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The Powerpuff Girls (2016 TV series)

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This article is about the new series of the Powerpuff Girls. For the 1998 original series, see The Powerpuff Girls.

The Powerpuff Girls
Based onThe Powerpuff Girls
by Craig McCracken
Developed by
Directed by
  • Nick Jennings
  • Bob Boyle
  • Julia "Fitzy" Fitzmaurice (supervising director)
  • Abe Audish (supervising director)
  • Skip Jones (supervising director)
  • James Burks (supervising director)
Voices of
Narrated byTom Kenny
Theme music composerTacocat
Opening theme"Who's Got the Power?", performed by Tacocat
Ending theme"The Powerpuff Girls", lyrics and performed by Tristan Sedillo and Hannah Watanabe-Rocco
ComposerMike Reagan
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes102 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Nick Jennings
  • Bob Boyle (co-executive producer)
ProducerPernelle Hayes
Running time11 minutes
22 minutes (3 episode segments and specials only)
55 minutes ("Power of Four")
Production companyCartoon Network Studios
Original release
NetworkCartoon Network
ReleaseApril 4, 2016 (2016-04-04) –
present

The Powerpuff Girls is an American animated superhero action-comedy television series and a reboot of the Cartoon Network series of the same name. It was first announced in June 2014; a year later, it was announced that it would feature new voice actors for the main characters. The series premiered on April 4, 2016 in the United States, Latin America and Brazil, April 19, 2016 in Italy, and April 25, 2016 in the United Kingdom.

Plot

Further information: The Powerpuff Girls § Overview

The Powerpuff Girls, featuring Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup are three superheroes whose purpose is to reduce crime in between living a normal childhood.[1]

Characters

See also: List of The Powerpuff Girls (2016 TV series) characters

Episodes

Main article: List of The Powerpuff Girls (2016 TV series) episodes
SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
139[2]April 4, 2016 (2016-04-04)December 24, 2016 (2016-12-24)
240March 3, 2017 (2017-03-03)May 13, 2018 (2018-05-13)
340April 8, 2018 (2018-04-08)June 16, 2019 (2019-06-16)
Shorts105February 15, 2016 (2016-02-15)June 24, 2016 (2016-06-24)
5March 3, 2017 (2017-03-03)September 18, 2017 (2017-09-18)
SpecialJune 30, 2016 (2016-06-30)

Production

Bubbles, Blossom, and Buttercup as they appear in the reboot series

Cartoon Network announced on June 16, 2014, that they had rebooted The Powerpuff Girls in a new series, which was to be produced by Cartoon Network Studios. In their 2015 upfront on February 19, the network announced that Nick Jennings, who was an art director on SpongeBob SquarePants and Adventure Time, would be its executive producer.[1] Bob Boyle, who previously has produced Clarence, has created Jetix's Yin Yang Yo! and Nick Jr.'s Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! and also former producer and art director of Butch Hartman's animated series The Fairly OddParents and Danny Phantom would also produce. Meanwhile, Craig McCracken, the creator of the original series, would not work on the series. McCracken has stated on Twitter that the executives at Cartoon Network had considered bringing him back to do the reboot, but his contract with Disney prevented him from doing so. Amanda Leighton, Kristen Li, and Natalie Palamides were announced as the new voice actors of the main characters, playing Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup, respectively,[3] replacing the original voice actors Cathy Cavadini, Tara Strong, and Elizabeth Daily.[4] However, Tom Kenny reprises his roles as the Mayor and narrator, while Tom Kane reprises his roles as Professor Utonium[5] and Him. In April 2016, Jennings revealed that the producers had considered bringing back the original voice actors for the new series, but decided that recasting the roles would infuse new energy.[5] After the network revealed multiple promotional images from the new series in June 2015, writers from news sites described the visual look as similar to the original series,[3] despite the 15th anniversary special Dance Pantsed, which was broadcast on January 20, 2014, featuring a different art style rendered in 3D.[4] Meanwhile, Roger L. Jackson reprises as Mojo Jojo and Jennifer Hale reprises as Ms. Keane, but not as Princess Morbucks.[6] On May 26, 2016, Natalie Palamides confirmed that the show has been renewed for a second season.[7] The reboot had a crossover with Teen Titans Go! that aired on June 30, 2016.[8] On September 17, 2017, a new and fourth Powerpuff Girl named Bliss was added in a 5-part special of the reboot, "The Power of Four". Prior to the announcement, a one-shot footage of Bliss was leaked on Cartoon Network Russia.[9][10]

