Danny Phantom is a Nickelodeon original that ran for three seasons, starting 2004. Since DP's ending, the world of animated cartoons has changed-- now, cartoons wield more nuance and target older audiences. Still a fan of the original, I've started drafting a hypothetical reboot of the series.
DP refers to the original series, Danny Phantom. // DPR refers to this drafted reboot. // This page is a WIP.
DPR follows Danny Fenton, a high-school freshman with ghostly superpowers and a secret identity. Danny clashes with villainous ghosts on a regular basis to protect his hometown. His identity must remain secret from his parents, the world's most prolific ghost-hunters, who have raised Danny to hunt ghosts.
DPR explores themes of identity and motivation. Series progression reveals that few moral absolutes exist. Characters operate on strong motivation at all times. Characters and dynamics are often given foils to emphasize this.
DPR's status quo continuously changes. Every episode introduces at least one change to the world, either by expanding audience understanding or altering the universe. Episodes are not tethered to Danny. Writers are encouraged to script episodes following separate characters or occurring in different time periods.
DPR's present-day plot is built on histories of older characters. These histories are revealed, as is appropriate, throughout the series.
DPR explores themes of identity and motivation. Series progression reveals that few moral absolutes exist. Characters operate on strong motivation at all times. Characters and dynamics are often given foils to emphasize this.
DPR's status quo continuously changes. Every episode introduces at least one change to the world, either by expanding audience understanding or altering the universe. Episodes are not tethered to Danny. Writers are encouraged to script episodes following separate characters or occurring in different time periods.
DPR's present-day plot is built on histories of older characters. These histories are revealed, as is appropriate, throughout the series.
Wait, what is Danny Phantom?
Danny Fenton is an average 14-year-old boy with ghost-busting parents. After he falls into a mysterious portal in his basement, he gains supernatural powers as something called a "half-ghost." Danny takes up the superhero identity "Danny Phantom" to fight back against malicious ghosts entering the human world. At the same time, he struggles with grades, high school crushes, and detention. The story is told monster-of-the-week style, two-parter specials aside. Danny always faces ghost-of-the-day in a heroic duel, restoring the status quo with his ectoplasmic abilities. |
How is your reboot any different?
DPR focuses on the world in which Danny Fenton lives, not exclusively Danny himself. With the benefit of hindsight, a monster-of-the-week series can be reworked into one with genuine payoff. DPR explores Danny's friends, foes, and family. Characters like Vlad Plasmius, originally introduced in DP halfway in season 1, are integrated to a larger plot. It also aims towards a solid beginning, middle, and end within a season. DPR changes the status quo to keep the series fresh, while keeping fan-favorite characters to draw a recurring audience. |
Why Danny Phantom specifically?
The series, for all its breakthroughs, left a lot of dynamics at their least engaging. The world is intriguing, but the standards for cartoons have surpassed what DP provides; the characters could carry a much stronger story. I love DP, and want to provide this polished retelling of its world and characters. I'm not the only one who feels this way. DP's online community is full of talented artists who constantly reimagine, rework, and retell the story with the benefit of monday morning quarterbacking. DP offers so much raw material, it's hard to NOT find something to like. |