Canada! -- And, at the moment, it looks like Crackle with mainstream TV shows. At least it's cheaper than Prime in the U.S, but I'd say you should wait a few months before you commit to a yearly subscription.
Cooking Channel is now in Canada! -- Because that's what this country needs, another damn food network!
Vintage TV in now in Canada! -- Because this is what the country REALLY needs, another network that actually cares about music.
American Dad on MuchMusic -- Because at this point, Canadian program rights are bullshit!
I'm done, that's all I can muster up. Maybe I'll go into detail later in the year. But for now, Happy Birthday to me.
CMT is going big with Nashville -- Did you know that CMT is the only music channel owned by Viacom that actually gives a fuck about music? Don't let Party Down South fool you, mainly because that show is finally finished. The secret is that CMT has shifted towards country lifestyle programming and programs related in someway or form to music. The current lineup is a lot more coherent, but it hasn't translated into good enough ratings. With the arrival of Nashville, the success of Still The King, the newly rebranded CMT Music, an new on-air graphic refresh (that looks oddly similar to graphics for CMT Canada's music blocks), and MTV and VH1 abandoning their music video blocks, it looks like CMT is done playing games.
Oxygen shifting towards crime programming -- Of course I didn't know about this until after I started working on "Oxygen's New Reality Show", but it looks like NBC is tempting fate with their women's networks again. It's not really must-see television, but Snapped is one of Oxygen's longest-running original series and a staple on C-list networks like LMN and ReelzChannel. Oxygen has built a crime block centered around the series and, since launch, has seen better numbers that what its other shows were getting. Thus, with the help of Dick "Law and Order" Wolf, Oxygen will rebrand this summer as a crime-themed network.
I don't blame the network's fans/viewers/people-who-still-give-a-shit-about-this-wannabe-Lifetime if they're worried. It was good move to kill Style Network in favor of the male-targeting Esquire Network, but I would have never known that the new network would end up being even worse than Style. That the ratings at launch were nonexistant should have been a red flag, but when the original programming have as much attention as grass growing versus retro television shows, Ninja Warrior, and syndicated crime dramas that are already airing on USA Network (and Syfy), you just know that Esquire Network will go down as one of the biggest screw-ups NBCUniversal has ever made.
I'll talk shit about Bell Media until the world ends, but at least they aren't as hyper-incompetent as the clowns running this conglomerate.
Turner's cable networks are airing fewer commercials during original programming -- 'Nuff said.
Impact Wrestling has a new logo -- ...And it looks like the logo of my public school basketball team. I'd comment on Impact bringing back the repetitive "Sinister Rise Above" theme, Anthem's plans to retire the TNA name, or talk more shit about Teru Mikami's favorite angle, but I'm still waiting on Lucha Underground to return from haitus. I got a bad feeling that it will be a LONG wait. Speaking of long waits, where the hell is GFW's TV show!?
I'm reading superhero comics now -- You can thank DC Rebirth, Young Animal, and Dynamite for that.
Amazon Prime Video is now in Canada! -- And, at the moment, it looks like Crackle with mainstream TV shows. At least it's cheaper than Prime in the U.S, but I'd say you should wait a few months before you commit to a yearly subscription.
Cooking Channel is now in Canada! -- Because that's what this country needs, another damn food network!
Vintage TV in now in Canada! -- Because this is what the country REALLY needs, another network that actually cares about music.
American Dad on MuchMusic -- Because at this point, Canadian program rights are bullshit!
I'm done, that's all I can muster up. Maybe I'll go into detail later in the year. But for now, Happy Birthday to me.
Saturday, 21 January 2017
The Rant I Posted on YTV's Facebook Page (Because Anime Fans Are Annoying)
People, Bionix is never coming back!
I know it's lame that YTV has become totally worthless post 9pm, but Canadian cable in general has become more dependent on ratings and demographics. Why do you think there are so many lifestyle/entertainment/whatever networks aimed at women?
