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TRANSFORMERS ANIMATED: Now With Less Decepticon!!

Posted by:
Anonymous at 2007-06-27 5:20 pm
As reported here last week, the Cartoon Network will begin transmitting early next year the new “Transformers Animated” series. More details have emerged on the project – notably a diminished role for the dastardly Decepticons. >From Monday’s Hollywood Reporter:

Cartoon and Hasbro execs said the new series, "Transformers Animated," will be significantly different than the others, adding humor, never-before-seen characters and a new premise in which the Autobots fight evil humans in Superhero fashion much more frequently than they battle the Decepticons -- the traditional "Transformers" lore since the property launched as a toy in 1984.

"We've used the basic Transformers and characters as a springboard, but then we're pretty much reimagining the whole thing," said Bob Higgins, senior vp programming and development at Cartoon Network. "What we're doing with it is basically turning it into a superheroes story. We're really excited that we're able to take this decades-old property and hopefully turn it into something that kids haven't seen or expected from a Transformers series before."

Thanks to General Zod for the news tip!

Comments
Ultra Justin said,  - 2007-06-27 17:26:28
NNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOO! I Love a good set of Decepticons. Hopefully there will be of the Decepticons then they are suggesting.
Perceptor said,  - 2007-06-27 17:31:58
Wow. Well, he's right about one thing. This is something no one expected!

I remember an occassion years ago, I asked my brothers about the just announced Beast Wars Transforemrs, "So how can they possibly make a cartoon about an organic dinosaur/rat/gorilla... that turns into a giant inorganic robot be cool????" I doubted and I was wrong.

Now, I find myself asking a similar question. How can they possibly make 30+ foot-tall robot that converts into a truck, fighting against a "human" be cool? Yikes, we shall see.

I don't mind reinventing the series. In fact, I rather like it. But I hope it doesn't contradict too much TF continuity that has come before. Like I said, we shall see!
Trax said,  - 2007-06-27 18:15:01
Shaking head,rubbing eyes to depressed to continue.........
Agent X said,  - 2007-06-27 18:50:08
BULL SHIT!!!!!!!!
but my questuion is who get fired when the series fails to get the old fans to watch and is moved to the 5:30 am time slot like Armada, Energon,and Cybertron
Byrer prime said,  - 2007-06-27 19:07:29
Higgins of CN said,"I'm really hopeful the movie can kick-start the franchise for us." - Uh, where's he been for the last 20 years?

Lowmow of Hasbro said, "the robots will have a lot more human qualities, allowing kids to identify with the characters much more than in previous series." - So close, yet so far away.
Knight wing said,  - 2007-06-27 21:09:42
I've taken to viewing each new series as a new universe of transformers. So the concept in and of it's self doesn't bother me. But, I am not really sure about having the Autobots fight The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants insted of the Decpticons. If there were any constants from one show to the next it would be as follows
1: Autobots defend Earthlings from Decpticons
2: Cybertron is dying do to lack of energy from centruies of civil war.
3: There is some given "thing" that the Decpticons and Autobots are fighting over.

I guess we'll just have to see how well the show does. At least it has good staffing.

And, Agent X, 5:30am IS when the old fans watch CN. We watch it before we go to work in the morning. Do you really think parents are going to let their children get up at 5:20 to watch cartoons?
talon84 said,  - 2007-06-27 22:59:14
If CN wants to make another Teen Titans series then by all means go ahead and make it, just don't re-package as Transformers. OK here's my prediction on the pilot. Prime finds bad guy, foot goes up, human bad guy screams, foot comes down, human bad guy becomes Prime's toe jam.
ARGHbot said,  - 2007-06-28 09:47:47
simply put: i am sad
"Nobody" said,  - 2007-06-28 10:05:51
It's amazing (yet not surprising) how pathetic and "evil" the industry can be. Speilberg says he's gonna follow the old mythology; he doesn't. All of the marketing follows the same exact patern as Spiderman and Star Wars, with disappointingly mixed results. And now they have the nerve to do a "Clone Wars" gimmick cartoon, downplay the Decepticons, and "make the characters more human"? As though none of us could relate to, or at least look up to Optimus Prime, right? Gentlemen, our childhoods are being defiled at the hands of corporate America, which could give a rattrap's butt about what Transformers has actually been through the years, all so they can make a few more bucks off of us. With evil characters like these, who needs Decepticons?
Nelson Ribeiro said,  - 2007-06-28 11:46:03
Here's the premise to episode 1:
Evil Human does something, Prime arrives, transforms from truck to GIANT robot, steps on evil human. Conflict over.
Chaos Bringer said,  - 2007-06-28 13:28:40
The fact that kids today can't sit still long enough to follow an ongoing intelligent plot is the sole reason that Hasbro is doing this. For the first time, I hope that the scalpers clear the shelves of the toys so that kids can't enjoy this. They have ruined our franchise because of their nightmarish stupidity so I really hope that they don't enjoy it any more than we will because if they DO get to enjoy this... Hasbro will be encouraged to make more devastating monstrocities like this.
Bumblebee said,  - 2007-06-28 13:51:27
This new TF series transformers anamated ( yes misspeed and lowercase) s**ks so far
Darkton said,  - 2007-06-29 15:19:56
...wha-what?

