Nickelodeon dropped the ball HARD in the 2010s.

[CassieTheDragon]

I don't really see how Craig of the Creek's success is debatable. It may not be a huge iconic hit, but it has done pretty well for Cartoon Network.

I think that you're still missing the point here a bit. Even if those other shows were moderate successes at best, they still were for the most part successful enough for their respective networks. Because of how Nickelodeon treats their shows, they didn't really have even that much during this decade.

I mean, Tron and Motorcity didn't even last more than a season. I don't see how those were hits in any way. The others you could (I guess?) argue, but it's a bit much to mention them in the same breath as Adventure Time or Gravity Falls. I think they should've mentioned them as honorable mentions more than these big hits for the networks.

Even compared to PBS educational stuff like WordGirl, Wild Kratts, Dragon Tales or Cyberchase, they weren't as successful or long lasting.

I don't really see how Craig of the Creek's success is debatable. It may not be a huge iconic hit, but it has done pretty well for Cartoon Network.

I think that you're still missing the point here a bit. Even if those other shows were moderate successes at best, they still were for the most part successful enough for their respective networks. Because of how Nickelodeon treats their shows, they didn't really have even that much during this decade.

Also, as I mentioned in a previous comment, The Hub was pretty much known for MLP and nothing else. I mean, yeah, those other shows were popular for their network, but to the general public? Not so much. Their only big hit was MLP, maybe LPS if you wanted to stretch. The other stuff was only about as big as TUFF Puppy or Sanjay and Craig in terms of actual viewership and runtime.

And yes, I get that the people who saw these shows liked them a lot, but just because something is good doesn't make it a monstrous hit.

Now, don't get me wrong: I am not saying Motorcity and Tron were on the same level of popularity as something like Robot and Monster. Obviously R&M is even more obscure than those two shows. But, like, I don't know if one can really say those two shows were even on the level of some preschool cartoon like Martha Speaks or something. They're rather low profile shows that have a small cult following.

Honestly now that I think about it I do think I was wrong about Craig of The Creek, as it's ran for quite a while (6 years I think); it's run of about 150 (I think) 11 minute episodes is equal to 78 half hour episodes total. Nonetheless it is nowhere near as popular as CN's other big 2010s cartoons.

 

[aegisrawks]

I wouldn't consider any of the shows in bold to be big hits; definitely not on the level of Gumball, Regular Show, Star Vs, 2017's DuckTales, My Little Pony FIM, or even some of the PBS shows that were still running in the 2010s, like Wild Kratts or WordGirl (although that show started in 2007). Motorcity and Tron both didn't even last for more than one season. Some of these in bold did last longer, but they weren't/aren't nearly as talked about or as popular as the non-bold shows.

I think Daikun meant Transformers Prime and that did a lot better than any cartoon on The Hub since it was aired on The CW and exposed to a very wide audience.

EDIT: Also Cassie you are the one who is equating everyone saying these are huge hits, they meant more as in succeses in general, even if they are not Huge hits. You are not getting that this sort of thinking is EXACTLY what is being criticized, By the logic of "ITS NOT A HUGE HIT" most promising Nick cartoons suffered at swift and suddent death. I agree Motorcity and most Tron are major flops but the others are cartoons that are good and kept audiences engaged, even if they werent million viewers, which is WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY more than any cartoon on Nick not named The Loud House can say

 

[Light Lucario]

I mean, Tron and Motorcity didn't even last more than a season. I don't see how those were hits in any way. The others you could (I guess?) argue, but it's a bit much to mention them in the same breath as Adventure Time or Gravity Falls. I think they should've mentioned them as honorable mentions more than these big hits for the networks.

Even compared to PBS educational stuff like WordGirl, Wild Kratts, Dragon Tales or Cyberchase, they weren't as successful or long lasting.


Also, as I mentioned in a previous comment, The Hub was pretty much known for MLP and nothing else. I mean, yeah, those other shows were popular for their network, but to the general public? Not so much. Their only big hit was MLP, maybe LPS if you wanted to stretch. The other stuff was only about as big as TUFF Puppy or Sanjay and Craig in terms of actual viewership and runtime.

