Season 1 | Sonic Boom: TV Series Discussion

[Badnik Mechanic]

Did we ever find out how accurate IMDB.com was with regards to information? 

 

The metal sonic & shadow info is gone. But theres a lot more producer credits there now.

 

Series Writing Credits 
Mark Banker ...  (unknown episodes)
Alan Denton ...  (unknown episodes)
Sam Freiberger ...  (unknown episodes)
Freddie Gutierrez ...  (unknown episodes)
Greg Hahn ...  (unknown episodes)
Reid Harrison ...  (unknown episodes)
Doug Lieblich ...  (unknown episodes)
Tim Maile ...  (unknown episodes)
Dan Milano ...  (unknown episodes)
Dave Polsky ...  (unknown episodes)
Joelle Sellner ...  (unknown episodes)
Douglas Tuber ...  (unknown episodes)
Mitch Watson ...  (unknown episodes)
Evan Baily ...  (unknown episodes)
Donna Friedman ...  (unknown episodes)
Sandrine Nguyen ...  (unknown episodes)

 

Series Produced by
Evan Baily ...  executive producer (unknown episodes)
Bill Freiberger ...  co-executive producer (unknown episodes)
Donna Friedman ...  executive producer (unknown episodes)
Boris Hertzog ...  executive producer (unknown episodes)
Jane McGregor ...  executive producer (unknown episodes)
Sandrine Nguyen ...  executive producer (unknown episodes)

 

Series Other crew
Evan Baily ...  show runner (unknown episodes)
Mark Banker ...  developer (unknown episodes)
Bill Freiberger ...  show runner (unknown episodes)
Takashi Iizuka ...  series overseer (unknown episodes)

[Salamander]

There's simply no way to distinguish between legitimate information and complete nonsense on IMDB.  Even of the stuff that isn't simple trolling, there's plenty of potential for assumptions or misunderstanding on the part of whichever anonymous contributor posted the information.  There's such a density of information in that update that I'd be surprised if it was all false, but where did it come from?  Is IMDB routinely privy to exclusive authorised insider information?

[Willsy]

Coke and Popcorn is a good streaming site, they have most cartoons and they usually go up on the site quickly. No doubt that they'll have Sonic Boom on there.

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

Wait so it's possible that this may be just may be USA exclusive!? Huh, wouldn't that be quite a twist for once?

[Celestia]

Err, where are we getting the idea it won't end up outside North America, exactly? I highly doubt that myself, and even if it's true, the show'll end up going elsewhere if it brings in great ratings anyway.

[Blue Blood]

Wait so it's possible that this may be just may be USA exclusive!? Huh, wouldn't that be quite a twist for once?

Um, that's not what anyone is saying. It's already been confirmed that it's coming to the US and France first this coming Autumn, while other countries haven't got set dates or channels yet.

[Tani Coyote]

I do wish we would at least get who the main writer is as a breadcrumb...

Not in the least because I'd like to find out their general location so I can budget them in as a guest for any event I hold.

Are someone gonna livestream this episode for non-US citizens?

There are millions of fans in the world, I'm sure at least one or two of them will.

[Willsy]

Wait so it's possible that this may be just may be USA exclusive!? Huh, wouldn't that be quite a twist for once?

Nope, it's been confirmed that there will be an international release. There's no reason at all to make it a US exclusive.

Speaking of, Stephen Frost and Aaron Webber are heading to the UK on a business trip soon. I wonder why....

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

Ah, okay then, that's that.

[Irish David]

I am hoping that we will see another short trailer for the series at E3 in a few weeks as we should be getting more info on the game, may as well slip in another quick trailer as well. Can't wait for this series 

[anna]

Stephen did say that we have something to look forward to at E3 this year, didn't he? Id say so, Tails.

[anna]

That sounds really fun! Someone should make it happen ;_;

[Shaddy Zaphod]

It would be good to see some of my favorite X episodes again.

I guess I have a twitch and I could do it, but then again my life is sort of retarded when it comes to my ability to do something big for the internet.

[The Deleter]

New interview with Bill Freiberger, the co-producer of Sonic Boom

 

 

Your resume covers everything from Drawn Together to The Suite Life of Zach and Cody; what’s the one unifying factor you look for in a show?

I’ve wanted to be a television writer since I was a kid. I still love (and watch) many of the shows I grew up on. So, I’m drawn to those types of programs (like The Suite Life of Zack and Cody or Pee-wee’s Playhouse). However, I also have an edgy sense of humor and I need to flex that muscle once in a while. So, I like to jump back and forth between soft and edgy shows. I find that if I stay in one genre too long, I start to repeat jokes and ideas. So if I’m on a softer show, I try to get on an edgier show the next time around.

