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Mainframe Entertainment is back; new Reboot series announced.

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http://www.rainmaker.com/?/site/news/82

VANCOUVER, BC (September 30, 2013) – A renowned global animation brand is about to be re-booted. Reflecting the company’s commitment to the production of animated programming for television, Rainmaker Entertainment Inc. has named its television division Mainframe Entertainment.

In conjunction with the re-birth of Mainframe Entertainment, a name celebrated for its pioneering achievements in computer-animated television, the company has unveiled the first two series in development: an all-new version of the popular ReBoot franchise and Tiger’s Apprentice, a CGI animated series based on the trilogy of young adult novels written by award-winning author Laurence Yep.

The reimagining of the venerable ReBoot series comes just in time for its 20th anniversary. Making its debut on television screens in 1994, ReBoot was centered on the world of Mainframe, where a guardian program sprite and his friends defended the system from superviruses bent on creating havoc and destruction. Mainframe Entertainment will team with leading computer industry manufacturers to update the ReBoot universe and create a ground-breaking viewing experience for fans.

Mainframe has also partnered with Jane Startz, the multi- Emmy, Golden Globe and ACE Award-winning producer of Ella Enchanted, The Indian In The Cupboard, Tuck Everlasting and the acclaimed The Magic School Bus. Tiger’s Apprentice, a coming of age story centered around 12-year-old Tom Lee and the Guardians of the Phoenix. Set in San Francisco, this modern-day fantasy is filled with classic Chinese lore, magic, comedy and action as Tom and the Guardians fight to protect the human race from ancient evil forces intent on its destruction. Mainframe has optioned the animation rights to Tiger’s Apprentice as part of its commitment towards bringing popular book-based children’s properties to television.

“We are excited to focus our television production activities under the Mainframe brand with an all-new version of ReBoot as well as engage with celebrated children’s programming producer Jane Startz on Tiger’s Apprentice. ReBoot is certain to be embraced by a new generation of fans while Tiger’s Apprentice will provide a bold and unique television experience for kids everywhere,” said Michael Hefferon, President and Executive Producer of Mainframe parent Rainmaker Entertainment

Acquired from Starz Media in 2006 by then newly-established Rainmaker Entertainment, Mainframe Entertainment was responsible for an impressive production slate throughout the 1990’s and early 2000’s, including several seasons of ReBoot, as well as the critically-acclaimed ‘Transformers’ spin-off Beast Wars. Mainframe credits also include Weird-Oh’s, Spider-Man, Action Man, Heavy Gear, Max Steel, Scary Godmother andBarbie.
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AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH

EDIT: Euh wait, this is almost a year old...
 
I think I've heard news about Reboot returning every year for half a decade, now...


Rainmaker, why do you continue to disappoint me?
 
Aw yisssssss!

tumblr_m3w110jj6_V1qaw7zqo1_500.gif
 
Would love to see reboot return, it had such a neat and untapped larger mythology that I would have loved to have seen explored if the show continued.
Don't really think we'll see anything though.
 
I don't know how old this one is:

The new ReBoot won’t quite be as fans remember

Rainmaker Entertainment president Michael Hefferon spills details on the relaunch



Beloved 1990s kids show ReBoot is getting rebooted. But it won’t quite be the same show its original fans remember.


Rainmaker Entertainment announced earlier this month that its television division, Mainframe Entertainment, will be resurrecting the computer-animated show about sprites living in the computerized town of Mainframe.

The Canadian-made show first aired in 1994 and has been off the airwaves for over a decade.

Rainmaker itself created BringBackReBoot campaign with support from the show’s fans, who are now well out of their childhood years. Although they’re getting their wish of a relaunch, technology has outpaced the personal computer world of the original ReBoot.

“The world of technology has change drastically in the 20 years from when ReBoot first started,” Rainmaker president Michael Hefferon told Canada.com, and hinted that they already had a strategic partnership with one “major computer entity” to bring the show into the new millennium.

“Countless people have gone into technology jobs because of ReBoot”

The world of ReBoot will need an upgrade for a new generation — and yes, that includes the characters: Bob, Enzo, Dot, Phong, Hexadecimal, Megabyte and the whole gang are unlikely to be featured players any longer.

“I don’t think too many people would remember what a Dot Matrix is anymore,” said Hefferon.

That’s not to say your old favourites are gone forever. Hefferon says a mix of old and new is the most likely outcome.

“I think there’s always opportunities to bring characters back for fun cameo appearances,” he said.

“We’’re very big fans of the characters, the world, but now trying to say how do those characters and worlds fit today for a new generation of kids who don’t know anything about the previous ReBoot.”

Which, as a reminder, looked like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=TmSzVR9g27c

Rainmaker and Mainframe are shooting for a “cross-family” approach, with gags and references that “will be a lot of fun for the existing ReBoot fans,” said Hefferon.

