God, I've done this so much with Captain Planet And The Planeteers. Although the original series may really deserve all the ridicule its saddled with, I think the concept can be a good one.
So the origin story is largely the same, except that the kids are all in their early twenties. Their personalities would be the pretty much the same, except that Wheeler would be a conservative/libertarian in the vein of Meghan McCain. However, once established, the Planeteers are much more proactive, with a master plan in place to save the planet. First, they save the life an enterprising Steve Jobs-like billionaire, who agrees to mass-produce and market their pollution-less technology. Then they go around the world, recruiting similar-minded youths into the planeteers (although they wouldn't get rings—those are reserved for the original five). Their master plan? Establish Hope Island as the ideal nation state, complete with a world-class university, and with it, change the status quo.
As for the Rogues gallery, the only original ones probably remaining would be Looten Plunder, Dr. Blight, and Captain Pollution (although not under that name). Plunder would be the series' big bad, an obvious Dick Cheney analogue who balks at the potential threat the planeteers pose to his pocket and his world view, and will pull as many strings necessary to stop them.
I'd so love to do this.
edited 27th Aug '09 9:38:40 AM by DoKnowButchie
Avatar art by Lorna-Ka.
Calendar enthusiast
I think I've also taken on Captain Planet at some point. Let's see...
Like Butchie, I'd keep the origin story more or less the same, but there would be eight rings instead of five. In addition to the original five Planeteers, we also have:
- Bill, from Australia, with power over gravity. He's particularly concerned with wildlife extinction.
- Shazia, from the Middle East, with power over magnetism. After seeing the death and suffering brought by war for oil, she's mostly concerned with alternative energy. Also becomes pretty big on feminism.
- Ila, from India, with power over electricity. She's mostly concerned with disease.
The heroes don't need all the rings to summon Captain Planet; he can be summoned with heart plus any of the others, but he only has the powers of the rings used to summon him. Also, he can only stay out for 10 minutes at a time, which is why he doesn't just solve all of Earth's problems.
Oh, and his clothing would be much less homosexual.
Wheeler would become the American guy's surname, because geez! His first name would be Jack or something, and he would eventually get together with Linka.
Duke Nukem isn't a villain in this reimagining. He's a misunderstood good guy who at one point couldn't control his own power, but now he's gotten better; unfortunately, nobody wants to have anything to do with him, and the Planeteers drive him away at first. They eventually come to accept him as a useful and necessary ally in the fight to save the environment.
As for the rest, each gets a series-long arc during which they cause trouble and the Planeteers have adventures trying to stop them. The theme is not combat, but redemption, as the villains are gradually persuaded to adopt a more eco-conscious attitude. However, they don't always succeed.
Butchie, I like the idea of Looten Plunder as a Dick Cheney-type. Mind if I steal it?
Sly Sludge is introduced as a David Lesar type who's out to make money and doesn't care what he ends up doing to the planet, but he's smart enough to hide behind carbon credits. He eventually decides to go properly green when he's persuaded it would be more profitable, and bring good publicity.
Verminous Skumm (possibly renamed) was a guy who was mutated by one of Dr. Blight's experiments; due to his terrifying visage, he was kicked out of his village and forced to eke out a living alone. As a result of constant rejection, he became twisted and cruel, and wants to pay back humanity (especially Blight) for his mistreatment. To this end, he gathers a group of similar exiles and they set about spreading disease. Redemption begins when one of the characters shows him kindness; this seed of goodness gradually eats at him until he eventually decides that maybe the exiles might be able to show the normals that they're capable of rising above such cruelty.
I'm thinking Skumm and his early followers should come from India to make a point about the caste system. That also means Ila can be aware of him.
Dr. Blight is a geneticist who simply doesn't let morals get in the way of research. She designs biological weapons for various governments in exchange for big fat wads of cash. At the end of her arc, she decides to move into GM food, as much for the money and good press as for ethical reasons.
Hoggish Greedly can probably be dropped. He doesn't really add anything to the show.
Also, I'd have a new villain called Starraven Greenheart or something. She'd lead a band of hippie eco-terrorists who do things like vandalise nuclear plants and raze farms growing GM food in a misguided attempt to save the planet. Her arc would basically be all about discrediting the Science Is Bad trope.
Finally, the animation and voice acting would be brought up to an acceptable level. This came out around the same time as Gargoyles, Batman The Animated Series, and Spiderman The Animated Series, so there's no excuse for how crap it looked.
Bonus idea: I haven't seen it, but I think a crossover between Captain Planet and Earth Maiden Arjuna would be cool.
Ukrainian Red Cross
Gentlemen, your ideas for rebooting Captain Planet intrigue me, and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.
