How Bad an Idea was MeTV Toons?

[ge]

I use OTA for local channels - MeTV is fine - MeTV Toons - it never comes in, the 2x it has worked it is always Casper the Friendly Ghost

I think they over-estimated the people who want to watch cartoons and the local channels who want to pick it up.

[24/7 reruns]

Originally Posted by ge

I use OTA for local channels - MeTV is fine - MeTV Toons - it never comes in, the 2x it has worked it is always Casper the Friendly Ghost

I think they over-estimated the people who want to watch cartoons and the local channels who want to pick it up.

You're basing your opinion on minimal access to the channel. If over the air isn't working consider getting a 7 day free access to Frndly TV. Then you can see all that is offered.

I can't get the channel over the air and my Verizon fios doesn't offer it yet so I got Frndly TV until Fios offers it. I like what is shown. There is a bit of over use of Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies. But there is a great deal of content that I haven't seen in years besides on YouTube.

As time moves on I'm hoping other cartoons are shown. Based on what is already on I can see similar cartoons on in the future.

Examples: There are many Jay Ward cartoons besides Rocky and Bulwinkle. There are cartoons that were created during the same time of Histeria, Duck Dodgers, and 2 Stupid Dogs. There much more besides those.

I would like to see the '80's cartoon block and the puppet shows all on late night change to more traditional classic cartoons. Or at least more recent cartoons in the same vein as the classic cartoons. Like Tazmania, Tiny Toon Adventures, Pinky and the Brain, Animaniacs, Dexter's Laboratory, Johnny Bravo, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Cow and Chicken, etc.

[ge]

Nah - I refuse to pay for most TV. I think the entire roll-out was a big mess.

[ge]

What is odd to me, they don't even bother promoting it on Toon in With Me (which is becoming more like a talk show every day).

[24/7 reruns]

Originally Posted by ge

Nah - I refuse to pay for most TV. I think the entire roll-out was a big mess.

Not sure how a 7 day free trial cost money. Yes they want payment info but if you cancel during the trial then you pay nothing.

[1960'sTVfan]

I love The Flintstones but aside from that I'm not much of a cartoon watcher.

As a kid growing up in the 1960's, I used to look forward to Saturday mornings and watch the Saturday morning cartoons on TV. But when I reached the age of about 10, the appeal started to wear off and I lost interest in the Saturday morning toons.

[BigManMike]

I enjoy the Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry. Would be nice if the Flintstones and Scooby Doo were on a little later in the evening but overall it’s a good channel.

[merlinjones]

I get two MeTVToons stations and I truly enjoy it.

I have watched quite a bit and thank them for bringing it to us. Laughter, absurdity and caricature is sorely needed in our current, constantly offended, culture. Finding humor ourselves is essential.

There are some scheduling changes I would make to create a better flow but I'm still so happy to have it at all. My favorites so far: Looney Tunes, Jetsons, Jonny Quest, MGM, Scooby Doo (original seasons only), Josie and the Pussycats, Rocky & Bullwinkle, Underdog, Flintstones (og series only). Not a fan of any of the post 1980 shows.

Too bad some of these non H/B shows have been recut and repackaged but its better than nothing!

I hope revisting these classic cartoons rekindles a childlike view of the world for all ages -- and brings back the charm of hand drawn animation as a viable option.

[cd637299]

As a watcher, my issue might be that Toons started too early—in the sense that many more studios’ cartoon outputs need for Weigel to grab the rights.

Some cartoons have so FEW episodes, that they’ll be run into the ground rather fast.

I have no issue if they run 1930’s black and white stuff. Sure, the humor is lost on many, due to their references to a very distant past…but maybe if they have a little reference-history-lesson between the cartoons (much like Toons is doing now as far as trivia and tributes for animation’s “hall of fame” cartoonists), there are plenty more to show.

Shows that have less than 65 episodes shouldn’t be running Mon-Fri. Spread things out!

I for one am enjoying all over again Paramount’s Modern Madcap series, and glad that Toons is running it. They are funny for all ages. Very satirical stuff.

