As someone who grew up with the vibrant and imaginative worlds of Cartoon Network, this recent turn of events has left me feeling like Mordecai and Rigby after losing their favorite sandwich – utterly shocked and dismayed. The sudden disappearance of shows that were an integral part of my childhood and continue to bring joy to countless others is not just a blow to our collective nostalgia, but also a testament to the callousness of corporate decisions that seem to care little about fans.
It appears that several Cartoon Network series, such as Ben 10 and The Amazing World of Gumball, have mysteriously vanished from the Max streaming platform, with no prior notification given to users. These discoveries were made by platform users who noticed their beloved animated TV shows missing from the library. Upon further investigation, it has been confirmed that since October, these shows have simply vanished without a trace. Here is a list of the shows that are now unavailable for streaming:
- Regular Show
- Steven Universe
- The modern edition of Powerpuff Girls
- Ben 10
- We Bare Bears
- The Amazing World of Gumball
- Chowder
Following the significant takeover of the Cartoon Network website in early August this year, resulting in numerous animated series being added to Max’s streaming library, one might assume that Warner Bros. Discovery would halt their actions there. However, ambition can lead to excess, and it appears these shows are no longer lucrative enough to maintain their presence on the streaming platform. Although it’s premature to predict, this move is likely to stir controversy towards Warner Bros. Discovery, as their decision to remove some popular TV shows from Max has been met with criticism from fans. With Cartoon Network Studios having been acquired by Warner last year and merged with Warner Bros. Animated, several properties have found themselves in limbo.
It appears that business executives show minimal concern about fans being able to watch their preferred shows, whether animated or not, as physical media is becoming less common. A valuable lesson here is to appreciate your binge-watching moments of favorite Cartoon Network programs, as the future of these series and many others, now solely available on Max due to the merger, remains uncertain.
Warner Bros. Discovery Owes Everyone an Explanation
According to Collider’s report, there’s been a significant makeover in the “Kids and Family” segment on Max. Earlier, banners displayed characters from absent Cartoon Network shows, but now, even those have vanished. The only character still present is Warner Bros’ iconic rabbit, Bugs Bunny.
The removal of these shows could also be in line with a business strategy that previously included the shutdown of servers powering up the Cartoon Network website, as well as shutting down Boomerang, the streaming service solely focused on animated classics. What’s even more concerning is that if you head over to cartoonnetwork.com, the infamous message telling users to stream their favorite animated shows on Max is still there. In any case, Warner Bros. Discovery, and everyone in charge of making these infuriating decisions, surely owe audiences an official explanation. Though we won’t hold our breath.
For the sake of balance, these shocking removals could be an issue related to licensing and the expiration of those agreements. But, in the meantime, who’s to say your favorite show isn’t next in the gruesome process of removal of beloved TV shows? We best all get to binging while we still can.
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2024-10-04 14:01