YTV gave up teenage/adult programming to ABC Spark Canada and Teletoon at Night, and even then the target audience is probably spending more time watching YouTube videos or Netflix. The only reason anyone over the age of 13 even bothers watching YTV anymore is for whatever show Nickelodeon is shilling out anyways (i.e The Loud House, Harvey Beaks).
More importantly, in case you still haven't noticed, anime is not, nor will it ever be, mainstream entertainment. The general population in North America care more about the latest video game or comic book then some "Japanese cartoon". Even adults in Japan expect kids to "grow out of it" at a certain age.
The ultimate reason for why Toonami was brought back wasn't just for nostalgia. Adult Swim is one of the few networks that "get" anime, (even if it doesn't always get them ratings) and figured it would be better to use a brand that every anime fan in the U.S would recognize, when [as] itself is better known for American cartoons. Bionix is nowhere near as popular as Toonami is or ever was.
Finally, why waste your time relying on cable television at all, let alone a cable network for CHILDREN?
Be realistic.
I know it's lame that YTV has become totally worthless post 9pm, but Canadian cable in general has become more dependent on ratings and demographics. Why do you think there are so many lifestyle/entertainment/whatever networks aimed at women?
YTV gave up teenage/adult programming to ABC Spark Canada and Teletoon at Night, and even then the target audience is probably spending more time watching YouTube videos or Netflix. The only reason anyone over the age of 13 even bothers watching YTV anymore is for whatever show Nickelodeon is shilling out anyways (i.e The Loud House, Harvey Beaks).
More importantly, in case you still haven't noticed, anime is not, nor will it ever be, mainstream entertainment. The general population in North America care more about the latest video game or comic book then some "Japanese cartoon". Even adults in Japan expect kids to "grow out of it" at a certain age.
The ultimate reason for why Toonami was brought back wasn't just for nostalgia. Adult Swim is one of the few networks that "get" anime, (even if it doesn't always get them ratings) and figured it would be better to use a brand that every anime fan in the U.S would recognize, when [as] itself is better known for American cartoons. Bionix is nowhere near as popular as Toonami is or ever was.
Finally, why waste your time relying on cable television at all, let alone a cable network for CHILDREN?
Be realistic.
Sunday, 15 January 2017
Is Disney XD the New Cartoon Network?
...Of course not! The whole reason for all of Cartoon Network's stupid decisions is that animation alone doesn't get ratings, or at least, it won't get the same ratings as Nickelodeon or Disney Channel. But screw the both of them. If there's one thing I learned from covering television its that quality programming is more important than having a high-rated show, especially since Netflix doesn't worry too much about streaming numbers when deciding to renew a show.
Ratings doesn't matter if your show sucks ass!
But I digress, as far as animation goes, Disney XD might as well be the new Cartoon Network. I've already talked about how they've really turned themselves around as far as anime goes. I'll take the localized version of Doraemon over the poor treatment they gave Naruto Shippudden anyday of the week.
Though, in hindsight, maybe it was for the best if cable networks left that show alone. At least Part I's adaption had the excuse of waiting on the next story arc to finish for its unnecessarily long block of filler episodes at the end. Shippudden has no excuse. Its recent novel adaptions are nothing more than a deliberate attempt to pad out the show, cheapening a once decent adaption of the manga to levels on par with Pokemon's anime.
But I'm going off topic again.
Of course we know the success of Gravity Falls and Star Wars Rebels, the first and foremost reasons for anyone to watch Disney XD, has inspired the network to become more creative with their cartoons. Shows like Star and the Forces of Evil are great in their own right and have gained a fanbase beyond their target audience. Then again, Disney XD is aimed at preteen boys, whereas Nick is aimed at children and Cartoon Network has become a vector for shows that only the network likes or gets high-enough ratings.
Hence, Disney XD can be blamed for Counterfeit Cat and Atomic Puppet, aka the best shows Teletoon has put out in a LONG time and Everyone is looking for to the reboot of DuckTales and a new animated series inspired by Big Hero 6.