And yes, I get that the people who saw these shows liked them a lot, but just because something is good doesn't make it a monstrous hit.

Now, don't get me wrong: I am not saying Motorcity and Tron were on the same level of popularity as something like Robot and Monster. Obviously R&M is even more obscure than those two shows. But, like, I don't know if one can really say those two shows were even on the level of some preschool cartoon like Martha Speaks or something. They're rather low profile shows that have a small cult following.

I think that you're really missing the point. I didn't say that those shows were huge successes to the general public. I said that even the moderate successful shows listed were typically considered successful enough for the networks. They had successful shows that ran their courses, even though some were also treated pretty poorly with either one season treatments or being written off, but the point is that these other channels had other successful shows on their lineups. A show doesn't have to be a huge hit with the general public to be successful. Nickelodeon does not have a lot of successful shows from this decade because of how they were treated.

And that isn't to say that the other networks have perfect records. Cartoon Network and Disney Channel have their fair share of issues and poor treatment of their original series, but they typically have been successful enough. Because of how often new series get the Nicktoons treatment, I don't think we can say the same for Nickelodeon during this decade.

Honestly now that I think about it I do think I was wrong about Craig of The Creek, as it's ran for quite a while (6 years I think); it's run of about 150 (I think) 11 minute episodes is equal to 78 half hour episodes total. Nonetheless it is nowhere near as popular as CN's other big 2010s cartoons.

That's pretty moot since my point that it is still a successful series, not that it's a hugely popular series. Craig of the Creek may not be as huge as TTG, but that doesn't mean it's unpopular. I assume that more people than myself watch the series if it gets a prequel movie.

 

[CassieTheDragon]

I mean fair enough, those shows were well liked in their time, but I do think just about all of the bolded shows have faded into obscurity.

It is a testament to how much Nick dropped the ball that almost every single show they made in the 2010s was either hated with audiences or got epicly screwed over. So many failures and barely any successes in the 2010s.

 

[Light Lucario]

I mean fair enough, those shows were well liked in their time, but I do think just about all of the bolded shows have faded into obscurity.

I disagree that all of those shows have faded into obscurity. I could understand that stuff like Motorcity and Tron: Legacy, but it's hard for me to believe that a recent Star Wars series like Rebels would be considered obscured. Wonder Over Yonder still seems pretty beloved, at least online, to be considered obscured, and I don't think that people forgot that Big Hero 6 had its own series too. I'm less familiar with most of the Hub series, but claiming that most of those bolded shows have faded into obscurity really doesn't make any sense.

It is a testament to how much Nick dropped the ball that almost every single show they made in the 2010s was either hated with audiences or got epicly screwed over. So many failures and barely any successes in the 2010s.

It's unfortunately no surprise given how they almost never give their shows time to find an audience. They've been using Nicktoons as a dumping ground for all of the shows that they don't want anymore for a long time too.

 

[CassieTheDragon]

I disagree that all of those shows have faded into obscurity. I could understand that stuff like Motorcity and Tron: Legacy, but it's hard for me to believe that a recent Star Wars series like Rebels would be considered obscured. Wonder Over Yonder still seems pretty beloved, at least online, to be considered obscured, and I don't think that people forgot that Big Hero 6 had its own series too. I'm less familiar with most of the Hub series, but claiming that most of those bolded shows have faded into obscurity really doesn't make any sense.


It's unfortunately no surprise given how they almost never give their shows time to find an audience. They've been using Nicktoons as a dumping ground for all of the shows that they don't want anymore for a long time too.

Wander I rarely see get brought up anymore. I don't think most people even knew Big Hero 6 had a TV series. I'm also not sure about Star Wars Rebels; it's definitely far less remembered than the late 2000s Clone Wars TV show. Most of those are really in the camp of Sanjay and Craig for recognizability, at best.

The first show I think that got incredibly screwed over by Nick was  ChalkZone (02). It took until 2008 to air episodes that were already finished years prior; I was just being born when the show came out and now I was 6 years old and in the demographic for the kids TV channels.

