Toon Zone Talkback - Hasbro Reclaims Toon Library

[Mugen]

This is the talkback thread for Hasbro Reclaims Toon Library (http://news.toonzone.net/article.php?ID=23745).

Wow, good for Hasbro to reclaim the shows they didn't have the rights to anymore.

[tucsoncoyote]

Related Article: http://www.cynopsis.com/content/view/3499/53/

Hasbro, Inc. takes back all worldwide distribution rights to the Sunbow Library of Hasbro Classics programming from TV-Loonland for US$7 million. TV-Loonland had acquired The Hasbro Classics library, which includes brands such as Transformers, My Little Pony and G.I. Joe, and properties like Mr. Potato Head and Connect Four, from Sony BMG in December 2000. Under the agreement Hasbro takes control of about 2,000 episodes, which covers 30 different brands. Simon Flamank, CEO, TV-Loonland, explains the company plans to use the funds to pay back a majority of all of its outstanding debt and move the company forward. TV-Loonland is also in the midst of selling its UK distribution subsidiary Metrodome to its shareholders.


Well at last, the Sunbow Library of Hasbro Classic animation has finally come home to roost, and with it comes the fact that Hasbro now has it's original properties back including Transformers (G1), G.I.Joe and all the rest (yes even Jem is back in the fold.)

So what's your response to this news?

Discuss.

[Old Guy]

Will this mean that it'll return to television? If so, then I'm happy. Some of these shows I haven't seen in YEARS.

[tucsoncoyote]

Will this mean that it'll return to television? If so, then I'm happy. Some of these shows I haven't seen in YEARS.

Well if not, then there is the "DVD Option" and in fact if you look in the Video thread they discuss that.

So at least if you don't get the shows back on the air, you've always got the DVD's..

:coyote:

[Daikun]

This would be a perfect opportunity for Boomerang to snag these.

[Tobias]

This would be a perfect opportunity for Boomerang to snag these.

Boomerang, at one point, DID air G.I. Joe for a brief time after Cartoon Network aired it late night for a period. G4 also aired G.I. Joe as recently as about a year ago, but then it just quietly vanished.

Up until the turn of the century, Disney Channel aired My Little Pony (Just the MLP segments, the & Friends portions were dropped) in it's pre-Clubhouse Disney days, but never carried it over to Toon Disney.

While it would be nice to have them back on T.V., I want the rest of Jem & G.I. Joe released, and an uncut boxset of My Little Pony & Friends wouldn't hurt.

That's right, I said UNCUT. The MLP dvds Kid Rhino released were edited.

[Ed Liu]

Merging TC's talkback with the official Toon Zone News talkback for this news. We had this yesterday afternoon -- don't tell me you're STILL not checking our own news ticker (http://news.toonzone.net/) for cartoon news! :p

-- Ed

[Zorak Masaki]

As long as it means box sets and not just individual eps released with figures.

[Mandouga]

Will this mean that it'll return to television? If so, then I'm happy. Some of these shows I haven't seen in YEARS.

Who can say? Claster Television (Hasbro's distribution/syndication unit) went out of business years ago.

@Tobias:

Actually, it's "Playhouse" Disney. :)

[Craig Crumpton]

$7 Million is a bargain for them just to get TFs and GI Joe back. They'll see a return on that investment within the first hour after they release GI Joe to coincide with the theatrical release.

And TF fans who missed getting the Rhino sets (or were disappointed with the ones they did get) have been frothing at the mouth to own a higher quality release with a better transfer and ample bonus material. The Blu-Ray release alone of anything TF will be a huge moneymaker for Hasbro from this point on.

[Knightmare]

$7 Million is a bargain for them just to get TFs and GI Joe back. They'll see a return on that investment within the first hour after they release GI Joe to coincide with the theatrical release.

And TF fans who missed getting the Rhino sets (or were disappointed with the ones they did get) have been frothing at the mouth to own a higher quality release with a better transfer and ample bonus material. The Blu-Ray release alone of anything TF will be a huge moneymaker for Hasbro from this point on.

You make some very good points my friend, personally what I'd love to see them do is release a big title(Transformers,GI JOE or My Little Pony) along with one of the slightly smaller titles (Jem,Inhumanoids, etc) I think that if they did that and had some decent promotion the all the titles would be decent sellers.

[Old Guy]

This would be a perfect opportunity for Boomerang to snag these.

I hope they are smart enough. Boomerang needs some new blood. I love Hanna-Barbera as much as the next guy but they need to start adding new programming.

[Sketch]

It would be great if CN (since they work with Hasbro often) could get the original Transformers on Boomerang but Hasbro probably has grander plans than just that.

And CN still has the rights to some of the GI-Joe episodes don't they?

[Old Guy]

It would be great if CN (since they work with Hasbro often) could get the original Transformers on Boomerang but Hasbro probably has grander plans than just that.