But the two shows that I'm keeping my eye on are Marvel's Spider-Man and Man of Action's new Mega Man show. Not much is known about the new Spider-Man series, except that it won't be a continuation of Ultimate Spider-Man and it will feature Spider-Gwen, Miles Morales, and Venom.
In contrast, Man of Action, who were also responsible for US-M, gave too much information about their new Mega Man show. It's aimed at 6 year olds, it's got "over-the-top humor", he goes to school, and he has a new sidekick named "Mega Mini". ...Good thing I'm more of Crash Bandicoot fan.
Ultimately, it's the improvement's made to their live-action slate that's really got me impressed. Those cookie-cutter sitcoms are finally in the background where they belong, and in their place are shows that do things a little differently. Kirby Buckets is yet another attempt at making a live-action/2D animated hybrid show that, predictably, has both fans and detractors. In contrast, Mech-X4 has took all the action and darker elements from comedies like Lab Rats and Mighty Med and turned it into a giant robot show. Both shows are a wonderful change of pace regardless of critical reception, and I look forward to Disney XD doing more shows like this in the future.
With a strong slate of both live-action and animated series, Disney XD might not have more viewers than Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network, but it sure as hell blows the water out of the both of them. The best part is that, because it's been overshadowed by its once boy-slanted knock-off, Disney Channel is trying their best to produce more decent programming from now on. ...Trying, they still suck ass, but at least they're trying.
That's all I can ask for.
Ratings doesn't matter if your show sucks ass!
But I digress, as far as animation goes, Disney XD might as well be the new Cartoon Network. I've already talked about how they've really turned themselves around as far as anime goes. I'll take the localized version of Doraemon over the poor treatment they gave Naruto Shippudden anyday of the week.
Though, in hindsight, maybe it was for the best if cable networks left that show alone. At least Part I's adaption had the excuse of waiting on the next story arc to finish for its unnecessarily long block of filler episodes at the end. Shippudden has no excuse. Its recent novel adaptions are nothing more than a deliberate attempt to pad out the show, cheapening a once decent adaption of the manga to levels on par with Pokemon's anime.
But I'm going off topic again.
Of course we know the success of Gravity Falls and Star Wars Rebels, the first and foremost reasons for anyone to watch Disney XD, has inspired the network to become more creative with their cartoons. Shows like Star and the Forces of Evil are great in their own right and have gained a fanbase beyond their target audience. Then again, Disney XD is aimed at preteen boys, whereas Nick is aimed at children and Cartoon Network has become a vector for shows that only the network likes or gets high-enough ratings.
Hence, Disney XD can be blamed for Counterfeit Cat and Atomic Puppet, aka the best shows Teletoon has put out in a LONG time and Everyone is looking for to the reboot of DuckTales and a new animated series inspired by Big Hero 6.
But the two shows that I'm keeping my eye on are Marvel's Spider-Man and Man of Action's new Mega Man show. Not much is known about the new Spider-Man series, except that it won't be a continuation of Ultimate Spider-Man and it will feature Spider-Gwen, Miles Morales, and Venom.
In contrast, Man of Action, who were also responsible for US-M, gave too much information about their new Mega Man show. It's aimed at 6 year olds, it's got "over-the-top humor", he goes to school, and he has a new sidekick named "Mega Mini". ...Good thing I'm more of Crash Bandicoot fan.
Ultimately, it's the improvement's made to their live-action slate that's really got me impressed. Those cookie-cutter sitcoms are finally in the background where they belong, and in their place are shows that do things a little differently. Kirby Buckets is yet another attempt at making a live-action/2D animated hybrid show that, predictably, has both fans and detractors. In contrast, Mech-X4 has took all the action and darker elements from comedies like Lab Rats and Mighty Med and turned it into a giant robot show. Both shows are a wonderful change of pace regardless of critical reception, and I look forward to Disney XD doing more shows like this in the future.
With a strong slate of both live-action and animated series, Disney XD might not have more viewers than Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network, but it sure as hell blows the water out of the both of them. The best part is that, because it's been overshadowed by its once boy-slanted knock-off, Disney Channel is trying their best to produce more decent programming from now on. ...Trying, they still suck ass, but at least they're trying.