Whether the show is for kids or adults, the most important thing to me is that the show be smart and funny. So, funny would probably be the unifying factor.

Do you have any fond memories of working on The Suite Life, or any of your past shows?

Suite Life was a lot of fun. I liked the cast and crew very much on that show. A fond memory I have from that show is one day the set broke for lunch and for some reason no one had wrangled the Sprouse twins to get them to lunch. They eventually wandered over to the writers’ offices looking for something to eat. I had a microwave in my office and I made them soup. They ate the soup, thanked me and ran off to enjoy the rest of their lunch break. The thing I like most about that story is that it shows how down to earth those kids were. They weren’t prima donnas making demands or insisting on attention. They were just nice kids. And they both remembered to say thank you.

Your TV experience is quite varied, from works for all ages to more mature content, from the standard to the surreal. From what you’ve accomplished on it so far, where does Sonic Boom fit in that experience? Is it just a new challenge to you? Or is it your biggest challenge in your career so far?

Every show has it’s own set of challenges. This certainly isn’t the biggest challenge in my career so far, but my co-show runner, Evan Baily and I, are working very hard to make Sonic Boom a great show. It’ll be smart and funny. But, it will also have an exciting action component (hey, it is Sonic, after all). And I want there to be something enjoyable every Sonic fan, old or new, young or old, the way Pee-wee’s Playhouse did.

We’re doing complex, character driven stories that very often have a skewed point of view. There are smart jokes and dumb jokes. There are traditional action sequences as well as comic action sequences. You’ll see several familiar characters and a bunch of fun, new characters. It’s gonna be a blast.

What would you say is Sonic’s greatest asset as a franchise?

Probably the greatest asset we have is the richness and depth of the Sonic canon. There’s a lot of material to draw from as we figure out the stories.

How did you come on board this project? Was it pitched to you directly? If so, who pitched it?

I was brought onto the project by Evan Baily and Donna Friedman Meir, two of the Executive Producers of the show. I had several meetings with them wherein we discussed our ideas about story telling and character development. I guess they thought I’d be a good fit because they hired me.

What research did you and your team do on the Sonic franchise prior to series production? Have you played Sonic games yourself, past or present?

Because we’re working so closely with Sega, there really wasn’t a need to do much research. If we had a question about something we just needed to pick up the phone and ask.

As for playing Sonic games, I’m actually an old school gamer. In my office I have Atari, Intellivision, Colecovision, Nintendo and Sega consoles alongside my Playstations and X-boxes. So, I’ve been playing Sonic pretty much from the beginning. If you’re at Classic Gaming Expo in Las Vegas this September, look for me. I’ll be there.

By the way, there are plenty of nods to classic gaming in the series.

Was the show always imagined as CGI-based, as opposed to traditional animation methods?

This show was pretty much intended to be CG from the start. CG makes the shows look more like the games than traditional animation ever could. On Drawn Together, since the characters were from different genres they were each animated in a different manner. That really made a difference. The CG in Sonic will have that effect.

Is it expected that the Sonic Boom franchise will be financially viable in the long-term, or is this project considered a test?

The hope with any television series is that it will be financially viable in the long-term. This is definitely not a test.

How much creative control does Sega exert on the show? Is there anything that Sega is adamant about either including or refusing? As co-EP, how do you balance the company’s goals for the series and your own creative aspirations?

Sonic is a very important brand to Sega and naturally they’re always mindful of how the characters and ideas of the Sonic universe are portrayed. But, as I said earlier, we’re working very closely with them. We’re in communication with someone from Sega on a daily basis. As far as my creative aspirations, they’re the same as Sega’s — our goal is to do a great show. When we don’t always agree, we always find a way to resolve the differences that makes the show better.

It’s been said in previous interviews and releases that Sonic Boom, though mainly for kids, will have content older fans and audiences can appreciate and enjoy. How do you find that balance, and test those boundaries?

The secret is simple. Don’t write down to the audience. We’re making a show that we’d enjoy watching. We write stories we find interesting and exciting and jokes that make us laugh, so we figure the audience will find them interesting, exciting and funny as well. Whether you’re a six year old who’s new to the franchise or a thirty year old who grew up on Sonic games and cartoons there will be something for you in Sonic Boom.

How familiar are you with Sonic fandom, particularly on the Internet? It can get splintered at times, especially when a project of this magnitude is announced to the public. Can you say anything to assure existing fans this show is worth supporting?

I would say to the hard core Sonic fans that we’re aware of you and we’re interested in making a show that you’ll enjoy. However, there will definitely be things in this show that are different from what you’re used to. If you’re open to some of the differences and judge them on their own terms, I think you’ll like what we’re doing. And, if you keep watching, there’ll be things here and there just for you.