I do understand the lack of a huge library at this time—but I say for now, let it grow, let it grow, let it grow!

cd

[Charles Knox]

Originally Posted by ge

I use OTA for local channels - MeTV is fine - MeTV Toons - it never comes in, the 2x it has worked it is always Casper the Friendly Ghost

I think they over-estimated the people who want to watch cartoons and the local channels who want to pick it up.

The fan interest and ratings are there, but I think they had no idea how much resistance they were going to get from television stations not wanting to carry what they consider a new kids channel. They have only been able to pock up one new station since launch.

Weigel Broadcasting has to carry a portion of the blame for refusing to convert existing low rated StoryTV and Dabl networks over to METV Toons and for not using Toon In With ME the right way to help promote the new network. The channel also should have launched with way more Hanna-Barbara shows and less 80's toons.

This sort of feels like the whole Oprah Winfrey and Hub Network garbage all over again.

[stevea]

They do need access to more classic cartoons. I'm a big fan of Looney Tunes but, yes, I think they overdo it on the channel. And they have short-run shows on daily, such as tha newer Yogi Bear thing--just bring back the original H-B shows!

I'm critiquing based on their schedule since I have no access to the channel. Charles makes a good point, and I'd gain instant access to it if they rebranded that awful channel, Dabl. Its home improvement channel concept failed and it now just runs third rate 90s comedies. In other words, filler.

Or they could let stations out of ther Dabl/Story TV contract if they would carry MeTV Toons.

[cd637299]

Originally Posted by Charles Knox

The fan interest and ratings are there, but I think they had no idea how much resistance they were going to get from television stations not wanting to carry what they consider a new kids channel. They have only been able to pock up one new station since launch.

Weigel Broadcasting has to carry a portion of the blame for refusing to convert existing low rated StoryTV and Dabl networks over to METV Toons and for not using Toon In With ME the right way to help promote the new network. The channel also should have launched with way more Hanna-Barbara shows and less 80's toons.

This sort of feels like the whole Oprah Winfrey and Hub Network garbage all over again.

This goes back earlier for yours truly. I myself was not happy in the least, when the CBS O&O’s cut the deal with Weigel to drop Decades (which really deserved better) for StartTV. WFOR Miami is my CBS O&O, so it had to fall in line.

Decades was a very ambitious project, mixing history with classic TV, even showing extremely obscure old TV shows at times, like “Everglades!” and “One Happy Family.” Of course it had the daily anchor show “Through the Decades”; CBS News footage provided.

For a subchannel, it was a true oasis. Maybe the first salvo in sinking that ship was having old Dick Cavett shows daily—possibly a response to Carson on AntennaTV. I never cared for Cavett; YMMV, but that seemed to weigh Decades down.

Toons is definitely NOT a kids’ channel—nor is ANY subchannel, merely based on Medicare ads, the Chime app, or similar stuff. Even TBD, supposedly for millenials—same ads, right? Ah, for the days of toy & cereal commercials!!

And of course, much of the classic toons’ violent content has stayed intact. Chuck Jones woulda been proud.

cd

[stevea]

One other thing--it's early in the game, and the channel hasn't even been on the air a month yet. MeTV Plus is still struggling along with a limited number of stations and that's been up for a few years..

[Charles Knox]

Just watched the recent youtube interview where Neal Sabin talks about sinking millions of dollars into this network, but I feel like it will be all for naught, if they don't do what it takes to make it available for everyone.

He said they are using the money that MeTV generates into all the subchannels and it is showing with the movies Svengoolie has been showing this year, the increase of reruns of Toon In With ME and the lack of schedule changes to METV.

I think it would make more business sense to drop and convert some of the lower rated subchannels they currently own and focus on just 5 networks at most.

1. METV
2. H&I
3. Catchy Comedy
4. METV Toons
5. METV +

Movies, select biographies could be moved to METV+ and the 90's UPN /WB shows over to Catchy Comedy. Murder She Wrote would fit in perfectly with H&I.

[ge]

MeTV lives or dies with Svengoolie at this point. I think he is trying to pass the torch but his torch-bearers are terrible. What is interesting to me is they are trying to turn Toon In With Me into a talk-show.