Another week, another revelation that Warner Bros. Discovery uses a sharp and gory tool to his HBO Max content library– and especially the animation and children’s programs in the catalog of the streaming service. This is per Deadline, which reports that 37 more titles will be removed from the service, most of them either animated shows or reality TV. And while some of the affected programs are licensed shows that the streamer was just distributing, quite a few of which were HBO Max originals or products from Warner Media’s various animation industries – including shows reportedly still in production, and would air new episodes next year.
Take for example the case of Summer Camp Islandwhich was previously assumed to becompleted final season a few weeks ago, before suddenly being hit by an order that delayed it until 2023. Now, like a number of shows that originated on Cartoon Network before migrating to HBO Max to increase its content in recent yearsthe series is on the list of shows will be taken out of service this week—leaving a huge question mark about where these 20 completed but never released episodes of TV will be aired, if anywhere. Series creator Julia Pott expressed her dismay at the move (which she apparently heard about) of the Deadline part!) on Twitter today.
(See also fellow Cartoon Network translator Victor and Valentinothat is in the middle of a third season on HBO Max – a streaming service it is suddenly apparently is about to be kicked off.)
Even if this move – which we’re sure makes perfect sense if you’re a media executive who sees TV shows as disposable building blocks to relentlessly rearrange in the pursuit of the greatest possible tax benefit, or whatever-was only focused on great shows that have already ended their runs (Aquarius! Ok KO! – Let’s be heroes! The beautiful, thoughtful, bizarre infinite train!), this would still be a bummer. (Each of these shows was a kid’s favorite series somewhere)you know?) But Warner Bros. Discovery is ugly willingness to throw away the work of makers that it already hired to create their art – seen before with the shocking cancellation of the nearly completed batgirl and Scoob movies-gets pathological at this point and drifts downward from “bummer” to the realm of ‘demonstrably cruel’.
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The service released a statement today that puts a positive spin on this; you can read on Deadline if you feel masochistic. Meanwhile, huhHere’s the full list of titles leaving HBO Max in this latest cue:
12 dates of Christmas
About last night
Aquaman: King of Atlantis
Good enough
Detention adventure
dodo
Ellen’s next great designer
Elliott of the Earth
Esme & Roy
The Fungi!
Generation Hustle
gender+ion
infinite train
Little Ellen
Mao Mao, Heroes of Pure Heart
Messy goes to Okido
Mia’s Magical Playground
Mighty Magiswords
My dinner with Herve
My mother, your father
Odo
Ok KO! – Let’s be heroes
The Ollie & Moon Show
Pac-Man and the Spooky Adventures
Ravi Patel’s pursuit of happiness
Select Sesame Street Specials
Make it big, make it small
Part
squish
Summer Camp Island
The Not Too Late Show with Elmo
The Runaway Rabbit – Special
Theodosia
Tig n’ Seek
uncle grandpa
Victor and Valentino
Yabba Dabba Dinosaurs
