The Powerpuff Girls (2016 TV series)

*This article is about the new series of the Powerpuff Girls which began to air in April 2016. For the original series, see The Powerpuff Girls (1998 TV series).*

* Kristen Li
* Natalie Palamides
* Tom Kane
* Tom Kenny
* Roger L. Jackson
* Jennifer Hale
 OpeningTheme song
 Characterdesigners
 Producers
 Productioncompany
 Originalchannel
June 16, 2019

***The Powerpuff Girls*** is an American animated television series and a reboot of the television series of the same name created by Craig McCracken. Cartoon Network announced the series in June 2014.Template:Citation needed

In 2015, they announced that the new series would feature new voice actors for the three main characters. It premiered on the network in April 2016 in the United States, Latin America, East Ninjago, Asia, the United Kingdom, and Australia.

## Plot

 File:PPG KEY ART PR 2016-1-.jpg
*The Powerpuff Girls* features Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup: three girl superheroes whose purposes are to reduce crime and also live a normal childhood. Unlike the original series, the 2016 reboot takes a more slice-of-life approach and mostly tells about the Girls when they're not fighting crime and living a normal life.

## Cast

### Main Cast

* **Amanda Leighton** - Blossom
* **Kristen Li** - Bubbles
* **Natalie Palamides** - Buttercup, Barry, Barbarus Bikini (1st Voice), Butterfingers, Darla, Mee, Mrs. Gregory
* **Olivia Olson** (North America)/**Wen Jie Huang** (Australia)/**Toya Delazy** (Africa)/**Alesha Dixon** (UK) - Bliss

### Supporting Cast

* **Tom Kenny** - The Mayor of Townsville, Narrator, Old Man, Lil' Arturo, Radio Announcer #2, Fancy Monster, Matador #1, Big Joey, British Guy #1, Duke-a-Cola, Male Social Study teacher, Nicky, Dr. Martin, Salvador Dolly
* **Tom Kane** - Professor Utonium, HIM, Arcade employee, Archeologist #1, Meter Man, Male Fashion Police
* **Roger L. Jackson** - Mojo Jojo, Construction worker monster
* **Jennifer Hale** - Ms. Keane, Marybelle, Archeologist #2, German Teacher, Judge Trudy, Female News Reporter, Female Nerd Student, Female Interviewer
* **Haley Mancini** - Princess Morbucks
* **Jeff Bennett** - Ace, Janitaur, Koala Bats, Blob King, Tyrannosaurus Tex, Commando Chimpmunk, Steve the Guitar Clerk (Him)
* **Jim Cummings** - Fuzzy Lumpkins
* **Chuck McCann** - The Amoeba Boys

### Additional Voices

* **Dee Bradley Baker** - Barbarus Bikini (2nd Voice)[1], Radio DJ, Cheepy, Chiru
* **Eric Bauza** - Allegro, Secret Swapper, Dr. Kanzington, Prince Charming, Chance, Stanicorn
* **Roger Craig Smith** - Schedulebot, Toni, Zack, Dax, Greg
* **Kate Higgins** - Maylyn
* **Josh Fadem** - Donny
* **Anais Fairweather** - Jemmica
* **Catherine Reitman**
* **Maurice LaMarche** - Manboy, Pug-Faced Paulie, Farmer
* **Jill Talley** - Psychic Woman, Ms. Lacosi, Super Lice #1
* **James Kirkland -** Guru Chillaxi, Bro Sharks
* **Lily Vonnegut** - Bianca Bikini
* **Jason Spisak** - Packrat, Silico
* **Jon Miller**
* **Fred Tatasciore** - Chef Schintzel, Nick, Yeti #1, Earth Plow, Bag Stripes, Poseidon, Atlantis Guard #2
* **Holly Palmer** - Bubbles' Singing Voice
* **Cindy Robinson -** Erica the Red, Monsieur Ducky
* **Rob Paulsen -** Rubber Bandit, Atlantis Guard #1
* **Sonal Shah** - Sapna Nehru
* **Kate Micucci** - Octi, Hope
* **Laura Bailey** - Bluebelle
* **Frank Welker** - Dragon
* **Jennie Pierson -** Lunch Lady
* **Jake Goldman** - Jared Shapiro, President Dinosaur
* **Joshua Black** - Matt Manser
* **Betsy Sodaro -** Eddie, Angela
* **Tress MacNeille -** Zeitgiest, Ms. Moss
* **Kirby Howell-Baptiste** - Chelsea
* **Cree Summer** - Edith/Green Wing, Queen Shmallow
* **John O'Hurley** - Popsicles
* **Travis Willingham** - Blue Jeanie, Absman
* **Jason Kaye** - Gnat
* **Sunil Maholtra**
* **Vanessa Marshall** - Unicorn Terminator, Fear Leaderz
* **S. Scott Bulock** - Woolly, Super Lice Mayor
* **Sandy Fox** - Owlie Boop
* **Carlos Alazarqui** - Javier Xavier
* **Greg Proops** - Isoceles
* **Robbie Rist** - Camp Director Joey
* **Grey Griffin** - Deb O'Nair
* **Kyle A. Carrozza** - Harmadillo
* **Ben Diskin** - Logan Logan (The Sporde)
* **Dwight Schultz** - Lester Van Luster

