The history of children’s TV is pretty much littered with poor quality cartoons. Bland, badly animated, derivative pap churned out in factory like conditions by an industry that doesn’t respect it’s consumers.
I’m sure some will denounce me for a heretic, but Hanna Barbara was the worst for this. Oh yes, we all get a nostalgic twinge whenever we see Scooby-Doo or Stop the Pigeon. But if you take off those rose tinted glasses and hold them up to the harsh light of adult perspective then you’ll most likely see them for the crud that they unfortunately are.
Hannah Barbara redeemed themselves somewhat in the 90′s, with clever, stylish, and witty shows like Dexter’s Laboratory, Johnny Bravo, and The Powerpuff Girls. But other companies took over the mantle of injecting cheap mass produced shit directly into our kid’s brains.
I’ve been noticing a very alarming trend recently. Shows aimed at pre-schoolers that I have previously respected such as Fireman Sam and Thomas the Tank Engine are slowly taking a nose dive into mediocracy.
The problem isn’t in the writing. Fireman Sam’s is still pretty good – a hefty dollop of fire safety combined with a couple of stock comedy characters. Thomas the Tank Engine is rather more dubious, but then again it always has been (see this post by Dad Who Writes for an intelligent take on problems with Thomas)
What has changed with these two programs is that they have switched from being lovingly crafted using beautifully made models and painstaking stop motion animation to being churned out in box standard, mundane, noticeably cheap CGI.
Bah.
My siblings and I were once given a personal tour of Cosgrove Hall Studios by a friend of my father’s who worked there. To be honest it was one of the most memorable days of my childhood. We talked to a chap who was in the middle of drawing a Count Duckula episode, got to handle the models from Cholton an the Wheelies, and saw a lot of original cells from Jamie and the Magic Torch.
But the thing that looms largest in my memory was seeing the sets and the models for Wind in the Willows. I remember being struck almost dumb but how intricate and beautiful they were. The model makers and animators involved with those shows were true artists, in the purest sense of the term.
Now compare and contrast with Chuggington. Or Underground Ernie. Or the very worst culprit, Noddy. You see the difference?
As I say – bland badly animated derivative pap churned out in factory like conditions by an industry that doesn’t respect it’s consumers.
I’m not saying computer animation can’t be art. Just look at Pixar. We recently got UP and Toy Story 1&2 to review on Blu-Ray, and all three are wonderful. Up in particular was stunning, and arguably the best film of 2009, animation or not. I’m going to review them properly at a later date – but all three movies show that CGI animation can be high quality and full of artistic merit.
But that’s not the case with Fireman Sam and Thomas. They are complete pants. Which makes me sad, because they used to be full to the brim with quality animation.
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A subject close to my heart, children’s television. I didn’t realise Fireman Sam was going CGI. Mind you I’m not a fan as he’s so self-sanctimonious. My children love him though. My son has started watching Playhouse Disney where all the animation is the same. Boring. It’s a shame Thomas is CGI too now, we have lots of the Ringo Starr series on DVD. My children love the CGI in Thomas though. I really hope Postman Pat and Bob the Builder will hold out. And Timmy Time is quite new I can imagine that staying as it is, I suppose because it’s Aardman it will never go down the CGI route. These series will never be of the quality you see in Disney Pixar films because they don’t have the budget. So you get some half-hearted animation instead. Bring back Trumpton and The Flumps I say.
.-= Emily O´s last blog ..Launching the GoochiCoo blog =-.
@Emily O, playhouse disney is a prime example of the cgi epidemic.
I doubt postman pat will go CGI, as it’s made by cosgrove hall which is one of the last bastions – as is Aardman obviously.
Sorry were you being sarcastic saying the Powerpuff girls is superior to Scooby Doo. I would hate to turn this into a fight but if you would just like to step outside for a moment I will show you my strength of feeling – I’ll bring Shaggy and Scooby – guys, hey guys – yueks – Rut Roh – Ree hee hee!!!!!
But Scooby aside – I agree!
.-= Kelloggsville´s last blog ..Mr Cadbury and The Down Fall of Lent =-.