That's all I can ask for.
Wednesday, 11 January 2017
You Can't Beat MTV, and You Can't Replace Machinima.com (Nor Should You)
There once was a website called machinination. One of its admins had the nerve to call the third Hot Pursuit game garbage, just because it was a dolled up Burnout game, rather than aknowledging that it was a good game its own right.
Fuck him and fuck that website. I hope it burns in hell.
...Don't look at me like that, you don't even read this blog.
...OK, fine. I act my age for a second.
Do you know why MTV is still considered the number one music network, even though they only do the bare minimum of ACTUAL music television? Its because music television doesn't bring in ratings, not when its widely available on the internet. Its because MTV ISN'T a music network anymore, no matter how much they pretend to give a damn and no matter how much hipsters and rock fans whine and beg for them to play more music. MTV is popular because they're more, for lack of a better term, diversity than other networks. ...Or, you know, they used to be.
From the beginning Machinination was narrow-minded. To them, the only machinima that mattered were those made with first-person shooters like Halo. The persecption is that since FPS machinima requires that you work with other people for character movement, whearas Smash Bros machinima can be done by one person doing almost all the work, that Smash Bros doesn't even count as actual machinima.
However, there's no denying that there is a demand for music television. It's the very same audience that wants YTV to air Dragon Ball Kai even though the network is WAY past the point of appealing to teenagers. Its the same audience that has become as immature as Sonic fanboys because of Syfy's poorly handled rebrand and subsequent programming shift.
But in the end, we don't have to rely on ratings-driven cable networks to get the shows that deserve our time. And I sure as hell didn't need some stupid forum nor some juvinile MCN to find other makers or get some exposure for myself. You just need to know where to look.
Smash machinima is still being made today and the tools being used to make them require a lot more work than just recuriting body actors. Look past the low-res Brawl machinima lingering on the in-name-only Machinima network and you will find videos that will change your perception on what a Smash Bros macinima is. And no, I'm not just talking about Smash King.
They don't get much views, especilly compared to GMOD movies or SFM videos. Then again, machinima as a whole was never made for the purpose of popularity.
Neither was this blog post.
Fuck him and fuck that website. I hope it burns in hell.
...Don't look at me like that, you don't even read this blog.
...OK, fine. I act my age for a second.
Do you know why MTV is still considered the number one music network, even though they only do the bare minimum of ACTUAL music television? Its because music television doesn't bring in ratings, not when its widely available on the internet. Its because MTV ISN'T a music network anymore, no matter how much they pretend to give a damn and no matter how much hipsters and rock fans whine and beg for them to play more music. MTV is popular because they're more, for lack of a better term, diversity than other networks. ...Or, you know, they used to be.
From the beginning Machinination was narrow-minded. To them, the only machinima that mattered were those made with first-person shooters like Halo. The persecption is that since FPS machinima requires that you work with other people for character movement, whearas Smash Bros machinima can be done by one person doing almost all the work, that Smash Bros doesn't even count as actual machinima.
However, there's no denying that there is a demand for music television. It's the very same audience that wants YTV to air Dragon Ball Kai even though the network is WAY past the point of appealing to teenagers. Its the same audience that has become as immature as Sonic fanboys because of Syfy's poorly handled rebrand and subsequent programming shift.
But in the end, we don't have to rely on ratings-driven cable networks to get the shows that deserve our time. And I sure as hell didn't need some stupid forum nor some juvinile MCN to find other makers or get some exposure for myself. You just need to know where to look.
Smash machinima is still being made today and the tools being used to make them require a lot more work than just recuriting body actors. Look past the low-res Brawl machinima lingering on the in-name-only Machinima network and you will find videos that will change your perception on what a Smash Bros macinima is. And no, I'm not just talking about Smash King.
They don't get much views, especilly compared to GMOD movies or SFM videos. Then again, machinima as a whole was never made for the purpose of popularity.
Neither was this blog post.
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