Grander as in...DVDs?

[Sketch]

Grander as in...DVDs?

The whole show has already been out on DVD twice. Though I suppose Bluray maybe...

[veemonjosh]

It would be great if CN (since they work with Hasbro often) could get the original Transformers on Boomerang but Hasbro probably has grander plans than just that.

It would also be awesome if they get Adult Swim to put it in the 5:30 AM graveyard slot, so it could air next to Animated's 6AM slot. :D

[dmxx116]

Marvel should do the same thing like Hasbro is doing, Reclaims their toon library from Disney.

[Kenny E. McCall]

Me and the posters were talking about Hasbro (Yes!!!) reclaiming the entire Sunbow cartoon library in the Jem and Friends forum at the JemCon website (http://www.kumateworks.com/jemcon/index (http://www.kumateworks.com/jemcon/index.php).php), (I'm Stormbreaker2008 there.) and man, we're all excited about it!

If I had my way, I'd try to maneuver some of the Hasbro toon properties onto Cartoon Network or Boomerang like this:

Monday-Friday Mornings: Transformers Universe Block.

6:00am - Transformers (Generation 1)
6:30am - Beast Wars/Machines
7:00am - Transformers: Armada
7:30am - Transformers: Energon
8:00am - Transformers: Cybertron
8:30am - Transformers: Animated

Afternoon Miguzi Block (must balance with non Hasbro-related CN programming)
4:00pm - G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero
4:30pm - G.I. Joe (DiC Version)
5:00pm - Jem: Truly Outrageous
5:30 - 7pm - Original CN/Boomerang Programming

_______________________________________________________

Weekends:

Weekends could be used to put some of the shortlived Sunbow shows like Visionaries, Inhumanoids, G.I. Joe Extreme and Conan the Adventurer into a Super Saturday-style Rising Sun block, while shows like My Little Pony and Friends, Bucky O'Hare and the Toad Wars, The Tick and The Cramp Twins are in a Super Sunday Rising Sun block

Maybe C.O.P.S. and some of the Great Space Coaster episodes can find its way onto CN, Boomerang, or DVD, as well as the Bigfoot and the Muscle Machines and Robotix shows as full-length movies. I would damn sure love to see the 1986 Transformers movie and G.I. Joe: The Movie on CN as well.

The possibilities are endless!

Kenny:robin:

[Kenny E. McCall]

Marvel should do the same thing like Hasbro is doing, Reclaims their toon library from Disney.

Seriously! Marvel should do it immediately! End all deals with Disney and its subsidiaries, and start anew. :raven: CN, Boomerang and possibly Nickelodeon (and Nicktoons) would be great places for all the classic Marvel stuff, even Dungeons and Dragons! (they can even restore the old Marvel Productions end logos for each episode on their own DVD's)

[Knightmare]

Hey I was over at Newsarama and they had posted a story about Hasbro regaining the rights to the classic shows and it also mentions that they are teaming up with Universal to produce movies based on some of their classic toy properties, I don't know if this means that Universal is going to get the DVD rights to Transformers, GI JOE and the other Hasbro/Sunbow cartoons as well. Personally I'd rather Hasbro go with a smaller company like BCI or Shout, they know how to handle these type of properties better than alot of the bigger companies.

Here's a link to the story

http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=157257

[Toon Capone]

Hopefully they will make a deal with BCI so they can re-release them on DVD.

BCI is the only company that will do those shows any justice.

I espcially want them to re-release G.I. Joe with a lot of special features.

[Craig Crumpton]

I don't know if this means that Universal is going to get the DVD rights to Transformers, GI JOE and the other Hasbro/Sunbow cartoons as well.The actual article at Newsarama states: Under the terms of the deal, Hasbro will partner exclusively with Universal Pictures for feature films, with the exception of Transformers and GI Joe.

Pretty much answers that question--the TV series aren't involved in that deal in the slightest. But that's the kind of confusion such an article can cause when a reporter mixes two somewhat related stories. Here's the Hasbro/Universal six-movie deal it's actually referring to:

http://movies.ign.com/articles/873/873542p1.html

[Mandouga]

Personally I'd rather Hasbro go with a smaller company like BCI or Shout, they know how to handle these type of properties better than alot of the bigger companies.

In regards to this, something occurred (sp?) to me earlier today.

Hasbro reclaiming the rights to the Sunbow catalog based on their properties can be either a good thing, or a bad thing. Despite having an entertainment division, Hasbro is a toy company first. For this reason, they actually have better things to do...like selling toys.

