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Phil (repost by Aris) writes...

Greg, thanks for your time.

I'd like to offer my treatise on the status of Disney TV animation. As a former development exec you're uniquely qualified to comment on my thoughts. This can go under the category: Bringing Gargoyles Back.

First let me say that I became a Gargoyles fan because I was already a Disney fan. I enjoyed almost everything on the Disney Afternoon: Gummi Bears, Tale Spin, Aladdin, etc. (My friends joke that if Pokemon were renamed Disney's Pokemon I'd love that too.)

Although Disney's acquisition of Captial Cities/ABC was a great move for the company as a whole, it was a blow to the creativity level of TV animation. After its first eclectic year of finishing off projects in progress, Disney's Saturday morning lineup hit its stride with "One Saturday Morning." An entire line-up of cartoons on a single theme: pre-teens in school.

I really enjoyed Doug, Recess, and Pepper Ann at first. Now, however, in their third (Doug's fourth) seasons, it's getting a little redundant. Even last week's premier of a new show, The Weekenders, was somewhat familiar. Disney's syndicated series (formerly Disney Afternoon, now Disney's One Too) are also the same ones we see on Saturday.

This doesn't bode well for the return of Gargoyles. Unless your Dark Ages spinoff focuses on the trio as kids, it just doesn't fit into the precast mold. What's a Gargoyles fan to do? Barring Saturday morning and syndication, I see two other alternatives.

First, the hour-long prime-time drama. This is an intriguing and exciting idea. Something new and different. A recent USA Today interview with Bob Iger (Disney's new president) vaunted his support for new and different ideas. A dramatic cartoon, however, may be a little too different.

A second obstacle to the prime-time drama idea is the change in audience. Goliath's clan would require too much review and explanation to get a new audience up to speed. Perhaps one of the spin-offs that doesn't have as much pre-established history would work in this format (Pendragon, New Olympians).

That leaves only one viable option for the Manhattan clan: Toon Disney. The Disney Channel started its sister operation over a year ago to compete with the Cartoon Network owned by AOL / Time / Warner / Turner / Hanna-Barbera / etc. (PS: How does that compare to Xanatos's conglomeration? Sorry. Separate question, separate post.)

There is one primary difference between Cartoon Network and Toon Disney: original programming. As much as I like Gummi Bears, DuckTales, Tale Spin, etc., a man can only watch so many reruns. I see this as an excellent outlet for pent up creativity in the Disney TV animation department. They could go beyond the cookie cutter Saturday shows and direct-to-video movie sequels and do new and different things with less risk, since Toon Disney does't rely on advertising.

Toon Disney could ovbiously benefit from a little corporate attention. Their decision not to show "Deadly Force" tells me that there's not a lot of thought going into programming. Whatever is gathering dust in the Disney and DIC vaults is put on the air as long as it's appropriate for little kids, according to some clerk.

It is my conclusion that the best bet for bringing back Gargoyles is Toon Disney, but only if the Company is seriously interested in making it a competitive challenger to the Cartoon Network and not just a dumping ground for old programs.

This turned out to be a longer ramble than I expected, but thanks again for your time, Greg.

Greg responds...

Toon Disney, as far as I know right now, does not have the budget to make new episodes of ANYTHING.

And I don't see anyone making an hour primetime animated drama anytime soon.

So in the short term, neither of your suggestions seems viable.

But I'm in this for the long haul. And over time, things change. Syndication is dismal, but ABC's Saturday Morning could shake up. Once upon a time, the Disney Channel had no budget for original programming either. Now they do. They currently aren't interested in Gargoyles. (I know. I asked.) But that could change in a year or two. (And if the live-action movie comes out, it could change overnight.) And some day, Toon Disney could get the money to make something.

Even the primetime arena could change.

And tv is no longer our only resource.

So don't give up. Four years ago, I warned everyone that bringing GARGOYLES back had become a long-term quest. So far most of you have stuck with me. Stick it out a few years longer. I really do think your loyalty will pay off.

Response recorded on August 01, 2000