Too often in television history haveanimated television series been canceled way before they should have been.If there was a network that had a plethora of canceled shows, it was Cartoon Network. Most of the time, shows didn’t get lucky and were thrown to the wayside without any closure or continuation after being canceled.While shows seem to be getting revived left and right in the modern day, the ones that do are honestly a minority.
While the likes of shows likeAdventure TimeandYoung Justicegot a revival of some sort,there are so many shows out there that were canceled and never got any sort of revival or closure,even though they deserve it just as much. Most shows don’t get the love they deserve from the network, even if there is massive fan outcry about it.
10’Green Lantern: The Animated Series’ (2011)
26 Episodes
The iconic DC superhero, Green Lantern, just can’t seem to catch a break. Unlike the flop that wasRyan Reynold’sGreen Lantern, though,Green Lantern: The Animated Seriesfeatured incredible storytelling that really understood the characterand his comic book mythos. Not to mention,they had the legendaryJosh Keatonvoicing their lead.
Unfortunately for Green Lantern fans, though,Green Lantern: The Animated Serieswas canceled after a mere one season.There are many things to blame for the series' cancellation, like the failure of the Ryan Reynolds film and really rough toy sales (which is the main reason most superhero animated series used to get made, anyway).Green Lantern: The Animated Seriesdeserves a second season or film finale, as the cancellation had absolutely nothing to do with how good the show was, and it was pretty dang good.
Green Lantern: The Animated Series
27 Episodes
Time Squadis a super niche series that many may not have seen, but those who remember it, remember it fondly.There are a ton of rumors surrounding the cancellation of the show,such as the crew getting fired, Cartoon Network’s creative differences with the show causing the crew to walk out or the fact that an episode featured one of the Bush presidents being absolutely obsessed with twine. So much speculation occurs due to the only explanation regarding the cancellation being that it was due to “corporate shuffling” at Cartoon Network, as said byRob Paulsen, who voiced Buck Tudrussel. It’s also one of the few Cartoon Network shows to not go to Max.
Time Squadwas a series that was not only entertaining, but super educational for the kids watching. The show features the main characters traveling through time to fix major events in history. Through doing so,the show actually did a lot to educate kids about history.An excuse to educate kids while keeping it fun should always be taken, soTime Squaddeserves a comeback.
8’Cow and Chicken' (1997)
52 Episodes
Cow and Chickenis arguably one of the more iconic Cartoon Network television series.The show features two biological siblings that also happen to be a cow and a chicken,somehow. They get into a wild series of misadventures that always ensues in gut-hurting hilarity.
The series found its cancellation thanks to an old policy held at Cartoon Network that would not allow any of their series to go past four seasons(for some random reason). Many claim this and their later six season policy (not much of an improvement) to not be fair to the shows and the dedicated crews behind them. Because of this,Cow and Chickencertainly deserves a comeback of sorts.
Cow and Chicken
7’The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack' (2008)
69 Episodes
If there’s anything thatThe Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjackwas, it was one-of-a-kind. The hilarious art style and unique sense of humor made it unlike any cartoon on the air at the time (and even today, to be honest). The humor inThe Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjackis so random that it actually fits common humor styles that kids have nowadays.
Due to this, the show would most likely be very well-received if renewed in the modern age. The general sense of humor among kids is always changing but, somehow, the current sense of humor among children is so aligned with that ofThe Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjackand because of that, it only makes sense that it gets another shot on a streaming service like Max.
The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack
6’Batman Beyond' (1999)
56 Episodes
Batman Beyondis one of the most popular Batman and DC shows of all time. Seeing the one and only Batman (Kevin Conroy) hand the reins over to a new hero was unique and had never really been done before in Batman movies and television.Batman Beyondaired on Cartoon Network in 1999 and was so beloved that it ran for three seasons until 2003 before it was ultimately and unfortunately canned.