Broadcast

The series premiered in the United States and Canada on Cartoon Network on April 4, 2016.[11][12] The series was released across the Asia-Pacific region on April 9 and in Africa on April 30.[13][14][15][16] In the United Kingdom and Ireland, it premiered on Cartoon Network on April 25 and on November 7 on CITV and aired on its sister channel Boomerang on 17 October 2016.[17][18][19] In Australia, the series premiered on Cartoon Network on April 9 and additionally airs on 9Go!.[20][21] In the Philippines, it debuted on October 15 on TV5 as one of the two new Cartoon Network shows on the channel along with We Bare Bears.[22]

The series also premiered in the United States and Latin America on Cartoon Network's sister network, Boomerang on November 1, 2016.[23]

Reception

Critical response

The series has been met with average reviews from critics and negative reception to many fans of the original series, who criticized the show's severe drop in quality. Henry Solotaroff-Webber of The Badger Herald enjoyed the series, saying "Overall, this new rendition of a classic animated program is a triumph in my eyes. It recaptures much of what made the last show so important for kids to see while still thoroughly scratching a nostalgia itch for those looking to go back."[24] IGN gave the premiere episode "Man Up" an 8.0 out of 10, saying "While the new voice cast will take some getting used to, and the absence of Cathy Cavadini, Tara Strong and E.G. Daily is strongly felt, the show still manages to capture the essence of the Powerpuff Girls."[25] The Nerdist gave the first two episodes a 4.5 out of 5, saying "if you loved the original show, chances are you'll love these new episodes."[26] Screen Rant gave it a positive review, saying "Although the revival doesn't quite hit the mark on what made audiences fall in love with McCracken's original series, The Powerpuff Girls is an excellent addition to the franchise."[27] Collider gave it 4 stars, saying "it’s worth viewing the new version of The Powerpuff Girls on its own merits because it’s a solid cartoon that delivers on its promises."[28]

The Occidental Weekly lamented that the series "lacks the impeccable comedic timing and wit of the original" and called the voice acting "mediocre at best", while also criticizing the writing, which it deemed subpar.[29] Slate was critical of the show's "self-conscious feminist overtones", and compared the show unfavorably to the original, particularly the second-season episode "The Powerpuff Girls' Best Rainy Day Adventure Ever".[30] Polygon criticized that the show lost what they considered made the original so special: "fighting seems like an afterthought, as if Cartoon Network wants to keep the Girls a safe distance from the fray", and that the show was a "step backward, not forward".[31] Jessica Swartz of Inverse said that new viewers might not know who the villains are or what their motivations are, as no introduction was given to the characters. Swartz also went on to say that the show focuses too much on the main characters, and overall called it a "mediocre cartoon".[32] Shelby Watson of The All State praised the show's voice acting, but criticized the show's increased focus on the girls' domestic lives rather than fighting crime, and was especially critical of the animation, writing: "The animation is beyond lazy... the art direction itself is catastrophic. Animators routinely forget their own rules on how to animate their characters, leading to a disjointed style that just comes across like the animators don’t care." Watson also noted other technical problems in the series, such as inconsistencies in character design or misuse of perspective, saying that they "shouldn't happen in a professional studio."[33]

Viewers have also criticized the show for its appropriation of Internet slang and memes, such as "can't even" or the character Bubbles yelling "no me gusta!" while her face turns into one commonly associated with the meme. These references have been called out on being out of place and "being forced", as well as referencing fads of which popularity have faded long before their appearance in the show; the aforementioned "me gusta" and other derivatives of rage comics had their peak popularity in early 2011.

