Arthur - Where is the Show Going?

[Drtooth]

You know the sad thing? I saw how they changed the animation to Cailou (also from Cookie Jar) a couple years back and I expected this to happen all along. Just under Cookie Jar. And sadly, the animation is better than the even clunkier crap they use. I caught some of that horrible Doodlebops cartoon series and there;'s's absolutely no effort and it looks like an internet Flash cartoon from the 90's.

The even sadder thing is, the first Flash animated cartoon, Mucha Lucha, looks much better than half the stuff animated in flash today. Though Studio B does a superb job. Martha Speaks is pretty fluid, as is that Pony show. Too bad Arthur didn't get Studio B, especially considering Martha Speaks is by the same WGBH production company.

 

[Ignatz]

It's really dissapointing because as I said before the dream sequences were one of the main reasons I watched the show. The references to films, TV and literature in there and the inventivness of these scenes were great and it doesn't really work with the new animation.

 

[Drtooth]

I'm still kinda shocked this didn't happen sooner, though. It was pretty much Cookie Jar's last non-Flash show, and the animation here is much better than Doodlebops Road Show and Horray for Huckle. But not as good as it could be. That said, you can draw full animation and use flash to just put all the frames together and animated that way. Why they have to resort to that much motion tweening is probably a matter of budget. There are scenes that don't look terrible, but I really don't like the uniform line thickness that looks too thick in character close ups.

But there is ONE good thing about this current season. No disease/disorder of the week episodes. They've been starting to get heavy handed with those. They are talking about important subjects kids have to deal with, and they really deserve even more praise for the Autism episode... but I'm afraid that they'll kill Grampa Dave off.

 

[D'Snowth]

but I'm afraid that they'll kill Grampa Dave off.

Well, the already gave him Alzheimer's.

Again, my own grandfather died after suffering from a slow and steady decline due to Alzheimer's, but again, it just seemed like giving Grandpa Dave Alzheimer's seemed like such a cop out, because he was really the least expanded upon character on the show.

 

[Drtooth]

Again, my own grandfather died after suffering from a slow and steady decline due to Alzheimer's, but again, it just seemed like giving Grandpa Dave Alzheimer's seemed like such a cop out, because he was really the least expanded upon character on the show.

Actually, it was a long time coming. They were showing that Grampa Dave was in decline since the one where they go to his farm and he's too tired/goofs off too much to keep his farm up and is too proud to ask for help. Then the next episode to focus on him featured him constantly tired and almost an entirely different, less fun to be around person. That's showing his body rapidly declining. Then the Alzheimer episode... that comes to the Fridge Horror realization that, while none of the other characters actually age, Dave is shown going through the decline of old age. The next logical step is death.

 

[D'Snowth]

Actually, it was a long time coming. They were showing that Grampa Dave was in decline since the one where they go to his farm and he's too tired/goofs off too much to keep his farm up and is too proud to ask for help.

Well, lots of old people are like that, stubborn old mules, I'm sure Alzheimer's wasn't even on the writers' minds at that time.

Then the next episode to focus on him featured him constantly tired and almost an entirely different, less fun to be around person.

What episode was that? I don't remember seeing that.

 

[Mo Frackle]

Well, lots of old people are like that, stubborn old mules, I'm sure Alzheimer's wasn't even on the writers' minds at that time.

What episode was that? I don't remember seeing that.

The one where Grandpa Dave gives Arthur and D.W. a map that supposedly leads to treasure.

 

[D'Snowth]

Still doesn't sound familiar... must have been a more recent epispde.

 

[Ignatz]

I'm still kinda shocked this didn't happen sooner, though. It was pretty much Cookie Jar's last non-Flash show, and the animation here is much better than Doodlebops Road Show and Horray for Huckle. But not as good as it could be. That said, you can draw full animation and use flash to just put all the frames together and animated that way. Why they have to resort to that much motion tweening is probably a matter of budget. There are scenes that don't look terrible, but I really don't like the uniform line thickness that looks too thick in character close ups.

But there is ONE good thing about this current season. No disease/disorder of the week episodes. They've been starting to get heavy handed with those. They are talking about important subjects kids have to deal with, and they really deserve even more praise for the Autism episode... but I'm afraid that they'll kill Grampa Dave off.

I don't no much about animation but can does Flash limit the shots you can replicate? For most parts it just seems like a lot of midshots and closeup were used with no angles.

 

[Mo Frackle]

Still doesn't sound familiar... must have been a more recent epispde.

Actually, it was from an episode with Arthur voice number 2 (a.k.a. "puberty voice" Arthur).