Moviefan12: Hello & welcome back to A Look at Disney. Mojo.com is quite popular with their lists. I've seen a few here and there such as there Power Rangers Moments and their Top 10 Broadway Shows, which had a few of my favorite shows but I'll admit there are times, when they get it wrong such as putting Derpy Hooves from My Little Pony on their list of dumbest animated characters. And today's subject is something that my good friend, DisneyOtoko has brought to my attention, their list of Top 10 Hated Animated Disney Shows. For the most part, this in my opinion wasn't a bad list and some of these shows weren't very good but there were a few on there that I would not say are worthy of hate. DisneyOtoko, seeing as you are the one that brought this list to my attention, why don't you start us off with your first thoughts of this list were and then we will go through, the list, show by show.
DisneyOtoko: When I first saw the list I was intrigued with what would be on the list of the most hated animated shows and there are PLENTY of worthy candidates. And what does the video open with? A clip from Sofia the First and the presenter saying that “sometimes Disney doesn’t get it right”. It was in that moment I was on high alert and knew that something was off about this list. I dreaded that Sofia would be on the list. Around the middle I noticed something that would make the fan base really upset and that was Gravity Falls being on the list. I will share my thoughts on the show later, but I knew people were not going to be happy. Now as with all WatchMojo videos they have an honorable/dishonorable mentions section and then I saw Sofia on the dishonorable mentions list and I was NOT happy. I was done with he list at that point. While the vast majority of the list is right on the money with shows that deserve to be on it the inclusion of Sofia and Gravity Falls are simply unworthy to be even near this list.
Moviefan12: Yes well, let's save the dishonorable mentions for after we get through the main list. Starting with their # 10.
10. Teamo Supremo
We’ve seen this formula before: three preadolescent children with remarkable superhero abilities who balance their lives as kids with fighting crime. But what worked in previous scenarios doesn’t quite work in this version because it’s missing one crucial element: charm. It’s not that the show didn’t have potential; it just didn’t reach it. We gave it a chance and it gave us disappointment.
Moviefan12: I'll be honest and say that until they brought this show up on their list. I had forgotten about it and I think that's the big issue with some of the shows on this list, they aren't so much bad as they forgettable. Note there is a difference between being bad and being forgotten. Teamo Supremo at best was okay. It's a cute little show about kids with superpowers that I haven't heard anyone say they hate let alone talk about since it stopped airing.
9. Monster High
We’re used to seeing companies develop merchandise around a successful cartoon, but it’s not that common in the reverse. This toy-turned-toon web series features the sassy and fashionable teenage daughters of some of folklore’s most popular monsters. For instance, there’s the vegan vampire Draculara and Frankie Stein, the daughter of Frankenstein’s monster. The show is less about actual storylines and more of an excuse to showcase their monster teen outfits.
Moviefan12: Now this one truly confused me because when it popped up in the video, the nickelodeon logo was in the corner. I was thinking, "what is a Nick cartoon doing on a list of hated Disney cartoons?" Turns out that Disney does distribute this series online. I checked for myself, you can find them on Disney.com Now to be fair to WatchMojo, they did later put an annotation about how Disney airs it online and they are aware that it mostly airs on Nick and Mattel is the one that makes this cartoon. That's all fine and good but see, I'm not so sure that truly warrants this being a Disney cartoon as Disney doesn't actually produce Monster High. They just air it on their website. So, I'm not so sure that this one should really qualify for this list.
DO: Yeah these shows did not interest me in the slightest. I never saw any of these shows so I can’t really say anything but agree with the list for now anyway.
8. Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil
Clearly, having the word “butt” in the title was supposed to get kids excited about this show’s prospects. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite deliver on its interesting title. It’s pretty apparent that Disney was trying to jam all the “awesome” it could into this cartoon about a “suburban daredevil,” but it comes off forced. While the animation may be snappy, the actual show really did not kick much butt.
Moviefan12: Again, I've never really seen people say that they hate this show. It's not bad and while it isn't the best show that Disney has made, it has it's moments and it can be fun at times, when there is nothing else on but there is very little in this show that truly makes it hate able.