I would re-do Rainbow Brite as a transforming Magical Girl show, with character designs and tropes in a deliberate homage to shoujo anime.
- Rainbow and the Color Kids would be aged up a few years, to early adolescence. They would have secret identities as ordinary kids, and they would be a Multi National Team instead of just having a Token Minority. In fact, Rainbow Brite herself would be multiracial—in other words, combining several colors in one.
- There would be no Indigo, no Tickled Pink, no Stormy, and no Moonglow. Just six primary and secondary Color Kids plus Rainbow Brite.
- The Color Kids' names would be far less dorky than the originals. Naturally, in their "ordinary kid" identities, they would have Meaningful Names.
- Each color would be directly tied to a vital human emotion such as love, courage, or curiosity. I know this is shades of Care Bears, but there has to be some reason why all the colors are needed beyond "It just looks better that way."
- There would be no goofy-looking Sprites. Instead, each Color Kid would have an animal companion analogous to Starlite. These companions would masquerade as household pets most of the time, then transform into their true forms along with the corresponding Kid. Likewise, Starlite would be disguised as an ordinary white horse, and acquire his rainbow-colored mane and tail and star mark only when Rainbow Brite transforms.
- Rainbow and the Color Kids would answer to an authority figure: Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow. It would eventually be revealed that she was the previous Rainbow Brite in her mortal life, having Ascended To A Higher Plane Of Existence. She would reside in the new version of Rainbowland, called the Garden of All Colors, but Rainbow and the Color Kids would only be able to visit her on rare occasions. The rest of the time, she would speak to them only through the Color Belt.
- Murky Dismal and Lurky are out. The villains would be a genuine threat. The Big Bad would be the Dark One from the original series, but probably not called that (see above note about dorky names), and MD & L would be replaced by a Quirky Miniboss Squad consisting of "Monochrome Kids" associated with Black, Gray, and White. They would be a few years older than Rainbow and the Color Kids, and it would be hinted that they were former Color Kids who were corrupted by the Dark One. They would also be a Power Trio with Gray as Ego, Black as Id, and White as Superego. They may eventually be redeemed.
edited 13th Sep '09 10:46:08 AM by Karalora
1st ever Livepan Snarker
Wow I'm disappointed. We had three posts of absolutely awesome ideas... and then it just kinda fizzled out.
Anyway, I just had a few.
Bonkers
First off, the show would be a live-action/animation combo, just like the movie (Who Framed Roger Rabbit) that inspired it.
His partner would be Miranda Wright, mostly because I never liked Lucky Piquelle. The other toon characters would be done away with and replaced with expies of actual oldschool cartoon characters.
The show would have more of a detective/mystery emphasis—basically it would be more like Dragnet but with cartoon characters, and all that would entail *. However this being Bonkers, the most serious thing I'd deal with would be drugs, and then in a deliberately cartoonish way.
... I was also thinking of doing one for Popeye too, but I can't really see it right now.
And it just gets better from there!
Respect the Red Right Hand
I'd tackle:
Okay, here's my idea. First: Age-up. The girls are now middle schoolers or high schoolers- these
are my designs for them. Retain the old art style. It'd kick off with one arc that sort of deconstructs/parodies the idea of this sort of revival, and the whole concept of killing off bad guys, where after Buttercup gets a tad too enraged in a battle, leaving Mojo Jojo dead, the girls are too busy contemplating their navels to save Townsville. Of course, by the end, Mojo is returned, with this piece of advice- "Status quo is God." It would be a parody of typical comics- Marvel, DC, and otherwise- and superhero tropes, with a fourth wall hardness somewhere between Emperor's New Groove and Deadpool.
Calendar enthusiast
I'll try my hand at Transformers Generation 1, a show I liked as a kid but can still see being improved.
The main change I'll make is to add continuity, so that actions have consequences and plots last longer than two episodes. The art style stays largely the same, but there are more cels used per episode for more fluid movement.
There is no size changing. Megatron transforms into a tank, and Soundwave and Blaster become supercomputers with all sort of built-in observation and spy technology. Their micro-cassettes have very small robot modes which transform into household objects. Perceptor transforms into an electron microscope.
The only characters who can fly are those with aerial altmodes and/or jetpacks. This applies to Autobots and Decepticons.
Sparks are present, but they don't really have any effect on the plot; they're just something that needs to be installed to allow a Transformers to function independently. They come in male and female varieties; a male and a female can each break off a small piece of their spark and combine it with the other's piece to make a new one, explaining the presence of robotic sexual dimorphism and relatives. Also, Transformers reproduce by building new ones, not by mating,or budding, or anything else; mating serves only to produce new souls, and act which can also be accomplished by Vector Sigma.
