REPORT PROPOSAL - DUCKTALES
In this research post, I'm going to be looking at the show Ducktales, and it's 2017 reboot of the same name.
Before I compare the shows, it should be noted that both Ducktales series are based on the comic series Uncle Scrooge by Carl Banks, which started publication in 1951 and continues today (despite numerous hiatuses and the title changing publisher).
DUCKTALES (1987)
Ducktales was an animated series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation and developed by Jymn Magon and Brad Landreth. It ran on the Disney Channel from 1987 to 1990.
The series followed Scrooge McDuck and Donald Duck's three nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie as they go on adventures, with a common theme being villains trying to steal McDuck's fortune. The stories take inspiration from pop culture, ranging from Sherlock Holmes novels to the Indiana Jones series. Most of the characters outside of the main four were either taken from the comics the show was based on (e.g. The Beagle Boys), or were entirely original creations (e.g. Launchpad McQuack). The show also had guest appearances from Donald Duck on occasion.
The show was incredibly successful, and ended up being a Disney Channel juggernaut. In various rankings of animated shows, Ducktales ranks very high in the list; IGN and WatchMojo have placed it among the best animated shows of it's kind. Many have noted it's theme song as being one of the most iconic and recognisable of all time; TIME Magazine notes that, despite it's target audience not understanding most of the lyrics, "...[T]he Ducktales theme is still awesome." Aside from the core Ducktales series, there was a spinoff with Darkwing Duck, a theatrically released movie titled Ducktales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp (1990), a Ducktales video game released for the NES and Game Boy (that later saw a remaster on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3), and many different toy lines.
The series got positive reviews; currently, it holds an 88% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, an 8.1/10 on iMDB, and Common Sense Media gives the series a 4/5, stating it "...[C]an spark kids' curiosity".
DUCKTALES (2017)
A reboot of Ducktales was announced in 2015, and premiered on Disney XD two years later when the original show was 30. It was still produced by Disney Television Animation, and was developed by Matt Youngberg and Francisco Angones. The series is still going to this day, and is likely to continue longer than the original.
The show starts with a similar premise to the original; Donald Duck asks his uncle Scrooge McDuck to look after his nephews. The series then has Scrooge, Huey, Dewey and Louie, along with the character Webby (Scrooge's housekeeper's granddaughter) go on adventures.
However, the show isn't as episodic and self contained as the predeccesor series. In each season, there is an overarching storyline that is followed, a trend that other Disney animated series like Gravity Falls (2012) and Star vs the Forces of Evil (2013) has also taken on. For example, in season one there are revelations about the strained relationships between Donald, Scrooge and Della Duck (Donald's twin sister).
Elements and characters of the original show return in the reboot. Aside from the main characters and Donald, we also see Darkwing Duck, Launchpad McQuack and GizmoDuck among others. The base idea of adventuring is still front and centre, but this time has a bit more backstory to it.
Currently, Ducktales 2017 is rated 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 90% audience rating. It also holds an 8.2/10 on iMDB, and a 4/5 from Common Sense Media. Chris Hayner of IGN says in his review that there's "[...] no denying the heart and adventurous spirit it gets from the original series."
Before I compare the shows, it should be noted that both Ducktales series are based on the comic series Uncle Scrooge by Carl Banks, which started publication in 1951 and continues today (despite numerous hiatuses and the title changing publisher).
DUCKTALES (1987)
Ducktales was an animated series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation and developed by Jymn Magon and Brad Landreth. It ran on the Disney Channel from 1987 to 1990.
The series followed Scrooge McDuck and Donald Duck's three nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie as they go on adventures, with a common theme being villains trying to steal McDuck's fortune. The stories take inspiration from pop culture, ranging from Sherlock Holmes novels to the Indiana Jones series. Most of the characters outside of the main four were either taken from the comics the show was based on (e.g. The Beagle Boys), or were entirely original creations (e.g. Launchpad McQuack). The show also had guest appearances from Donald Duck on occasion.
The show was incredibly successful, and ended up being a Disney Channel juggernaut. In various rankings of animated shows, Ducktales ranks very high in the list; IGN and WatchMojo have placed it among the best animated shows of it's kind. Many have noted it's theme song as being one of the most iconic and recognisable of all time; TIME Magazine notes that, despite it's target audience not understanding most of the lyrics, "...[T]he Ducktales theme is still awesome." Aside from the core Ducktales series, there was a spinoff with Darkwing Duck, a theatrically released movie titled Ducktales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp (1990), a Ducktales video game released for the NES and Game Boy (that later saw a remaster on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3), and many different toy lines.
The series got positive reviews; currently, it holds an 88% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, an 8.1/10 on iMDB, and Common Sense Media gives the series a 4/5, stating it "...[C]an spark kids' curiosity".
DUCKTALES (2017)
A reboot of Ducktales was announced in 2015, and premiered on Disney XD two years later when the original show was 30. It was still produced by Disney Television Animation, and was developed by Matt Youngberg and Francisco Angones. The series is still going to this day, and is likely to continue longer than the original.
The show starts with a similar premise to the original; Donald Duck asks his uncle Scrooge McDuck to look after his nephews. The series then has Scrooge, Huey, Dewey and Louie, along with the character Webby (Scrooge's housekeeper's granddaughter) go on adventures.
However, the show isn't as episodic and self contained as the predeccesor series. In each season, there is an overarching storyline that is followed, a trend that other Disney animated series like Gravity Falls (2012) and Star vs the Forces of Evil (2013) has also taken on. For example, in season one there are revelations about the strained relationships between Donald, Scrooge and Della Duck (Donald's twin sister).
Elements and characters of the original show return in the reboot. Aside from the main characters and Donald, we also see Darkwing Duck, Launchpad McQuack and GizmoDuck among others. The base idea of adventuring is still front and centre, but this time has a bit more backstory to it.
Currently, Ducktales 2017 is rated 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 90% audience rating. It also holds an 8.2/10 on iMDB, and a 4/5 from Common Sense Media. Chris Hayner of IGN says in his review that there's "[...] no denying the heart and adventurous spirit it gets from the original series."
Comments
Post a Comment