Despite its poor reception in its native United States, the reboot has been received more positively and met with higher viewership in Europe since being free-to-air in the United Kingdom, France and Poland.[34][35][36]

Original cast and crew

Before the show aired Cavadini, Daily, and Strong were displeased to learn the main characters had been recast; Strong called it "a stab in the heart" on Twitter.[4] Strong had announced after the upfront in February that this was a "strictly creative" decision by the network,[37] though in June of the same year said that the network had never contacted any of the three actresses prior to the decision to recast.[4] In an interview with The Comic Book Cast in May 2015, Kenny claimed that McCracken "does give it his blessing",[6] but in May 2016 McCracken denied doing so on his Twitter posts, commenting that he had never given the new reboot his official blessing. McCracken said that he wished that Cartoon Network had stopped their plans for a reboot of the original Powerpuff Girls property but also acknowledged from a financial view why the new series was commissioned.[38][39] However, at the 2017 New York Comic Con, Strong stated that she had no ill will towards the new cast and had given the show her blessing.[40]

Controversies

The season one episode "Horn, Sweet Horn" received scrutiny from the media after the episode's handling of transgender themes prompted criticism from LGBT viewers.[41] Sulagna Misra, writing for Fusion's official website, described the character Donny as an "interesting metaphor for transgender identity" but saw poor judgment in the choice to present the transformed character as a monster. She found the larger topic of identity reversed by making the plot so "convoluted" and preferred if the character's monstrous transformation had been a temporary gag instead.[42] Marie Solis of Mic also viewed the episode as a failed attempt to convey social issues, on par with the "Twisted Sister" episode from the 1998 Powerpuff Girls series, in which the main characters conjure up a mentally challenged and physically deformed sister.[43] Dorian Dawes of the magazine Bitch was extremely critical of the episode, calling its message questionable and dangerous in the wake of the House Bill 2 controversy. Dawes denounced the episode as irresponsible to the series' primary demographic and felt it was written solely to make the producers feel righteous about their inclusion of transgender themes.[44] It was eventually revealed that the episode's writer did not even intend for the episode to be about gender identity, and it was merely marketed as such.[45]

Female modifications were also made which included the character Ms. Bellum being written off the show. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Nick Jennings explained "We felt like Ms. Bellum wasn't quite indicative of the kind of messaging we wanted to be giving out at this time, so we sort of had her move on... And that was a good choice I think on our part".[46] This change caused a negative response from critics and fans of the original show, who complained that the removal of Ms. Bellum's character negated the feminist message of the reboot.[47]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominee Result
2016 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Short-format Animated Program[48] Unknown (for "Once Upon a Townsville") Nominated
2017 Gracie Awards National Family Series[49] The Powerpuff Girls (2016) Won
2018 Annie Awards Outstanding Achievement, Music in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production[50] Mike Reagan & Bob Boyle (for "Home, Sweet Homesick") Nominated

Home media

DVD releases

Region 1
DVD title Season(s) Aspect ratio Episode count Total running time Release dates
Tiara Trouble[51] 1 16:9 12 132 minutes February 14, 2017
The Last Donnycorn[52] 1, 2 16:9 12 143 minutes August 15, 2017

In other media

Toys

Before the show premiered, a toy line for the series was announced to be released in 2016 by Spin Master, with more toys set to be released in 2017. The toys include the new 2-in-1 playsets and more.[53]

A McDonald's Happy Meal promotion for the series ran from June 14 to July 5, 2016 in the United States, including mini action figures, rings, and collectibles.[54]

Comic books

In April 2016, it was announced that a new line of Powerpuff Girls comic books would be released in July of that year, being published by IDW Publishing (who has also published comic books for the original series).[55]

Video games

Cartoon Network has released three mobile games based on the series titled, "Flipped Out", "Glitch Fixers" and "Ready, Set, Monsters", the latter two are free but the former is $2.99. All games are available on both the Apple App Store and Google Play.[56][57]

A pair of Powerpuff Girls-themed packs for the toys-to-life video game Lego Dimensions were released on September 12, 2017. These include a Team Pack, containing playable Blossom and Bubbles figures and constructable Octi and PPG Smartphone items; and a Fun Pack, containing a playable Buttercup figure and a constructable Mega Blast Bot. The packs add a new Powerpuff Girls-themed open-world area and battle arenas to the game.[58] Also, there was a crossover exclusive Teen Titans Go! episode for Lego Dimensions that included the "Powerpuff Girls" fighting the Gremlins in Jump City.