The massive gulfs of time and space are done away with. Cybertron is in the Milky Way, maybe 15 light years from Earth. The origin story, with Autobots and Decepticons fleeing the planet in search of new energy, remains mostly the same, but they crash on Earth about 10,000 years ago instead of 4 million.
Like in the current IDW continuity, the 'robots in disguise' aspect is important to the plot. The Transformers use their altmodes to disguise themselves among Earth vehicles, only revealing themselves to humans reluctantly and in exceptional circumstances. The Decepticons, as is their wont, try to keep stealing Earth's energy; the Autobots concern themsevles with trying to stop them, while gradually cultivating a good relationship with humanity. Their goal to to build a massive solar harvesting operation on the moon, and possibly a few facilities on Earth; in exchange for humanity's cooperation and assistance, they will share their technology.
The events of the episode "Auto Berserk" occur; however, at the end, Red Alert regains his sanity but not his trust, and decides to stay with Starscream. They go off to form their own faction, and are later joined by Sunstreaker, Blitzwing, Thundercracker, and whatever other jerkass Autobots and noble Decepticons are present. This faction is used to examine the nature of the Autobot-Decepticon conflict and see what the war means to the individual robots.
Meanwhile, Optimus Prime is grooming the young Autobot Hot Rod to be a commander some day. He is often given command of a small mission squad and, though his hot-headed tendencies sometimes get him in trouble, he is usually able to accomplish his mission.
Back on Cybertron, some time after Optimus Prime and Megatron depart, the rest of the Transformers shut down due to lack of energy and infrastructure. The Quintessons arrive to reclaim the planet and begin by attempting to reprogramme and reactivate the remaining Transformers. However, Shockwave is able to cancel his shell programme and leads a second rebellion against them, in the process uniting Autobot and Decepticon, and bringing Cybertron under his control. The united Cybertronians then use a fleet of captured Quintesson ships to invade Quintessa and steal their creators' technology and energy.
Shockwave rules the planets with an iron fist, both literally and metaphorically. However, there are two pockets of resistance who refuse to unite with their . One is the Decepticon Mayhem Attack Squad, led by Carnivac, who aim to cause as much chaos for Shockwave's forces as possible. The other is the Autobot Triumvirate, commanded by Elita-1, Springer, and Dai Atlas, who respectively command the Lighting Strike Coalition, Wrecker, and Battlestar subfactions, each of whom has a particular role in the resistance.
At the climax of series 2, the remaining Quintessons invade Earth, forcing the Transformers to reveal themselves to the humans. After a massive battle, the invasion is repelled and a number of Transformers, including Optimus Prime and Megatron, are scattered to the far reaches of the galaxy. The Matrix falls to Earth, where it is picked up by Hot Rod.
Series 3 primarily follows the efforts of the Autobots to get along with a now-savvy humanity. Both sides attempt to exploit the media to make themselves look like the good guys. There are also a few episodes in space, showing the scattered Transformers attempting to get back to Earth or Cybertron.
The Autobots attempt to elect a new leader, but the votes are evenly split between Prowl, Grimlock, and Ultra Magnus. With no way to resolve the deadlock, it is decided that Hot Rod will hold on to the Matrix until this issue is resolved. Prowl, Grimlock, and Ultra Magnus take on joint leadership of the Autobots, though Hot Rod finds himself frequently attempting to mediate between them. He leads many battles against the Decepticons, gradually becoming wiser and more competent.
Meanwhile, in the absence of Megatron, Starscream seizes control of the Decepticons. Blitzwing, who has been steadily coming to doubt the Decepticon cause, finally loses all faith and defects to the Autobots. Sunstreaker eagerly follows Starscream, loving every minute of the evilness. Under Starscream, the Decepticons are a lot more proactive, taking advantage of the Autobots' leadership crisis to amass a great stockpile of energy.
In the Season Finale, Starscream unleashes a Hate Plague, intending to wipe out humanity and the Autobots, allowing him to plunder Earth's resources without opposition. Hot Rod, frustrated with the commanders' inability to work together, takes the rest of the Autobots on a daring attack on the Decepticon HQ. They manage to destroy the base and stop Starscream's master plan, but are unable to prevent the hate plague from seeding. As it spreads among humanity, Hot Rod opens the Matrix - and it finally accepts him, curing the madness and transforming Hot Rod into Rodimus Prime. Following this, the other Autobots elect him supreme commander.