 

[Light Lucario]

Wander I rarely see get brought up anymore. I don't think most people even knew Big Hero 6 had a TV series. I'm also not sure about Star Wars Rebels; it's definitely far less remembered than the late 2000s Clone Wars TV show. Most of those are really in the camp of Sanjay and Craig for recognizability, at best.

I still see Wander get brought up every now and then. Most fans were pretty upset with its cancellation, so I don't think it's that obscured. I don't think that the Big Hero 6 series flew under the radar completely. It got decent promotion on Disney XD and Disney Channel. The change in episode format for season three might have hurt its reception, but considering how popular Big Hero 6 still is and there was that Baymax! spin-off series a couple of years ago, I don't think that the TV series has faded into obscurity.

I'm not a Star Wars person, but Rebels lasted for about four years with four seasons under its belt. That doesn't sound like it was unsuccessful or that it would have been obscured among fans. The Clone Wars TV show lasted a bit longer and had more movie characters in it, so that would give it a big edge in terms of popularity. Rebels is probably still a bit too recent to be considered nostalgic among Star Wars fans by comparison as well. I think that these shows are more recognizable for the most part than you're giving them credit for.

The first show I think that got incredibly screwed over by Nick was  ChalkZone (02). It took until 2008 to air episodes that were already finished years prior; I was just being born when the show came out and now I was 6 years old and in the demographic for the kids TV channels.

I remember how long it took for them to finish ChalkZone, which was a shame since the series was pretty good. I remember they did something similar with releasing the last chuck of As Told By Ginger episodes too.

 

[aegisrawks]

I LOVED Chalk Zone, I used to feel insecure and feel I was weird for liking it, but realized it was great.

 

[CassieTheDragon]

I still see Wander get brought up every now and then. Most fans were pretty upset with its cancellation, so I don't think it's that obscured. I don't think that the Big Hero 6 series flew under the radar completely. It got decent promotion on Disney XD and Disney Channel. The change in episode format for season three might have hurt its reception, but considering how popular Big Hero 6 still is and there was that Baymax! spin-off series a couple of years ago, I don't think that the TV series has faded into obscurity.

I'm not a Star Wars person, but Rebels lasted for about four years with four seasons under its belt. That doesn't sound like it was unsuccessful or that it would have been obscured among fans. The Clone Wars TV show lasted a bit longer and had more movie characters in it, so that would give it a big edge in terms of popularity. Rebels is probably still a bit too recent to be considered nostalgic among Star Wars fans by comparison as well. I think that these shows are more recognizable for the most part than you're giving them credit for.


I remember how long it took for them to finish ChalkZone, which was a shame since the series was pretty good. I remember they did something similar with releasing the last chuck of As Told By Ginger episodes too.

Nick did this quite a lot; this also happened to My Life As A Teenage Robot (03), which didn't air it's final episodes until 2009, and Wonder Pets (06), which didn't air it's last episodes until 2016.

 

[Moe]

I don't really see how Craig of the Creek's success is debatable. It may not be a huge iconic hit, but it has done pretty well for Cartoon Network.

I think that you're still missing the point here a bit. Even if those other shows were moderate successes at best, they still were for the most part successful enough for their respective networks. Because of how Nickelodeon treats their shows, they didn't really have even that much during this decade.

I'm wonder if Cartoon Network spamming Craig of the Creek showed that they are doing well like TTG and Gumball.

I mean, Tron and Motorcity didn't even last more than a season. I don't see how those were hits in any way. The others you could (I guess?) argue, but it's a bit much to mention them in the same breath as Adventure Time or Gravity Falls. I think they should've mentioned them as honorable mentions more than these big hits for the networks.

Why Motorcity and Tron: Uprising lasted one season? Just wonder.

Honestly now that I think about it I do think I was wrong about Craig of The Creek, as it's ran for quite a while (6 years I think); it's run of about 150 (I think) 11 minute episodes is equal to 78 half hour episodes total. Nonetheless it is nowhere near as popular as CN's other big 2010s cartoons.

