Do Warner Bros. and Disney still dominate the TV toon market like they did in the late 20th century?

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Hi. I am just a little curious about this. Warner Bros. and Disney animation rivals and I assume most people know this. The rivalry between the studios has always been a friendly one- they take jabs at each other through their cartoons and in related media.

I did a little research on this. Both studios have produced TV animation for decades.

Warner Bros. has been producing animated TV specials based on the Looney Tunes since the '70s:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Looney_Tunes_television_specials

Disney's been producing animated TV specials since the '80s, and as far as I know they've only produced one during the '70s:

https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Disney_Television_Animation
https://www.bcdb.com/cartoons/Walt_Disney_Studios/Television/Specials/

Some animation was showcased on The Wonderful World of Disney, a series that had undergone several name changes during the course of its history, between the '50s and '60s:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Disney_anthology_television_series
https://www.bcdb.com/cartoons/Walt_Disney_Studios/Television/Wonderful_World_of_Color/

Warner Bros. was showcasing their classic Looney Tunes shorts on TV beginning in 1960:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Warner_Bros._Animation_productions#Television_series

but didn't start producing original animated shows until 1990:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warner_Bros._Animation#1986%E2%80%931998:_Moving_into_television_animation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Warner_Bros._Animation_productions#Television_series

Tiny Toons was their first original cartoon show.

Since the year 2000, do Warner Bros. and Disney still dominate the TV animation market?

I know both studios have produced handfuls of cartoon series since then, but a cartoon show is not necessarily going to be popular just because some big-name studio is producing it.

Please help- thank you.

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@JGoldman10,

JGoldman10 wrote:

Hi. I am just a little curious about this. Warner Bros. and Disney are animation rivals and I assume most people know this.

-FIXED.

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@JGoldman10,

I don't think either Disney or Warner Brothers dominate the TV toon market, that would be Hanna Barbera. They've been producing TV shows since 1957.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_works_produced_by_Hanna-Barbera_Productions

2 Replies

@JGoldman10,

What about Dreamworks? I love Shrek and the whole movie is a spoof on Disney. Not to mention it is a great movie to watch with the little kids - lots of adult jokes that go completely over the kids' heads.

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@izzythepush,

Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. is defunct.

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanna-Barbera :

"The studio became a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Animation in 1996 following Turner's merger with Time Warner and was ultimately absorbed into Warner Bros. Animation in 2001. As of 2019, Warner Bros. continues to produce new animation based on Hanna-Barbera's catalog using the Hanna-Barbera brand name."

1 Reply

@JGoldman10,

That's not defunct, that's taken over, and if WB have taken them over that makes them dominant.

1 Reply

@JGoldman10,

JGoldman10 wrote:

Disney's been producing animated TV specials since the '80s, and as far as I know they've only produced one during the '70s:

https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Disney_Television_Animation
https://www.bcdb.com/cartoons/Walt_Disney_Studios/Television/Specials/

I should have mentioned they didn't start producing original cartoon shows until 1985. Their first original cartoon shows, The Wuzzles, and The Gummi Bears, both came out this year and both premiered at the same time.

0 Replies

@izzythepush,

The studio doesn't exist anymore.

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanna-Barbera :

'Turner Broadcasting System purchased the studio from Taft (by then renamed Great American Broadcasting) in late 1991 and used much of its back catalog as the foundation and programming for Cartoon Network and later Boomerang. After Turner purchased the company, Hanna and Barbera continued to serve as creative consultants and mentors.

The studio became a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Animation in 1996 following Turner's merger with Time Warner and was ultimately absorbed into Warner Bros. Animation in 2001. As of 2019, Warner Bros. continues to produce new animation based on Hanna-Barbera's catalog using the Hanna-Barbera brand name."

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@JGoldman10,

You've already said that, and I replied that if Warner Brothers have taken over Hannah Barbera that would make them the biggest.

I shouldn't haver to repeat myself.

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@JGoldman10,

Yes. The animated shows on the Disney Channel, Disney XD, and WB's Cartoon Network have been popular with children for years.

Disney also has plans to produce more animated shows for the Disney Plus streaming service.

Hulu and Netflix both have produced animated shows for all audiences but they have not reached widespread popularity. And Nickelodeon seems to be too reliant on Spongebob Squarepants' success to focus on other shows nowadays.

1 Reply

@izzythepush,

izzythepush wrote:

I don't think either Disney or Warner Brothers dominate the TV toon market, that would be Hanna Barbera. They've been producing TV shows since 1957.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_works_produced_by_Hanna-Barbera_Productions

That's a quaint and outdated list. Presently, they can hardly hold a candle to the behemoths of Disney (several of its Disney channels) and WB's animated television output.

