Check Out Cartoon Network’s Revival of The Tom and Jerry Show!

Hey All!

The iconic cat and mouse rivals Tom and Jerry are back and better than ever. Well they never really left, but this time they are back in HD! This revival of the classic animated series is a more vibrant, but it’s still just as fun as the original films dating back to 1940’s.  The original animated shorts were 8 minutes long and this new series will consist of two 11-minute shorts each airing making it more of an opportunity to showcase a longer story arc with the series.

The cast includes stars Simon Helberg (The Big Bang Theory) and Jason Alexander (Seinfeld). From what I’ve seen thus far it’s going to be a great reboot for these nostalgic characters.

I recently had the opportunity to chat with Jay Bastian (The Warner Brothers Animation creative executive in charge of the series) and here is a some of what he had to say:

How did bringing back Tom and Jerry in this revamped way come about?

Jay:

Well they never left. They are one of the few animated characters that have always remained on the air. We just revamped the look and made them more vibrant to fit the standards of today’s animation.

Will you be placing these characters in more modern day situations that people and kids today can relate to?

Jay:

Definitely! I can’t give everything away but we will definitely be updating the story lines and placing them in more modern day situations. It will still be the same comedy we’ve come to love from these characters, but just in a more modern setting and look.

We see some Spike in the preview for the new series, will we see some Tyke?

Jay:

Yes we will definitely see some Spike and Tyke and we’ll see many of the main characters from the original series. These are 11 minute shorts as opposed to the 8 Minutes shorts the original series was. So we have more of an opportunity to share a story spread through out each of the 11 minute shorts.

How many 11 minute shorts will there be?

Jay:

We have 52 eleven minute shorts planned and a Christmas special.

How exciting! How long does it take to make one 11 minute episode?

Jay:

It takes about a year to make each one which is industry standard for animation. From pre-production to animation.

How did Simon Helberg (The Big Bang Theory) and Jason Alexander (Seinfeld) come on board? Were they your original choices to voice these characters in the series?

Jay:

Yes they were and there are only so many people who can play a likeable jerk. Jason Alexander is the master of that seeing what he did with George Costanza on Seinfeld which is the character he plays.

The Tom and Jerry Show premieres on Cartoon Network Wednesday, April 9th at 5:30 pm ET.

Tune in as it’s sure to be a great revamp of the show with an amazing cast of actors voicing their talents to bring back to life this nostalgic show!

I can’t wait to see Tom and Jerry in HD!