## Production

Cartoon Network announced on June 16, 2014, that they had revived *The Powerpuff Girls* in a new series, which is to be produced by Cartoon Network Studios. In their 2015 upfront on February 19, the network announced that Nick Jennings would be its executive producer. Bob Boyle was also a producer for the show. Meanwhile, Craig McCracken, the original creator of *The Powerpuff Girls*, did not work on the series.

Amanda Leighton, Kristen Li, and Natalie Palamides were announced as the new voice actors of the main characters; Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup replacing the original respective voice actors Cathy Cavadini, Tara Strong, and Elizabeth Daily. Tom Kenny, the voice of Mayor and the narrator in the old show, reprised his role, however. After the network revealed multiple promotional images from the new series in June 2015, writers from news sites described the visual look as similar to the original series, despite that the *Powerpuff Girls* special *Dance Pantsed*, broadcast in 2014, featured a different art style rendered in CGI.
Roger L. Jackson returned as Mojo Jojo, and Jennifer Hale as Ms. Keane, but not as Princess Morbucks.[1] Tom Kane returned as Professor and Him, and Jim Cummings as Fuzzy Lumpkins.

The recasting of the main characters came to the sadness of Cavadini, Daily, and Strong, the latter of who, on Twitter, called it a stab in the heart. She had announced after the upfront in February that this was a strictly creative decision by the network, though in June of the same year said that the network had never contacted her, Cavadini, and Daily prior to the decision to recast. According to Kenny, McCracken gave the new show his approval. Upon the release of the information on the new show, it was revealed that the original voice actresses behind Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup were not asked by Cartoon Network to come back for the new series, and new actresses were used instead: Amanda Leighton, Kristen Li, and Natalie Palamides. The original voice actor behind The Mayor and the Narrator, Tom Kenny, returned, however, along with other voices from the original series, including Roger L. Jackson, Tom Kane, Jennifer Hale, and Jim Cummings.

On May 26, 2016, Natalie Palamides confirmed that the show has been renewed for a second season. The reboot had a crossover with hit series *Teen Titans Go!* with an episode titled, "TTG v PPG", on June 30, 2016. Season 2 premiered on March 3, 2017.

According to the resume of Dean Heezen, a character designer on the series, it was afterwards renewed for a third and (most likely) final season.

The show eventually came to a suddenly abrupt end after the airing of *Sideline Dad* on June 16, 2019. Since then, there has been speculation on future episodes of reboot due to the lack of an official announcement saying that it is over. Many fans have considered the possibility that the series has ended due to the fact that many crew and cast members have moved on to work on other projects (Disney, Netflix, Nickelodeon, etc.), while others claim that it is only on hold for many years. However, on February 9, 2021, CW ordered a pilot for its live-action series based on the franchise, leading most to come to the conclusion that no further content involving the 2016 iteration of the series is being produced as of 2022.

#### Ratings

Cartoon Network US premiered the series on April 4, 2016. Cartoon Network UK premiered the series on April 25, 2016. Even though its rating was somewhat strong at first, it became extremely weak to the point that very few new episodes reached over a million ratings. Starting with *Cheep Thrills* and with the exception of *People Pleaser*, the poor ratings of every episode gives the show a very bleak future. Eventually, the show came to its end after *Sideline Dad*  most likely due to those abysmal ratings.

