History ToughActToFollow / WesternAnimation

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePenguinsOfMadagascar'': "The Penguin Who Loved Me" isn't disliked, but because it's the closest thing the show has to a GrandFinale, some fans found it anticlimatic in comparison to the previous special "Operation: Lunacorn Apocalypse" or [[spoiler: Dr. Blowhole]]'s previous special "The Return of the Revenge of Dr. Blowhole"

* ''WesternAnimation/CloneHigh'''s original run was one of the biggest {{Cult Classic}}s in Western Animation between its cancellation in 2003 and revival in 2023. Its fanbase loved its avant-garde humor and storytelling, its encapsulation of 2000s culture (particularly Creator/{{MTV}}), and its merciless parodying of the then-popular teen drama genre. As a result, expectations ran high for the HBO Max revival, and it has subsequently been met with divisive reception due to its vastly different direction (namely downplaying the parody elements due to the genre it spoofed being largely irrelevant in the 2020s, losing its time capsule nature by introducing/updating the characters to 2020s culture, and changing the overall tone to something more approachable for wider audiences).

** [[Franchise/MyLittlePonyGeneration5 Generation 5]] of the franchise had the monumental challenge of being the follow-up to [[Franchise/MyLittlePonyGeneration4 Generation 4]], whose flagship show ''Friendship is Magic'' and spin-offs like ''[[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirls Equestria Girls]]'' granted the brand a significant PeripheryDemographic that turned ''My Little Pony'' into a juggernaut for nearly a decade. The G5 pilot movie ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyANewGeneration'', while well-received, had fans of G4 divided on how well it measured up to [=FiM=], and the subsequent ''[[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyMakeYourMark Make Your Mark]]'' and ''[[WebAnimation/MyLittlePonyTellYourTale Tell Your Tale]] were similarly seen as failing to live to the writing quality established by the previous incarnation..

** Speaking of ''Gravity Falls'', the critical and commercial success this show received resulted in it being held up as the bar for future series from Disney Television Animation to meet, with Disney themselves seemingly trying to recapture the formula with shows like ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'', ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Amphibia}}'', and ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'' (the latter two being headed by GF alumini).

* ''WesternAnimation/CloneHigh'''s original run was one of the biggest {{Cult Classic}}s in Western Animation between its cancellation in 2003 and revival in 2023. Its fanbase loved its avant-garde humor and storytelling, its encapsulation of 2000s culture (particularly Creator/{{MTV}}), and its merciless parodying of the then-popular teen drama genre. Expectations ran high for the HBO Max revival as a result, and the revival, subsequently has lived entirely under the original run's shadow and been met with divisive reception due to its vastly different direction (namely downplaying the parody elements due to the genre it spoofed being largely irrelevant in the 2020s, dropping the time capsule elements by introducing/updating the characters to 2020s culture, and changing the overall tone to something more approachable for wider audiences).

* ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012'' was beloved by fans, considered by many one of the best TMNT incarnations to date, and still has a passionate fanbase years later. ''WesternAnimation/RiseOfTheTeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'', while a good show in its own right, had the unenviable status of being that show's successor, especially given ''Rise'''s [[LaterInstallmentWeirdness changes to the TMNT formula]]. Fans were less than kind to it when it premiered, which may have played a part in its early cancellation (though in recent years, ''Rise'' has been VindicatedByHistory and now has a strong fanbase in its own right).

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Disenchantment}}'' is a fairly solid show on its own merits, but it had to live up to the fame of Creator/MattGroening's previous titles; the previously mentioned pop culture symbol that is LongRunner ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', as well the minor SacredCow and adored CultClassic ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}''. Both have huge fandoms and widespread recognition between both public and critics, so it's no wonder why some people felt underwhelmed by the new show.

