Revered as some of the most iconic characters in children’s programming, Lassie, Mr. Magoo, and George of the Jungle have received numerous adaptations and re-imaginings over the years. Created by writer Elizabeth Gaskell, the character Lassie and her titular adventures graced the small screen for 19 seasons, making the show the 5th longest-running prime-time television series behind The Simpsons, Law & Order, Gunsmoke, and Law & Order: SVU. Lassie was last seen on animated series The New Adventures of Lassie. Extremely nearsighted and stubborn Mr. Magoo was featured in two animated series, and was also brought to life by actor Leslie Nielson in Disney’s live-action adaptation, Mr. Magoo. Inspired by Tarzan, George of the Jungle was hailed as one of the greatest cartoon characters of all time and swung into box office success with a George of the Jungle film starring Brendan Fraiser as the title character. Now, CBS All Access is paving the way for these beloved characters to make a comeback.
As reported to Variety, CBS All Access has ordered animated reboots of Lassie, Mr. Magoo, and George of the Jungle. Set to launch on the streaming starting Jan. 17, the newest additions are intended to pad up the children’s programming catalog and will hail from Dreamworks Animation’s Classic Media. President of CBS Interactive, Marc DeBevoise, spoke about the foray into children’s content, stating, “We’ve seen a tremendous response from our subscribers in just a few months since CBS All Access began offering children’s programming.” This comes amidst reports of other, more adult oriented shows like a Silence of the Lambs TV show starring Clarice, also joining CBS.
Lassie, Mr. Magoo, and George of the Jungle will join the now-live Bob the Builder, Inspector Gadget, and The Adventures of Paddington Bear shows currently available. Young viewers itching for a chance to indulge in more original animated content can also expect new seasons of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and Danger Mouse to arrive at CBS All Access.
In an era of reboots and revivals, one focused on an animated series is always a hit or miss. The past few years have shown that no children’s show or toy is off the radar for a film reboot. However, Lassie, Mr. Magoo, and George of the Jungle each own a massive fan base and could pull CBS All Access ahead in an attempt to corner in children’s programming in a time of fierce competition with animation mongrel Disney. Given the associated character’s longevity and familiarity, it is a wise choice on CBS All Access’ part to bring Lassie, Mr. Magoo, and George of the Jungle back to life.
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Source: Variety