Over the course of this series, Megatron finds himself on Quintessa and under arrest by orders of Shockwave. Outraged that his lieutenant betrayed him, he manages to reprogramme what Transformers he can and browbeat the rest into joining him, then sets off for Cybertron with his new army.
The next series begins with Starscream exiled and the Decepticons now following Astrotrain. The plot follows Astrotrain's attempt to create a space bridge to return to Cybertron. The Autobots aren't sure what the Decepticons are planning, but oppose it anyway on a matter of principle. Since Astrotrain is a pretty competent leader, he actually manages to achieve this goal, but when he tries to dial into Cybertron, the wormhole is intercepted by Optimus Prime and the band Transformers he'd gathered during his own space adventures, and they use it to return to Earth in time for the halfway point of the series. They reunite with the Earth Autobots and Rodimus, grateful to have his old commander back, relinquishes the Matrix to Optimus; however, he keeps his Rodimus body and rank of Prime to show he's matured into a true leader who doesn't need an artifact to inspire followers. Following this incident, the Decepticons go into hiding.
Meanwhile, Starscream rides that same wormhole to Cybertron and, like Megatron, finds himself under arrest from Shockwave's forces. Starscream manages to find the Mayhem Attack Squad and forces his way into a leadership position, letting him strike back at Shockwave's regime.
The Autobots manage to repair the space bridge which was damaged when Optimus Prime returned. They use it to return to Cybertron, but are pursued by Astrotrain's Decepticons. Both groups arrive at the same time as Megatron's army, with which Astrotrain merges his own forces. Now, the stage is set for an epic, three-way conflict to decide the fate of Cybertron and cap off the show. The Autobots win.
Ukrainian Red Cross
YOSH!
PLOT: Gaia wakes up, her body heavily infected and diseased due to the pollution of the Earth far more excessive than she can manage. No longer able to keep the Earth in check, the Spirits of Apocalypse escape from their seal at the earth's core and proceed to infect human beings to further their destruction. Unable to leave her sanctuary at the risk of allow the Earth to fall to pieces faster, she is forced to release the Six elemental rings.
The five teenagers find the rings in their own way and on the night they find them, Gaia visits them in their dreams to explain the situation. Unable to fathom exactly what's going on, Wheeler ignores it entirely, Ma-Ti tries to seek out what she speaks of, while Kwame, Gi, and Linka take her advice with a grain of salt.
about five days later, Kwame and Gi have just arrived in New York for University while Linka an exchange student who had been there about a month earlier. Ma-ti arrived via smuggling ring after getting a strange "feeling" about a suspicious claim about a University professor who may have revolutionized genetics.
I haven't decided how suspicious they get when they seem to come across the people who looks like the ones in their dream, but the genetics professor, known as Dr. Blight, does make a appearance and an announcement of her findings, only for those findings to "escape" and begin of wreck havoc.
Dr. Blights creations are unethical creations of hybrids created from Zoo animals. The Planeteers are bale to halt them, but Dr. Blight disappears.
Gaia contacts them via Ma-ti and explains that Dr. Blight's progressions was the result of addling by the spirits of destruction and the only way to truly exorcise the Doctor is to find the "Planet Orb" to purify her and reseal the spirit.
The rest of the story consists of them trying to find the planet orb, and when they do, trying to fend off against the monsters made by the Spirits of destruction and try to do things on their own.
MACGUFFIN: the Planet Orb is how they summon captain Planet. By having Kwame active the secondary powers of their rings (A la "Let Our Powers Combine") and they use their rings on the orb, Captain Planet will Manifest. However, if the problem is something the planeteers can handle, he'll sardonically mutter "The power is yours" and not allow himself to be resummoned.
Later, Captain Planet rebounds his energy from the orb, so one or all of the planeteers become "Captain Planets" and he manifests as an ordinary human.
CHARCTERS:
Kwame: The Hero. The level-headed, solid, and realistic leader of the team who makes the best judgments. He came to American to study agriculture. Kwame can be impatient and sometimes great stress or events moving too quickly causes him discomfort Kwame delivers his humor in a deadpan manner.
His power of earth allows him to create earthquakes, fissures, stalagmites, and small things like fling rocks and dirt.
Jason "Wheeler": The Lancer. The second in command who despite his rashness, is trusted by Kwame. What Wheeler lacks in good judgment and intelligence he makes up for with frankness, quick-thinking, and being a determinator. He's still somewhat obnoxious. He's also a street-smart kid.
Wheeler can't use his ring unless he charges it under the sun first. He usually tries to keep it charged in case of rainy days. His power over fire allows him to manipulate it at will. He also ha s a power over heat that allows him to raise the temperature of a room, or suck all the warmth away.