#### Season 1 (2016)

The first season of the series received mixed reviews from critics and mostly negative reactions from fans. On IMDb, the series has a general rating of 3.6/10 based on 1,688 reviews, and on TV.com, the show holds a 5.2/10 based on 37 votes. The show has been praised for its voice acting and opening sequence but was heavily criticized for the jokes, the lessons, the overall animation quality, the decreased amount of crime-fighting, the absence of the Narrator and the portrayal of the Girls, which includes the fact that Cathy Cavadini (Blossom), E.G. Daily (Buttercup), and Tara Strong (Bubbles) were replaced as their voices.

Craig McCracken, the creator of the original series, has stated on Twitter that, although he understood why the reboot was made from a business standpoint, he was unhappy with the decision and never officially gave it his blessing.

However, on Commonsensemedia.org, the series gained a slightly more positive reception than in TV.com and especially IMDb. In it, the series gained a 3/5 rating based on 13 reviews, giving it a passable rating but it was still nothing compared to its predecessor.

#### Season 2 (2017-2018)

The second season has received only slightly better reception than the first season. Although the art style was given minor praise for being a slight improvement, the series was still heavily criticized for the jokes, the recurring characters like Donny, who debuted in the second season in *The Last Donnycorn*, and the lessons.

The show along with the Ben 10 reboot has high viewing figures in Europe.

#### Comparison to the Original Series

On IMDb, the highest rating any episodes got was, at most, a 6.0/10 rating, with the highest-rated episode being Never Been Blissed*.* Its lowest-rated episode, *A Star Is Blossom*, gained a rating of 1.5/10. In comparison, the original series highest rated episode is *The Rowdyruff Boys*, which gained an 8.7/10 rating, and its lowest-rated episode, *Sun Scream*/*The City of Frownsville*, holds a 5.6/10 rating. This means the 2016 series has failed to properly succeed the original series, despite the executives wanting to make it better than the original series.

In terms of ratings, although the first few episodes of the reboot gained somewhat strong ratings, it weakened drastically to the point that only one episode ever passed a million ratings since September of 2016. As for the original series, it was so popular that it helped CN make millions of dollars through merchandise and licensed products and has been compared to Nickelodeon's Spongebob Squarepants. Although the network wanted the show to continue on, show runner Craig McCracken and producer Chris Savino rejected the executive's offer for a seventh season. The reboot of the old show was announced to continue off the success of the original series, but it has failed to do so with its miserable ratings compared to the original (not to mention the show being overshadowed by *Teen Titans Go* and *Samurai Jack* in terms of its revival).

## Episodes

* The Powerpuff Girls (2016 TV series) Episode Guide

 2
 3

## Awards and Nominations

* 2016 Emmy Awards - Outstanding Short-Form Animated Program Nominee Once Upon a Townsville
* 2017 Gracie Awards - National Family Series Winner
* 2018 Annie Awards - Music in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production Nominee Home, Sweet Homesick

## Trailers and Promos

The Powerpuff Girls Character Promos COMING in APRILCartoon Network Asia The Powerpuff Girls 2016 Speedlines (New Show) "Coming in April" PromoThe Powerpuff Girls 2016 Reboot - Sneak PeekThe Powerpuff Girls TV Promo - COMING IN APRIL!The Powerpuff Girls 2016 TV Promo - Cartoon Network HDThe Powerpuff Girls Intense Promo Cartoon NetworkPowerpuff Girls 5 Reasons You're Actually Blossom Cartoon NetworkPowerpuff Girls 5 Reasons You're Actually Bubbles Cartoon NetworkPowerpuff Girls 5 Reasons You're Actually Buttercup Cartoon Network
## Gallery

For the gallery of the series, click here.

