![Teenage-Mutant-Turtles_l[1]](http://ewpopwatch.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/teenage-mutant-turtles_l1.jpg?w=320&h=240 "Teenage-Mutant-Turtles_l[1]")
Nickelodeon bought the rights to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles this week, announcing their plans to produce a CG-animated TV series launching in 2012, the same year as Paramount Pictures (owned by the same parent company, Viacom) will release yet another Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles feature film.
If you’re keeping track, this will be the third animated TV series (we shan’t count the Saban-produced live-action show), the fifth feature film, and, eventually, the kajillionth excuse to stuff our country’s already-overflowing landfills with another exciting round of plastic TMNT tie-in toys and fast-food trinkets. Based on this extraordinary output under the banner of what was a pretty plot-weak idea to begin with, one’s gotta ask: Are the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles the most played-out pop culture entities of all time?
Mind you, this is coming from a girl who once owned and proudly wore both a pair of Raphael sneaker snappers and a Raphael pop-up digital wristwatch, and who would legitimately hustle home from junior high to catch episodes of that first animated TMNT series in those dark, pre-DVR days. I am fully aware that without too much TMNT, the world would not now know the comic genius of appending “Secret of the Ooze” to every second numerical sequel’s title. But seeing as how I neither know nor care where we are in the mythology of this franchise right now (is Vanilla Ice still alive?), I find it hard to believe there’s much of any place left to go. I guess they could bring Shredder back. But, you know, why?
What do you think, PopWatchers? Is the glorious absurdity of giant mutant post-adolescent turtles with mad ninja skills and totally awesome S0Cal attitudes just too appealing to retire? Are there stories left for our heroes in a halfshell to tell? Or do you think TMNT should just back it down and cede superiority to the current generation’s new breed of inherently ridiculous crime-fighting animals that appeal to kids for no discernible reason: guinea pigs?
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I think we could do without another series, but the live action movies were awesome! And, I had a childhood crush on Michaelangelo. True story. I was so jealous of April.
Same thing happened to me. I guess it’s natural for children to have crushes on cartoons, but now I look back and think “ewwwww but it was a turtle”. But yeah. I had a crush on Michaelangelo.
why rob future generations of children the joy of tmnt…the show isn’t meant for us so who cares..its for the kids
TMNT will never die. And I’m fine with that because they were my favorite as a kid. Some of the “hardcore” versions have been a little bland — I think they need to bring back the awesome original series type of Turtles. You know, where Raphael is snarky but doesn’t sound like a chain smoker from Booklyn.
WTH keyboard? That should be BROOKLYN. Also, my little sister had a crush on Raphael. So mscisluv, you aren’t alone.
Thanks, Scott! 20+ years later, my girlfriends all talk about how they had crushes on the human cartoon characters (i.e. Aladdin or Eric from A Little Mermaid)…but no, my cartoon crush was a mutant turtle. *sigh*
My 4 year old son has discovered the old movies, and loves them to death. I think there is still an audience out there if they keep with the old style of cartoons.
TMNT is awesome. Also, the title of this blog is overly hyperbolic.
Don’t tell that to my boyfriend, he’s still reading the comics!
As long as the kids still find them interesting–but my 11 and 8 year old boys don’t. Loved tmnt when they were little but feel they’ve pretty much seen it all for tmnt. A lot of the cartoon/book/movies contain the same plots/concepts–at least since they’ve been around.
But Superman has been around since the talkies. Spiderman is nearing 50. They’ve managed to keep it fresh.
So glad I wasn’t the only one with crushes on the Turtles! (I preferred Raphael in the movie because he was “troubled.” LMAO!)
The problem is that TMNT is not TMNT anymore. The original comic books (the B&W home published issues) of Laird and Eastman had a good balance of humor, real life (took place in NY), wackiness, and some adult themes (like Raphael going berserk and killing people). It was fresh and it kept you off-balance, not knowing what was going to happen. Mirage Studios just sold the rights to Nickelodeon so who knows what the next animated series will be like? I wish they could make it for Adult Swim rather than for selling merch… oh well. I personally had a huge crush on April O’neil.
How could anyone not see how eternally awesome the idea of turtles trained in ninjitsu is?
Seriously, if they ever bothered with an attempt at the source material, a new series would definitely be worth it. Of course, then it wouldn’t be for kids. But will I watch? Yes. Will I be 32 when this starts? Maybe. Pretty funny, considering the whole thing started as a parody on the mutant kick in comics.
the Power Rangers are much much more annoying
Do you want the truth?
It’s all about the sale/marketing. TMNT was a comic book (a pretty dark one) to start. Then Hiam Saban tamed the comic book and turned it into the cult cartoon that we adults loved as kids. The marketing for the cartoon was HUGE. It was not as huge as Voltron but still huge. Every boy wanted the action figures. Still unlike Barbie who keeps getting reinvented, the marketing for TMNT faded. The newer movie did not make as much moolah as the 1990 live action film. I guess Nick can pull an X-Men and do a different style of cartoon with the same characters, but the marketing would not be like it was years ago.
Hiam Saban had nothing to do with TMNT. He was the worked on the U.S. Power Rangers.Fred Wolf produced the original TMNT animated show everybody remembers.
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who harbored a crush on the Turtles (I went back and forth between brooding Raphael and happy-go-lucky Michaelangelo). I was so jealous of April O’Neal! I wanted so bad to be adopted by Splinter and the gang and live in the sewer with them. I had it all planned out: I would be the pink one and my name would be Mona Lisa. I had a rather overactive imagination back then. (I also wasnted to be adopted by the Bankses on “Fresh Prince” but that’s another post.)
I was going to admit to having a crush on Raphael in this post and then I thought, “Nah, that’s just creepy.” Thank you, my sisters, for teaching me that love is never wrong.