Formulaic Cartoons
It is common for cinematic titles to use formulas, such as third act conflicts, in order to be entertaining. Due to overuse, these formulas develop into clichés and are irritatingly predictable. This over reliance on a specific formula can probably be best illustrated in animation, specifically in cartoon shorts series.
Which of these formulaic cartoon series do you find the most frustrating to watch?
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Which of these formulaic cartoon series do you find the most frustrating to watch?
Note: Spoilers Ahead
Discuss here
Vote here
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- DirectorDave FleischerSeymour KneitelStarsWilliam CostelloWilliam PennellBonnie PoePopeye begins his movie career by singing his theme song, demonstrating his strength at a carnival, dancing the hula with Betty Boop, pummeling Bluto, eating his spinach, and saving Olive Oyl from certain doom on the railroad tracks.Popeye the Sailor series: Popeye and Bluto fight for the affections of Olive Oyl. In the mist of the conflict, Popeye is seemingly defeated until he gets his hands on Spinach obtaining super strength to defeat his nemesis.
- DirectorJoseph BarberaWilliam HannaStarsWilliam HannaHarry LangBob LaztnyTom (Jasper) gets told that if he breaks one more thing he is getting thrown out, so Jerry (Jinx) tries his best to make Jasper "Get the Boot".The Tom and Jerry series: Housecat Tom is tormented by loveable pest Jerry the Mouse.
- DirectorChuck JonesStarsMel BlancA cat, tired of being abused by everyone in his neighborhood, disguises himself as a skunk and inadvertently attracts the romantic advances of a real skunk.Pepe Le Pew series: Prissy black kitty cat Penelope somehow has an accident in which a white stripe is painted on her back which bring her to the attention an amorous French skunk named Pepe Le Pew.
- DirectorChuck JonesStarsMel BlancPaul JulianWile E. Coyote makes 11 disastrous attempts to catch the Road Runner.Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote series: Wile the starving coyote chases the Roadrunner in vain always foiled by the Acme Corporation's sub-standard products.
- DirectorFriz FrelengStarsMel BlancStan FrebergSpeedy Gonzales comes to the aid of a hungry group of mice trying to get the cheese from a factory guarded by Sylvester.Speedy Gonzales series: A bunch of Mexican mice are tortured and its up the fastest mouse in Mexico to save them from their tormentors.
- CreatorJoe RubyKen SpearsJoseph BarberaStarsDon MessickCasey KasemNicole JaffeA group of teenage friends and their Great Dane (Scooby-Doo) travel in a bright green van solving strange and hilarious mysteries, while returning from or going to a regular teenage function.Scooby Doo series: Someone dawns a costume to appear as a spooky apparition to take control over a usually abandoned location only to be foiled those meddling kids their really hungry great dane.
- DirectorFriz FrelengStarsMel BlancBea BenaderetThomas the cat finds Tweety in the snow, warming himself by a cigar butt. Thomas's mistress rescues the little yellow bird before her cat can devour him, but Thomas doesn't give up.Sylvester and Tweety series: Perpetually hungry cat tries and fails to eat Tweety.
Suggested by Mario Jacobs. - StarsPaul LyndeAllan MelvinDaws ButlerIt's the Wolf. followed the comic exploits of a wolf named Mildew, who aspires to catch and eat a sure-footed lamb named Lambsy, but is always thwarted by the dog Bristle Hound.It's the Wolf series: Mildew the wolf's plan to catch and eat Lambsy constantly being folied by Bristle Hound.
Suggested by Mario Jacobs. - CreatorJean ChalopinAndy HeywardBruno BianchiStarsDon AdamsHolly BergerFrank WelkerA bumbling cyborg inspector outfitted with an array of bizarre gadgets pursues the criminal organization M.A.D., all while his precocious niece and dog do the real investigative work.Inspector Gadget series: Bumbling cyborg Inspector Gadget 'successfully' defeats the ruthless Claw with the help of (the real heroes) his niece Penny and her dog Brain.
- DirectorJohn A. DavisStarsDebi DerryberryRob PaulsenMegan CavanaghAn eight-year-old boy genius and his friends must rescue their parents after the adults are abducted by aliens.Jimmy Neutron series: Boy genius invents something to solve a problem. After his invention backfires he has to reverse the effects usually involving another invention or a "brain blast".
Suggested by urbanemovies. - StarsMaurice LaMarcheRob PaulsenTress MacNeillePinky and Brain are genetically enhanced laboratory mice who reside in the research facility. Brain is self-centered and scheming; Pinky is good-natured but feeble-minded. In each episode, Brain devises a new plan to take over the world.Pinky and the Brain Series: A couple of lab mice nightly try to take over the world only to be foiled by their own plan.
Suggested by Dan Dassow. - CreatorJoseph BarberaWilliam HannaAlex LovyStarsDon MessickPaul WinchellDick Dastardly leads a fighter plane group to try ineffectualy to stop a carrier pigeon.Dick Dastardly and Muttley series: Taking to the skies in an attempt to stop Yankee Doodle Pigeon, howver tehy are never quite able to "stop that pigeon."