Notes

References

  1. ^ a b Staff writers (February 19, 2015). "Cartoon Network Unveils Upfront Slate for 2015–2016". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on February 19, 2015. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
  2. ^ HaleyMancini, (January 31, 2017). "New eps will be airing in the spring! Sorry, we're behind and don't have a tumblr going yet". Retrieved May 31, 2017.
  3. ^ a b Gonzalez, Sandra (June 8, 2015). "The Powerpuff Girls Return Is Imminent: See the First Images". Mashable. Mashable, Inc. Archived from the original on June 10, 2015. Retrieved June 11, 2015. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  4. ^ a b c d Hughes, William (June 9, 2015). "Powerpuff Girls Voice Actor Feels 'Stabbed in the Heart' by New Version". The A.V. Club. The Onion, Inc. Archived from the original on June 11, 2015. Retrieved June 11, 2015. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ a b Serrao, Nivea (April 4, 2016). "Here's What You Can Expect From The Updated Powerpuff Girls". TV Insider.
  6. ^ a b Francis, Preston (May 5, 2015). "Interview with Voice Actor Tom Kenny". The Comic Book Cast. Archived from the original on May 28, 2015. Retrieved June 19, 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ Vilas-Boas, Eric (May 26, 2016). "Exclusive Interview: Natalie Palamides on Buttercup and 'Powerpuff Girls' Season 2". The Dot and Line. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
  8. ^ Truitt, Brian (May 27, 2016). "Sneak peek: Teen Titans meet the Powerpuff Girls for cartoon crossover". USA Today. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  9. ^ "Powerpuff Girls add a fourth sister..." NeoGAF. September 6, 2017.
  10. ^ Lenker, Maureen Lee (September 6, 2017). "Fourth Powerpuff Girl to be unveiled on Cartoon Network". EW.
  11. ^ "'Powerpuff Girls' to make a comeback on Cartoon Network on April 4". Daily News & Analysis. Diligent Media Corporation. March 10, 2016. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
  12. ^ "It's Time to Save the World… Before Bedtime!" (Press release). Toronto: Corus Entertainment. March 10, 2016. Retrieved May 24, 2016.
  13. ^ Mallenbaum, Carly (April 4, 2016). "Powerpuff Girls to the rescue, again". Stuff.co.Nz. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
  14. ^ AB Wire (March 10, 2016). "'The Powerpuff Girls' will return to Indian TV after 11 years". The American Bazaar. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
  15. ^ "The new 'Powerpuff Girls': 5 fun facts about the reboot". Rappler. Manila. April 6, 2016. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
  16. ^ "New Powerpuff Girls theme song written by Toya Delazy". Channel 24. Johannesburg. March 24, 2016. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
  17. ^ Boult, Adam (April 7, 2016). "Powerpuff Yourself: Here's how to turn yourself into a Powerpuff Girl in a few simple steps". The Telegraph. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
  18. ^ "THE ALL-NEW POWERPUFF GIRLS ARE BACK". Turner Broadcasting System Europe (Press release). February 15, 2016. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
  19. ^ "Cartoon Network News In Brief Early November 2016: The Powerpuff Girls Reboot Free-To-Air UK Premiere On CITV On Monday 7th November". RegularCapital: Cartoon Network International News. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  20. ^ Knox, David (March 17, 2016). "Airdate: The Powerpuff Girls". TV Tonight. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
  21. ^ Knox, David (December 13, 2016). "Go! to screen Go! Kids block during daytimes". TV Tonight. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
  22. ^ "CARTOON NETWORK'S 'WE BARE BEARS' AND 'THE POWERPUFF GIRLS' TO AIR ON TV5 IN THE PHILIPPINES" (Press release). Manila: Turner Broadcasting System Asia-Pacific. September 22, 2016. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
  23. ^ "Boomerang Schedule - Cartoon Network". Archived from the original on October 30, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  24. ^ Solotaroff-Webber, Henry (April 12, 2016). "'The Powerpuff Girls' are back and ready to kick ass". The Badger Herald. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
  25. ^ Yehl, Joshua (March 18, 2016). "The Powerpuff Girls: "Man Up" Review". IGN. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
  26. ^ "THE POWERPUFF GIRLS Are Back – Our Review of the New Series". Nerdist. April 4, 2016. Retrieved May 24, 2016.
  27. ^ Freeman, Molly. "The Powerpuff Girls Series Premiere Review: Sugar, Spice & Everything Nice". Screenrant.com. Retrieved May 24, 2016.
  28. ^ "'The Powerpuff Girls: Tiara Trouble' Review: Title Trio Still Packs a Punch in Modern Reboot". February 14, 2017. Retrieved on May 31, 2017.