I can't believe what I'm hearing! Are they trying to KILL Transformers? We had enough with with Armada and Energon, now this?

Anything Bay's done (especially in the case of Ol' Sea Urchin) is forgivable now. These monsters ruined Batman, now they'll ruin Transformers! What's next to die at their hands? Thundercats?!
dildus said,  - 2007-06-29 15:36:18
Just do what I've done since 1987, ignore everything that came out after the movie. Why put up with what they want to sell you, the idiots couldn't think up anything after the Diaclone and Micro Change toys dried up so they decided to kill everyone off and turn them into animals. Use your imagination instead of buying the prepackaged crap of others.
Chaos Bringer said,  - 2007-06-30 09:27:24
Dildus, don't knock Beast Wars. I know it's a wierd concept but the show was absolutely amazing. It is worth watching. It has intelligent stories instead of the usual "Megatron's latest weapon" stories. Best written TF show ever. Completely character driven. Good animation. The voice acting was done by people who really cared and it shows! I found the DVDs at EBgames used for dirt cheap! Please open your mind to it and watch it instead of expressing unfounded contempt for it. It is a truly unique and interesting part of TF history. And did I mention that it won awards?
optimusp13 said,  - 2007-06-30 16:23:14
Something tells me if i watch this, I'm gonna end up burning my collection. <.<;
Torhu said,  - 2007-07-01 16:44:18
Transformers vs. Humans? Eck. What ticked me off about the last three animated series was the obligatory kids that always got in the way of everything.

Beast Wars got it right. Bot on Bot, keep the humans out of the picture.
B.L G1 UK said,  - 2007-07-02 13:08:50
How can Humans fight Transformers its far too one sided and you won't in modern cartoons be allowed to fight proper or kill anyone so it will look daft. It suspect the same kind of nonsence that occured in the awful Robocop TV series will happen. In the Robocop TV show instead of blowing away robbers etc he would just knock them out by shooting a beam on the celing so it fall on there head and other stupid things like that.

The obession with putting lots of humans in TF is getting silly. Every review I have read of the new film states that its about a lad and his girlfriend with the battle between the Autobots and Decepticons worked around them. Megatron also is meant to have some rubbish lines like "IAM MEGATRON" really monotone rubbish.
Drache said,  - 2007-07-03 23:45:24
I rather enjoyed the movie, but I agree with the rest of the folks here - this new animated series sounds stupid! If this is, as some have suggested, a money-making ploy, it is certainly one of the worst.

If the folks at Hasbro are truly concerned about resurrecting the franchise, all they have to due is bring back G1. I understand that didn't work so well with the reissues, but we all know why. They only released a handful at a time, overpriced the things and intentionally over-sized many of the weapons. That causes two problems. One: collectors don't want them because they are less than accurate reproductions. Two: at $25 and up, many parents weren't willing to buy them.

Personally, like an earlier poster, I lost interest shortly after the animated movie. Too many of the toys released after 1987 were absolute crap. Most did not remotely resemble real-world items, and those that did looked like something I could build myself. And then came the gimmicks; headmasters, targetmasters, too many triple changers, carbon copy gestalts and worst of all - pretenders.

Yes, I know, if I want realism there are Alternators. I love them, but let's face it, they are a little too complex for playtime. The only people that are really interested in them are collectors.

If Hasbro wants to return to the glory-days of the mid-80s, back when everyone loved Transformers, then they need to seriously return to the mid-80s. Forget all the ridiculous gimmicks I mentioned above (and mini-con-style garbage) and return to building realistic, everyday items that also happen to be robots.
Pissed off Fan said,  - 2007-07-05 16:52:07
This is horrible... I am so sick an tired of all these remakes... if you really want to make a re-make remake the orignals with new artwork... and keep it that way... Autobot fighting humans???? I think I'm going to cry... I'm giving up and just going to continue to watch the classics
Ty said,  - 2007-07-07 18:18:55
Um, what the hell.... Theres only 5 autobots in it, nows its fair.
Soundwave said,  - 2007-07-09 23:15:18
what duh F*&*$!!? from the start TF was created... its all about Autobots versus Decepticons....

NOT!!!... Autobots versus EVIL Humans??... very funny! are they for real???

I didn't even liked TF Armada... (minicons???... boooooo!!! very corny!! the animation is even exaggerated... it didn't click)

Just bring the original story. thats it.
Slashwing said,  - 2007-07-10 18:08:58
it's probable the episodes will end with the autobots arguing about who will have the last energon cube while the villain of the day is wrapped with a steel bar and asking if he or she can use the bathroom.
Maybe even robin makes a guest appearance.
Arrgghhhhh!!! said,  - 2007-07-12 09:11:17
This is crap news, I thought with the movie theyd make a cartoon based on that, but no we get this. The human villains will have to have special powers otherwise this show will be stupid. Why cant they make a cartoon based on the War Within comic now that would be cooool!


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