Disney shows based on their movies

I've watched the tv shows based off of the Disney movies and now that i'm older, i can't help but think about the directions they could have gone.

For example: Hercules TAS and The Little Mermaid TAS both take place before the events of original films, but considering that Aladdin TAS and The Legend of Tarzan both take place after their initial films, it makes me wonder why Hercules and TLM couldn't have done the same. This whole "what happened before the film" idea kind of makes any episode they produce seem irrelevant since we already know what's going to happen to these characters.

Also, instead of making a comedy series based off of The Lion King, why couldn't they have made an actual adventure series based around Simba and all the rest? Maybe have it center around Simba adjusting to life as King.

Is this the part where I assume I'm the only one who liked The Emperors New School like always?

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=13348920690A08705600&page=1 Wow a thread almost a year later...then again this only had twelve posts

Anyway, developing a sequel show I think often places a bit too much importance to the show, which puts a lot of expectations on it. What I mean is, if a movie can conclude its story well enough, it shouldn't need a sequel, and if it was decent enough to leave room, then another film should be made. Movies tend to be fairly digestible stories for people to watch in one sitting, while a show requires quite some time to build an arc. Usually a show is meant to serve as more supplementary material; it's good to watch it and enhances the experience but you don't need to if you want to enjoy the overall film series.

I'm not opposed to shows which are sequels to the film, but I've always felt that unless the movie was supposed to be a pilot, then it's not going to be the best of transitions.

edited 20th Apr '13 10:41:50 PM by blueflame724

A Lion King series might have been too similar to Kimba The White Lion, which everybody knows Lion King ripped off. Timon and Pumbaa on the other hand, were more unique.

As for the other series, I think it was more a matter of "which part of the story the audience wants to see now?" For example, Aladdin still had the Genie in the end (except as a friend, not a slave) while The Little Mermaid's main appeal (her sea adventures) were behind her.

I feel like not very many people remember The Legend of Tarzan. The only times I ever watched it were super early in the morning like 6:00 or 6:30 while I was getting ready for school.

I remember it. The first episode I ever saw was the one where Jane got possessed. Man, that was creepy as hell.

I feel like I heard of it when it came out and then completely forgot about it until a few weeks ago when someone in another thread brought it up.

@Stamina: No, I liked The Emperors New School too. Admittedly, I don't like it as much anymore as I did when I first watched it, but I do think it's a very clever and funny series, with some rather baffling writing decisions at times.

The Tarzan series was actually very good. They even brought in elements of other E.R. Burroughs works, like John Carter and Pellucidar, as well as stuff from other Burroughs Tarzan novls, like La of Opar.

A lot of Disney series were solid adventure cartoons. I've always felt that Aladdin was particularly good.

edited 21st Apr '13 9:35:37 PM by Robbery

I really enjoyed Emperor's new school and Lilo and stitch the series.

I know they did a few Pelucidar episodes, but when did Tarzan ever meet John Carter?

How would more obscure spin offs count? Tale Spin and Jungle Cubs were based off of The Jungle Book film, but in a much looser sense (granted Talespin isn't much looser than what Timon and Pumbaa was at times).

edited 22nd Apr '13 6:50:54 AM by Psi001

I rather enjoyed The Emperor's New School and Lilo and Stitch: The Series (especially the crossover episodes). I probably even remember all the words to the theme song of the former!

Y'know, I wonder why Disney stopped doing this after Lilo and Stitch. Their attempts to make tv shows out of their movies were near always so successful.

Granted, I think they haven't had a movie that was a perfect opportunity for a television show for a bit (not that many of their earlier shows were based on films that immediately screamed television spinoff). Wreck It Ralph is the first one in a while where I immediately thought "yes, that would be an amazing opportunity" the first time someone suggested to me that they should make a television show.

I remember The Emperor's New School never striking me as anything other than mediocre... and then I'd see an episode or two where they actually had character development for Kuzco, and I'd be like "whoa". Anyway, if nothing else they deserve credit for that. Far too many shows are too content with keeping the status quo for everything.

edited 28th Apr '13 2:25:15 PM by kalel94

If anything, I'd want a Wreck-It Ralph series to be like Saturday Supercade, with individual cartoons based on the games, only done in styles. Like an old-school 80's cartoon based on Fix-It Felix Jr, with Ralph portrayed as the destruction-loving giant Felix is trying to catch, ala the Donkey Kong cartoon; a Sugar Rush anime, since it's a very Japanese-y game, made in a time where just about every other cartoon was a Japanese import; and for Hero's Duty, this would be anachronistic, but I could see that as an homage to Starship Troopers Roughnecks, since that whole scene was basically a giant homage to Starship Troopers. With dubstep.

Also, maybe some bumpers featuring the versions of the characters we know and love, as a contrast to how they're portrayed in the cartoons.

The Incredibles could easily support an animated series. You could even make it an in-universe metafictional series a la Buzz Lightyear, handwaving things like Syndrome being still alive, or even the other superheroes he killed (granted, that'd probably be in bad taste in-universe).

Seconding a The Incredibles or Wreck It Ralph cartoon, though I fear the latter may suffer from people expecting cameos from video game characters that Disney might not feel like paying for just for a TV show.

edited 28th Apr '13 7:04:57 PM by Sijo

@ 5 - I remember The Legend of Tarzan. Some parts of it were very memorable like Queen La and her Leopardmen.

I think making a series on Timon and Pumbaa was a good move. Sort of like how The Penguins Of Madagascar has just the penguins and lemurs.

No mention of the 101 Dalmatians series? I liked it.

I still don't know why there hasn't been a TV series or sequel to The Incredibles because it has the perfect set up for a Villain of the Week series

I still haven't seen any of either the Aladdin or Hercules shows. I wish Disney would release them on DVD. I'm still trying to get ahold of Darkwing Duck, too.

Because it doesn't need those. And we have a thread for sequel ideas for The Incredibles anyway, so that fits right into that thread.

edited 29th Apr '13 7:26:18 PM by 0dd1

A franchise doesn't have to 'need' a sequel or spinoff for those to be entertaining and worth it, as long as they are crafted well.

I'm honestly surprise that Disney hasn't gone ahead and made an official "Car Toon." There was a couple of those Mater shorts, but given how much they love it (or more specifically John Lassester, since it is his pet project.)

edited 29th Apr '13 8:07:24 PM by Lionheart0

Given that these are all creative efforts, these movies didn't "need" to exist in the first place. "Need" means little compared to will and creativity in these situations.