Operation Shane: Someone Help Arnold, Noelani, and Eliza
So, I like watching Kids Next Door, so what? :p
Let's just get right down to business, shall we?
First, when Craig Bartlett left Nickelodeon in late 2001 to make a new show for Cartoon Network, many fans of his show, Hey Arnold!, were shocked by this news. Why? Because Bartlett had promised for so long that he would end the series with a (second) movie about Arnold searching for his parents, and promising to reveal his last name (a hot topic of debate amongst HA! fans) in it. Instead, many threads on his old show remain unresolved, and CN wouldn't pick up his Party Wagon telefilm and make it into a series. Talk about your hard breaks there...
Then, in February 2003, Nick aired a couple eps of The Wild Thornberrys that took place after the recently-released movie based on the series (just ignore for now the fact that the other ep that was supposed to air with those eps didn't air until June 2004). These eps, besides showing Eliza falling in love with a pop guitarist (and a much-ballyhooed kiss between the two), featured something that had never before happened in the 4+ years of the series: Eliza and her big sister Deborah (Debbie, to you and me) having some serious bonding. The fact that Debbie had just stumbled upon Eliza's dirty little secret in the film certainly had something to do with it. Sounds like a new beginning for the sisters, right? Well, this so-called "new beginning" lasted... all of five eps.
Lastly, in summer 2004, Nick showed two previously unheard of eps of Rocket Power: "New Girl on the Block" / "After Shocked" (June 16) and "The Big Day" (July 30), along with the long-known telefilm "Island of the Menehune" (July 16). Even if Nick did air them out of order ("New Girl on the Block" / "After Shocked" takes place after "The Big Day"), these new eps seemed to be setting up another new beginning: a new stepmother, Noelani, for Otto and Reggie. After all, when Chazz married Kira on Rugrats, we got a good season or two out of the premise (and of course, it's part of All Grown Up!). But when RP did this, what did we get? Well, besides the June 16 ep, nothing! Zip, nada, nil.
So, what are you setting up this page for?
Good question. Seriously, though:
1. For HA! fans: Without the second movie, Arnold remains a surname-less kid, we only know part of the story about Arnold's parents, and for all we know, Arnold still doesn't think that Helga loves him. With the second movie... well, you get the idea. Plus we might be rooting for it to get an Oscar nod. Okay, so what if I'm being optimistic about that last part?
2. For TWT and RP fans: Don't you think that it's a bad idea to end a show just as its dynamics are changing? I mean, how many NewsRadio fans out there are still thinking that we should have gotten at least a season out of moving from NYC to New Hampshire (the move happened in the series' final 3 eps)? And even among Nicktoons, there's nothing we can do about Kapnek ending As Told By Ginger after Lois Foutley's upcoming marriage to Dr. Dave (if you're a fan, you'll know what I'm talking about).
Why the name "Operation Shane"?
Well, I'm a big fan of Kids Next Door, so it would seem fitting to try to create an acronym for this whole thing (a la KND). Believe me, it was hard work. I was seriously mulling calling it either "Operation Insane: It's Necessary to Save Arnold, Noelani and Eliza", or just "Operation Sane: Save Arnold, Noelani and Eliza". Eventually, I decided that the name I chose, Shane, would work better. One, it's the name of that classic cowboy movie that ends with the classic line "Shane, come back"... exactly what we want from the three shows, and two, the pop guitarist Eliza kissed in the final Thornberrys ep? His name was (dramatic pause)... Shane.
Enough with the intros. What am I supposed to do?
Well, I have an entire page on the Arnold debacle, and what to do about it, so I suggest you check that out first.
Okay, done? Most of the same things that apply to Arnold will apply to the other shows as well. To recap, it's all about writing letters and collecting signatures, and all the details can be found on the Arnold page. When I get some letter samples, I'll post them here. But for now, here's my attempt at a "sample" letter for each show (Arnold examples are on the Arnold page):
RP:
Dear Klasky-Csupo:
My kids have enjoyed Rocket Power for the five years it's been on. And this past summer, Ray Rocket's wedding was among the highlights of our summer. The kids have even been talking about how the Rocket kids will adapt to life with a new stepmom.
However, I've found out that, except for that ep with the homeless kid and the earthquake, you stopped making the show entirely. In my mind, it's a bad idea to end a show just as its dynamics are changing. Besides, haven't you had enough with ending shows with weddings? First Duckman, now this. And I hear you're doing this with Ginger as well.
With that in mind, please consider making at least one full season of RP with Noelani and the gang. Maybe drag the homeless kid along for the ride too.
TWT:
Dear Klasky-Csupo:
For the longest time, Eliza and her big sister Debbie had never gotten along smoothly on The Wild Thornberrys, whether it be about the big sister's big break-up, or the little sister being sent to London. And at our house, we enjoyed every minute of their petty arguments.
But a few years ago, something amazing happened: Debbie stumbled upon Eliza's powers, and Eliza threatened to turn Debbie into a baboon if she ever talked about them. Well, it was something like that. The upshot of all that? Eliza and Debbie have become good sisters in the eps that followed, and we enjoyed them even more.
Problem is: after about 80 or so eps of Debbie/Eliza bickering, all we're getting out of the new and improved Debbie/Eliza relationship is those five eps in Alaska. Come on, Klasky-Csupo, try heading along this new path for, say, a season and see where it heads.
OK, they're not the best in the world, so? You're only supposed to use these as examples to help you get started.
Anyways, once you're done writing your letter, here's where you'll have to direct your letters about RP and TWT:
Klasky Csupo, Inc.
6353 Sunset Blvd. (as well as 1258 N. Highland Ave.)
Hollywood, CA 90028
(Also, addresses for Nickelodeon can be found on the Arnold page)
Well, that's all I have to say, so good luck!