Summary
After learning about Paramount TV’s recent shutdown, I’m nervous that theSonic the Hedgehogfranchise may be canceled before it even has a chance to grow. Paramount Television Studios recently announced that it would be shutting down. As a segment of the larger Paramount Global media company,Paramount TV is at the helm of notable shows such asReacher, The Offer,andKnuckles.Though it is unclear howParamount TV’s shutdownwill affect the company’s television series, I can’t help but be pessimistic about the shows' odds, especiallySonic the Hedgehog’s.
Sonic the Hedgehoghas seen quite a bit of success since it was first adapted into live-action in 2020. Although the video game had been popular for decades beforehand, it took a long time for the movie to come to fruition. Regardless, I think it was worth it. The first movie,Sonic the Hedgehog,earned $319 million at the box office. The sequel,Sonic the Hedgehog 2,was similarly successful, garnering $405 million. More recently,Sonichas expanded into the TV realmwith 2024’sKnuckles.Yet, I fear this expansion may be stunted much earlier than it should be.
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Sonic the Hedgehog 3 could set up several more spin-off movies and TV shows, depending on what characters are introduced and their stories.
Paramount TV’s Shutdown Makes Me Worried About Knuckles & Sonic’s Other TV Spinoffs
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Now that Paramount TV is closing its doors, I’m worried thatKnucklesand any futureSonicseries will be canceled. According toVariety,Paramount TV’s closure came as a result of Paramount Global trying to cut down costs. Though Paramount TV Studios President Nicole Clemens acknowledged that Paramount TV’s shutdown had nothing to do with the success of the company’s shows, the risk of cancelation is still imminent.Knucklesmay have done well with critics and audiences, but I fear that it may not survive the transition from Paramount to another studio.
Knuckleshas yet to be confirmed for season 2.
What makes the news about Paramount TV even worse is thatSonic the Hedgehogseemed to be in a state of serious growth. In an interview withGames Radar,Knucklesshowrunner Toby Ascher said, “We have a really good plan for the future of Sonic…As we find stories we’re excited about, we’re going to hopefully continue to do this again.” It seems thatAscher intended to keep expanding theSonic the Hedgehogworldby focusing onother majorSoniccharacters. AfterKnuckles’relative success, I was excited to see where Ascher might go next.
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Since Paramount TV’s closure is still fresh, there is no telling what will happen to all the company’s TV series.Varietyreported thatParamount’s projects are going to transition over to CBS Studios, which is also owned by Paramount Global. Thus, certain series are bound to stay alive and well. Yet, cutting costs seems to be of the utmost importance to Paramount right now. That makes me think that Paramount’s less successful shows might get the chop from the studio to decrease costs and make up for Paramount’s $14.6 million in debt (viaThe Washington Post.)
I believe thatKnucklescould have a chance of continuing, but it all comes down to how successful the show was, and how its success compares to others. In terms of critical reactions,Knucklesdid quite well, earning a 75% on Rotten Tomatoes. While most viewers appreciated the show’s action sequences and performances,some criticizedKnucklesfor its writing and characters. Regardless,Knuckleswas still the most-watched Paramount+ original show in its opening weekend.
The only question that remains, at least for me, is howKnucklesand theSonic the Hedgehogfranchise stack up against other Paramount TV shows.
The only question that remains, at least for me, is howKnucklesand theSonic the Hedgehogfranchise stack up against other Paramount TV shows. For example,Reacheris a series produced by Paramount TV, and the action show is so popular that it hasbroken streaming records for Amazon Prime Video. AlthoughKnuckleshas done well, I’m concerned that bigger and better shows could push it out. This is especially true considering thatAscher’s otherSonicspinoffs are mere ideas at the moment rather than confirmed series.
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The good news is,Sonic the Hedgehogprobably won’t end withKnuckles.Even if Paramount TV cancels the series and any otherSonic the Hedgehogspinoffs, the film franchise is still going strong.Sonic the Hedgehog 3is slated to premierein December 2024, and I wouldn’t be surprised if more sequels or spinoffs could be made in the future. In this way, I am confident thatSonicwill still be able to expand and change in the coming years, just not as I might have expected.
In some ways, relying on the movies rather than TV may even be a better bet forSonic.ThoughKnuckleswas good, it didn’t quite match up to the epic scale of the movies. Therefore,Sonicmay lose its TV spot, but that may lead to bigger and better stories. It would be just as easy for aSonicmovie to explore otherSoniccharacters as a TV show would. Therefore, Paramount TV’s shutdown is worrying, but we shouldn’t become too hopeless yet;Sonic the Hedgehogstill has a chance.
Source:Variety, Game Radar, The Washington Post
Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog is a multimedia franchise that began with Sonic the Hedgehog’s release for the Sega Genesis in 1991. The franchise follows the adventures of the titular Blue Blur, Sonic, as he fights the nefarious Dr. Eggman to protect his friends, family, and the world. The series has expanded into several video games, multiple comic book series, television shows, and a Hollywood feature film series.
