Reboots of any kind are fraught with danger. Aside from the usual challenges of creating an engaging story, there's also the obligation to stay true to the source material and the risk of the fanbase blowing its top in rage. Sometimes, the showrunners' work pays off, with reboots like She-Ra and the Princesses of Power becoming instant hits among the fanbase and audiences in general.
Other times, though, the creators get flack from the entire fanbase for supposedly ruining their favorite titles. It's not always fair to the showrunners. Some creators genuinely loved the original shows and wanted to bring something new to the table while still honoring their spirit. Other producers, however, put so little effort into what is obviously a cash grab that they absolutely deserve to get slammed.
10 Loonatics Unleashed (2005-2007)
Loonatics Unleashed was a reboot of the Looney Tunes franchise. Its characters were descendants of the originals who became superheroes, and the atmosphere was significantly darker than in previous iterations.
The concept of a bunch of futuristic superheroes fighting on a distant planet wasn't a bad idea in and of itself. If it had been created as its own thing, it might've done better. As a reboot of a franchise like Looney Tunes, however, it didn't sell well. The backlash from fans was so bad that the franchise went on a hiatus after the series ended and didn't pick up again until four years later.
9 The Fairly Oddparents: Fairly Odder (2022)
Technically, The Fairly Oddparents: Fairly Odder is marketed as a sequel, but it functions as a reboot as well. Unlike the original series, Fairly Odder combines animation and live-action, with the humans being live-action while the fairies are animated.
Fans had so many reasons to hate Fairly Odder. Firstly, it didn't have Timmy Turner as the main character. Secondly, having it live-action took away the kookiness that defined the original show. Thirdly, it just wasn't written very well. The show was canceled after one season and was removed from Paramount+ and the Nickelodeon website. Official reasons were never given, but it's speculated that the negative reaction from fans was a deciding factor.
8 The Garfield Show (2009-2016)
Based on the comic strip of the same name, The Garfield Show ran for five seasons despite its negative reception. Neither the critics nor the fans liked this show.
Where the original comic strip was aimed at adults with room for kids to enjoy, The Garfield Show is aimed strictly at kids with very little room for adults. This didn't sit well with fans who enjoyed the character as kids and as adults. The show certainly doesn't capture the original charm of the strip, but the animation is possibly the least likable thing about it. It's cheap, and it gets clunky at times.
7 Teen Titans Go! (2013-Present)
The original Teen Titans series is one of many animated superhero shows from the 2000s that followed the success of Batman: The Animated Series and Superman: The Animated Series. Although the show is goofier than most of its contemporaries, the comedy is balanced out with mature storylines, such as Raven's traumatic past and Terra's death. It's one of those shows that's watchable as a kid and as an adult.
Teen Titans Go!, on the other hand, is a satirical take on the superhero genre. It's purely comedic and focuses on the Titans in their downtime rather than their roles as heroes. Most fans find this rendition of their favorite childhood heroes extremely insulting. They view the show as being inferior to the source material and aren't appreciative of the admittedly mean-spirited jokes it makes about the fanbase.
6 Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! (2015-2018)
There have been hundreds of reboots of Scooby-Doo over the years. While some became popular, like Mystery Incorporated, others, like Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!, flopped hard.
Although Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! grew on people, it initially received a cool reception among the fanbase, and some fans still hate it. Their biggest problem is the animation style. The character designs are highly different from the ones normally used in Scooby-Doo shows, giving most of the characters actual eyes instead of dots. However, they also tend to find the characterizations somewhat off-putting. Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! might not be as hateable as some people make it out to be, but it wasn't working.
5 All Grown Up! (2003-2008)
All Grown Up! is one of those shows that fans warmed up to after its cancelation, but they disliked it upon its release. All Grown Up! is the sequel to the Rugrats show in which the protagonists are now adolescents dealing with dealing typical adolescent problems.
Unlike most experiments, it wasn't necessarily bad, but the premise didn't sit right with fans. Much of the Rugrats' original charm lay in the children's innocence and wild imaginings of the world. As teens and preteens, they acquired a slightly more realistic and cynical viewpoint, which fans were not enamored with. The show was a strong breakout from the status quo that fans didn't appreciate during its runtime.
4 Thundercats Roar (2020)
Normally, opinions tend to be divided over whether a reboot is okay or not, at least a little bit. Thundercats Roar, however, was universally hated by both fans and critics. Even fans who didn't like the 2011 reboot thought it was better than this one.
Unlike its source material and the 2011 reboot, Thundercats Roar was a comedy in the same vein as Teen Titans Go!, which it was unfavorably compared to. Everything, from the animation style to the characterizations to the comedy, was utterly smashed by viewers. The backlash got so bad that the network was forced to cancel the show after just one season.
3 Ben 10 (2016-2020)
When the 2016 reboot of Ben 10 was released, fans were disappointed to see the show being restarted rather than following the storylines left open at the end of Omniverse. The art style is a common point of contention. However, the first season also wasn't as good as it could've been and turned a lot of people off.
Mostly, fans just feel that the Ben 10 reboot was completely pointless. It follows the exact same premise as the source material, and aside from a few superficial changes to the story, it doesn't really bring anything new to the table. It's basically the same show with new packaging and without any of the substance that made the original so popular.
2 The Powerpuff Girls (2016-2019)
Although some critics liked the reboot of Cartoon Network's most beloved show, others believe that the new Powerpuff Girls is inferior to the original. Fans disliked the way it focuses more on the protagonists' domestic lives than on crime-fighting, believing it destroyed the whole purpose of the show. They also disliked the way it revamped the girls' entire origin story.
The Powerpuff Girls' reboot's biggest criticism, however, is its handling of progressive themes. The removal of fan-favorite Miss Bellum outraged many fans who saw her exclusion as being more sexist than her creation. Other instances, including the creation of Donny as a metaphor for transgender identity, were controversial, with people claiming that the themes were clumsily handled and overly preachy.
1 Velma (2023-Present)
Velma is the latest reboot in the Scooby-Doo franchise, and it hasn't been met with the best reception from critics or fans. Even people who have something good to say about it can't help sliding in some criticism.
While some people think Velma is genuinely funny, others feel that the jokes are too convoluted and lack proper timing. The tone has been described as uneven, seesawing back and forth between an irreverent comedy and a suspenseful murder mystery. As for Velma herself, most audiences find her character highly unlikeable. She's been called hateful and biting, compared unfavorably with other characters, and accused of perpetuating stereotypes of South Asian women. It's too early to tell if audiences will warm up to her, but given how much backlash the show has gotten, it's possible that she won't be given a chance.