How much longer do you think the current TMNT cartoon will last?

[CyberCubed]

I've just been thinking of the timeframe of the new show, and with the next season not starting until Fall of '08, that puts us at least 2 years from now with TMNT still on the air:

Fall '07: Last 6 eps of Fast Forward will air on 4kidsTV
Spring '08: All the Ninja Tribunal eps will presumedly air

Fall '08: New season will begin, presumedly it will be 26 episodes like the other seasons and thus carry on through Spring '09

...

Do you think that may be the end, or what?

I realize its waaaaaaay too early to be thinking about what's going to happen in Fall of 2009, but do you think the Turtles still have a future past the following season? Murphy said in his blog that if a movie sequal is greenlit it probably won't make it to theaters until 2010 since Imagi already has another film scheduled for '09, which pretty much means that 4kids would probably want to ride the royalties of the movie sequal by having the cartoon still on the air with new episodes.

The end of Fast Forward brings the episode count up to #143 (technically only 142 since "Nightmares Recylced" was never completed), and if the new season in Fall of '08 is 26 episodes, then we'll be up to 169 total episodes for the current cartoon altogether, which is pretty damn impressive since most American produced cartoons do not last this long in today's day and age. I would have never believed the 2k3 series would be able to last as long as the original cartoons 10 season and 194 episode run, but at this rate and with a movie sequal it may come pretty damn close.

We also know Mirage is planning to celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2009 of the comic, and it would be nice if the cartoon was sort of tied in with that celebration and got something special as well, perhaps a DTV animated movie like the WB cartoons get. However there's also the possibility of 4kids not renewing its 4kidsTV block on Fox at some point, which would make TMNT pretty sunk.

So generally, what are your thoughts? I know this is just a guessing game and nobody really knows what the future of TMNT is, but does the outlook look positive, gloomy, or somewhere inbetween? We discuss the future of the Mirage comics all the time, but the future of the cartoon hasn't been discussed much since we found out we're getting another season once FF ends. Do you think TMNT will still be produced throughout 2009-2010?

[Roseangelo]

I would say at least through the release of a movie sequel, which would happen no sooner than 2010.

[Scandia]

I hope it lasts longer. There is imagination. There is material in Tales Volume 2. So they sure can make a few more seasons to say the least. I do not think that TMNT 2k3 has jumped the shark.

[The Terror of Death]

Whenever 4kids ends.

[ToTheNines]

'Till I'm dead.

[CyberCubed]

Originally Posted by The Terror of Death

Whenever 4kids ends.

Funny, I think 4kids is releasing a new earnings report on Monday. Before the movie came out they were blaming TMNT for low ratings/profits (among their other shows), but they said that since the movie things have looked better from all the royalties they get out of it.

I wonder if they'll leave TMNT out of it this time.

[sdp]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

The end of Fast Forward brings the episode count up to #143 (technically only 142 since "Nightmares Recylced" was never completed), and if the new season in Fall of '08 is 26 episodes, then we'll be up to 169 total episodes for the current cartoon altogether, which is pretty damn impressive since most American produced cartoons do not last this long in today's day and age. I would have never believed the 2k3 series would be able to last as long as the original cartoons 10 season and 194 episode run, but at this rate and with a movie sequal it may come pretty damn close.

Its even more impressive counting how unnoticed the 2K3 revival has gone. I didn't even know about it until 2004. It failed to be the hit it was in the 90s, a lot of people don't even know it exists. At a Pokemon league I run I work with kdis and I ask them about Ninja Turtles and I don't think anyone has every told me they watch it. And none of them are turtle fans some of them say "yeah they're cool" but i have a feeling they do it more to agree with me than anything else. So yeah its amazing how many episodes this show has, though its also to thank that it has 26 episode seasons instead of the awful 13 episodes per season.

I have a feeling the new 08 season is going to be only 13 episodes for some reason. However if they go through a re-design I would expect it to last more than one season...and while it would make sense to have to have a show running for a second movie if it happens studios often do retarded moves so I wouldn't be surprised if they cancel it right before the movie comes out.

And anyways with a new movie and a new re-design we have another chance for the show to become a hit and "turtlemania" to start again. Which would mean the show could get brand new life. eh who knows.

