The Hub Is Revealed 10/10/10

There hasn't been any word on a new Jem show; it just seems like something Hasbro could do, since they're relaunching so many of their other '80's properties.
 
I'm still not going to watch it if it's based on the movie continuity. Michael Bay or not, as far as said movie continuity goes, "the damage has been done" as they say (notwithstanding the fact that the current toys are based on the movies, when it should be the other way around). For this reason among others (and I've said this before), I'm really hoping that the franchise will "start over" with this new series (whose name hasn't really been confirmed yet; more later), with a new story, a new continuity...a new "everything" essentially. OTOH, I would hope that in so doing, it doesn't insult peoples' intelligence (age notwithstanding) in one way or another, but that's another story. However, given that the movie writers are involved with this new series, it could really be either or, and that in itself makes the show a liability even though it hasn't aired yet. In other words, what we have here is an "inversion" of the "Cue Cullen" trope (which has since been renamed "And The Fandom Rejoiced"; tropes get renamed all the time over there), although I realize that there may be disagreements with that.

In any case, there has yet to be an actual confirmation that "Transformers: Prime" will be the name of the show (whichever form it takes). They've trademarked/registered it for "something", but that doesn't necessarily infer that it will be the name of the new series.

Still, I am looking forward to The Hub's debut this October, although I still think the name sounds like the name of a single block, rather than a network...
 
But if they did make a new show I wonder how they would modernize it. The character designs alone would have to be completely changed.
 
I'm looking foward to The Hub it has many shows I'm interested in like Transformers Prime and G.I. Joe. I agree with GWOtaku, when War For Cybertron comes out, this channel will be the best way to promote it.
 
sounds like a plan with orci/kurtzman. as long as everything else is up to speed with direction and animation, the new tf toon should be good. these guys are great writers.
 
So in today's news, rabroad reports that the Joe cartoon will probably be awesome. Well, not exactly, but it's hard for me to not be optimistic. I took notice of these tidbits in particular from the Forces of Geek link...

And, from another post at Hisstank:

And as it says in the rabroad report, it's starting fresh and original. Is it me, or is this shaping up to be pretty much the perfect balance for a general appeal Joe cartoon?
 
I?ve never really been a huge fan of G.I. Joe but I?d be willing to check the series out. I?m mainly happy that I actually found the title before they announced it, which leaves me more optimistic about the other trademarks I found.
 
So the new G.I. Joe series will be called "G.I. Joe Renegades". However, when I read this:



I immediately became interested. Had it been based on the movie continuity, I wouldn't have given it the time of day (long story).

That said, GWOtaku, even though they say that "the stories are not written for kids", I imagine that this show will still be family friendly in some way (it also said that the show won't use bullets; I imagine they're going to go for lasers like before). After all, The Hub is a family network, so I imagine they won't be going for anything "PG-13" in this show. In short, I don't think we should misinterpret that statement.

As for characters getting hurt or dying, as long as they don't kill off important (hero) characters (or play with the viewers' emotions by making it look like they will, but then don't, among other things), I won't have a problem with it (well, not too much of a problem, anyway; I kinda would prefer that no one dies at all, but that's another topic...). I also hope that if any Joes do end up getting killed, that it isn't "senseless and random", which includes, but may not be limited to, looking like someone will survive after a battle, but then some random Cobra comes in and fatally shoots them or something; think Battlestar Galactica 1978 when

Apollo's wife (?) Serena gets killed by a random Cylon at the end of that episode.

I'm hoping something like that doesn't happen on this show. Of course, I think it's safe to assume that people won't be dying left and right either, and I doubt that the show would have a "kill'em all" type ending (I figure Hasbro wouldn't have it...).
 
I don't know why but I thought this was going to be some kind of internet only channel, good to know I'm wrong and I do have Discovery Kids so now I'm excited
 
Yeah, I probably should've pointed that out. Some tidbit somewhere noted that the content definitely wouldn't be at Resolute level. I'd be satisfied with a rough equivalence to, say, what GI Joe would be if it were written like Justice League, albeit skewed a bit younger probably. Pulled punches aside, what I take away from this is that (a) they want to tell some good stories and (b) that Cobra won't suck, which has been the #1 obstacle to compelling GI Joe stories since...pretty much forever. Even in Resolute, they were less competent than I would have liked in general. But if the Joes are really "on the run" so to speak, that means they're going to have to really work to prevail. If that's how it goes, it's about time.
 
I just realized something else today. I said I was interested because it wouldn't be set in the movie continuity, but then I remembered something.

In the original series, G.I. Joe is a U.S. based "special mission force" with it's characters having military backgrounds (and motifs), and are publicly recognized heroes (after all, G.I. Joe is supposed to be "A Real American Hero"). In the movie however, they are an international secret operative group (who have military backgrounds, but who have "spy" motifs, essentially) who technically aren't supposed to exist; essentially secret agents of sorts...which the "real" G.I. Joe are not (although they have done many missions involving espionage, etc), but I digress, plus I don't want to debate the issue.

The point is, the "G.I. Joe" in the movie are G.I. Joe "in name only". They could pass off as any secret operative group in any action-adventure movie. With all this mind, I'm a little worried about how "G.I. Joe" will be portrayed in this show. In other words, movie continuity or not, I likely won't watch this show if this "G.I. Joe" ends up being another "in name only" group.

Furthermore (and partially related), if this show ends up taking "The Garfield Show" route, whereby it assumes the viewer has only seen and is familiar with the live-action movie (which is a long story, and for another topic), I likely won't watch it. Don't get the wrong idea, though. I want to watch this show, but not if the "G.I. Joe" in this show isn't actually "G.I. Joe" as Hasbro originally conceived them (with regards at least to the "Real American Hero" era that began in 1982). Most of all though, I want to watch this show, but not if it doesn't look, sound, and most importantly feel like G.I. Joe.
 
Man, you guys are harsh on Sigma Six and Resolute. Sigma Six had plenty of flaws (particularly the fact that it wanted to be edgier and couldn't), but it was far from the worst cartoon ever made, or the worst GI Joe. Resolute was basically an experiment of a more mature, realistic GI Joe, and I think as an experiment it did pretty well. It did well enough that it looks like some of Resolute's "realistic" elements are going to make it in here, along with the more competent COBRA that Resolute had.

The fact that the cartoon won't be super bloody or violent but will still have people getting killed every now and then means that Hasbro is trying to strike a balance between demographics and audiences. Probably shooting for a Justice League-esque feel. And that's not a bad thing.

Personally, what interests me is the watercolor backgrounds. I can't wait to see 2D animation up against watercolors. This show will likely be gorgeous.

Hope more details are released soon, but the core concept (COBRA hounding GI Joe across the world, turning the Joes into fugitives) is interesting.

And personally, even if this show is animated in Japan I wouldn't make it a deal-breaker. Sigma Six's character desins weren't bad, and neither were the anime-influenced designs of Resolute.
 
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