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Author Topic: Season 16  (Read 13035 times)

Muppetfan

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Re: Season 16
« Reply #45 on: October 20, 2012, 01:12:27 pm »
I think that is something that we had discussed a while back that is worth bringing up again...how the episodes don't seem to be focusing on Arthur, but rather other characters. The thing that starts to get more monotonous for me is that so many of the new episodes seem to be focusing on D.W. and friends.

However we only have the names for the second set of Season 16 episodes, but based on them, it looks like they may be turning around and being at least somewhat focused a bit on him in one or two.

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Re: Season 16
« Reply #46 on: October 20, 2012, 01:22:29 pm »
That is the effect of naming the show after the main character. The usually focus on that character for only so long before they go into other characters. Anyone that has seen the show Hey Arnold can see what I'm talking about in that point. The Pal and Kate episodes really don't serve much of any purpose. Nadine maybe an imaginary friend, but at least she serves a purpose in the show well to D.W. that is.

Muppetfan

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Re: Season 16
« Reply #47 on: October 20, 2012, 01:24:30 pm »
However note that the show has focused on other characters a lot throughout the series. It's just that recently we've been on an Arthur episode drought, it seems.

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Re: Season 16
« Reply #48 on: October 20, 2012, 01:34:01 pm »
However note that the show has focused on other characters a lot throughout the series. It's just that recently we've been on an Arthur episode drought, it seems.

They have made just about every episode about him that I can think of. Grandpa Dave's Memory Book I can safely assume may have been the last great hurrah for an episode that centers around Arthur, especially Season 15 in general, though things can change without notice.

Muppetfan

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Re: Season 16
« Reply #49 on: October 20, 2012, 01:36:19 pm »
That is true, in a way. I mean, I think that the crew has more fun exploring other characters to start out with, I know I would.

And come to think of it, about every Arthur episode idea that I have involves other characters.

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Re: Season 16
« Reply #50 on: October 20, 2012, 01:38:06 pm »
That is true, in a way. I mean, I think that the crew has more fun exploring other characters to start out with, I know I would.

And come to think of it, about every Arthur episode idea that I have involves other characters.

There is a lot of characters to work with too. The problem is a majority of them have no names yet.

Muppetfan

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Re: Season 16
« Reply #51 on: October 20, 2012, 01:48:10 pm »
But then you run into the fact that pretty much the entire crew is afraid to name them anymore, I think. They most likely are becoming so conscious of the abundance of unnamed characters that they probably start to seem off limits to name. The only way I can even imagine background characters really being named anymore is if the crew has always had some name for the character that they never quite communicated to the public.

And then you also face the issue of naming a character twice, such as accidentally not knowing that a character has a name and the crew names them again. I know this has happened multiple times in the Muppet universe, and I think that it is bound to happen at some point if they start naming more characters. Just look at Tom, who was later renamed Gunky (though it's debatable if it is the same character and if Gunky is a nickname). And plus, even characters like Mr. Haney and Mr. Ratburn have multiple first names.

MCCJ

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Re: Season 16
« Reply #52 on: October 20, 2012, 01:56:15 pm »
But then you run into the fact that pretty much the entire crew is afraid to name them anymore, I think. They most likely are becoming so conscious of the abundance of unnamed characters that they probably start to seem off limits to name. The only way I can even imagine background characters really being named anymore is if the crew has always had some name for the character that they never quite communicated to the public.

And then you also face the issue of naming a character twice, such as accidentally not knowing that a character has a name and the crew names them again. I know this has happened multiple times in the Muppet universe, and I think that it is bound to happen at some point if they start naming more characters. Just look at Tom, who was later renamed Gunky (though it's debatable if it is the same character and if Gunky is a nickname). And plus, even characters like Mr. Haney and Mr. Ratburn have multiple first names.

There is ways around loopholes like that.

Snowth Woogle

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Re: Season 16
« Reply #53 on: October 20, 2012, 02:02:26 pm »
Forgive me my late arrival into the discussion.

I think I've said it years ago, the show really shouldn't even be called Arthur anymore... something more along the lines of Elwood City Kids or something, because when you think about it, the shift from focusing on just Arthur, and more on other kids actually dates way back to like Seasons Seven and Eight: we had a TON of episodes during those seasons where Arthur played no significant role in stories... that also seems to be around the time when there started to be more focus on D.W. and her friends, as well as expanding those characters... at least, it was the first time James had any significant role in an episode, and look at him now.