Gi: The Smart Guy. Gi is aiming to be a Marine biologist, but she knows a little bit of a lot of things. Gi is clever, flexible, and has a lot of connections, however when she's passionate about something, she will be stubborn and almost immature.
Gi's power over water allows her to manipulate any clean body of water. When she really concentrates, she can summon the water in the air, or control clouds and bring down rain, but it's really straining for her.
Linka: Action Girl? Linka is an independent and strong-willed person, but a poor judge of character. She's probably the most cynical of the group until Jane comes in (See below). Linka is talented with music and computers and is a vary practical person. She's known as a perfectionist and gets depressed when she can't get things "just right".
Ma-Ti: The Chick. The youngest and most naive in the group. he's childish, but very understanding and kindly. He can be overly emotional and insecure. He also occasionally makes reckless or childish decisions are actions. He tends to get obsessive with any new thing he's doing.
Ma-Ti's power of heart allows him to communicate telepathically with animals, insects, birds, sea life, and people and even emphatically influence them. He also has empathy and control of plants. Ma-ti's power also allows him to sense the proximity of a Spirit of Destruction and his power is the key to their exorcism.
Jane: The Sixth Ranger. A somewhat arrogant, adventurous, and sardonic lass with a smart mouth and witty sense of humor. Jane is lively and animated, but sometimes rubs people the wrong way. She tends to have outlandish interests. She treats stupidity with contempt and has a tendency to punch Wheeeler for some of his reckless decisions. Jane was the last one to find her ring and the last one to join the Planeteers.
Jane's power of electricity allows her to create small strikes of electricity and create flashes of light. when she really concentrates, she can summon bolts of lighting to smite things. She can also disrupt any electrical system.
Captain Planet: A witty, brave, and pun-loving hero who usually makes the Planeteers do all the work. He's a Trickster Mentor. His powers are based on the elements endowed by the rings but are far more extensive than the Planeteers can even imagine. His weakness is an enormous amount of Pollution but cleanliness tends to recover him. His hobbies include travelling, fishing, writing bad jokes, and flirting with women.
VILLAINS:
Dr. Blight: a brilliant geneticist who tries to shift the course of her research before it got too controversial, but the Spirit of destruction steered her towards the course of hybrids, Darwinist evolution, and disregard for the basics of nature.
Duke Nukem: A scientist who had the usual Bronze Age origin of falling into a vat of Nuclear waste where he only survived because a Spirit of destruction brought him back as a radiation consuming monster that allows Dr. Nukem's mind to manifest only to produce more nuclear energy.
Verminous Skumm: a mutant who was driven from his village because of his rat-like appearance, he took refuge in the sewer, living, surviving. Then a spirit of Destruction took his sadness and turned it into aggression and a drive for revenge as well as more rat-like qualities that were physically beneficial to him. He now uses the rats to usurp the human oppressors.
Smythe Sludge: An inventor who works under a branch of Lootin Plunder's industries. He is sneaky, greedy, and does everything as cheaply as possible.
Malcolm "Mal" Function: A computer genius who was trying to integrate the mind with the computer. His body was zapped and supposedly never seen again. He was found later as a computer program, succeeding in his plans, but losing his body in the process. A spirit of destruction helped him survive that. He teams up with Dr. Blight for her to create the perfect and enhanced new body for him while he hacks computers for her as a virus.
Lootin and Robin Plunder: Lootin is corrupt-corporate executive who will make money no matter what the means. He is a legal genius and knows every loop-hole. His little brother, Robin, is a brilliant bum he took under his wing who attempts to help his brother with his seemingly useless inventions. When a spirit of Destruction takes Robin, his inventions become increasingly more useful for Lootin, and when Captain Planet comes to the scene, Robin becomes obsessed with his "Captain Pollution" projects.
Hoggish Greedly: I got nuthin' as of now.
I get the feeling I missed something
When All Else Fails, you have fun and flirt wit da ladies, dats da Drawings way!
Advice: make Robin Plunder a woman. The name still works, and it gives the villains an Affirmative Action Girl. In fact, you could even make her Looten's wife, and they could be a snooty rich WASP couple who don't really love each other at all but think the marriage is worth it because each one is hoping to outlive the other and inherit the whole works.
1st ever Livepan Snarker
I got to admit, I'm impressed with the ideas presented so far. From everyone.
And it just gets better from there!
I'm enjoying reading them myself, but seriously—didn't anyone besides me watch anything other than Captain Planet back in the day?
(Edited because I remembered that CP actually missed the 80s by a smidgen, not that you'd know it to look at Cap's hair or the overall tenor of the show.)
edited 16th Sep '09 1:44:40 PM by Karalora
YOSH!
