Along with making Warner Bros. Discovery a less diverse place, CEO David Zaslav is going to gut the cartoon network and turn it into a shadow of its former self.
The decision to eliminate 43 open positions from the Television division of Warner Bros. Discovery caught the attention of the media. The company has a plan to combine Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios.
As part of the company's "new streamlined structure", Sam Register will be running all of the company's studios. But the latter two animation labels will now share development and main production teams, which doesn't bode well for Cartoon Network, an outfit that's traditionally been home to more original intellectual property.
Zaslav has apparently cut Warner Bros. Discovery's spending by pulling Batgirl, canceling shows like Raised by Wolves, and axing upcoming projects like J.J.Abrams' unfinished series. It is believed that the consolidation of Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios will not have an adverse impact on their ability to produce content. It is difficult to see how two separate production branches can maintain their previous levels of output after being made to share resources.
The season episodes orders for Craig of the Creek and Jessica's Big Little World were slashed by 50%. While both shows and the upcoming Craig of the Creek movie are still happening, the way they are being trimmed back is reflective of what will happen in the future. Warner Bros. Discovery probably wants to keep the Cartoon Network brand alive the same way that it wants to keep the name of the premium cable network around.
But it feels quite possible that the Cartoon Network of the future might be more of a nostalgia brand.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