As for Nadine, I agree, she DOES serve a purpose, but only if she is utilized correctly, and that usually depends on the writer, and what the story is: there are times where Nadine can serve as something of a conscience for D.W., but then there are other times where she's just an imaginary friend.
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MCCJ

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Re: Season 16
« Reply #54 on: October 20, 2012, 04:29:23 pm »
Forgive me my late arrival into the discussion.

I think I've said it years ago, the show really shouldn't even be called Arthur anymore... something more along the lines of Elwood City Kids or something, because when you think about it, the shift from focusing on just Arthur, and more on other kids actually dates way back to like Seasons Seven and Eight: we had a TON of episodes during those seasons where Arthur played no significant role in stories... that also seems to be around the time when there started to be more focus on D.W. and her friends, as well as expanding those characters... at least, it was the first time James had any significant role in an episode, and look at him now.

As for Nadine, I agree, she DOES serve a purpose, but only if she is utilized correctly, and that usually depends on the writer, and what the story is: there are times where Nadine can serve as something of a conscience for D.W., but then there are other times where she's just an imaginary friend.

It first took place during Season 3, but you still have a very good point there.

Muppetfan

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Re: Season 16
« Reply #55 on: October 20, 2012, 04:56:37 pm »
Since the beginning the series never focused specifically on Arthur and it isn't meant to. Right from the get-go, even with the series being called Arthur, they knew they were going to spend just as much/even more time on other characters, and that seems to be all around evident from the start. I don't think they named it Arthur to only focus on Arthur, but rather because the books tended to be labeled Arthur, so it only made sense for the series to be called that.
But then you run into the fact that pretty much the entire crew is afraid to name them anymore, I think. They most likely are becoming so conscious of the abundance of unnamed characters that they probably start to seem off limits to name. The only way I can even imagine background characters really being named anymore is if the crew has always had some name for the character that they never quite communicated to the public.

And then you also face the issue of naming a character twice, such as accidentally not knowing that a character has a name and the crew names them again. I know this has happened multiple times in the Muppet universe, and I think that it is bound to happen at some point if they start naming more characters. Just look at Tom, who was later renamed Gunky (though it's debatable if it is the same character and if Gunky is a nickname). And plus, even characters like Mr. Haney and Mr. Ratburn have multiple first names.

There is ways around loopholes like that.

Of course there is. I know that. I am just saying that I imagine those are the kind of things that go through the crew's mind and why we don't have characters being named anymore.

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Re: Season 16
« Reply #56 on: October 20, 2012, 06:05:11 pm »
Ladonna and Bud are pretty good characters. And you will never get completely used to the animation, at least I haven't, but you will soften up to it much over time.

MCCJ

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Re: Season 16
« Reply #57 on: October 20, 2012, 06:09:17 pm »
Ladonna and Bud are pretty good characters. And you will never get completely used to the animation, at least I haven't, but you will soften up to it much over time.

Keep watching those episodes and you will get use to the animation. By the way. Did anyone else notice that Night of the Tibble and Read and Flumberghast the animation improved a bit? That took me by surprise there as I wasn't expecting that.

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Re: Season 16
« Reply #58 on: October 20, 2012, 06:17:40 pm »
I might as well take this opportunity to mention that I am extremely bummed that I haven't been able to see Friday's episode. I had to go out at the time it was on so I made sure my DVR was set to tape it, but for some strange reason it didn't tape.  >:(

But it does sound good that the animation was improved. That is a plus. And for the most part I have gotten used to the animation, just there are occasions when I still haven't quite softened up completely to it.

MCCJ

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Re: Season 16
« Reply #59 on: October 20, 2012, 06:30:53 pm »
I might as well take this opportunity to mention that I am extremely bummed that I haven't been able to see Friday's episode. I had to go out at the time it was on so I made sure my DVR was set to tape it, but for some strange reason it didn't tape.  >:(

But it does sound good that the animation was improved. That is a plus. And for the most part I have gotten used to the animation, just there are occasions when I still haven't quite softened up completely to it.

The DVR I had before use to do that. The one I have now is an improvement.