** Many fans of Creator/ButchHartman feel that ''WesternAnimation/TUFFPuppy'', ''WesternAnimation/BunsenIsABeast'', and the {{Post Script Season}}s of ''WesternAnimation/FairlyOddParents'' don't reach the same bar as this show, viewing the superhero action/comedy as his magnum opus.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Disenchantment}}'' is a fairly solid show on its own merits, but it has to live up to the fame of Creator/MattGroening's previous titles; the previously mentioned pop culture symbol that is LongRunner ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', as well the minor SacredCow and adored CultClassic ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}''. Both have huge fandoms and widespread recognition between both public and critics, so it's no wonder why some people felt underwhelmed by the new show.
* After ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' had come to an end, it was believed that Creator/DisneyChannel had entered an animation slump and ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'' was the only successful cartoon remaining. It wouldn't be until the premiere of ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' that a new renissance of the channel would begin.
* While ''WesternAnimation/MiloMurphysLaw'' is well received, its not seen as being on-par with the creators' previous show, ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb''. It doesn't help that the show's second season began with a crossover between the two series, followed by some characters becoming heavily integrated into the series. This led to a common complaint that MML, regardless of any writing improvements, is being overshadowed by its predecessor.
* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'': The critical and commercial success this show received resulted in it being held up as the bar for future series from Disney Television Animation to meet, with Disney themselves seemingly trying to recapture the formula with shows like ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'', ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Amphibia}}'', and ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'' (the latter two being headed by GF alumini).

** While the original ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' series is widely beloved, the various comic book continuations (especially ''[[ComicBook/AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheSearch The Search]]'') have gone on to receive a comparatively more mixed reception. Ater the series took off on Netflix, renewed interest in these continuations [[VindicatedByHistory improved their overall reputation]], but the cartoon is still held in higher regard.
** Meanwhile, sequel series ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' (and its own comic book continuations) are also a source of contention. In the years after its run, general consensus has averaged out to the show being good, but not to the level of its predecessor, with Book 3 considered the sole season of the show that was on par with the best of ''Airbender''. Meanwhile, Book 2 is near-universally derided as a franchise low point; even elements of the season which were widely praised on initial airing (namely the two-part OriginsEpisode) would [[CondemnedByHistory later become just as maligned as the rest]] by decent swaths of the fanbase.
* The original Creator/{{Fox}} seasons of ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' have built a reputation as a SacredCow, with a rabid fanbase hailing them as dripping with perfection. Both the DirectToVideo miniseries' and ''especially'' the Creator/ComedyCentral seasons have been doomed to the highest levels of scrutiny in comparison.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'':
** Season 4 was seen as a massive step up in quality, with it's two-part finale "Twilight's Kingdom" widely considered the series best episodes for its [[SeriesEscalation unprecedented action pieces and high stakes]], well-recived villain, and payoff for the Season's arc that [[NothingIsTheSameAnymore changed the shows dynamic]]. None of series' subsequent Season were was well received, only 5 and 7 being widely seen as comparably good but still falling short of Season 4. Meanwhile the series' later action focused/status-quo altering episodes, particularly the season finales and ''[[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyTheMovie The Movie]]'', would be criticized for failing to raise the bar "Twilight's Kingdom" set and be [[BrokenBase divisive]] at best quality.
** ''Franchise/MyLittlePonyGeneration5'' had the monumental challenge of being the SequelSeries to ''Friendship is Magic'', which turned ''My Little Pony" into a juggernaut for nearly a decade and even as later Seasons became increasingly divisive still had strong writing and characters. The pilot movie ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyANewGeneration'' while well received was divisive on how well it measured up, and the subsequent ''[[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyMakeYourMark Make Your Mark]]'' and ''[[WebAnimation/MyLittlePonyTellYourTale Tell Your Tale]] were seen as failing to have the quality or maturity of ''Friendship is Magic'' or ''A New Generation'' despite being good enough it wouldn't have been worth complaining about if not for being followups to such well-received work.

* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'': The critical and commercial success this show received resulted in it being held up not only as the bar for future series on Disney's networks to meet, but for Western children's animation as a whole. Fans of the series would spend the next several years comparing ''any'' show with a MythArc or any mystery elements to ''Gravity Falls'', with Disney themselves trying to recapture the formula with shows like ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'', ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Amphibia}}'', and ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'' (the latter two being headed by GF alumini).
* ''WesternAnimation/OverTheGardenWall'' was Creator/CartoonNetwork's first original MiniSeries, and saw immediate critical and audience acclaim that cast a large shadow over all future miniseries that the network would produce, like ''WesternAnimation/LongLiveTheRoyals'', as well as shows that had their first seasons branded as such, like ''WesternAnimation/AppleAndOnion'' and ''WesternAnimation/InfinityTrain''. Even if the general consensus is highly positive (like with ''Infinity Train''), the question of "But is it as good as ''Over the Garden Wall''?" will inevitably pop up.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': The season finales following the Season Four finale "Twilight's Kingdom" are this, with the two-parter being seen as having the best combination of action pieces, big character moments, adventure elements, stakes, and [[NothingIsTheSameAnymore shake-ups to the show's dynamic]] than any season finale before or since. Season 5's "The Cutie Re-Mark" is viewed as much more subdued and anti-climactic in comparison, with any shared elements being done to lesser effect, the Mane Five and other major characters being demoted to [[OutOfFocus background characters]] being something of a disappointment, and Starlight Glimmer's FreudianExcuse (and [[SixthRanger the resolution]] which results) being viewed unfavorably. Season 6's "To Where and Back Again" is even more underwhelming, having even less action and cinematic feel, a lack of the main characters in favor of Starlight leading some of the supporting characters in saving the day, and said group having no means of fighting back against the BigBad until the very end, where OnlyTheAuthorCanSaveThemNow. Season 7 and Season 8's finales only got ''more'' divisive.
** ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyMakeYourMark'' has this in spades, since it has the unenviable task of having to live up to ''Friendship is Magic'', the series that, even as its later seasons became more divisive, heavily redefined the My Little Pony franchise with its clever and more mature writing, deeper characters and interesting story arcs, and was a juggernaut for nearly a decade. Make Your Mark started things off on a fairly divisive note of [[spoiler: having the accomplishments of the Mane Six in G4 undone, and the ponies of the new generation having to rediscover the magic of friendship, an already tall order.]]

* Creator/JayWard is best known hands down for ''WesternAnimation/RockyAndBullwinkle'', popular during its original run and airing in reruns for decades. His other creations like ''WesternAnimation/HoppityHooper'' and ''WesternAnimation/GeorgeOfTheJungle'' aren't as well known while ''WesternAnimation/CrusaderRabbit'' is largely forgotten.

** Anything past the acclaimed eighth season of ''The Simpsons'' gave the seasons following that a high standard to live up to.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan'' is based on the original Franchise/SpiderMan stories with a similar balance of action, drama and humor, it also tends to use material from all eras of the comic's run and other sources such as the film series and the Ultimate Spider-Man comics. The series updated characters and stories for the 21st century while still being very faithful to its characters in the comics, and managed to fit a relatively high amount of depth. Unfortunately, Sony Pictures Television's rights to Spidey expired, which resulted in a premature cancellation, and the rise of a new cartoon: ''WesternAnimation/UltimateSpiderMan2012''. Several Marvel fans dislike that it doesn't take itself very seriously, and the characters weren't as endearing. The high level of {{Cutaway Gag}}s in ''Ultimate Spider-Man'', especially in its early seasons, can make it unbearable to sit through for viewers wanting more drama and/or characterization.
* The first animated ''Comicstrip/{{Peanuts}}'' special, ''WesternAnimation/ACharlieBrownChristmas'', attracted half of the nation's TV viewers of its time, won an Emmy and a Peabody, and has continued to air every winter for over 50 years. The second, ''Charlie Brown's All-Stars'', didn't win any awards, and only aired sporadically afterwards. The fact [[WesternAnimation/ItsTheGreatPumpkinCharlieBrown Charlie Brown's second most popular TV special]] came a few months afterward probably pushed it even deeper into obscurity.

* Creator/FreshTV's most popular series, by a very wide margin, is ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama,'' which was a huge hit when it first premiered on Creator/{{Teletoon}} in 2007 (and even moreso after it came to Creator/CartoonNetwork in 2008). Even with the accusations of SeasonalRot in the show's later years, it's still more well-known and well-remembered than anything Fresh TV has produced before or since, including its predecessor ''{{WesternAnimation/Sixteen}}'', which while a popular show in its own right, never achieved ''Total Drama''[='=]s levels of success worldwide. Tellingly, the original cartoons that Fresh TV made following ''Total Drama'', ''{{WesternAnimation/Stoked}}'' and ''{{WesternAnimation/Grojband}}'', were both ShortRunners. While both shows gained cult followings, neither attracted broad interest or success - the former for [[ItsTheSameNowItSucks being too similar to Fresh TV's previous shows]] and the latter for [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks having a vastly different direction that limited its appeal with Fresh TV's usual audience.]] Since ''Grojband'''s conslusion in 2015, Fresh TV hasn't made any other original animated productions, instead building on the success of ''Total Drama'' with spinoffs like ''WesternAnimation/TotalDramaPresentsTheRidonculousRace'' and ''WesternAnimation/TotalDramaRama'', as well as a revival for Creator/HBOMax.