I was a child in the 90s, Captain Planet was drifting on and off the air at the time methinks, and I saw it as having the most potential for a plot than my other childhood shows. Powerpuff Girls, Dexters Lab, Ed Eddn Eddy, and Johnny Bravo were good as the gag-a-days they were.
When All Else Fails, you have fun and flirt wit da ladies, dats da Drawings way!
Calendar enthusiast
@Kara: I watched plenty of cartoons as a kid, but Captain Planet is just so much fun to rework.
Ukrainian Red Cross
Well, I actually also had an idea for a remake of Captain Planet, but it's very different than what you guys have envisioned.
For a remake of Captain Planet, I would:
- Give it to the guys at Studio Gainax who made Evangelion.
- Make it a dark deconstruction of it's former self, with the Planeteers as realistic ecoterrorists (Who just happen to ahve superpowers), with a full exploration of the implications.
- Give the villains plausible motivatons. For example, Looten Plunder would have his entire motivation based on the environment-destroying concept of progress as humanity destroying and conquering a haostile and merciless wilderness (Which is how Nature will be portrayed in this series, to make it closer to reality) to replace it with a shining utopia of sleek, manmade technology and civilization. Dr. Blight would be a Norman Borlaug type who tries to feed the hungry and help the less fortunate in third-world countries, but in doing so ends up destroying the environment as well (Although she does manage to help people, but it's unsustainable in the end). Verminous Skumm would be a rat-demon running a cult based on recognizing the inner darness of mankind and helping to release it through things like plague, drugs, propaganda and elaborate social experiments (Think things lie Milgram's work or the Stanford Prison Experiment, but on a much larger scale).
- Make Gaia more ambiguous in her views towards humanity, in that she values human life very, very little as long as the planet is saved
- Make Ma-Ti actually realise the usefulness of his power of Heart, to the level where it becomes A God Am I
- Have the series center around the idea that maybe the fight to save the environment is hopeless thanks to the nature of humanity and civilization, basically the Hayo Miyazaki idea that when it comes to saving the environment, we're absolutely fucked.
- Make the ending have human civilization destroyed by Gaia and 90% of humanity killed by her hordes of all devouring greenery.
And as for not making the shows we "revive" into outright porn, that's actally what I was thinking of to turn Totally Spies into. Why? Because, the show itself is asinine in terms of premise and plots, and all the show's episodes seem to focus on showcasing the writer's fetishes (In fact, I think that one episode in which Clover turned into a catgirl converted most of the kids who watched it into the furry fold. No, I'm not one of them. Although she did make a pretty hot catgirl). Turning it into porn would just be making it honest about its intentions. Plus, it would be one of the first Western hentai series, and therefore a milestone in Western Animation. Yay!
edited 19th Sep '09 4:05:54 PM by Dreamer
Troper For Hire
Oh, I got a good one that could definitely benefit: Stickin' Around
Mind you, this would be more of film-based adaptation rather than a whole new series (no sequels to this one). Part of the reason is mostly due to it's premise and art direction (well, I think it's pretty neat, actually). Right then:
- Keep the Stick Figure Comic art direction, since that's what made it what it was when it was still airing on TV.
- Severely downplay the catch phrases, especially the one regarding "Aliens from Uranus".
- Actually have the parents of the other characters (especially Bradley) show up.
- In general, just take what made it decent and up the anty with it (without going all Darker and Edgier).
-Plot Outline-
Vague details on the plot, but I do know it would start off during graduation day where the kids graduate from Middle Stick Elementary, and the graduation celebration would delve into something right out of an urban-themed Beat Em Up (as an imagination sequence, of course). Of course, the six main characters (including Lance and Russell) get to go to middle school once summer vacation ends. And when they finally do, after a brief moment of recollection and introspective during summer, boy do things get rough. Middle school in general becomes twice the challenge the characters had previously dealt with in the past. Bradley gets shoveled in with hardcore pen-and-paper RPG addicts (another source of imagination sequences)that're even more dorky than he is (they also disapprove of his interests). Dill struggles to speak with a normal volume voice since his "usual" voice is too disruptive for class. Polly has a hard time being taken seriously despite her intellect, which is challenged further by the teachers, and at least once is labeled a "necromancer" by the nerds Bradley hangs out with (due to her dead poodle). Lance has to put up with the very strict rules regarding bullying (he does get his chance with Bradley when gym class teaches wrestling, though), but sometimes allies with a handsome blonde guy that does the same thing he does, albeit in a more "casual" fashion. Russell starts getting a sense of better hygene since his "funky smell" is no longer tolerable and ends up being a lady's man as a result. But of all people, Stacy would have it the worst, dealing with a group of girls obsessing over handsome teen idols (akin to the Backstreet Boys) and undergoes a rivalry with a foreign exchange student (from Japan, and is also female), and the Imagine Spot sequences become the hotpad to support such a relationship. I'm not sure what would happen from there on out, but I do know the Imagine Spot sequences, which, in the past, have helped Bradley and Stacy overcome their everyday problems with ease, now become hazardous obstacle courses that result in the combined byproduct of peer pressure, the new kids they meet, and the fact that middle school is definitely no cake walk. Oh, and it would have to be PG-rated.