Suggested by Mario Jacobs - CreatorButch HartmanBob BoyleStarsTara StrongSusanne BlakesleeDaran NorrisAfter being tortured and humiliated by his babysitter, a ten year old boy is put under the care of two fairy godparents, who can grant him almost any wish, which leads to dire consequences.The Fairly Oddparents: Timmy makes a wish to his fairies that he regrets which he later has to have undone usually learning a lesson along the way.
Suggested by Pencho 15. - CreatorNicholas BoxerTed TurnerThom BeersStarsDavid CoburnJoey DedioKath SoucieA quintet of teenagers work together to encourage environmentally responsible behavior and can summon a superhero to deal with ecological disasters.Captain Planet series: A villain does something to harm the environment. The native population, save for one person finds a perceived advantage and the Planeteers are captured. They summon Captain Planet who vanquishes the enemy and gives them a valuable lesson.
Suggested by Pencho 15. - CreatorEric WeinerChris GiffordValerie Walsh ValdesStarsFatima PtacekRegan MizrahiAlexandria SuarezAlong with her friend Monkey Boots, Dora goes on adventures.Dora the explorer series: A trip in a map with a destination with three subsections including a song and a backpack giving something useful to Dora who asks at the end to the kids what was their favorite part of the episode.
Suggested by Pencho 15. - DirectorIzzy SparberNick TafuriStarsFrank GallopJack MercerPurv PullenDepressed by the antics of the other ghosts, Casper leaves home to make friends. After unintentionally scaring several potential pals, Casper befriends two young children. They take him home, where Casper frightens their mother. Casper is again upset because he believes that he will always scare away his potential buddies. However, Casper scares away a banker who is coming to foreclose on the woman's house, and this wins her heart for Casper.Casper the Friendly Ghost series: A lonely Casper tries to befriend someone only to have the person run off in terror. Casper then meets a small child or animal and helps them. After someone threatens his friend Casper scares off the villain.
- CreatorFranck EkinciValérie HadidaPhilippe VidalStarsAlex WarnerFROG is a modern rendering of the Golden Age of cartoons: chase & run, stretch & squeeze! FROG follows the zany adventures of the Frog and the Ferret, a most unusual travelling duo. The Frog is a tasty amphibian drooled over by every predator around the pond. Including the Ferret, a starving rodent who wants nothing more than to get his teeth into the Frog himself. But all over creatures vying for the Frog's flavours regularly thwart the Ferret's appetite. Consequently, the Ferret spends all his time rescuing the Frog from imminent digestion. Frog is a slapstick series full of energy and humour. Its fast-moving and contemporary minifables feature appearances by well-known characters from literature and cinema. FROG is soon to be a classic for family audience.The Frog series: The ferret tries to catch the frog but someone catches it first. The ferret then tries to get the frog back and succeeds only to fail eating the frog which gets returned to it's home pond.
- CreatorBobs GannawayStarsTony AnselmoTress MacNeilleBill FarmerMickey and his friends Minnie, Donald, Pluto, Daisy, Goofy, Pete, Clarabelle and more go on fun and educational adventures.Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey and his palls need to get the Mouseketools in order to solve the adventure of the day. Various repetition of songs and saying such as "Oh Toodles" "We've got ears, say cheers", "Super cheers" and The Hot Dog dance.
- CreatorJeff 'Swampy' MarshDan PovenmireStarsVincent MartellaDan PovenmireAshley TisdalePhineas and Ferb invent, scheme, and stay one step ahead of their bratty sister. Meanwhile, their pet platypus plots against evil Dr. Doofenshmirtz.Phineas and Ferb series: The boys take on a ridiculously ambitious project, while their pet platypus Perry slips away to fight his arch enemy Dr. Doofenshmitz.
- CreatorFord RileyStarsMeghan StrangeGary Anthony WilliamsSean AstinA kids' show centered around a special agent-in-training needs the help of viewers at home in order to complete his missions.Special Agent Oso series: Oso is in training and fails. He is then assigned to help a child. He then returns and completes his training exercise.
- CreatorChris EliopoulosBrad MeltzerStarsAidan VissersZoe HatzWyatt WhiteXavier Riddle and the Secret Museum is an animated adventure-comedy for kids 4-7 inspired by Brad Meltzer and Chris Eliopoulos's best-selling kids book series, Ordinary People Change the World.Wavier Riddle series: A main character has a problem and they go to the secret museum. The museum presents them with an artifact and they time travel to meet someone who gives them the key to solve their problem and they return to the present.
- CreatorJ.G. QuintelStarsJ.G. QuintelWilliam SalyersSam MarinThe surreal misadventures of two best friends - a blue jay and a raccoon - as they seek to liven up their mundane jobs as groundskeepers at the local park.Regular Show series: Character has an issue and initial attempts to resolve the conflict fail and eventually characters trying to resolve the conflict leads to a bizarre confrontation with a supernatural, ultra-powerful and/or over-the-top obstacle or monster.