90s WI: Animaniacs & WB Animation Golden era Not Ended?

In the late 90s, there was something of a massacre of the golden age of Warner Bros TV animation, and the start of a shift in Warner animation. This is blamed on Jamie Kellner, the CEO of Turner Broadcasting. Kellner cancelled Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, and Freakazoid in a fell swoop. Before that, he forced Pinky and the Brain to retool to that godawful "Pinky and the Brain and Elmyra", which was the incarnate version of the "Pinky and the Brain and Larry" parody the people behind Pinky and the Brain did. If you've never seen it, it was in reaction to corporate requests to add a third character, and the production showing that the chemistry was between Pinky and the Brain and a third character ruined it and was totally out of place. He also oversaw the cancellation of Earthworm Jim, Batman the Animated series, the Superman animated series, etc. Certain of those listed can be said to have run their course, but many of them were killed while still very, very popular so the reason was just because evidently (at least from what I've read) Jamie Kellner just didn't like them in spite of their popularity and wanted to change the tone and target audience. Those were killed to bring in 4Kids productions and anime, and that was the shift.

So what if that kind of policy was not adopted, and Animaniacs et al were allowed to run their course?
 
So what if that kind of policy was not adopted, and Animaniacs et al were allowed to run their course?

Well, let me start with the most obvious:

  • Most major forms of cancer cured, 1998.
  • Sustainable, room-temperature cold fusion perfected, leading to virtually unlimited free energy, 2001.
  • In June of 2001, secular ex-Muslim Osama bin Laden graduates from NYU. Bin Laden is best known for his September 11, 2001 charity footrace through lower Manhattan.
  • In 2004, President Adam Savage is re-elected in a 43-state landslide on a platform of "blowing up more stuff at home, less stuff abroad." Vice President Stephen Colbert grins toothily.
  • In 2006, the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company releases "Sierra Nevada Negative 100," a delicious pale ale that burns 100 calories of fat for every 12 oz beer you drink.
  • One negative: in 2009, a near-riot breaks out at San Diego's ComiCon as to which broadcast season of Freakazoid is the best, with roughly half preferring the 8th season and most of the rest favoring either the 11th or the current 15th. TVTropes calls it "the only show to inarguably never jump the shark."
  • And of course, in 2011, unknown high school valedictorian Justin Bieber places 34th in Lincoln-Douglas debate at the National Forsenic League's National Speech & Debate tournament.
 
You'd have to butterfly away Kellner's obsession with 'demographics' (that was pretty much his reason for canceling WCW programming as well, despite Monday Nitro, even at its lowest, still drawing solid 3.0s in the Nielsens). How you'd do this, I have no idea, since it was that same approach that 'made' him in the early days of the Fox Network.
Also, weren't Animaniacs et al, on The WB Network, at least by the time they were canceled?
 
Not sure. Gone the way of The Simpsons?

On a happy note te Animaniacs and alot of other 90s shows have reappeared being broadcasted on The Hub.
 
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