People have been begging forBatman Beyondto make a comeback in some way, especially in a live-action film. Like many shows that get canceled far too early,Batman Beyond’s cancellation was never explained, leaving fans to simply wonder and speculate why it was.Batman Beyondhad a plethora of potential and was sadly cut down before it could show more of the wonderful world of Neo-Gotham.
Batman Beyond
5’Class of 3000' (2006)
Who doesn’t love some hip-hop, jazz, rap and the blues? Thanks to Outkast’sAndré 3000, a whole generation of kids were (most likely) introduced to said genres thanks to the wonderfulClass of 3000. Alongside creating the show, André 3000 also voiced the main character,Sunny, who transitioned from being a famous musician to teaching music at a performing arts school.
André 3000 created and performed a lot of original music specifically for the series and truly put a lot of his heart and soul into the show, even though it was canned after two seasons thanks toJim Staples, the General Manager of Cartoon Network at the time, resigning.This resulted in a major restructuring of the network and, sadly,Class of 3000did not get brought back.With how popular the genres it promoted are in the modern day,Class of 3000deserves to come back now more than ever.
4’Thundercats' (2011)
In the 80s,Thundercatswas one of the most popular series on air at the time, and is still considered one of the most popular shows of the 80s era. So, it only made sense to bring it back in the modern day with updated animation and voice acting in 2011 withThundercats.The series clearly took inspiration from the typical art style used in anime andtook the writing of the show a lot more seriousthan the 80s adaption. The crew behind the show decided to add more layers of depth to the characters and plot of the series.
While theThundercatsoverall franchise itself did find another reboot in 2020, it’s far more aimed at children. With a more chibi art style and far less complex storytelling, akin to the likes ofTeen Titans Go!But it can certainly be argued that the 2011 adaption of the franchise deserves its time in the sun again, as it was only cancelled for what many stated was because the show was too expensive to make at the time.The show was actually very successful for its one-season run and, due to it only being planned for two seasons total, a revival would not take much money out of the deep pockets of a streaming service.
Thundercats
Watch on Hulu
3’Chowder' (2007)
65 Episodes
Chowderwas, and still is, incredibly loved by the kids who grew up at the time of airing.The sense of humor was downright hilarious, the voice acting was on point and the animation style was unique and eye-catching.The loving sentiment for the show is still held to this day and many truly believe the show would be a success today.
The series was only cancelled becauseCartoon Network believed it didn’t fit the older demographic that the network was picking up at the time.Many argue this was a faux answer and that the show was cancelled for other reasons. Whatever the reason was, the series deserves a revival and both the kids who grew up on it and today’s kids would love the series.
2’Codename: Kids Next Door' (2002)
79 Episodes
Everyone loves a good story with young secret agents/detectives, likeSpy Kids. It can be argued, though, that nobody got it done like the kids inCodename: Kids Next Door. Operating out of their awesome treehouse,these five highly-skilled children fight against the reign of terror held by adults and teenagers.
Codename: Kids Next Doorwas most likely cancelled due to Cartoon Network’s six-season rule which, much like the aforementioned four-season rule, did not allow shows to air past six seasons. Everyone seemed to love the series, though.It was cartoony and fun while still managing to be action-packed and engaging.With how far animation has come since 2002,Codename: Kids Next Doorwould most likely excel in the 2020s.
Codename: Kids Next Door
1’Teen Titans' (2003)
66 Episodes
As if the top spot could go to any other show. The absolute outcry for a revival of the originalTeen Titansshow has been and, most likely will always be, loud and proud. Much likeThundercats, whilethe franchise got another shot inTeen Titans Go!, the original Titans have not gotten the ending they deserve, as the series ended prematurely. While, yes, the original Titans did make a short return in the animated film,Teen Titans Go! vs. Teen Titans,many don’t consider that a true return and more of a glorified cameo. As the film didn’t acknowledge the story of the original series at all.
It seems like the series doesn’t have much of a shot at coming back, though, as stated by the crew behind the original series.But fans have been and will continue to hope, as the love for the series is so strong that fans have yet to give up on it.The incredible love for the show just goes to display how great the series truly was and the true quality behind it.