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@Rebelofnj,

You forgot about Boomerang, which showcases classic Looney Tunes cartoons and other cartoons in the Turner library. Boomerang started out as a cable/satellite TV network but now has a streaming service called "Boomerang SVOD":

https://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/turner-warner-bros-launch-cartoon-streaming-service-163859
https://www.engadget.com/2017/03/07/boomerang-cartoon-streaming-service/
https://www.theverge.com/2017/3/8/14852940/boomerang-cartoon-streaming-service-launching

Cartoon Network has an adult animation block called "Adult Swim" which is owned by Turner Broadcasting System, which is now part of WarnerMedia (formerly Time Warner). Some of the shows shown on Adult Swim are produced by Williams Street which is owned by Cartoon Network. Mike Tyson Mysteries is the first Adult Swim show produced by Warner Bros. Animation.

There are a handful of Warner Bros. animated series that were showcased on Adult Swim:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Warner_Bros._Animation_productions

Baby Blues was the first adult-oriented television series from Warner Bros. Animation.

I am wondering why Disney doesn't show any adult TV cartoon shows or have an adult animation block on their cable/satellite TV channels. Are they concerned that would hurt their family-friendly image?

1 Reply

@JGoldman10,

JGoldman10 wrote:

Warner Bros. was showcasing their classic Looney Tunes shorts on TV beginning in 1960:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Warner_Bros._Animation_productions#Television_series

Yes, from 1960-2000 they showcased classic Looney Tunes cartoon shorts on broadcast TV in the U.S.

JGoldman10 wrote:

I am wondering why Disney doesn't show any adult TV cartoon shows or have an adult animation block on their cable/satellite TV channels. Are they concerned that would hurt their family-friendly image?

I am wondering why Walt Disney Television Animation doesn't produce adult-orientated animation for TV and showcase it on their cable/satellite TV channels.

0 Replies

@JGoldman10,

Quote:

Are they concerned that would hurt their family-friendly image?

It is very clear over the years that Disney is very protective of its image.

They recently announced that no R rated films and mature rated shows will not be shown on Disney Plus. They plan to have that content on Hulu, which they partly own.

With that in mind, Disney has no plans to produce any adult animation.

I was the one who told you about Boomerang's streaming service. No need to post multiple links about it.

2 Replies

@Rebelofnj,

Disney had Gargoyles. Wasn't that show created to rival Batman: The Animated Series and other cartoon shows in the DCAU, or because Disney wanted a show in the same vein as the cartoons in the DCAU?

Gargoyles has been compared to Batman: The Animated Series. Gargoyles was rather mature for what was supposed to be a kids' show.

1 Reply

@JGoldman10,

It was still an animated series targeted toward a young audience, same with Batman: The Animated Series. Same with the later shows Young Justice, Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Clone Wars, etc.

Fun fact: the creator of Disney's Gargoyles went on to create DC's Young Justice.

From what is being reported, Gargoyles along with the other 1960s-2010s Disney and Marvel animated shows will be included in Disney Plus.

1 Reply

@Rebelofnj,

Rebelofnj wrote:

It is very clear over the years that Disney is very protective of its image.

They recently announced that no R rated films and mature rated shows will not be shown on Disney Plus. They plan to have that content on Hulu, which they partly own.

With that in mind, Disney has no plans to produce any adult animation.

I'm a little confused. How do you know this? Disney could produce adult animation for TV under the Touchstone Television label or whatever labels they use to produce adult-oriented TV shows under.

There was an animated show for MTV that Touchstone Television produced called "Clone High":

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clone_High

As unsettling as it is, Disney now owns Fox, which produces Family Guy and The Simpsons and American Dad. I don't know about Family Guy and American Dad but I know The Simpsons will be shown on Disney Plus.

1 Reply

@Rebelofnj,

Hulu streams Warner's classic original kids'/family TV cartoon shows:

https://looneytunes.fandom.com/wiki/Hulu

Besides Hulu and Boomerang, what other streaming services are there that showcase Warner Bros. cartoons, including Hanna-Barbera- and MGM-related productions produced under Warner Bros., and/or other cartoons in the Turner library?

1 Reply

@JGoldman10,

Clone High was produced years ago for MTV and canceled after one season.

And before you mention it, I am aware Disney produced Clerks: The Animated Series and The PJs, but both of those were canceled years ago as well.

Disney confirmed that no R rated content will be on their streaming service.

I never said Disney can't produce mature content; they produced mature rated Marvel shows for Netflix. The shows had plenty of profanity, blood, and dark themes.

I said Disney has no plans to produce mature content for the foreseeable future, and they announced their future plans back in August. Disney also retired the Touchstone Pictures brand in 2016.

1 Reply

@Rebelofnj,

Rebelofnj wrote:

Clone High was produced years ago for MTV and canceled after one season.

And before you mention it, I am aware Disney produced Clerks: The Animated Series and The PJs, but both of those were canceled years ago as well.

I didn't know that.

Rebelofnj wrote:

I said Disney has no plans to produce mature content for the foreseeable future, and they announced their future plans back in August. Disney also retired the Touchstone Pictures brand in 2016.

Okay, but I'm not talking about for their streaming services, I am talking about producing adult animation for TV- broadcast and/or cable/satellite TV.

Does Disney produce any animated series for TV with a TV-PG rating?

1 Reply

Do Warner Bros. and Disney still dominate the TV toon market like they did in the late 20th century?

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