  29. ^ Gurewitz, Frida (April 13, 2016). "A less than powerful Puff delight". The Occidental Weekly. Archived from the original on April 27, 2016. Retrieved April 13, 2016. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  30. ^ Thurm, Eric (April 4, 2016). "The New Powerpuff Girls Is So Self-Conscious About Its Feminism That It Forgets What Made the Original Great". Slate. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
  31. ^ Allegra, Frank (April 15, 2016). "The Powerpuff Girls reboot loses what made the original so special". Polygon. Retrieved April 17, 2016.
  32. ^ Swartz, Jessica (April 21, 2016). "'Powerpuff Girls' Reboot Mangles Craig McCracken's Original Series". Inverse. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
  33. ^ Watson, Shelby (April 20, 2016). "New Powerpuff Girls Series Disappoints on All Accounts". The All State. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
  34. ^ "Cartoon Network European Free To Air Viewing Success - RegularCapital". July 11, 2017. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  35. ^ Editor. "Cartoon Network draws strong approval from Euro free-to-air franchises - Ratings/Measurement - News - Rapid TV News". www.rapidtvnews.com. Retrieved March 26, 2018. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  36. ^ "Cartoon Network winning through free-to-air". July 11, 2017. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  37. ^ Berry, Peter A. (February 27, 2015). "The Powerpuff Girls Reboot: Original Voice Actors Not Returning". Design & Trend. Archived from the original on June 11, 2015. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
  38. ^ @CrackMcCraigen (May 27, 2016). "I never officially gave it my blessing I just understood the business reality that I had no power to stop it from being made" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  39. ^ @CrackMcCraigen. "When CN told me they were making more I told them that I wished they wouldn't but from a financial standpoint I know why they did" (Tweet) – via Twitter. {{Cite tweet}}: Invalid |number= (help)
  40. ^ Schmidt, Joseph (October 5, 2017). "NYCC 2017: Tara Strong Spotlight Panel Live Recap". ComicBook.com. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
  41. ^ Kiberd, Roisin (April 22, 2016). "The Tumblr fandom is outraged at the Powerpuff Girls reboot". Vice. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
  42. ^ Misra, Sulagna (April 13, 2016). "The Powerpuff Girls reboot lacks the sugar and spice of the original". Fusion. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
  43. ^ Solis, Marie (April 12, 2016). "Powerpuff Girls transgender pony wants to be a unicorn, becomes monster instead". Mic. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
  44. ^ Dawes, Dorian (April 18, 2016). "A joke in the Powerpuff Girls reboot is a sucker punch to trans women". Bitch. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
  45. ^ Tiara, Creatrix. "Emily Brundige's Apology Re Horn Sweet Horn (updated)·" Storify. (April 2016).
  46. ^ Brown, Tracy. "New 'Powerpuff Girls' packs a bigger character punch than the original".
  47. ^ "Why the departure of this character on the new "Powerpuff Girls" is bumming us out". April 13, 2016.
  48. ^ Lewis, Dave (July 14, 2016). "Complete List of 2016 Emmy Nominees". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 14, 2016.
  49. ^ https://allwomeninmedia.org/gracies/2017-gracie-winners/
  50. ^ Lewis, Dave (December 4, 2017). "Complete List of 2016 Emmy Nominees". Variety. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
  51. ^ "The Powerpuff Girls - A Sweetheart Release for the 2016 Show's 'Volume 1' DVD". TVShowsOnDVD.com. December 12, 2017. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
  52. ^ "The Powerpuff Girls - Release Date, Price for 'Volume 2: The Last Donnycorn' DVD". TVShowsOnDVD.com. May 23, 2017. Retrieved July 14, 2016.
  53. ^ "EMEA is on the merch map for Powerpuff Girls".
  54. ^ TV News Desk. "Cartoon Network's Reimagined POWERPUFF GIRLS Coming to McDonald's 'Happy Meal'". Broadway World.
  55. ^ "POWERPUFF GIRLS RETURN TO COMICS THIS JULY". IDW Publishing. April 8, 2016.
  56. ^ "Glitch Fixers - The Powerpuff Girls on the App Store". App Store. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  57. ^ "Flipped Out – The Powerpuff Girls Match 3 Puzzle / Fighting Action Game on the App Store". App Store. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  58. ^ Osborn, Alex (May 31, 2017). "Teen Titans Go!, The Powerpuff Girls and Beetlejuice Packs Coming to LEGO Dimensions". IGN. Retrieved May 31, 2017..
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