Why isn't the original TMNT cartoon on TV anymore?

[ledahead]

As far as I know, the original ninja turtles cartoon has not been on TV since USA network aired it on weekday mornings as part of their cartoon express line up in the mid 90s. It seems strange that with the resurgence of TMNT's popularity over the past decade which included a new cartoon and movie, that television networks wouldn't have taken advantage of this and aired the original show again. They did with G.I. Joe as episodes of the old show are being aired on cable because the new G.I. Joe Renegades series has come out. I know that I can own the entire series on DVD but seeing the original cartoon actually being aired on TV again would somehow be even better. Why do you guys think the original cartoon hasn't been on TV in such a long time? I wonder if TV execs think that kids today would not be able to relate to the original cartoon because its style and personality is specific to the late 80s/early 90s era. Or maybe networks have had trouble getting the rights to air the original cartoon. If it was aired on TV again I definitely think people would watch it.

[Powder]

The rights have been held on to pretty tightly. Plus they've wanted to encourage DVD sales. It may end up on Nicktoons or something soon enough.

[Lance_Steele]

The rights have been held on to pretty tightly. Plus they've wanted to encourage DVD sales. It may end up on Nicktoons or something soon enough.


I hope so.

When USA started showing reruns of the show I saw episodes I missed out when it aired the first time. Like some episodes from the second, third, and fourth(Syndicated) seasons. I also missed the sixth season because of the fact that I lived on an army base in Germany and they were showing nothing but reruns. I caught up to the series thanks in part of USA. So I do hope its back on TV through Nicktoons.

[pannoni1]

This question has been asked since 1997, and since then there are many reasons. First, while USA Network still had the rights to the original cartoon in the late '90s, the cancellation of the Cartoon Express and a shift toward more original programming instead of being viewed as a "used car network" hurt, as Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and the Disney Channel had by then been seen as the future of cartoons which became true. In the early 2000s before 4kids, demand was just not high enough to give it a second chance, even though it had some good memories. Throughout much of the 4kids era, releasing DVDs over reruns was good, since it enticed viewers to watch the new cartoon, which could have been seen as a ploy for fans of the original cartoon to buy the VHS tapes and the DVDs released by Lionsgate. I don't think that the old cartoon will be viable for viewing on TV until the DVDs (including the complete set coming up) go out of print, though its up to Nickelodeon to determine whether having more DVD issues or providing reruns to serve as a tie-in to promote the new series provides more effect.

[46pǝqqoɹʇoƃsodxƎ]

Its still on in Canada. Its on tonight at Teletoon Retro at 1:30am Eastern time.
The description says its Turtle Tracks so it might be the first of a cycle of all the episodes.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

And how many years would a complete re-run last, from "Turtle Tracks" to "Divide & Conquer"?

[pannoni1]

And how many years would a complete re-run last, from "Turtle Tracks" to "Divide & Conquer"?

If the series was run five days a week, it would take nine months for a complete rerun, which I feel is a good run since it means that there are plenty of episodes to avoid rerun fatigue. 4kids would take about seven and a half months when shown five days a week with one new episode a day. That's a nice rerun package for the network. If the OT was rerun on Saturday and Sunday only, it would take nearly two years to complete the series, and about a year and a half for 4kids. Once a week would take too long (3 3/4 years OT, just over 3 years for 4kids).

[TurtleFan2012]

I don't think american networks care about old cartoons anymore. The only green they care about is MONEY. Notice you don't see Toon Disney and old disney shows on the Disney Channel.

Nowadays, the only shows that youngsters like are talking sponges, teen sitcoms, and reality shows.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

If the series was run five days a week, it would take nine months for a complete rerun, which I feel is a good run since it means that there are plenty of episodes to avoid rerun fatigue. 4kids would take about seven and a half months when shown five days a week with one new episode a day. That's a nice rerun package for the network. If the OT was rerun on Saturday and Sunday only, it would take nearly two years to complete the series, and about a year and a half for 4kids. Once a week would take too long (3 3/4 years OT, just over 3 years for 4kids).

Sounds nice, could run from 1 Setpember one year to 31 May another.... But I think you can ask this questions about a lot of other popular TV shows from the 1950's and until today, why aren't they on air anymore.

[koenne]

It would be so great if the old toon would play on tv again , exp here in Belgium .
Turtles would be in again , that would be great .
Cowabunga!

[TheCanadiandrome]

Its still on in Canada. Its on tonight at Teletoon Retro at 1:30am Eastern time.
The description says its Turtle Tracks so it might be the first of a cycle of all the episodes.

seems it's on nightly now on Teletoon Retro! which is awesome :D

[ZariusTwo]

The last time it had a decent run in the UK was in 2002 on CBBC. Prior to that, there was a run on the now defunct Bravo and Fox Kids channels (Bravo aired seasons two, three, four, and ten, FK aired the first five episodes of season ten as a tv movie)

[ssjup81]

Back in like 1999, when my folks first got the net, I remember sending a long e-mail asking why they didn't show the original toon on its station since it's "cartoon network". Of course they never did, but I was curious as to why there weren't any reruns of the show even back then and the show had only officially ended four years earlier.

The only place I ever saw reruns of it was when it was part of the USA Cartoon Express.

[Zulithe]

Now, in the USA, Europe and Australia at least, is a bad time to re-introduce the old show when they are trying to gear up for the new show. If I were Nick I would not want it airing anywhere in those territories if it could be helped.

They are investing all of this time, resources, marketing into an all-new show, to have all these old episodes also airing would dilute the value of the new stuff when it hasn't even had a chance to attract an audience yet.

I think that after the new show premiers and has had some time to get recognized, we could see the old show appear again so that new fans can watch the old stuff, too. But putting it on now has too much potential to cause confusion.