The DC FanDome announcement for the arrival of Teen Titans Go! on HBO Max characterizes it “the longest-running animated show in DC history!” To be sure, its success is nothing to sneeze at, nor is its influence. The irreverent cartoon found a unique blend of energy, humor and affection that instantly endeared it to fans, and its longevity has exposed an entire generation of kids to the DC Universe. But while “longest-running” may technically be true, it comes with an asterisk.
Teen Titans Go! wasn’t the first series based on the characters, of course. A successful Teen Titans series aired from 2003 to 2006, with a similarly light tone but more traditional superhero plot. But Teen Titans Go! added a singular bit of absurdity to the mix – its protagonists frequently struggle heroically with mundane tasks – and the formula proved magical. Premiering in 2013, its seventh season just wrapped up; a feature film, Teen Titans Go! To the Movies, released in 2018. It’s an impressive feat, and technically meets the claims of being DC’s longest-running animated show. There are, however, a number of significant caveats.
Young Justice marks the first potential exception, although it largely boils down to the definition of “longest-running.” That show was canceled in 2013 after its second season, but following years of lobbying by fans, it was renewed in 2019 for a third season in 2019 as part of the short-lived DC Universe streaming service; a fourth season arrives this week on HBO Max. Although Young Justice spans a greater number of years, it has released fewer seasons and far fewer episodes.
The real difficulty with the statement lies in the definition of a single superhero show.
The true challenger to the “longest-running” title dates back to the early 1970s: Super Friends, the durable Saturday-morning cartoon that introduced a sizable portion of Generation X to the DC superheroes, was on the air for longer than Teen Titans Go! has been. Super Friends premiered in 1973, and was considered something of a dud. But a reboot took place in 1977, and the show remained on the air until 1985. That’s nine seasons — two more than Teen Titans Go! — and adding the 1973 premiere season brings the count to 10.
Once again, a technicality frees the Teen Titans Go! to make the claim. During its nine-year run, Super Friends changed titles five times, including, new logos and new theme. The longest any single title held sway was an iteration referred to (again) simply as Super Friends, which aired from 1980-1983. The remaining five seasons each ran under a different title, including The All-New Super Friends Hour and The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians. Beyond the titles and the basic formatting, however, the details remained the same, including recurring characters and vocal talent. The technicality is little more than that.
True to form, the promo for Go! satirizes the “longest-running” assertion even as it’s making it. “This cannot possibly be right,” the earlier Teen Titans version of Robin asks before his Go! doppelganger pops up and cries “ME! ME! He’s talking about ME!” It reveals the claim for the embellishment that it is without discounting the basics, turning it all into an affectionate joke. It’s a slick way to keep the focus where it should be, and encourage new viewers to take a look. Its boast about being the longest-running – technically correct, but with a lot of exceptions – it’s exactly the kind of self-effacing humor the show has thrived on. Making the claim is a clever way for Teen Titans Go! to have its cake and eat it too.
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