That being said, since they have the distribution rights, this means that they have the final say on who can release a DVD of "their" shows, as well as how, and when. The way I see it, this has the potential to be another "Get-Along Gang" case wherein somebody wants to release a certain show on DVD, but Hasbro won't have it, and that would be the end of it. Also, even if there was to be any DVD release at all, now that Hasbro owns the shows based on their properties, this puts them in the position of ordering that a show be released a certain way. You heard about that special edition Optimus Prime toy coming with a DVD of the first TV episodes, right? Hasbro could limit such releases to that for all we know, or for the ones that have been inactive for some time (such as Jem), they may decide not to allow a DVD release until such a time as they decide to "relaunch" the property (you know for a "new generation"). Furthermore, even if there was to be an actual "DVD release" (i.e., actual DVDs in stores), for all we know Hasbro could order such a release to be a (series of) single-disc barebones DVD(s) with only a few random episodes, and no extras. I guess what I'm trying to say is that Hasbro is now in the position to have "their" shows released on their terms and ONLY on their terms.

So for our sakes, let us hope that Hasbro will have the foresight to give these classic TV shows the treatment they rightfully deserve, not just for those older people who "were there" when these shows originally aired, but also for those younger people who might actually be interested, as well as anyone discovering these shows for the first time.

In any event, as Knightmare pointed out, the "treatment they deserve" may not be as likely if it were to be released by a bigger entertainment conglomerate. Personally I have my doubts about Shout! Factory. For BCI, I'm beginning to think that they are getting fatigued after three years of He-Man and (other) Filmation releases (OTOH, I wonder how Genius Products would handle them...). If anything, I think that Rhino should take this opportunity to at least try to get the DVD rights back (after losing them a couple years or so ago). Rhino's been good about how they've released the shows, haven't they?

[Taylor Karras]

It looks like we'll be seeing them on the TV's sooner then you can expect.

[Racattack!Force]

I hope they are smart enough. Boomerang needs some new blood. I love Hanna-Barbera as much as the next guy but they need to start adding new programming.

I totally agree. After months of watching the same shows over and over, the Boomerang line-up needs some new stuff. Mix it up Time Warner! Surprise me. :p Anyway, I'm glad Hasbro was able to snag these toons back. All the better for DVD releases and possible TV airings.

[dth1971]

Hasbro could release on DVD the first Sunbow produced show from the 1980's "The Great Space Coaster".

[Mandouga]

Actually, I think it only applies to the shows that are based on their properties; properties that they originally created (or in the case of Transformers, licensed). The Great Space Coaster wasn't originally created by Hasbro (at least I don't think it was).

[Old Guy]

Monday-Friday Mornings: Transformers Universe Block.

6:00am - Transformers (Generation 1)
6:30am - Beast Wars/Machines
7:00am - Transformers: Armada
7:30am - Transformers: Energon
8:00am - Transformers: Cybertron
8:30am - Transformers: Animated

That's overkill.

Afternoon Miguzi Block (must balance with non Hasbro-related CN programming)
4:00pm - G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero
4:30pm - G.I. Joe (DiC Version)
5:00pm - Jem: Truly Outrageous

That's better.

I totally agree. After months of watching the same shows over and over, the Boomerang line-up needs some new stuff. Mix it up Time Warner! Surprise me. :p Anyway, I'm glad Hasbro was able to snag these toons back. All the better for DVD releases and possible TV airings.

I first got Boomerang in late 2004. And I was hooked on it for a few months. Then I just got bored of it. They need to spice it up.

[Ioz]

An update:
http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Transformers-Sunbow-Deal-Questions-Answered/9692

[NayokoKihara]

Wonderful news. I hope this means some sort of release for those shows I watched when I was younger, I've missed them for quite a while. I'd love a simple DVD release of The Littlest Pet Shop, My Little Pony, as well as Jem and the Holograms.

[Tobias]

The My Little Pony DVDs are still in print, or at least for the time being. Toy *R* Us and Wal-Mart still have them on the shelves. The Season Set's long out of print, but the compilation discs and MLP the Movie are still on the market. But they're also the edited, Disney Channel versions. (The & Friends end credits are replaced with the ending from the original pilot; The 'To Be Continued' tags are cut off, taking dialogue and music with them; A song from 'The Glass Princess, Part 4' is inexplicably missing).

I'd love an uncut MLP & Friends release.

[Old Guy]

So...any word if this will air on any channels?

[Zorak Masaki]

Do they own the rights to any other non-sunbow shows based on hasbro toys like C.O.P.S. or Maxie's world?

[Tobias]

C.O.P.S. and Maxie's World are both under Dic's control, which in turn, are both probably under SHOUT! Factory's license.

As far as channels go, I doubt it, unless some niche retro channel comes along that's willing to pay for the rights to air them.

CN/Boomerang did have G.I. Joe a few years back, but must have let the rights expire. Same with Disney Channel and My Little Pony.

