Toony with a Chance of Tuesday: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs -- The TV Series

This exists.

Welcome to Toony Tuesday, everyone, and my (decidedly) short review of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs...the TV series.

This American/Canadian-made series on Cartoon Network, developed by Mark Evastaff and Alex Galatis, and based on the eponymous film series (which in turn is based on the eponymous book) takes the
Tom and Jerry Kids, Flintstones Kids, A Pup Named Scooby-Doo,
Baby Looney Tunes, Yo Yogi!, The New ArchiesandGreendale Babies route of taking our favorite citizens of Swallow Falls back to their younger days.

When I first heard about the series, I didn't have much excitement going for it. As much as I loved and enjoyed the movies (which I haven't seen in years)--and by extension enjoyed the book as a kid, I had no thought about a TV series continuing the franchise. And I definitely had no thought of it going the Tom & Jerry Kids, Flintstones Kids, A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, Baby Looney Tune--okay you get it. Basically, this series is younger Flint and Sam, more slapstick comedy, less quality humor, and no Bill Hader. Win-win, I guess?

But all that aside, The big eyeopener to me is this: the change in continuity; specifically, when Flint and Sam met. In the movies, they met when both were full-blown adults; Flint still working on his gadgets and Sam an actual qualified meteorologist. In the series, however, both meet when they are teenagers (although still sounding like adults) attending Cannery High School; Flint a younger still-brainstorming scientist, and Sam a young bloomer entrenched in the world of meteorology. Everyone else is younger too (I think), but that doesn't matter. This struck me negatively because...this doesn't make sense! Why change the two into teen versions of themselves when you have all the ideas in the world to continue everything after the second film?? Lots of ideas would've worked.
But then again, Steve and the spray-shoes keep the continuity going, right? And whatever the creators decided on, we can at least, accept, right??

Well...one episode has a really stupid plot. In "Princess Kittymitttens", Sam is bothered by Flint badgering her about a Tamagotchi-like toy of the same name (a toy she's held since childhood [and the only toy she's held at all which says so much about her family]), and when she finally relents in showing him it, it immediately breaks in his hands. It's pointless, predictable and baffling. There are more like this in this series.

Seriously, the writing and jokes are middle-of-the-road. Some are funny, others are not. And there are some long sight gags and jokes that wear out their welcome almost immediately. And my bias towards them are not positive at all. The characterization of the characters are about the same as in the films, but recycled; cut-and-paste with little wiggle room to go about.
I know it's the beginning of the series, but...yeah.
So much to roll off from and that's all they come up with.
The voice acting is good; it's clean, coherent, fresh and good. Mark Edwards is no Hader but he great at voicing a younger Flint Lockwood.
The animation by Toon Boom Harmony isn't as expansive as the movies, but is great on its own.

This series is...alright. Nothing special, nothing great, nothing terrible. It's just there as another Cartoon Network series that will a lot of people would skip out on, and/or Cartoon Network will skip out on or disown after the first/second season, whichever comes first.
No disrespect to the creators and crew,
Sorry, but if you want a better version of this franchise, just stick with the movies. They're a much better (and funnier) experience. And if this was your first time watching, I'm sorry for all that time you just wasted.

If you (ever) want to, this series airs on Cartoon Network. But I wouldn't be surprised if it ever ends up Boomerang later on in its run. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if it moves there in the next month or so.


I'm now curious to see how Hotel Transylvania: The Series will turn out.

That's my review of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs: the TV Series.
Ehh...Bye...??