[ZariusTwo]

Thirteen is a good number,you get LESS filler that way

[cowabunga14]

I'd say for about three more years.

[ToTheNines]

Originally Posted by ZariusTwo

Thirteen is a good number,you get LESS filler that way

Good point, I've never looked at it that way before.

[Chris]

At least another 2 years (after the final FF and TLS episodes) though whether or not they'll be 26 episode seasons or 13 episodes is up for debate. In fact if we get another movie around 2010 then I'd say 3 seasons as they'd want something for the 2010-2011 season to cash in on the movie.

After 6 seasons we're on 143 episodes (142 if you don't count Nightmares Recycled). Even if the next 3 seasons are only 13 episodes that will be 182 (181), if they're 26 each then that's 221 (220) which is an amazing number and puts it well ahead of the original series.

If they are only doing 13 episode seasons from here on in then I hope for at least 10 which would get it to 195 (194) and put it equal with the old toon in terms of years and episodes.

Thinking about it, if they do 13 episode season arcs (maybe not as intense or as well linked as season 5 but similar) then I could see it reaching ten seasons easily. I think that would be a good time to end it, go out in a blaze of glory rather than overstay it's welcome. Heck if they did that I'd actually like Shredder back for the final arc (provided he's left untouched between now and then).

That would give us a lot to look forward to:

07-08 - Final 6 FF episodes and TLS (sure most of us have already seen all of this but at least it means TLS DVDs that hopefully will include the Ninja Tribunal episode)

08-09 - New direction (I'm guessing a blend of pre-FF and the new movie), 13 episodes (maybe something big here due to 25th anniversary in May)

09-10 - Another 13 episodes

Summer 2010 - Probable release date for TMNT sequel if they do one

10-11 - Possible slightly new direction due to new movie or at least a potential popularity surge due to movie, 13 episodes

11-12 - Final season, 13 episodes

[Scandia]

Gosh I hope you're right!!!

I want more Turtles! Give me more Turtles! As long as they keep things as good as they have been so far, I will be jumping for joy to get even more Turtles!

And release the DVDs quickly. I don't have cable.

[sdp]

Originally Posted by Scandia

And release the DVDs quickly. I don't have cable.

Well the way they've been releasing them this year we got four volumes/2 seasons with Season 1 part1 and 2 and Fast Forward V.1 and V.2. A complete season of the current series and a complete season of the first one.

Next year we can expect Season 2 in 2 parts and then we'll either get Season 3 in two parts or maybe instead of Season 3 the "Lost"(5th) Season since it would be the "current" series airing on tv.

So yeah two seasons per year doesn't seem to bad especially since they are divided in two parts it makes the release wait between them not that bad.

[CyberCubed]

I actually think we will still get 26 episode seasons, since 4kids blows through seasons rather quickly and they don't seem to have a good grasp as to how to stretch 13 eps over an entire season. That's why they had to air some more FF eps after the original 13, (they could have just stopped after "The Journal" yet they went ahead and aired more new eps), and why next year is going to be 6 FF eps + 12 Lost season eps = 18 eps altogether for 4kids to air as "new."

I think Season 5 was only a 13 ep arc because they planned it to be a more connected story arc with little filler, but a regular season set back in NYC would really have no reason to be that short.

[odupianist]

4Kids blows lol, bring back the Fox Box

[Buslady]

ever since it turned into 4Kids everything seems to have dropped down a few notches in intelligent kids entertainment. The worst was screwing up TMNT.

[CyberCubed]

The FoxBox was always owned by 4kids. Every show on their has always been produced by them.

Pretty much another reason I see 4kids keeping TMNT, if they cancel that, what else do they have? Viva Pinata and Chaotic are the only two big shows they have after TMNT, and neither of them are bringing in the kids. No wonder why 4kids is airing Yu-gi-oh reruns to try to boost their block.

[odupianist]

Whether 4kids owned it or not, the FoxBox had some good cartoons

[ZariusTwo]

No it did'nt. TMNT was it's sole draw.

[Spitfire]

Ugh yeah I know WinX Club and Gi Joe...and Yu Gi O and One Piece. I used to try and skip as much of it as I could cause honestly everything but turtles was horrid.