Young Justice Returns?

Originally posted 2016-03-16 17:00:00.

One of my favorite things to do while spending time with my kids is kicking back in front of the TV and catching up on some of our favorite animated shows. We have several that we never miss, including Steven Universe, the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Teen Titans GO!, and Gravity Falls (right up to the series finale that just aired recently). This has led into the opportunity to share some of the shows of my past, including Dragonball Z, Samurai Jack, Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, and Young Justice to name a few.

My oldest son can’t get enough of these shows, and constantly watches them On Demand or through Netflix. It always leaves me with a heavy heart when I think about some of these really excellent shows that were cancelled before their time. I really feel like animated shows are still viewed as something for kids, even when they’re shining examples of writing excellence that carry a well developed story across seasons instead of a bunch of thirty minute commercials. While I know that most all entertainment in this modern world is driven based on profits, I still feel that there’s room for quality shows of any type even if they’re not winning Emmys or selling millions of dollars worth of merchandise.

Enter Netflix. While they started out as an option for an easy way to rent DVDs, they’ve been going through a transformation that’s showing they can be more than just a content delivery system. The owners and executives are taking chances on some of the less popular properties out there with excellent results. It seems like I’m seeing Netflix make headlines regularly with the original programming that they’ve been producing in house. Daredevil, How to Make a Murderer, Jessica Jones, and Orange is the New Black all have solid followings, putting up impressive numbers for non-network shows. As a Geek or the parent of a Geekling, what exactly does this mean for us?

Personally, I feel like it’s a golden opportunity. I’ve heard that Netflix is currently evaluating Young Justice to see if the numbers make sense to renew the show and bring it back for at least a third season. If this sounds like something that you’d be interested in, join @kharypayton (the voice of Aqualad in Young Justice, as well as the voice of Cyborg in Teen Titans GO!) in spreading the word via Twitter using the hashtag #RenewYoungJustice, and start streaming the first two seasons to help make the decision easy for Netflix. This is an excellent opportunity to show that there’s a place for quality programming which will help pave the way for others that the traditional studios might not take a chance on.

Drew Michaels