After a winter full of record snowfalls & bitter cold, here's
a weather report that's sure to please all of you Disney Afternoon fans out
there:
Life is about to get "like a hurricane" again in
Duckburg.
Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
Yep. An all-new "DuckTales," an animated comedy
series based on the Emmy Award-winning series treasured by a generation of
viewers, has been ordered for launch in 2017 on Disney XD channels around the
world. Set to be produced by Disney Television Animation, this new series will
once again feature that feathered tycoon / adventurer Scrooge McDuck, his
plucky grandnephews Huey, Dewey and Louie, and — of course — "Unca"
Donald Duck.
" 'DuckTales' has a special place in Disney's TV
animation history, it drew its inspiration from Disney Legend Carl Barks' comic
books and through its storytelling and artistic showmanship, set an enduring
standard for animated entertainment that connects with both kids and adults,"
said Marc Buhaj, Senior Vice President, Programming and General Manager, Disney
XD. "Our new series will bring that same energy and adventurous spirit to
a new generation."
Mind you, Disney's relaunch of this much-beloved Disney
Afternoon series wasn't entirely unexpected. Ever since Capcom & Disney
Interactive released that "DuckTales Remastered" game back in August
of 2013 (Not to mention how Uncle Scrooge's Lucky Dime and Money Bin popped up
as pieces of the Disney Infinity universe), there have been whispers that The
Walt Disney Company was planning to return to Duckburg.
Copyright Disney Interactive Studios / Capcom. All rights reserved
But today's announcement — which confirms that not only
will Scrooge and his family be back but virtually the entire original
"DuckTales" supporting cast (As in: Scrooge's faithful butler,
Duckworth; ingenious inventor Gyro Gearloose; crash-prone pilot Launchpad
McQuack; Scrooge McDuck's arch-nemesis Flintheart Glomgold; greedy sorceress
Magica DeSpell; Ma Beagle and her bumbling brood, the Beagle Boys. Not to
mention the nephew's nanny Mrs. Beakley and her granddaughter Webbigail
Vanderquack) — is really more than fans of 1980s-era Disney Television
Animation could have ever hoped for.
But as to whether this relaunch of "DuckTales"
will be done in hand-drawn animation (which is what the original 100 episodes
that Disney Television Animation produced from 1987-90 were done in) or in CG,
or whether any of the veteran voice actors who originally voiced Duckburg
residents (EX: Alan Young, June Foray, Tony Anselmo and Russi Taylor. To name
just a few) will be asked back to return to voice these much-beloved characters
for this next set of shows … Disney Channel officials weren't willing to say.
Not yet, anyway.
TV sitcom legend Alan Young and his duck doppleganger,
Scrooge McDuck. Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc.
All rights reserved
No matter. Just the fact that Uncle Scrooge & Co. will
be popping up on Disney XD channels worldwide in 2017 to solve a mystery or
rewrite history is enough to make even the most jaded television animation fan
shout "Oooh Ooooh"!
This article was originally posted on the Huffington Post's Entertainment page on February 25, 2015