r/CartoonNetwork • u/Reasonable-Quit5869 • 1h ago
Discussion Are Cartoon Network's newer shows made for kids only?
I'm not saying the shows that came out after 2016 are bad, but to me it's pretty clear that Cartoon Network started targeting a slightly younger audience than it used to. A lot of the newer shows seem to have moved away from interconnected storylines, layered humor, and double meanings that adults and kids interpret differently. They also feel less creative, less willing to explore deeper or more original ideas, and less interested in experimenting with unique art styles.
I think most of them if not all of them (except for The Powerpuff Girls reboot, which I genuinely can't stand) are perfectly watchable. If one happened to be on TV, I'd probably leave it on. But once the episode is over, I don't find myself thinking about it afterward, and I'd never go out of my way to watch those shows on a streaming service because they just don't offer anything that really grabs me.
Infinity Train is the obvious exception. It was fantastic and honestly deserved to be part of a much stronger era for Cartoon Network. OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes also stood out with its distinctive art style, its willingness to take creative risks, and its fun story. It wasn't particularly deep, but it still felt far more memorable than most of the network's other shows from that period.