Ok, I respect your view on CoTC and I feel like have 5 seasons showed CoTC satisfied Cartoon Network's needs to warrant the renewal, however WBD in 2022 ordered cut numbers of new episodes by half.

I think Daikun meant Transformers Prime and that did a lot better than any cartoon on The Hub since it was aired on The CW and exposed to a very wide audience.

As Transformers fan, this show are doing well on streaming services like Netflix years ago.

It's unfortunately no surprise given how they almost never give their shows time to find an audience. They've been using Nicktoons as a dumping ground for all of the shows that they don't want anymore for a long time too.

Yeah, it has been issue for more than a decade after rebranding and back in 2002, Nicktoons channel was rerun of Nicktoons shows from 1990s and 2000s, and dumping ground wasn't in Nickelodeon's mind at that time.

Wander I rarely see get brought up anymore.

I feel like Disney dumped those shows to Disney XD and that allowed Disney to air more girly tween shows on DC because they fared better with rating = more money from advertising.

 

[Low Spark of Lyman]

I think Daikun meant Transformers Prime and that did a lot better than any cartoon on The Hub since it was aired on The CW and exposed to a very wide audience.

Just want to clarify: Transformers Armada aired 2002-03 on Cartoon Network via Toonami. Not as well known or acclaimed as Prime.

The SpongeBob standard is ironic given how SpongeBob itself didn't quite hit the ground running; IIRC, it only became a phenomenal hit during its second season.

 

[CassieTheDragon]

Just want to clarify: Transformers Armada aired 2002-03 on Cartoon Network via Toonami. Not as well known or acclaimed as Prime.

The SpongeBob standard is ironic given how SpongeBob itself didn't quite hit the ground running; IIRC, it only became a phenomenal hit during its second season.

Also, Season 1 of SpongeBob is vastly different from the others in so many ways. Not just because it's cel-animated.

 

[ThePharaohZ]

The SpongeBob standard is ironic given how SpongeBob itself didn't quite hit the ground running; IIRC, it only became a phenomenal hit during its second season.

Not only is it ironic, but it ultimately cost Nickelodeon any potential future hits, as the treatment of non-Spongebob cartoons would turn off newcoming creators, who would seek out alternative networks. Micah Ian Wright, creator of the failed pilot, Constant Payne, even advised aspiring creators to avoid Nickelodeon at all costs.

 

[AdrenalineRush1996]

Why did Motorcity and Tron: Uprising lasted a single season? Just wonder.

My guess is that Disney XD lost interest in both shows during their sole season, especially the latter as it would be the last entry in the Tron franchise, though we're getting a third film with Tron: Ares next year.

 

[KeldeoKitty]

The 2010’s for Nick was a downgrade from the previous decade. Though 2010 in particular I consider their worst year, some of the most infamous SpongeBob episodes, the live action Last Airbender, Planet Sheen, Fred: The Movie while Cartoon Network that year got Adventure Time, Regular Show, Mystery Inc., Young Justice, Generator Rex, it’s astounding how much better CN was compared to Nick in 2010, Even the new Hub network got better received, and I thought that year set the tone for Nick forward. On the plus, Nicktoons did air Dragon Ball Z Kai, that along with some other anime kept the Nicktoons channel from being a graveyard channel for a few years.

I get shows like Sanjay & Craig, Breadwinners, Pig Goat Banana Cricket, Dan Schneider’s output and Fred: The Show get hate, though some consider them not like the 90’s Nick shows. Personally I thought they were too much like the 90’s Nick shows because of how weird they were and how dated their style of humor was. They should’ve had more shows that rivaled CN’s and Disney XD’s offerings. And because of how their attempts at original cartoons tended to be unsuccessful, Nick has become more of a licensing company now, by acquiring pre-established IPs like TMNT, Winx Club, Transformers, Garfield, Big Nate, Baby Shark, etc. likely because it’s more profitable. It’s not what I want but that’s fine if that’s the direction they want. But they don’t need to revive Fairly Odd Parents twice in a two year span or keep milking Dan Schneider’s creations.

MTV and Comedy Central I think went downhill even more than Nick, the only Paramount channel that hasn’t gone downhill IMO is CBS.