** Many animated series have tried to duplicate its successful format, but none have become quite the commercial and critical success with both children and adults. Yes, ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'', ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', and ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'' have all become commercial hits, but strictly with adults, and all of them are too crass and lowbrow vulgar for mainstream audiences; ''The Simpsons'' has somewhat of a more dignified stature, especially among adults. Even Creator/MattGroening's own follow-ups, ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/{{Disenchantment}}'', failed to attract the same colossal audience and are still nothing more than {{Cult Classic}}s; the former was cancelled twice and revived three times, and the latter, whilst being considered solid, has a much smaller audience than either previous show.

** Many animated series have tried to duplicate its successful format, but none have become quite the commercial and critical success with both children and adults. Yes, ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'', ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', and ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'' have all become commercial hits, but strictly with adults, and all of them are too crass and lowbrow vulgar for mainstream audiences; ''The Simpsons'' has somewhat of a more dignified stature, especially among adults. Even Creator/MattGroening's own follow-ups, ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/{{Disenchantment}}'', failed to attract the same colossal audience and are still nothing more than {{Cult Classic}}s, with the former being cancelled and revived several times in a row and the latter, whilst being considered solid, has a much smaller audience.

** On the topic, ''every'' animated show on ''Creator/{{Nickelodeon}}'' has had a hard time escaping the yellow sponge's shadow. The show was such a power house hit and continue to pull in high ratings even in the weaker seasons that most other shows on ''Nickelodeon'' have had a hard time thriving simply because of how much money [=SpongeBob=] pulls in. Many shows on the network have been cancelled simply because they couldn't even match a ''quarter'' of [=SpongeBob=]'s pull in ratings.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'':
** The season finales following the Season Four finale "Twilight's Kingdom" are this, with the two-parter being seen as having the best combination of action pieces, big character moments, adventure elements, stakes, and [[NothingIsTheSameAnymore shake-ups to the show's dynamic]] than any season finale before or since. Season 5's "The Cutie Re-Mark" is viewed as much more subdued and anti-climactic in comparison, with any shared elements being done to lesser effect, the Mane Five and other major characters being demoted to [[OutOfFocus background characters]] being something of a disappointment, and Starlight Glimmer's FreudianExcuse (and [[SixthRanger the resolution]] which results) being viewed unfavorably. Season 6's "To Where and Back Again" is even more underwhelming, having even less action and cinematic feel, a lack of the main characters in favor of Starlight leading some of the supporting characters in saving the day, and said group having no means of fighting back against the BigBad until the very end, where OnlyTheAuthorCanSaveThemNow. Season 7 and Season 8's finales only got ''more'' divisive.
** Season 5 in general is seen as a tough act to follow to Season 4, which was seen as [[WinBackTheCrowd a return to form]] for the show. From the aforementioned characters, Starlight Glimmer, and the Season finale, Season 5 is a hot point of contention because of the lack of any of the interesting arcs and stories Season 4 had[[note]]Season 4 had the Rainbow Chest/Rainbow Power overarching plot, Music/WeirdAl guest starring in a MusicalEpisode, the Power Ponies, the Equestria Games, the Breezies, weird bat transformations, the continuation of the Discord arc, etc.[[/note]] The mid-season hiatus didn't help matters either.
** Season 6 got hit with this even worse. While still considered a decent season by the fandom, it was criticized for the overarching plot of [[BaseBreakingCharacter Starlight Glimmer's]] redemption, not having enough standout episodes and a lot of the episodes suffering from poor comedy (including an over-reliance on cartoonish OffModel faces as the crux of jokes, sometimes multiple times within a single episode, to the extent where even scenes intended to play out seriously [[{{Narm}} accidentally devolve into dumb jokes]]) and TheyCopiedItSoItSucks.