The ’90s and early 2000s could be considered the golden age of children’s tv. The days of waking up, turning on the tv and hearing the theme song to cartoons like: ‘Hey Arnold, ‘Catdog,’ and ‘Spongebob’ may not be just a distant memory. Nostalgia is in the air, and it’s apparent as shows and movies are receiving reboots left and right.
Hanna-Barbera’s ‘Scooby-Doo’ has been around for more than five decades, the first title in the series was ‘Scooby-Doo, Where are You!’ Since then, The ‘Scooby-Doo’ franchise has seen 12 series, the latest title in the franchise being ‘Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?’ which aired back in 2019 and included celebrity guests to lend their voices. Stars like The ‘Scooby-Doo’ universe has expanded to movies. ‘Scoob’ is the most recent movie in the Scooby-Doo franchise. It was released in 2020 and a spinoff titled ‘Scoob! Holiday Haunt’ is scheduled for a late 2022 release.
‘Teen Titans’ is another cartoon that has been updated and re-released for younger audiences. The show’s original plot leaned towards a dramatic, more serious tone. The show originally aired in 2003, and after five seasons was canceled in 2006. In 2013, the show returned as ‘Teen Titans Go!’ with mixed reviews due to a change of direction in the tone. “Teen Titans Go’ premiered with a new animation style and a less serious plotline. Despite fans of the original being disappointed in the show’s shift, ‘Teen Titans Go!’ has been greenlit for its 8th season which will air on Cartoon Network.
The original ‘Rugrats’ aired in 1991 and had a 9-season run until 2004. Rumors about the show being rebooted first spawned in 2015. February 2021 the official reboot of ‘Rugrats’ was announced. The show’s reboot aired in August of that same year, with updated animation and minor adjustments to the storylines of the show. The show has been picked up for its second season and the ‘Rugrats’ reboot can be found on Paramount+.
Disney’s ‘Proud Family’ took the world by storm when it first aired in 2001. The show was centered around Penny Proud as she dealt with topics like colorism, self-esteem, and even racism. ‘The Proud Family’ was short-lived, after only 2 seasons, Disney pulled the plug on the series. After 17 years, ‘The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder’ aired on February 23, 2022, exclusively on Disney Plus+. The show returned to its original roots of discussing serious topics such as homophobia, bullying, learning about different cultures, amongst other things.
Those who used to wake up early Saturday morning with a bowl of their favorite cereal just might be able to relive those childhood days. Thanks to the recent uprise in cartoon reboots, there is no telling which vintage cartoon will make a comeback.
