ReBoot (1994 - 2001)

     I noticed that there’s a new series on Hulu titled Reboot. As far as I know, this show has nothing to do with the original ReBoot but nevertheless, my mind instantly defaults to Saturday morning cartoons. So, with that, we have another installment of the Saturday Morning Kablama Slam! 

     Oh… and the fact that we now live in a world where the term ‘original reboot’ is an actual thing feels weird to me.

   

The Premise: Set within a computer, a guardian named Bob protects the city of Mainframe by fighting in games or fending off viruses such as the sinister Megabyte. 

     ReBoot was created by a Canadian company called Mainframe Entertainment (Hey! Mainframe! Just like the show!) It ran in Canada on YTV and in America on ABC, and will go down in history as one of the first EVER computer animated television shows! You may notice that the show ran for seven years, which is a little misleading. The series actually only consists of 4 seasons. After its first season, the Walt Disney Company bought ABC and subsequently canceled the show. Maybe they were clearing room for Pixar to make its way around the bend. I dunno. 

     It continued to run for a second season in Canada and was… REBOOTED in 1997 for a slightly grittier third season. Finally, in 2001, ReBoot was REBOOTED yet again for a fourth and final season in the form of two direct-to-DVD movies. Boy, they sure got a lot of mileage out of that title! 

     ReBoot, for me, tapped into that love I had for Captain N: The Game Master and this whole pre-Wreck-It Ralph concept of people living inside video games. The other allure, of course, was the computer animation. As I understand it, the show’s creators had been developing the show for 10 years prior to it actually airing, just waiting for the technology to catch up with their vision. It’s cutting edge stuff and, in my opinion, they don’t get near enough credit for what was accomplished! I mean, this was the first computer-animated TV-series and no one ever really talks about it! The only time I ever hear it referenced is in comparison to CGI that’s pretty bad by today’s standards. 

- Ha ha! That looks like ReBoot! Remember THAT show?

- I absolutely remember that show! That show was ahead of its time! Is that what you’re saying? That this pharmaceutical ad is ahead of its time?!? 

- I’m sorry… I wasn’t talking to y... 

- Because that would certainly be a hot take if that is what you’re implying, and one that I’d be inclined to argue with considering it’s an ad that only utilizes the bare minimum of technology available today and is void of all personality as opposed to the adventures of the stalwart Bob the Guardian which was, in fact, ripe with it!

- Dude! This is a Wendy’s!

Kablama Slam! Fun Fact: I just found out that ReBoot was rebooted yet AGAIN in 2018! 

Shut up, already!