I've been very annoyed by how Nick handles their shows, and I've basically given that rant like a billion times by now, so I'll just cut to the chase.
Robot and Monster they really must've hated. I really like the show, I think it's highly underrated...and here's the but... BUT I can see why Nick would try and screw that one over. It's a very negative, if not outright dark show. I can totally see them having flashbacks of Invader Zim (before it became the Hot Topic cash cow it was), and feeling the show isn't kid friendly. And I'm not sure I can agree or not. It does feel like a very depressing show to watch, and Ogo's affection for the main characters comes off as depressing and creepy at the same time, not to mention how...ummm...unfortunate the character is portrayed. It's a very good show and all, I watched it on Nicktoons and thought it was a lot better than Nick was treating it, but in the end, the show is pretty much the reason why you'd never see a kid's equivalent of Venture Bros. The show's all about failure and futility. The characters make Charlie Brown look like Gladstone Gander.
Korra... well, I give Nick credit for one thing here. They knew the audience was older than the standard kid's cartoon demo. They did show it on Teen Nick for a while, and they at least dumped the whole thing online instead of sitting on the episodes for the rest of forever. That's a low bar, the equivalent of not crapping your pants. But the thing about Nick is they don't know what Disney and CN already know and do well. That tweenagers and teens can watch cartoons too. While they sort of got the hint about Korra, they still seem to think cartoons are just kiddy stuff for kids just old enough to stop watching Nick Jr. And I think that and the lack of merchandising on their newer shows (to get you're undies in a twist, Fanboy and Chum Chum had a toyline), is a huge part of that. Heck...even El Tigre got at least a Happy Meal. While there is a comics magazine and series of graphic novel reprints of Sanjay and Craig, Harvey Beaks, Pig Goat Banana Cricket, and Breadwinners (which all but stopped showing up in the magazine), there isn't a line of Sanjay and Craig Go-Gurt tubes or a Harvey Beaks Burger King promotion.
Now back to Korra, Mattel handled the Avatar toy line, but being Mattel they never made toys of the female characters because little boys don't like the girl characters, unless they do... it's very complicated and disproportionate. Obviously, a female lead cartoon series is not going to generate a boy's toyline. And again, before Nick took the hint that Korra is not for little boys, they probably took it as a sign of the show's failure. Which sucks because even CN has moved away from that. Otherwise Steven Universe, one of their most popular shows, would have been cancelled in its first season.
That said, there is NO excuse for PGBC, S&C, or HB not having a regular slot on the network. Don't see why they can't just air them on Saturday Mornings inbetween Spongebob marathons. I'm glad we're at least getting that week of Harvey.
Robot and Monster they really must've hated. I really like the show, I think it's highly underrated...and here's the but... BUT I can see why Nick would try and screw that one over. It's a very negative, if not outright dark show. I can totally see them having flashbacks of Invader Zim (before it became the Hot Topic cash cow it was), and feeling the show isn't kid friendly. And I'm not sure I can agree or not. It does feel like a very depressing show to watch, and Ogo's affection for the main characters comes off as depressing and creepy at the same time, not to mention how...ummm...unfortunate the character is portrayed. It's a very good show and all, I watched it on Nicktoons and thought it was a lot better than Nick was treating it, but in the end, the show is pretty much the reason why you'd never see a kid's equivalent of Venture Bros. The show's all about failure and futility. The characters make Charlie Brown look like Gladstone Gander.
Korra... well, I give Nick credit for one thing here. They knew the audience was older than the standard kid's cartoon demo. They did show it on Teen Nick for a while, and they at least dumped the whole thing online instead of sitting on the episodes for the rest of forever. That's a low bar, the equivalent of not crapping your pants. But the thing about Nick is they don't know what Disney and CN already know and do well. That tweenagers and teens can watch cartoons too. While they sort of got the hint about Korra, they still seem to think cartoons are just kiddy stuff for kids just old enough to stop watching Nick Jr. And I think that and the lack of merchandising on their newer shows (to get you're undies in a twist, Fanboy and Chum Chum had a toyline), is a huge part of that. Heck...even El Tigre got at least a Happy Meal. While there is a comics magazine and series of graphic novel reprints of Sanjay and Craig, Harvey Beaks, Pig Goat Banana Cricket, and Breadwinners (which all but stopped showing up in the magazine), there isn't a line of Sanjay and Craig Go-Gurt tubes or a Harvey Beaks Burger King promotion.
Now back to Korra, Mattel handled the Avatar toy line, but being Mattel they never made toys of the female characters because little boys don't like the girl characters, unless they do... it's very complicated and disproportionate. Obviously, a female lead cartoon series is not going to generate a boy's toyline. And again, before Nick took the hint that Korra is not for little boys, they probably took it as a sign of the show's failure. Which sucks because even CN has moved away from that. Otherwise Steven Universe, one of their most popular shows, would have been cancelled in its first season.
That said, there is NO excuse for PGBC, S&C, or HB not having a regular slot on the network. Don't see why they can't just air them on Saturday Mornings inbetween Spongebob marathons. I'm glad we're at least getting that week of Harvey.