[Blackstar]

I've only seen bits and pieces of C.O.P.S., so I can't really comment on that, but honestly, I don't know if Maxie's World airing on Boomerang would be a good thing or not. Maxie was a pretty weak cartoon, IMHO. Plus, would Maxie's World still feature the added attractions of DiC's Beverly Hills Teens and Punky Brewster, or would it just be the Maxie's World cartoons by themselves?

I'd rather see Boom pick up The Super Mario Brothers Super Show before Maxie, but that's just me.

[Tobias]

I've only seen bits and pieces of C.O.P.S., so I can't really comment on that, but honestly, I don't know if Maxie's World airing on Boomerang would be a good thing or not. Maxie was a pretty weak cartoon, IMHO. Plus, would Maxie's World still feature the added attractions of DiC's Beverly Hills Teens and Punky Brewster, or would it just be the Maxie's World cartoons by themselves?

I'd rather see Boom pick up The Super Mario Brothers Super Show before Maxie, but that's just me.

Don't quote me, but the Punky Brewster segments were all mined from the NBC episodes (There were no new segments of PB produced for Maxie's World), so, no, I don't think they could air those since that show is owned by NBC/Universal (Although Ruby Spears produced, I suspect WB might own a part of it).

As far as Beverly Hills Teens, there's no point in airing those in Maxie's World, since it'd just be simpler to get ahold of the full series itself instead of the edited version MW aired. (trimmed down opening, edited to fit the slot slot since they had to include the shortened BHT theme AND the longer MW theme).

I don't know how many MW segments were produced, but it'd probably equal less than 20 half hours.

[codyjones2105]

The My Little Pony DVDs are still in print, or at least for the time being. Toy *R* Us and Wal-Mart still have them on the shelves. The Season Set's long out of print, but the compilation discs and MLP the Movie are still on the market. But they're also the edited, Disney Channel versions. (The & Friends end credits are replaced with the ending from the original pilot; The 'To Be Continued' tags are cut off, taking dialogue and music with them; A song from 'The Glass Princess, Part 4' is inexplicably missing).

I'd love an uncut MLP & Friends release.

Oh, me too! I really liked this series growing up, and it's a shame that they didn't release the MLP episodes as part of the & Friends series so that we could see the other cartoons that were in it. That's the main reason why I didn't buy the other MLP compilation discs or season sets.

I bought the entire ALF series (4 boxed sets of the sitcom) and all those episodes were the syndicated ones -- some pieces of episodes were missing and I remember reading on one of the ALF boards I used to visit that some of the fans were very upset with Lionsgate that the full episodes weren't on the discs. I bought them anyway regardless of that, but ever since then I've been much more cautious about buying boxed sets of shows that only feature the syndicated copies.

Syndicated episodes aren't on every series boxed set you buy, but on some of the older series, they do appear to be more prominent.

[Tobias]

Yeah, that's why I didn't buy the ALF sets, although I was tempted to buy Season 3 for animated episodes, but luckily Lionsgate later released ALF: TAS and ALFTAles on their own. (But only one measly disc volume each, they need to get in gear and release the rest of the series)

The deal with ALF, from what I heard, was that the syndicated versions were looked better than the original masters.

But to get back on topic, if Hasbro could promise My LIttle & Friends would be released in it's original format, I'd sell the ones I have right now. I just need 2nd Season G.I. Joe episodes, and the last 20 eps of Jem and I'll have all the Hasbro shows I care about.

[Kenny E. McCall]

I know. Just give me the complete G.I. Joe, G1 Transformers, and Jem collections, plus My Little Pony and Friends and maybe Bucky O'Hare and the Toad Wars, and we'll be straight.

[codyjones2105]

Yeah, that's why I didn't buy the ALF sets, although I was tempted to buy Season 3 for animated episodes, but luckily Lionsgate later released ALF: TAS and ALFTAles on their own. (But only one measly disc volume each, they need to get in gear and release the rest of the series)

The deal with ALF, from what I heard, was that the syndicated versions were looked better than the original masters.

But to get back on topic, if Hasbro could promise My LIttle & Friends would be released in it's original format, I'd sell the ones I have right now. I just need 2nd Season G.I. Joe episodes, and the last 20 eps of Jem and I'll have all the Hasbro shows I care about.


ALF was the only show I could think of that was sort-of like the MLP dvds in the sense that they were using syndicated copies instead of the originals. I've definitely learned my lession regarding dvd boxed sets. But thank you for your explanation -- that makes much more sense now. I suppose that may be the reason why the syndicated copies of MLP were released rather than the originals.

I did, however, become very excited when I found the MLP dvd collection at Best Buy a few months ago, but I never did buy it because it was extremely expensive there. Now that I know from here that they're only the copies or syndicated versions, I will wait until Hasbro releases the & Friends series. It was one of the staples from my childhood that I truly enjoyed. I miss a lot of these old shows.