7. Gravity Falls
Call it Disney’s deviation from standard toddler-slash-preteen fare. Following the adventures of Mabel and Dipper Pines, twins who stay with their great-uncle in the remote town the show’s named after, this animated series has a supernatural bend. It’s also slightly more mature than, say, a Mickey Mouse special, with teenage woes and relationship difficulties playing a part in some of the storylines. However, it’s also been called dark, stereotypical and even inappropriate for kids.
Moviefan12: Excuse me but I need to let this out.... NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO
THIS IS SO STUPID ON EVERY LEVEL!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's on their list for being too mature for a Disney cartoon and because it actually deals with a real relationship between teenage siblings and yes, Alex Hirsch may have put some adult jokes in there but to say that this show is inappropriate for kids to watch is a bold faced LIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm 100, no 1,0000 % confident that they didn't watch an episode of this show (or any show on this list) before deciding to put on here. I could do an entire article on abhorrently WRONG, they are with what they have to say about Gravity Falls. Yeah, it's a bit darker than most shows airing on Disney Channel & Disney XD nowadays but Disney can do dark and there is nothing wrong with Disney airing a show like Gravity Falls. This is dumbest mistake, they made on their list. Yes, even as a Sofia fan, I'll let her placement slide but to call this show hated, when it has a fan base comparable to Adventure Time fans or Bronies is laughable. This is one of the best cartoons to air in recent years and it shows that Disney can still have quality programming and have other good cartoons besides Phineas & Ferb. This show is better than that aforementioned show and so what, if it deals with the woes of being a teen. All I see here is someone talking in circles and not actually explaining why this show was put on the list.
DO: Okay on the subject of Gravity Falls I haven’t seen enough of the show to really judge it, but as an outsider I can definitely see where Watchmojo is coming from. I have no problems with a show being dark, none whatsoever. I personally believe that Gargoyles, Batman: TAS and Cowboy Bebop should be the artistic aspirations of all Disney networks (excluding Disney Junior). What I think they mean by the show being inappropriate for kids is that from the episodes I saw is that it can be a little mean spirited at times. And if you permit me to be a snob for a moment this show is like Disney trying to be the Simpsons or Family Guy (way more like the Simpsons). That feels wrong. Let the Simpsons be the Simpsons and Disney be Disney. Also I can’t stand the crude art style of the show and most modern shows (exceptions are the Avatar/ Korra shows and even MLP). If I was an alien studying Earth pop culture and from my reading I had the impression of Disney being the BEST animation studio on Earth and I saw Gravity Falls as reference material in the field I would feel cheated and disappointed! Am I saying it’s a horrible show? No because I haven’t seen enough of it, but I can see why it would be on the list.
Moviefan12: While I do see, where you are coming from, I still feel like Watch Mojo isn't getting what Gravity Falls is really about. And I'm not sure The Simpsons is a fair comparison, why I do get where you are coming from, it's not somewhere I would go to.
6. The Mighty Ducks
If anyone was expecting a cartoon about a bunch of rag-tag kids building their self-esteem through playing hockey, they were wrong. Instead, what audiences got was a cartoon about actual ducks. Actual ducks with human attributes that also fought crime – when they weren’t playing hockey, of course. Obviously, Disney wanted to throw its hat into the animals-turned-anthropomorphic-superheroes ring, but in this instance, audiences threw the hat right back.
Moviefan12: Yeah, looking back, this show was kinda silly in it's premise and I know that a lot of people don't like it but I can't really bring myself to hate it as it was just so goofy and over the top silly and fun. Is the idea stupid? Mm, maybe but Disney is no stranger to ducks and why not have a superhero team of ducks. As we all know, this isn't the first duck superhero cartoon that Disney produced and sure, this was a bit more serious but I still say that it was a lot of fun. If they wanted a bad duck show for their list, I would've gone with Quack Pack. I liked that show but even still, that show in my eyes had more working against than The Mighty Ducks. And I think another hindrance that this show may have had is that people may have expected it to tie into the live action movies instead of it being it's own thing and in that regard, I see no problem with this show not tying into the movies at all.
5. The Wuzzles
Aside from the show possibly being evolution’s worst nightmare, it was almost blatantly a rip-off of another, considerably more popular cute cuddly bear cartoon. But what “The Wuzzles” lacked in creativity, it made up for in creepiness, especially when you consider one of the characters was half koala and half parakeet. These details aren’t necessarily a deal-breaker when it comes to kids’ shows, but they didn’t seem to make the series a hit with kids either.
