10 Times Kids Shows Were Struck By Tragedy
Real life is harsh. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re discussing the times tragic real-life circumstances impacted popular children’s TV cartoons.
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00:00 Welcome to WatchMojo!
00:07 Today we're discussing the times tragic real-life circumstances impacted popular children's
00:12 TV cartoons.
00:19 The Tohoku earthquake cancelled a major Pokemon arc, Pokemon the series Black and White.
00:23 When a real-life disaster strikes, even animated representations of a similar event can lead
00:28 to uncomfortable comparisons.
00:30 Early episodes of this Pokemon season had set up a confrontation between Team Rocket
00:34 and Team Plasma over a material called Meteonite.
00:46 This ferocious battle was supposed to happen in a special two-part episode that would have
00:49 seen destruction brought to Castelia City, but it was never aired.
01:00 Why not?
01:01 Because of the disastrous Tohoku earthquake and subsequent tsunami that struck Japan on
01:05 March 11, 2011.
01:07 At the time, networks considered the upcoming episodes insensitive and skipped over them,
01:11 and the story arc was never returned to.
01:13 Eventually, the conflict as a whole was altered in retcon, leading to a permanent question
01:17 on how such a battle would have played out.
01:27 A New Voice for Caillou, Caillou
01:29 The voice actors we hear as beloved childhood characters often become intertwined with our
01:32 memories of the show.
01:34 However, sometimes tragedy strikes and forces a change.
01:43 After season one of Caillou, Jacqueline Lenecki took over as the voice of the iconic character
01:47 for the next two seasons.
01:49 Tragically, Lenecki was involved in a fatal car accident in 2003 at just 17 years old.
01:54 By this time, Jacqueline's voice of the character had become a staple of the show,
01:57 so it was important to find a replacement that could bring the same charm to the character.
02:11 Annie Bovert ended up stepping into the role, putting her own verve into the talent that
02:14 Jacqueline had previously brought to the show.
02:24 Annie remained in the role until the end of the series.
02:27 Mel Blanc's Car Accident Almost Ended Bugs Bunny (Looney Tunes)
02:30 Mel Blanc was legendary for voicing some of the most famous cartoon characters in history,
02:34 including Bugs Bunny, Barney Rubble, and Mr. Spacely, and many, many, many more.
02:50 Without his brilliant voice work, a huge swath of characters likely would never have existed
02:54 or even been remotely as captivating.
02:56 But that nearly came to pass when a horrific car accident put the actor in a coma in 1961.
03:11 After weeks of unresponsiveness, his doctor brilliantly tried a different method to elicit
03:15 a response from Blanc, asking him how Bugs Bunny was feeling instead of Mel.
03:19 And emerging from the coma at last, Blanc responded, "Nah, what's up, Doc?"
03:26 Turns out the beloved character didn't want Mel Blanc to go anywhere either.
03:30 John Ritter's Death Transforms Clifford the Big Red Dog (Clifford the Big Red Dog)
03:34 John Ritter was a deeply respected actor and castmate for decades in Hollywood.
03:38 And throughout the entire run of the original Clifford the Big Red Dog animated series,
03:42 Ritter provided the voice of the titular oversized pooch.
03:46 However, in late 2003, he experienced heart complications while on the set of another
03:57 show and tragically died later that day.
03:59 A spinoff series, Clifford's Puppy Days, began around the same time, leading many to
04:03 believe that the star's death had caused the change of series rather than continuing
04:06 on with the original.
04:17 However, reportedly the finale movie and spinoff had already been planned and created and this
04:22 was not necessarily the case.
04:23 Regardless, John Ritter's impact on Clifford and the impact of his passing cannot be overstated,
04:28 as his voice had become synonymous with the character for years.
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05:01 Dedication to Anton Yelchin - Trollhunters Tales of Arcadia
05:04 Recasting an actor is never easy, especially when the individual in question is considered
05:08 by many as the perfect fit for the role.
05:10 This was the case for Anton Yelchin, a young actor who became famous in the reboot of Star
05:14 Trek as Lieutenant Chekov.
05:22 He also lent his voice and presence to the main character of Trollhunters Tales of Arcadia
05:26 for its first two seasons and part of the third before his life was horribly cut short
05:30 by a freak accident.
05:40 The makers of the show showed their support for the talented actor's memory, dedicating
05:43 the entire series to him upon its conclusion in 2018.
05:47 Not only that, but the final episode drew to a conclusion with the reused monologue
05:50 from his character, allowing him to close out the show he had so enriched.
06:05 What strange or tragic circumstances affected your favorite show?
06:08 Let us know in the comments!
06:09 And as always, thanks for watching!
06:27 (upbeat music)