Netflix to Reboot 1980s Popples Cartoon Series

[MovieBob]

Netflix to Reboot 1980s Popples Cartoon Series

Saban to relaunch 80s stuffed animal cartoon on Netflix

Saban Brands is back in a big way with its revamped new movie [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/tag/view/power%20rangers] on the way. But for their next big revival, they're going way back: Reviving the 1980s kiddie plush-toy cartoon The Popples as a Netflix-exclusive series.

Created in 1985 by many of the same folks who developed the Care Bears, Sports Popples [http://mentalfloss.com/article/53084/11-popples-your-childhood-you-need-remember-right-now] whose "disguised" forms resembles footballs, soccer balls, etc.

The new Netflix venture will be animated and include a 22 episode initial-order. The toys previously inspired a two-season live-action special [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTxaPVvMfZc] with Shelly Duvall. In both versions, The Popples were magical creatures who lived with human children and tried to help them with their day-to-day problems. The reboot will reportedly feature a new status-quo involving a Popple-inhabited city of Popplopolis and new main characters named Bubbles, Sunny, Lulu, Izzy and Yikes.


Source: THR [http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/netflix-orders-series-80s-era-735407]


[http://www.escapistmagazine.com/movies-and-tv/]

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[Casual Shinji]

Ah man, right in the nostalgia. I had one of these things as a kid, they were great. I always tried to put the pouch over my head... It never sat too comfortable.

 

[Verlander]

I remember the toys, not the show. Can't imagine my kids would watch that though

 

[Kenjitsuka]

I still have that green one, currently on display on top of one of my closets.
Nostaaaaaalgia!!!

 

[JamesBr]

Oh man, I still have one of the white ones from the article photo on the front page. I've had it for 27 YEARS. Pretty sure the tail's been sewn back on a bunch of times. What can I say? It was a fuzzy morning-star.

 

[Worgen]

I can just hear the boardroom meeting that resulted in this. "My little pony is making mad dosh, how do we challenge them" "Popples, Dave, Popples"

 

[Master_of_Oldskool]

Oh come the fuck on.

"Hey Netflix, will you guys revive Firefly?"

"Absolutely not. Firefly's fanbase is shrinking by the day, and it already had niche appeal at best. No money to be made there."

"Oh. What about Popples?"

"FUCKING SOLD."

 

[Armadox]

Firefly's fan base isn't the problem.

The movie already finished off half the cast and ended the Alliance, so anything post Serenity would be a different thing all together anyways, and aging actors (some that would ask a much bigger payout then they had with Firefly) would make anything pre-Serenity off and stilted. Best they could do would be to restart in the universe somewhere, and follow a completely new ship (Jack Leland's "Aces-and-Eights" comes to mind).

Popples are just old enough that they can do anything they want with the property to make it relevant without massively making anyone angry.

 

[Aristatide]

This is a joke, right? Or I somehow slept through the entire winter and it's April 1st. Right?

 

[cabalistics]

I saw Reboot and thought it was about Reboot, which I definitely want a Reboot of

 

[CaitSeith]

I had completely forgot about this cartoon. I had to check the intro in Youtube just to confirm I actually had watched it.

 

[CaitSeith]

I can just hear the boardroom meeting that resulted in this. "My little pony is making mad dosh, how do we challenge them" "Popples, Dave, Popples"

I think Bob actually mention something like that years ago in a Junk Drawer episode (but the images included Jem and Rainbow Bright among them).