Moviefan12: I only ever caught this show in reruns on Toon Disney and I knew that was a tie-in to a toy line thanks to Doug Walker's commercial special. Again, looking back the hybrid animals do seem a bit weird when you stop and think about them and in some regards, this show some regards did seem to be riding off the success of The Care Bears, which debuted in the same year as The Wuzzles. I will say however though that I remember watching reruns of this Toon Disney and I never once found The Wuzzles to be creepy as Watchmojo.com suggests. I actually think that some of the animal hybrids are kinda cute.
DO: I am completely indifferent to these shows and will never watch them. So forgettable and dull I really have nothing to say.
4. The Buzz On Maggie
The buzz on this show was that it bumped other shows off the air for its spot, and this left a lot of kids angry. “The Buzz on Maggie” focuses on a tween fly and her exploits as a tomboy and rock star wannabe in her hometown. While she got into a number of hijinks, these just didn’t resonate with the show’s target audience. Hence, the series came out of the gate with irritated kids instead of fans, which didn’t bode well and got it cancelled after just one season.
Moviefan12: I do know of at least person on our very site that was quite a fan of this show as our very own Madhog did a rather glowing review of it. As for me, it's okay. Not one that I think about but I wouldn't call it bad, just forgettable. Interesting aside, some Bronies may recognize Dave Polsky, the show's creator as he has written episodes of FIM, which include Feeling Pinkie Keen (ooh, that was divisive episode), Too Many Pinkie Pies, Keep Calm and Flutter On, and my favorite Rarity episode, Rarity Takes Manehattan. Among many others. As an MLP fan, I do find it interesting to look back on the projects the writers worked on before and see if any of their style from previous projects made it into their MLP episodes. I'd have to go back and look at Polsky's episodes and I know that he is one of the more divisive writers as people either love or hate his episodes. So yeah, it may be interesting to go back and look at this show knowing who the creator was.
3. Shorty McShorts' Shorts
You would think that a show based entirely on 5-minute toon clips would stand a better chance of survival. But alas, even keeping the cartoons brief wasn’t enough to salvage this anthology series. For a show that often appeared in between other shows, it didn’t manage to win over audiences. It seemed to be more of a nuisance than anything. Which is saying a lot when you consider children’s short attentions spans.
Moviefan12:Yeah.... these were pretty bad. Not one among were good and you would think with this being anthology series, there would be at least one good short but yeah, not exactly. And some of them just felt out of place on Disney Channel and felt like they would've fit more on Nick or Cartoon Network. For a more in-depth look at these shorts, check out Mr. Enter's review of them as he goes over every single one in the series and points out what didn't work with them.. I remember these aired the summer before Phineas and Ferb debuted and I was just hoping that Disney Channel would get another god animated series besides KP and this most certainly wasn't that show.
DO: Yeah I saw these shows and I knew they were bad. I made sure to steer clear and I can definitely see their inclusion on the list. Buzz on Maggie getting cancelled after one season should be a pretty big clue that no one cared.
2. Jake and The Never Land Pirates
This show makes no pretense about being for the toddler set, what with all the counting of their gold doubloons and whatnot. And it’s not that the show features three child pirates versus an ineffectual Captain Hook and Smee, or that it’s occasionally cloyingly moralistic. It’s mostly because it’s somewhat boring. It’s supposed to be a “fun for the whole family” viewing experience, but it’s mainly a “keep your un-potty trained child occupied while you work” type of show.
Moviefan12: I think that they were kinda unfair placing this show so high on the list. I went over my beef with this show, this summer after actually watching an episode and well, I do agree that it is a bit dumbed down but it's no worse than any other Dora clone that airs on preschool blocks. Perhaps, my biggest issue with this show is the same one that I had with My Friends Tigger and Pooh, it replaces a beloved character with a new character to interact with already known characters. In this case, Jake and his pirate crew replace Peter Pan but having seen a few episodes with my five year old niece, these aren't bad characters and another one of the big issues I have is that I don't feel like it's fair to judge a show like this on the same merits of cartoons meant for older audiences. Look, I'm not trying to use the "Just for kids" excuse but I'm trying to argue that you cannot compare a show like this to the other shows on the list. Now, before we get to the # 1, let's take a look at the honorable mentions that didn't make their list and they didn't take the time to explain.
