After a lot of requests from the fans, this year Cartoon Network finally came out with the rebooted version of its 90s show The Powerpuff Girls which became an instant hit once again. And now, they have launched one more rebooted version of a title which has always been a fan favourite – be it boys or girls – the kid with a watch-like alien device Ben 10. The world premiere of the Ben 10 reboot aired on Cartoon Network Australia on 1 October, 2016 followed by in the UK and German.
At MIPJunior 2016, Cartoon Network presented a special showcase of the highly-anticipated new Ben 10, featuring exclusive behind-the-scenes insight from the creators of all five series. A never-before-seen episode from the brand-new show concluded the showcase, followed by a buffet lunch.
The creators of Ben 10, Man of Action Entertainment, co-founder, Steven Seagle and Cartoon Network, VP of multiplatform, Tramm Wigzell spoke about the thought behind coming up with the rebooted version and how different would this be from the original series.
Before we get to the rebooted version, let’s go back in time to know how this idea originated. A young energetic team brimming with ideas and stories, Seagle learnt that Cartoon Network was looking for boy oriented content. With 20 ideas in hand, he decided to pitch each idea in 60 seconds and move on to the next. What he never expected was that CN would pick up the very first idea presented which was Ben 10.
Ben is known as a kid who could transform in 10 various aliens and become a superhero. But what is unknown is the fact that earlier the storyline was about a kid with different energy levels. A team member suggested to make that into aliens as that would interest the kids more.
Back in 2005 when it was launched, it achieved immense success worldwide. It a timeless concept which kids relate to: be it boys or girls. So how different is this version from the previous one? The biggest change is in the minutes of the show.
From 22 minutes, it now follows a quarter hour format. The “joy” is compressed to a faster manner. “11 minutes is great as we now get to do twice as many premiers,” laughs Seagul. “Not just the time, opposed to the original series which observed Ben with an adult logic, this time he brings kids energy along with new villains.”
The series goes to back to the basics: Ben – watch – summer vacation. There’s a visual difference as it’s brighter and colourful with more of visual comedy. Earlier it was more real life oriented but then the makers realised that at the end of the day it’s animated so why not do more?
In terms of animation, it’s a mix of 2D and 3D. “While creation of 3D assets is more time consuming, once its ready, rest of the process becomes faster,” mentions Seagul. A massive team of about 300 people are working on churning out the series.
“Ben 10 being a timeless tale, we thought it was the right time to introduce him again to the next gen. As long as we don’t find an alien device, the content will never become redundant,” adds Wizgell. With The Powerpuff Girls and Ben 10 hitting the small screens again, Wizgell confirms that there are more reboot shows in the pipeline.
Ben 10 is set to debut in the USA and Latin America later this year.