## Trivia

* Unlike its predecessor, this series was animated by Sunmin Image Pictures Co. rather than Rough Draft Studios Korea, the company that animated the first series. However, like its predecessor, the series was still animated with digital ink and paint.
* Unlike the original series, most of the episodes were aired separately, instead of a pair or both altogether. Also, unlike the previous series, it was broadcast in units of 15 minutes, much like some early to mid- 2010's Cartoon Network Series such as Regular Show, Steven Universe, Clarence and Uncle Grandpa.
* Also, unlike the original version, most of the episodes' title cards have different background music and the title cards are based on the Girls' signature colors.
	+ The color of the title card indicates who is the main focus of the episode: pink-colored cards indicate Blossom is the focus, blue for Bubbles, and green for Buttercup. Tri-colored cards indicate all three girls. Purple cards indicate the focus is Mojo Jojo.
* Very few fans strongly believe this show and the original show share the same continuity, and that the reboot is actually a sequel to the original series as opposed to being a true reboot with its own continuity much like Powerpuff Girls Z. Two episodes in particular, The Wrinklegruff Gals and Power-Up Puff, show evidence of this theory being true, as they show the girls transition from Pokey Oaks Kindergarten to Midway Elementary School and their newfound ability to create energy constructs.
	+ However, The Wrinklegruff Gals reveals that the 2016 version of Mojo Jojo has a mother. Therefore it still remains a true reboot with its own continuity, but it's possible that Mojo recently learned that he has a mother.
* Sedusa is the only major villain who did not appear in the reboot, even though she appeared in the one issue of Powerpuff Girls The Bureau of Bad comic book miniseries.
* The Powerpuff Girls is one of the many franchises playable in LEGO Dimensions.
* Chuck McCann, who reprised his role for The Amoeba Boys, passed away on April 8, 2018, of congestive heart failure at the age of 83, causing said characters to be killed off.
* At the time of its premiere, the reboot was criticized for incorporating over usage of memes, trends, and slang. Many fans were also upset that the original voice actresses for the trio didn’t return.
* In Challonge.com's Worst animation of 2018: TV series vote, the reboot beats Nickelodeon's *Sanjay and Craig*, *Breadwinners* and even *Fanboy & Chum Chum*, but it lost to *Mega Babies*.
* In an episode, the impact sound when Blossom looks in the fridge was cut from the song "Hitman" by Kevin MacLeod. The episode was probably "Three Blossoms".
* Many people have done what is wrong with the reboot on YouTube.
* "Blissfully Unaware" was the last PPG reboot short to ever be created.

## Differences between the original and the reboot

There are several things that differ from the original series and confirms the reboot is another incarnation of the 1998 show:

### Characters

* Blossom: She has the same role as the intelligent sister and leader, but is more uptight than her original incarnation/counterpart.
* Bubbles: In the reboot, she differs various traits of her original counterpart, such as knowing how to program computer software in Viral Spiral. Her voice is not high-pitched like her counterpart. She is also shown to cry less.
* Buttercup: Her role in the reboot is being lazy, less trustworthy, irresponsible, and selfish, which is very different from her original version/counterpart.
* All Girls minus Bliss: Unlike their 1998 counterparts from the original 1998 TV series, the girls can create energy constructs in a style of DC Comics superhero Green Lantern in this series.
* Professor Utonium Revealed in Arachno-Romance, the Professor has no fear of spiders, as his 98 incarnation does fear them, and in Viral Spiral, he doesn't know about computers, but his 1998 counterpart does know. His fatherly role has been toned down significantly, and he is less intelligent than his counterpart.
* The Narrator: Unlike the original series, the narrator does not usually say "The City of Townsville!" for the beginning line and the classic outro "And so once again, the day is saved, thanks to...the Powerpuff Girls!" for the ending line. He was written out of the second season.
* Mojo Jojo: In the series, he has a pet dog and a mother, while his original counterpart didn't. He also refers to himself in third person narrative and doesn't speak in long sentences.
* Princess Morbucks: Her 2016 self does still attend a school but has a team of rappers/street club gangs called the Cash Money Krew. Also, she has no interest in crime, unlike her original incarnation. She is furthermore shown to be somewhat of a friend to the Girls and even goes as far to address the trio as "Supergal Pals".

### World of the series

* Its universe takes more places in the modern day, as the show makes references to trends, memes, slang words, etc.
* The series also includes new characters such as villains like Manboy, Bianca Bikini, Silico, Packrat, Janitaur, and so on.

### In other languages

* In European Portuguese, The Girls' English names are used instead of their original European Portuguese names.
* In Italian, The Girls are called Le Powerpuff Girls instead Le Superchicche.
* In French, The Girls are called Les Super Nanas instead Les Supers Nanas.

Template:Reflist

1. ↑ https://www.deanheezen.com/s/Dean-Resume.pdf
2. ↑ http://www.licensing.biz/news/read/powerpuff-girls-and-ben-10-celebrate-record-viewing-figures-across-emea/046222
3. ↑ https://www.rapidtvnews.com/2017071247973/cartoon-network-draws-strong-approval-from-euro-free-to-air-franchises.html#axzz4mzdHDXZu
4. ↑ https://allwomeninmedia.org/gracies/2017-gracie-winners/
5. ↑ http://variety.com/2017/film/news/coco-annie-awards-nominations-1202629349/