Living history was etched into the walls of Cartoon Network Studios. The corridors proudly displayed the signatures of influential creators. Along the stairwell, colorful characters like Jake the Dog and Finn the Human seemed to burst to life the farther you climbed. It felt as if the building itself was teeming with childlike wonder.
The animation studio was gutted of its history and employees last year when it was forced to shut down. While creatives like these animators are downsized and laid off, media juggernauts like Warner Bros. and Disney continue to churn out uninspired content.
Disney announced in January 2023 that the beloved “Phineas and Ferb” would be returning for a fifth season in early 2025. Don’t get me wrong, I’m just as excited as the next person, but part of me can’t help but be wary.
The past decade has been no stranger to reboots, remakes, and sequels — what I refer to as “the big three.” Although many of these projects have done well financially, time and time again audiences are shown that these projects lack passion.
One of the most notable recent examples is “Joker: Folie a Deux.” The film left viewers with a sour taste in their mouth, scoring just 45 percent audience enjoyment on Metacritic, while critics panned it with a 32 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It was obvious to everyone this was a soulless cash grab, made only as a response to the success of the original “Joker” in 2019.
It’s no surprise this endeavor was led by Warner Bros., the same company that dissolved Cartoon Network Studios. It seems Warner Bros. is allergic to money, as they religiously cancel well-established, beloved projects in favor of spiritless slush.
Warner Bros. pulled the long-awaited “Batgirl” film that was slated for 2022. The nearly finished movie would have been exactly what DC needed: a legacy character with fan investment and a new story to tell. Instead, they wrote it off as a tax loss.
That same year, they removed 36 Cartoon Network shows and hundreds of “Looney Tunes” episodes from its streaming service, Max. Shows like “Summer Camp Island,” “OK K.O.!,” and the critically acclaimed “Infinity Train” were scrubbed. Many creators received little to no warning their projects would be leaving, not to mention the myriad of fans’ frustration. Fourteen percent of the HBO Max — now just Max — staff were also laid off.
The problem is the loss of creative spaces. When large media conglomerates like Warner Bros. wipe out shows on such a massive scale, it creates a vacuum of originality. Often, these voids are filled with existing shows that maintain profitable viewership.
While there’s nothing inherently wrong with that, it’s how shows like “Spongebob Squarepants” and “The Simpsons” become stale, continuing long after their creators intended.
Even when some reboots are successful, they’re met with cancellation. In 2021, fans were excited to see “iCarly” make its way back to television. After a strong three seasons, Paramount Plus canceled the show abruptly, leaving it on a major cliffhanger.
This is my worry for “Phineas and Ferb.” The show is remembered by millennials and Gen Z as a modern classic, and for good reason. Disney TV Animation stated “Phineas and Ferb” was their most successful children’s show ever for the 6-11 and 9-14 age demographics. Such a beloved show doesn’t deserve to be bled dry and forgotten all for the benefit of studios.
Luckily, it looks like the show’s production is in good hands. Series creators Dan Povenmire, the voice of Dr. Doofenshmirtz, and Jeff “Swampy” Marsh, the voice of Major Monogram, have returned, and they seem more excited than ever to continue the project. Most of the original cast is back as well.
The official poster, featuring the main characters onstage performing a song, portrays a crowd filled to the brim with lesser-known side characters, proving the creators’ attention to detail.
Fan reception has been mostly positive on the “Phineas and Ferb” subreddit, though some have expressed concern there and on DisneyPlus’ official subreddit. Some argue it’s too soon for the show to return, while others are overjoyed.
Only time will tell if it lives up to the high expectations. If it doesn’t, there may be hell and high water to pay from fans, but time will eventually smooth things over, as it often does.
What I find more harrowing, however, is if it succeeds. Will it lead to another property being milked? How many more creatives will be stifled by resources that could have gone into creating future favorites?
Creatives must be given the time and space to produce more content before we lose them. And this time, there won’t be a public outcry. It will sneak up on us, and before we know it, they’ll be gone — just like Cartoon Network Studios.