Honorable Mentions
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
Moviefan12: I'll freely admit that there was a time that I hated this show back when it started as I didn't like the idea of a CGI Mickey Mouse and I felt like this was dumbing Mickey down but as I said with their # 2 entry, I don't think that it's fair to compare this show to some of the other shows on their list as it's made for a different audience and while some people may argue that this makes Mickey and his friends seem a bit flat, I in a way appreciate this show as a Mickey fan as it has helped to introduce these iconic characters to a new generation of fans that as I have seen with my nephew have gone to watch the old Walt-era Mickey shorts because they know who these characters are.
Sofia The First
Moviefan12: Now, if you've read this blog in the past, you know that I am a fan of this show as I've done numerous articles about Sofia The First including dedicating an entire week to the show's first season and I reviewed the show's first Halloween episode this year and reviewed the Christmas episode, last season. I truly enjoy this show as it gets back to what good preschool shows should be and just tells a story without stopping to talk down to the kids. It lets it's characters be characters and just as Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is a great introduction to Mickey, this show is a great introduction to the princesses as you see, Sofia's amulet connects her to the princesses and they can come to her, when she needs help solving a problem that she can't do on her own but at the same time, this show doesn't rely on the princesses to get by. Sofia can't always rely on them, she sometimes has to figure things out on her own. Something interesting to note is that this show was created by a father of two young boys, he has no daughters and his boys love this show.
Bonkers
I never realized until I got older that people hated this show. I always thought it was fun. Was Bonkers annoying? I don't think so, I thought he was a fun character and Jim Cummings did a great job in the dual roles of Bonkers and Lucky. Now, the show does feel like two different series after Bonkers' partner becomes Miranda I think there was an episode where Lucky and Miranda met but I believe that it was taken out of syndication around the time of 9/11 for having a plot similar to what happened on that tragic day. Part of me has to wonder, if people would've liked this show better, if Disney had gotten the rights to make this a Roger Rabbit cartoon series like they wanted but they did not and instead had to make their own character and while Bonkers is no Roger Rabbit, he's a decent fill-in.
DO: While Jake and the Neverland Pirates and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse can be grating I have to look back and say OF COURSE IT’S GRATING! I’m an adult watching a show meant for toddlers of course it’s going to annoy the crap out of me. Does it deserve to be hated? Not really. The show does what it set out to do with the intended audience. Putting these shows on the list is like saying horror movies are a bad genre because a lot of people don’t like the genre. Of course horror isn’t for everyone, but for the intended audience and people that do like horror the genre is very strong and popular. Now Bonkers I do agree was annoying and didn’t really grab audiences despite being constantly recycled in syndication for years.
As for Sofia this was the thing that got me upset. I thought that this show should be nowhere near this list. I think this was just reaching on their part.
Moviefan12: And now onto their number one...
1. Fish Hooks
A show about high school-aged fish in a pet store isn't that much of a deviation from what Disney does on the regular. In fact, bringing animals to life is what Disney does regularly, but they didn't manage to win over audiences with this one. “Fish Hooks” comes off as an another attempt for Disney to gain its footing with the tween crowd, but tweens are a fickle demographic – with criticism usually revolving around claims that it’s got generic characters, an unoriginal premise and a lack of humor.
Moviefan12: Yeah, can't really disagree with this one. This show is just weird and weird can work but not here. It feels like it's trying to be weird just for the sake of being weird and as the video points out, it's just another high school sitcom but with fish instead of teenagers. The only good thing to come out of this show is Alex Hirsch worked on it and he would later give us, Gravity Falls.
DO: Yeah there’s nothing to really say about that show because there really is nothing to the show. It’s just one of those shows that within minutes after reading this article you’ll forget about! It’s that bad. I actually forgot about it while writing this article! You know you’ve hit the creative rock bottom when that happens!
Moviefan12: Yeah, at the end of the day, this isn't a bad list but there are some entries that I disagree with. Perhaps in the future, DisneyOtoko and I could countdown what we would consider our least favorite animated shows from the house of Mouse. My list would most likely include Brandy and Mr. Whiskers and the new Mickey Mouse cartoon series and if you want my full opinion on that, I reviewed the shorts from season 1. Thanks again for joining me, DisneyOtoko.
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