A press released issued by Cartoon Network for their 2014-2015 programming shows that Beware the Batman will not be returning in the foreseeable future.
Way back in October, Beware the Batman was suddenly and inexplicably pulled from Cartoon Network’s programming lineup. Though there was rumblings of a possible return in January, Beware the Batman was noticeably absent from Cartoon Network’s January programming schedule.
Nearly a month later, we received news of a DVD/Blu-ray release of the first half of the season, entitled Beware the Batman: Shadows of Gotham Season 1 Part 1. The disc would include the first 11 episodes already aired including two unaired episodes, putting a nice little pin in the halfway point.
The news here is that CN released a press release showcasing the many new and returning shows that will be making their appearances this year. Sadly, BtB remains a no-show. What with Young Justice taking years to air the first season and the long-delayed official notice of the ThunderCats cancellation, I suppose it really was to be expected.
It seems to lend support to Paul Dini’s theory of CN’s interest in male viewership. Network execs really have no idea how to do their jobs if they really think the “goofy boy humor” is the way to sell toys, but I suppose Teen Titans Go must be raking in the merchandising bucks with its silly, over-the-top, ADD humor, if it managed to remain on the schedule all this time, being renewed for another season. Disheartening, indeed.
However, the problem here is that they never really allowed the show the opportunity to merchandise. Our editor, Roy Ranous, pointed out that the show was never given a toyline aside from the Happy Meal promotion, so who would have known how it would have turned out. In the end, my only guess is that CN played it safe. The show and its characters were far too dark for children. Kinda hard to imagine a little boy playing with an eco-terrorist disguised as a pig retaining a hacksaw to chop off limbs or a mentally-unstable woman with Dissociative Idenitity Disorder packaged with a shovel for burying people alive.
CN took years to officially cancel ThunderCats, so who knows how long it’ll take before we hear any news regarding the show’s status. At he very least, it seems that they’re primed for a Season 1 Part 2 home media release soon.
Source – Newsarama
Adam Poncharoensub is a blogger, movie critic, and Born-Again Batman fan. When he’s not chained to his desk writing, being whipped by his muse, he likes to spend his days spreading the gospel of the Dark Knight in the treacherous suburbs of Miami or working under Dropping Loads Productions, where he co-hosts a comedy podcast and produces sketches.