‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ gets a new animated series on Cartoon Network

As a resident video-game junkie, we feel a certain amount of responsibility to help announce anytime that a beloved gaming character is going to appear on TV … especially when it is a character that has already had their own TV series a few times in Sonic the Hedgehog. We remember some of the earlier cartoons fondly, even the one featuring Jaleel White where Sonic became inexplicably obsessed with chili dogs. So to see the speedster coming back potentially for a new generation of viewers? It’s worth running around your house and celebrating.

The new series based on the Sonic character will air on Cartoon Network with a 52-episode order (with each one lasting around 11 minutes), and will be co-produced by Sega of America and Genao Productions. The title? For now, the title is “Sonic Boom,” which sounds more like an attack used by Guile in “Street Fighter.”

So is there a reason for older viewers to get excited about this? The concern is that the animation here will be computer-generated, which takes some of the personality out of it, and really since “Sonic Adventure 2” the games have become either childish or over-reliant on cheesy rock music. However, one of the reasons to be stoked is the participation of Bill Freiberger, who has been a part of both “The Simpsons” and “Drawn Together.” He knows a thing or two about catering to older audiences, so the hope here is to come up with something that really pleases all parties involved.

It’s honestly somewhat of a surprise that there have not been more video game-based cartoons on television over the years, as the “Super Mario Bros. Super Show” and the “Legend of Zelda” cartoon are some of the best examples, and they are not exactly current, to say the least.

Do you like the idea of a “Sonic the Hedgehog” cartoon for a new generation? Be sure to share below! This new show will air in the fall of 2014.

Photo: Cartoon Network