However, ReBoot will continue to be a kids’ show. And kids these days are more familiar with clouds, mobile technology and online gaming than with the single-player, human vs. computer-style games we saw in the original ReBoot. In 1994, families were just starting to have internet connections in their homes. Today, kids are practically born with an iPhone in hand.

With that in mind, the new show won’t just be a show. Hefferon said they’re planning a cross-platform experience that kids can engage with even when the show isn’t on. That means an app, interaction on social media with characters, earning points for participating online during broadcasts or viewers designing their own computerized characters.

“The ReBoot world has grown beyond a mainframe,” said Hefferon.

Though much will be new about ReBoot, the creators still want to harness the original show’s affinity for turning kids on to technology.

“I’ve been so impressed hearing from fans how ReBoot basically helped facilitate or open up their eyes to opportunities for their careers,” said Hefferon. “Countless people have gone into technology jobs because of ReBoot.”

Computer-generated graphics are par for the course now, so for the reboot Hefferon wants to get kids hooked on coding. He plans to push computer coding languages in the show then create further opportunities to learn through the show’s online counterparts.

“Coding has become such an important aspect, it effects every part of our lives whether we know it or we don’t know it,” said Hefferon.

Of course, all this is still in the planning stages. The new ReBoot won’t officially be pitched until this February as Rainmaker goes looking for broadcasters and partners. They’re eyeing YTV, the children’s television channel where the show originally aired, to broadcast the relaunch as well.

Ideally, said Hefferon, the team will be writing scripts by next summer.

Although all of this means that the old ReBoot is truly gone for good, Hefferon wants the new series to have the same impact the original show had as the first half-hour fully-computer-animated TV program.

“There’s so many things that we can do now with technology that didn’t exist or was in its infancy stage with ReBoot,” said Hefferon.

“We want to create that same ‘wow’ factor.”
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http://www.rainmaker.com/?/site/news/83
 
Wonder if they'll try to make it "90s" retro-style, or will they update the setting quite a bit (i.e., the characters are constantly in a 'game' since you can't exactly be forced out of an MMO, the internet is more open so characters other than hackers/viruses can more openly visit other worlds, etc.)
 
TUSR said:
if im keeping track, this is the 3rd time reboot has been back?
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I was going to say the samething.

Black Door said:
Wonder if they'll try to make it "90s" retro-style, or will they update the setting quite a bit (i.e., the characters are constantly in a 'game' since you can't exactly be forced out of an MMO, the internet is more open so characters other than hackers/viruses can more openly visit other worlds, etc.)
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Dudes should take notes from Nerdcorps
 
Black Door said:
Wonder if they'll try to make it "90s" retro-style, or will they update the setting quite a bit (i.e., the characters are constantly in a 'game' since you can't exactly be forced out of an MMO, the internet is more open so characters other than hackers/viruses can more openly visit other worlds, etc.)
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I saw a picture of the new designs somewhere, I think it was even on GAF. I believe they were official, too.

To put it lightly, I was not a fan of them.

Edit: Looking into it, I think they were fan-made reimaginings and not official artwork. My bad.
 
All these shows have to do is open a kickstarter, and the nostalgia bug will take a hold of people and force them to empty out their wallets.
 
Watching reboot nowadays is odd and confusing.

Everyone is terrified of a giant purple gamecube consuming them all. It's literally called the GameCube, and it's purple.
 
Hey if the show taught kids anything they were almost mass murderers of entire cities.

Except beating them turned them into nulls.

Little slimey things.
 
I want a new Beast Wars, or just Beast Wars redone with modern animation because it's already amazing.
 
Is Reboot that boring cartoon with bad CG? I hope it's better than last time.
 
Rest said:
Is Reboot that boring cartoon with bad CG? I hope it's better than last time.
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When it came out it wasn't a cartoon with bad CG. It was the only cartoon with CG. Cut it some slack.
 
Mikey Jr. said:
The fuck is beast wars? You mean beasties, right?
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I still resent that name change. So unnecessary.

Anyways, the joke is on them! I already knew it was called Beast Wars so the harm of having "War" in the title was already done.

Now look at me...

rcuBLmr.png
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Rest said:
Is Reboot that boring cartoon with bad CG? I hope it's better than last time.
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It was really cool seeing the show advance (technically) as the episodes and seasons progress. It improves dramatically over time. They even had a version number on each episode!
 
Aw man, ReBoot. That brings back memories. Watching it on ABC, not knowing how meddlesome the network was to the show. Them devoting an entire episode to showing how meddlesome network Standards & Practices were. Knowing that Gillian Anderson's 1st husband worked on the show and wishing for an X-Files crossover. Being absolutely stunned when they actually did an X-Files episode. Being so sad that it was canceled in the states but had a 3rd season I never saw. Still haven't seen it, the DVDs apparently have an error that caused the episodes to run either too fast or too slow, I can't remember which. A modern reboot of ReBoot would be pretty damn cool.
 
What I remember most about this series is that episodes took so long to come out. YTV just ended up playing the then-latest episode, the Medusa Bug, over and over again.
 
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