Sam Register as keynote speaker at MIPjunior. Talks a bit about WB shows including Thundercats.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXXCdpxLNO8
Starts talking Thundercats at around the 16 minute mark.
http://www.thundercatslair.org/2011/10/sam-register-from-warner-bros-talks-thundercats-at-mip-com/
cool video. Thanks
Nostalgia fans (as in of all franchises) should watch this video. Mr. Register explains things really simply, and rather honestly. I’ve been enjoying the route Warner has taken with reviving and keepng their library of characters. It’s an example Disney SHOULD FOLLOW.
But it’s still far from perfect. And in order to keep characters alive you don’t necessarily need to re-invent them. Keeping their presence noticeable on today’s TV would help. They just need to find the balance between re-inventing the old, keeping the established old noticeable and creating completely new shows. 90’s to very early 00’s Cartoon Network is a prime example of this and part of the reason it is despised by many today.
But yeah..Warner Animation doesn’t decide what happens on CN..
ThunderCats is the perfect example Warner should follow when in re-inventing. Things that have a very promising premise but never really tapped into their potential, and things they know kids will enjoy, and that they as a company can make good money out of. The only other property besides SilverHawks that comes to mind that can fit this scenerio is Hanna Barbera’s Swat Kats.
Thanks for sharing this balgus.
A M.A.S.K. update would be cool. Inhumanoids also.
Great video! Sam seems like a pretty cool guy, and it looks like he’s got the right attitude to handle properties like this. He knows and respects what made these characters great in the first place, but also trying to find new ways to make them relevant without changing those things about them too much that made them iconic.
I also like that he’s totally okay with getting showrunners who are willing to fight creatively for their vision. I’ve heard too many stories about producers fighting with executives, with those executives taking a “It’s my way or the highway” approach. Fred Silverman and Brandon Tartikoff were both particularly notorious examples of this. So I like the fact that Register is cool enough to trust these guys with their own vision and for the most part stay hands-off.
I like how he explained the approach he took with Thundercats. Particularly, I like the part where he talked about the mythology. I agree: it totally did not work (sorry old school fans, but it didn’t). So I like that it was a conscious and deliberate decision to make the series more coherent and logically consistent. And I also liked how it was a priority that we should care bout these characters, too.
As for the other shows he talked about, I’ve seen the Looney Tunes show, and it’s pretty good. I noticed how he mentioned it’s a sitcom in the vein of Seinfeld. So I’m glad it wasn’t just me that got that impression. For the most part, it works. That you’ve got some very good voice talent, including big names like Kristen Wiig and June Foray (Still playing Granny after all these years! The woman is like 94 years old now. Amazing!) helps a lot. The “Merrie Melodies” shorts are good too. The one with Daffy as “The Wizard” is my favorite. And the new Road Runner CGI shorts are worthy successors to the Chuck Jones originals.
Speaking of shorts, I can’t wait to see that Daffy/Elmer Fudd one on the big screen. That looked amazing!
I personally like what I’ve seen of the new Green Lantern series. Although I’ve been hearing a lot of negative Nancys over on Topless Robot complaining about the CGI look; opining that Bruce Timm’s style doesn’t translate to 3D rendering and that it reminds them of the Superman 64 game. To which I say that’s their problem, not mine.
The only thing I thought Register was off on was Hal Jordan’s character. I always thought he was more of a law-and-order guy and not the “lovable rogue” that he described him as being. I seem to remember him being more pro-establishment, which put him at odds with other heroes like Batman, whom he thought of as a vigilante, and Green Arrow who had a more populist attitude and considered himself a man of the people.
Incidentally, the guys at Topless Robot are also losing their s**t over there over the promo image for Beware the Batman which is shown around the 35:55 mark. Particularly, they’re upset over the image of Alfred dual-wielding the two pistols, thinking it’s inconsistent with the character. However, most forget that Alfred was an MI5 agent before he became a butler for the Waynes. So the fact that he’s perfectly capable of kicking ass on his own I don’t think is unprecedented. Once again, it’s a case I think of fanboys being negative and judgmental about something without ever seeing a single frame of it or within context. I’m more the kind of guy who withholds judgment on such things until I see substantially more. Having been familiar with Glen Murakami’s work on Teen Titans and what I’ve seen of Ben 10, I trust he’ll do a good job.
Overall, very cool. Wonder if he’ll be at the NYCC next week?
I agree about Alfred. I’ve always wished he was a little more hands on than what he’s usually portrayed. As for Hal don’t think of him in context to the other superheroes. Think of him in context with the rest of the GL corps. He’s kinda the one there always butting heads with the guardians.
MASK fans might get their wish. Judging from the images at Comic-Con, Hasbro might be doing a new MASK show.