Genre Turning Point: Difference between revisions

While a [[Wham! Episode]] can change a single series forever... sometimes, something comes out that forever alters an entire genre. It wasn't the first entry into the genre, nor was it the last, but things were never the same after it came out. This often -- but far from exclusively -- happens with particularly notable [[Deconstruction|Deconstructions]]; for example, superhero comics after ''[[Watchmen]]''. If it does happen with a Deconstruction, it generally results in years' worth of both [[Darker and Edgier]] (and possibly [[Contemplate Our Navels]]) series in imitation... and [[Reconstruction]] series in response.

Compare [[Wham! Episode]], [[From Clones to Genre]], [[Follow the Leader]]. Good chance of being a [[Trope Maker]] or [[Trope Codifier]].

** Shrek is also blamed by fans of traditional animation for [[Genre Killer|ending the dominance of traditional animation]] and about the rise of [[All CGI Cartoons]] laden with [[Shout -Out|pop cultural references]] that would become dated within months, an over-reliance on [[Toilet Humor]], overuse of [[Parental Bonus]] and [[Getting Crap Past the Radar]] to the point where it gets annoying, and gratuitous celebrity casting. Granted, [[Looney Tunes|Warner Bros.]] had done pop cultural references [[Older Than They Think|back in the]] [[Golden Age of Animation]]; [[Disney Animated Canon|Disney]] often cast big name celebrities in their films since ''[[Aladdin (Disney)|Aladdin]]'', and pretty much EVERY animation studio has slipped crap past the radar in their films, but Shrek and [[Shark Tale|similar]] [[Madagascar|movies]] are the culmination of these trends, for better or for worse.

* ''[[Star Trek the Original Series (TV)|Star Trek the Original Series]]'', despite it not doing spectacularly well in the ratings, spawned numerous short-lived imitators (a few coming from [[Gene Roddenberry]], ''Trek'''s creator) in comic books and television. During the '70's it served as ''the'' template for [[Science Fiction]] television in America (and to a lesser extent, the rest of the world) until the advent of ''[[Star Wars]]'', though the clones tended to only last for a season or two. Even the original ''[[Battlestar Galactica Classic (TV)|Battlestar Galactica Classic]]'' and other works influenced by ''[[Star Wars]]'' showed its influence. Its impact lasted as late as the '90s, though more in the form of television reacting ''against'' the series.

* ''[[Doctor Who (TV)|Doctor Who]]'' had a similar status in the [[United Kingdom]]. It, too, spawned numerous homages, ranging from the long-running but much-mocked ''[[The Tomorrow People]]'' to the dark and cerebral ''[[Sapphire and Steel]]'', as well as many other less well-known examples. Similariy, the 2005 revival is credited with restoring Saturday night family dramas to British television as others began to capitalize on its success.

* ''[[Star Trek (Franchise)|Star Trek]]'' and ''[[Star Wars]]'' were (and still are) considered the bastions of American [[Science Fiction]], both being notable for their 'optimistic' views. ''[[Babylon 5 (TV)|Babylon 5]]'' and ''[[Star Trek Deep Space Nine (TV)|Star Trek Deep Space Nine]]'' started taking sci-fi in a new direction, away from the space opera/Western in Space concept and made them more character driven dramas, in the vein of cop shows almost. This started a slow but steady shift in the television sci-fi genre that later yielded ''[[Farscape (TV)|Farscape]]'', ''[[The X Files]]'', and culminating in the reimagined ''[[Battlestar Galactica Reimagined (TV)|Battlestar Galactica]]'' and ''[[Stargate Universe (TV)|Stargate Universe]]''.