@Kelloggsville, Scooby Doo is shockingly bad – I’m sorry but it is. They have one (poor) storyline and atrocious animation. As I say, without nostalgia to back it up it’s absolutely nothing.
There is also simple charm to the early stop-motion narratives, which is lost to the technical advance of modern alternatives. Think of Ivor the Engine and the Clangers by Oliver Postgate – or Brian Cant doing the voice over for Trumpton and John Alderton for Fireman Sam. In fact, I think the voice over (done by one person narrating all characters) is one of the biggest losses with the modern versions.
.-= mark´s last blog ..Books I’m reading # 7 =-.
@mark, yes, I agree.
It might come in a few years, when nostalgia has the chance to work it’s magic. But there is no charm that I can see in any of the shoddy CGI cartoons.
CGI = evil and lame.
re: any movie since Polar Express by Robert Zemekis; “Avatar”
.-= Always Home and Uncool´s last blog ..Aromatherapy Stinks =-.
@Always Home and Uncool, I don’t entirely agree. As I say Pixar does some good stiff. And the TV show Jimmy Neutron has charm.
But currently CGI has become a crutch for extremely cheap kids TV.
Johnny Bravo and Cow & Chicken have to be two of the best cartoon inventions EVER.
I don’t like CGI in the examples you’ve used, simply because it looks “fake”. The older versions seemed more real – or is that because we were so amazed by stop motion?
And I am now INSANELY jealous that you have handled Chorlton…
@Nickie @ Typecast, yup – and Mr Toad too.
As I say, one of the most memorable days of my life.
I’m very tempted actually to start a Kids TV blog. I really don’t need any more blogs!
I was a Noddy fan as a kid. It really depresses me to see what’s become of it. I’ll let my boy watch a lot of things, but not Noddy.
.-= People in the Sun´s last blog ..Madeline =-.
@People in the Sun, yes, the animation on that show is shocking. To be fair to them it was one of the first CGI tv show made, and so the tech was probably more limited than what it is now. But to my mind that’s a poor excuse as even back then it could have been better – they just chose to spend as little cash on it as possible.
Winnie the Pooh is another one veering toward mediocrity. I used to love the old Pooh cartoons, not for the quality of the animation but the quality of the storytelling. Modern Pooh is, well, poo. And what the hell happened to Christopher Robin?
.-= A Free Man´s last blog ..There’s a time and place for everything I’ve got to get it through =-.
@A Free Man, yes, you are completely right. Disney have turned it into a merchandising machine and lost much of it’s charm. Who the hell is this Darby?
Through the 1960s my dads office was on the floor below the UK Walt Disney distributors, he knew the people who worked there quite well and would often bring home the posters advertising the Disney films that would be given to the cinemas with each new release.
I had loads of them right through the 60s, Dumbo, Jungle Book, Aristocats, 101 Dalmations, almost everything that was released during that time – its how I learned to draw, I was ace at drawing Mickey Mouse.
And I almost daren’t think too much about this but I think, I think, that when the people who worked in the Disney office heard about my drawing their posters they got me an actual cell from a Mickey Mouse cartoon – I hope and pray that I am wrong with that memory, because…
I wish I’d kept them.
But I didn’t.
.-= Gary´s last blog ..A Hell of a Bargain =-.
@Gary, If you’d kept them I suspect you’d be a significant amount richer than you are today I’m afraid.
Ah well, such is life.
Apparently the next series of Bob the Builder is to be CGI as well. Is nothing sacred?
.-= Barbara´s last blog ..Secret Path =-.
@Barbara, really? That’s horrific. I really worry about these talented craftsmen and women being put out of work as well. The bastards.
Cheers for the link! And I completely agree – Chuggington in particular drives me potty on that score (though little elf having a major Chuggington fetish for a few months didn’t help…)
.-= dadwhowrites´s last blog ..“Randy Described Eternity” =-.
I was just talking to someone about this today. I prefer the old style Thomas the Tank Engine compared with the new animated version. But my son seems to like the Chuggington show, which in my opinion is a poorly done knock off. I’m just not a fan of this cheap animation and was glad to see your article.