That's right, you heard me. Them cartoon Turtle days are over, and this is what you can look forward to....Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation on Fox Network. The new, live-action show features the TMNT, Shredder, the Foot...the usual line-up, with a tons of new villains and other stuff. The fifth Turtle, a girl, has been introduced! See the KTCG archive for details.
"Kiss These Chumps Goodbye" is a regular, weekly feature here in the Sewer Den. Basically, it's devoted BASHING the new show. Yeah, sometimes I miss the show, but for the most part, I think I catch every episode. And I'll be right with you all this season as you explore the worst example of Saban's incompetence yet! (Fox Network+Saban=big trouble for the TMNT.) Ten new episodes are slated for the upcoming season of horror.
At any rate, the show is on Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings on Fox. I encourage everyone to watch it at least once, if only to make certain for yourself that those who DON'T watch it are NOT missing anything! Yes, the fans of the Turtles demanded, and got, a new show, complete with violence, love (ARG!), cheesy villains, corny jokes, and generally tasteless representation of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
May God have mercy on our souls.
KTCG Archives
Episodes 9/26/97-10/17/97|Episodes 10/24/97-11/28/97|Episodes 12/5/97-2/6/98
And this is my explanation as to why I quit doing the reviews:
I said it wouldn't happen, but it is: my "Kiss These Chumps Goodbye" review column is going offline. The archives will remain; I put too much work into that to just ditch it. But as of today, no further review columns will appear. There are two main reasons for this:
One, there are only so many negative things you can say about NT:TNM, and I think I've said them all. In addition, I'm no longer really interested in looking for new ones. Who really cares? It's just a TV show. Essentially, I've run out of juice.
Second, I've been reflecting more and more on what I said before about the show:
"And I guess the NT:TNM is something I just have to deal with. And maybe I should just grow up and DEAL with it.....But it does mean that I'll sit back and watch, and try to view it in a slightly different light. Will I learn to like it for what it is, and forget about the bigger picture for a while? I don't know. But I will try.
"I think that once again, the TMNT (and all you guys) have taught me something valuable. I'm remembering the long letter I wrote years ago, talking about my fandom and fanfics. I'm remembering that I took creative liberties that NT:TNM wouldn't have dared to.....
"I'm not sure where they're going, who is going to work with them, or what is going to happen to them next, but they'll always be my Turtles."
It sounds sentimental, but it's not a joke. I've been thinking about why I don't like the show, and about what has been said about it: how people may reject the watered-down TMNT and go for the gory (heh) because they don't want to seem like little kids. But who cares? I'm beginning to agree with myself more and more. (see above)
So NT:TNM is watered down. So Mirage is the better, original version. (For I still believe that.) Is NT:TNM somehow a threat to TMNT? No, so why do I care if NT:TNM exists? I (or we) just have to see NT:TNM as part of TMNT. Maybe not the best part, but it can't be ignored or denied, any more than the cartoon or Archie comics. That's been even harder for me to swallow than the Image version. But finally, I've gained the ability to swallow it. I can now say that NT:TNM is something I can accept.
Oh, I'm growing up. Isn't that sweet? ;-)
Signed,
Blue, humbled, but somehow feeling more grown-up.
Back to The Sewer Den.
