You can either end a decent cartoon at its peak or survive long enough to succumb to the seasonal rot. There are several cartoon shows that were once interesting but went downhill later on. Here are a few examples of these good cartoons, awful cartoons, and those cartoons in between. Those which, for a while, were entertaining, but gradually deteriorated. Here are a handful such examples:
1. Scooby Doo
Given how long this program has been running, it’s understandable that things will ultimately deteriorate. The first Scooby Doo program was pretty good, but after that, the plethora of shows simply became worse and worse, to the point that it’s difficult to watch them anymore. All of the characters have grown stale, and they’ve had to resort to copying episodes from previous programs since they’ve run out of ideas.
2. The Simpsons
First adored by people throughout the world, The Simpsons was popular for its witty humor and realistic scenarios. After more than two decades on the air, there are still arguments about when the series’ decay began. However, according to the majority of viewers, the show’s downward spiral began in Season 8. Season 9 didn’t fare much better. Everything was out of place with Apu marrying, Lisa disparaging religion and Homer and Mr. Burns departing the nation. Worst of all, everyone in town became a member of a strange cult, which didn’t fare well with viewers.
3. SpongeBob SquarePants
The longest running cartoon show: SpongeBob SquarePants.
Indeed, when it initially aired in 1999, Spongebob Squarepants became one of the most watched. cartoon shows of the time. The reason for the decline is due to the later seasons. The creators did not stick to their initial plans, and the show lacked the charm and wit of the first three seasons. The authors rehashed earlier episode plots and used mean comedy instead of the show’s initial light-hearted tone. Furthermore, the roster of engaging, sympathetic characters devolved into one-note impersonations, the worst case being Patrick’s character.
4. Family Guy
In 1999, Family Guy debuted. It was extremely funny for the first three seasons, but it was ultimately canceled. However, thanks to strong DVD sales, the show was resurrected. Although it was still entertaining, the show’s quality began to deteriorate after its discontinuation. The program, however, started to fail after Season 7. The animation has malfunctioned such that the characters now move like robots. Every character has been flanderized to the point that they are no longer recognizable as themselves. All of the running gags have gotten tired and unpleasant. It would be fantastic if someone could lay Family Guy to rest right now.
5. The Teen Titans
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The classic Teen Titans series is regarded as one of Cartoon Network‘s most important achievements. It was one of those cartoon shows that expertly balanced action, character development, and comedic elements. Its third season, on the other hand, suffered from low ratings and a lackluster plot. While Season 4’s narrative took off, Season 5 was rather uninspiring. While the ending was still enjoyable, it left so many unanswered cliffhangers that were not addressed even in the epilogue. Instead of making the 6th season to settle this, they came up with a comical reboot of the Titans, which was completely unnecessary.