Intro Sequence: Again, vague on the details, but it would the Crowning Moment of Awesome type of intro (I'd ditch the Expository Theme Song from the show, though).
Tagline: Their imagination will never be the same.
Alternative method: Just make it into another series, and here are examples of the episode names I'd use (once again, no idea on actual plots)
- Burpocalypse Now: The one episode name for which I have an actual idea for. Let's just say it involves some deadly burps powerful enough to split the land into two and stuff.
- Bored Into Being Wild
- Graham Finale
Well, that's it from me.
edited 13th Apr '10 6:47:32 PM by DBAce9Aura
That game ain't right
I'm not dead yet!
I'd tackle Danny Phantom.
It would revolve around Danny and Sam's kids trying to live up to their father's legacy. Danny spends a ton of time training them because, let's face it, who else could do it? Most of the ghosts make a comeback and either Danny or the kids have to fight them off. Depending on the situation.
One episode would involve the return of Dan aka "Dark Danny". He kidnaps Sam and the younger kid, but Danny is able to fight him off just long enough for the older kid to escape. They spend the rest of the episode trying to stop him from killing Danny's parents and saving Sam and the child.
We're going to spread this shit like Nutella.
Mr. Dr.
I'd want to to remake The Grim Adventures Of Billy And Mandy but instead of making it a comedy, make it a straight up horror filled series with comedic elements.
- First Irwin has got to go. I never really liked him in the first place as he never contributed anything to the series, except for being the most annoying character there. I always hated how self inflates his ego was and how he was always trying to kiss Mandy. That wasn't funny or endearing. That was stupid and borderline harassment. He was The Scrappy.
- Do NOT make this a gross out series Honestly what point did featuring Saliva's drool or Billy's snot do for the show? It wasn't funny, it was awkward and unsettling and removed all elements of intelligence from the show. I always hated this element the most. If you're going to go in this angle, at least use blood and gore instead.
- Focus moe on Grim's job and Show him actually killing something. Stop beating sound the bush with magical portals and everything. He's the Grim Reaper, show that he actually has the capacity to send people to their graves. Additionally, I would like the series to have several episodes to Grim's duties as a reaper, like having people who don't think they're dead or escaped serial killers who manage to escape his grasp.
- Keep Mandy cynical and sarcastic but remove her outwright mean spiritedness In the first episode, she was still cruel and sarcastic, but as you could see through her interactions with Grim she at least was pretty polite and hospitable. In the rest of the series, however, she was so horribly flanderized into a Jerk Ass Sue that she would instantly abandon her friends to save herself or sell them out for world domination. I'd want her to be a Deadpan Snarker than simply evil for no reason.
- Make Billy less insanely stupid Same thing with Billy, although he was always shown to be stupid. I'd want his dynamic with Mandy to be moreover something less of a Dumb Guy and Angry Girl comedy routine and moreover something simply like an optimist vs a pessimist. Billy should be eternally happy, always looking on the positives while Mandy sees things on the negatives. Sort of like Nozomu Itoshiki and Kafuka, their humor lies in their opposing world views. Making him stupid simply removes this element and makes him insanely annoying.
- Make more side characters and the supporting cast smarter Stop having Grim and Mandy the sole characters on the show that actually have intelligence. It's really really annoying for them to be interacting with idiots who have the brain capacity of a walnut. At least give Mandy a worthy adversary who she can engage in a battle of wits from time to time, or make Boogie less pathetic and actually a criminal mastermind. Having something like that would be much more interesting.
- Episodes featuring a Monster of the Week should be intentionally scary. I can't actually think of a time Grim Adventures had any High Octane Nightmare Fuel, even though it totally deserved some. It's got the Death for heavens sake! Episodes featuring monsters should be purposely scary, not comedic or slapstick.
- Make Hoss Delgado and Jeff regulars This is something I might be interested in. The dynamic between him and Grim was always interesting and I really wish that they had explored more. They hate each other but still have a deep seated respect for one another. Same with Billy and Jeff, except occasionally throw Jeff a bone and allow Billy to actually warm up to him, kind of.
- The Underworld should be Darker and Edgier Not much I can say here except I'd rather have creepy Tim Burton-esque monsters roaming around the land of death than freaking Giant Birds driving hamburger cars.
- Make it easier for Grim to actually like Billy And Mandy. Yes, he was enslaved by them to be their best friend forever. Yes they do cause him annual stress on a regular basis. Yes all of the problems that arise are due to their negligence and that they constantly don't listen to him. But Grim nonetheless comes and saves them thoughout the series and they are shown to be his only actual friends, so make them at least treat Grim nicer. It should be noted that while he does dislike them, he still does like them at times, and these moments should be at the heart of the series. Show that they actually do need each other and that it's not impossible for an eternally happy boy, a sardonic girl and the Personification of Death to actually like each other.
edited 18th Sep '10 2:24:07 PM by Mattonymy
You are displaying abnormally high compulsions to over-analyze works of fiction and media. Diagnosis: TV Tropes Addiction.
Respect the Red Right Hand
Focus moe on GrimNecro, but I couldn't help but point this out. So what sort of moe do you see being focused on Grim? Glasses? Ponytail? Maybe schoolgirl uniform? ![[lol]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lol2v12_4863.png "[lol]"){kind=small}
Honestly I love this thread.
edited 4th Oct '10 4:20:37 PM by Ronnie
Mr. Dr.
Hey I did type that entire thing on an iPod Touch!
But moe death? I guess that would have to be something like this [1]
◊
The Critic.
Webisodes never happened, series is set in the early nineties, or at least where the second season left off. Make sure Jay and Alice's relationship is a major component of the series, but NEVER let it completely take over: I mean, we ain't doing Dawson's Creek here, or whatever. Do at least one episode where Jay contemplates his mortality (with typical Critic wackiness occurring throughout, natch): a decent undercurrent for the season might be the idea that Jay's getting older. Earlier plots have focused on his loneliness, his insecurities about his job, his desire to be a good father, etc.: a mild story of aging might tie those threads together well. Again, though, keep it funny, keep it funny, keep it funny. Bring Cyrus back in an episode. Have two season finales: a "real" one, possibly about Jay and Alice's relationship, and a "joke" one, where ALL OF JAY SHERMAN'S GREATEST FOES UNITE TO GET THEIR REVENGE ONCE AND FOR ALL!!!
edited 4th Oct '10 4:47:38 PM by punchy
After drinking tea, downing a vicodin pill and reading the "So Bad Its Horrible" thread again to find inspiration for my forthcoming 80s cartoon topic *, I had an idea for this mental exercise:
Here's the situation: YOU have been chosen to head a revival project. This cartoon has been there, had its day, and left the limelight, and now the corporate execs feel its time for a comeback, and they say you are the (wo)man for the job!
WHAT CARTOON WOULD IT BE?
And
HOW WOULD YOU DO IT?
Rules of the
Death NoteRevival Game:1. You can't say "I'd turn the job down." (Please don't spam this topic just to post that. Please? Pretty please?)
2. DO NOT just say "I'd make it Darker and Edgier / Lighter and Softer." Describe how you would do that.
3. The revival has to feature the main characters and concepts of the original, but other than that you're free to reimagine it however you want (ie you can't make a revival of Dexter's Laboratory that doesn't feature Dexter, Deedee, or a laboratory, but you can make a version where Deedee is Dexter's mother and the laboratory is actually owned by space aliens based on the moon).
4. Assume that you will not be hindered by Executive Meddling or Screwed by the Network or Creative Differences between members of yoru staff. We're talking the kind of miraculous conditions that almost never happen in real life.
5. You can do anything you want, except make the revival an outright porn.
That's it! Now get crackin'!
footnote
—-
Here's a show I'd tackle:
Would change a bunch of the names so that there are a lot less cat-centric names *. I'd downplay the role of the Turbo Kat and have the heroes do a lot more ground-based work *.
Dark Kat would be a mysterious figure who is operating behind the scenes, and all the other villains in the show would be just allies attempting to help him achieve his ultimate goal. His role would be so subtle that the SWAT Kats would not even know of his existence until midway through the season and would not even meet him until the season finale.
There would also be a story arc that would be basically an expanded retelling (do we have a trope for that?) of the original series episode "A Bright and Shiny Future," except that fitting in with the new story arc it would be Dark Kat who conquers instead of the Metallikats, and also in this version the SWAT Kats would reveal their identities to the future versions of everyone they knew in the past *.
—-
Well, have a go at it!
edited 26th Aug '09 9:50:01 PM by James_S_Pratt
And it just gets better from there!