In your view, is Sonic Boom meant more to expand the current Sonic fandom and introduce new eyes to it, or strengthen and support the fan base that already exists?

If it goes the way we want it to (and I think it will), both of those goals will be achieved. New fans will discover a funny interesting show with a great cast of characters that they’ll want to learn more about. As for the existing fan base, they’ll get to spend time with old friends in new situations, a new environment, and a new format.

 

http://www.tssznews.com/2014/05/27/tssz-interviews-bill-freiberger-co-executive-producer-of-sonic-boom-tv/

[DarkRula]

That makes it sound interesting, to say the least.

Nods to classic gaming? Content older fans can enjoy? Series vets can also get a lot from it?

I'll wait to see more, but if I like it, I'll buy into it.

 

Oh, and also. Please when it comes to DVD releases put the whole season on it and don't splinter it like Sonic X did [seriously, I'd buy into the entire DVD series of all Sonic series if Sonic X wasn't a butchered mess of releases].

[TearForFear]

 

What research did you and your team do on the Sonic franchise prior to series production?

 

Because we’re working so closely with Sega, there really wasn’t a need to do much research. If we had a question about something we just needed to pick up the phone and ask.

 

How in the world didn't Pontac think of that before.

[Celestia]

How in the world didn't Pontac think of that before.

...Did he ever say he didn't? I don't see this is a "gotcha!" moment against Pontac, unless I'm forgetting something.

[sonfan1984]

From the teaser, the characters more or less act like they do in the recent games anyway which I'm okay with.

[Blue Blood]

...Did he ever say he didn't? I don't see this is a "gotcha!" moment against Pontac, unless I'm forgetting something.

It's in reference to the fact that, by his own admission, Pontac doesn't know a lot about the series and resorts to Wikipedia when he has questions. He's gone into specifics saying he doesn't know what the Adventure games were, etc.

[Wittymations]

"The secret is simple. Don’t write down to the audience."

 

That's a really, really good ideology to live by. But we'll see, I wasn't too thrilled with the joke in the trailer by any means. But that's a trailer, I'll give it a few episodes when it comes out and see how I feel.

How in the world didn't Pontac think of that before.

Even if he did, I dunno if I could rely on the guys who own it for characterization, if history is anything to go by.

[Tsukine]

It's in reference to the fact that, by his own admission, Pontac doesn't know a lot about the series and resorts to Wikipedia when he has questions. He's gone into specifics saying he doesn't know what the Adventure games were, etc.

How come that doesn't surprise me..

 

That  interview did make me more positive toward's the show though, I can only hope the show will be as good as he is making it up to be, but I'm not gonna set my expectations too high, just in case.

[Bluecore]

I would say to the hard core Sonic fans that we’re aware of you and we’re interested in making a show that you’ll enjoy. However, there will definitely be things in this show that are different from what you’re used to. If you’re open to some of the differences and judge them on their own terms, I think you’ll like what we’re doing. And, if you keep watching, there’ll be things here and there just for you.

 

I want everything Sonic has already been (or Sonic generations if you will ...), because it has been proven that people do not realize what they want until they have it. People do not want innovation, they want things which are familiar. That is why games such as Sims and Minecraft are so popular. Including Steve Jobs himself said: "Often people do not know what they want until showing it to them." Replacing the formula this drastically is not necessary. Just continue with your work and do it well. That is all I am asking of Sega.

[sonfan1984]

So you want Sonic Boom to be yet another nostalgia trip? I'd thought the main series has done that enough already. That is one of the reasons why I'm cautiously looking forward to this, just to see what they're going to do with this since it's so different and trying new things.

[Wittymations]

 

 

I want everything Sonic has already been (or Sonic generations if you will ...), because it has been proven that people do not realize what they want until they have it. People do not want innovation, they want things which are familiar. That is why games such as Sims and Minecraft are so popular. Including Steve Jobs himself said: "Often people do not know what they want until showing it to them." Replacing the formula this drastically is not necessary. Just continue with your work and do it well. That is all I am asking of Sega.

 

You know, take that quote, "People don't realize what they want until showing it to them" and it sounds like he's saying that people don't know what they want until it's presented. And what SEGA has been doing before has been presented already. I don't want that. I didn't like that.

 

But I will agree on one thing, they should have been following a formula, but that's well over a decade too late. Anything they do will piss off a number of their already splintered fanbase.

[Indigo Rush]

Marine deniers are now vindicated:

Sticks the Badger has been officially revealed:

 

 

http://blogs.sega.com/2014/05/29/introducing-sticks-to-the-sonic-boom-franchise/

 

In advance of the highly-anticipated launch of Sonic Boom, the newest branch of the Sonic the Hedgehog universe announced earlier this year, SEGA is pleased to unveilSticks, a brand-new character that will play an integral role across all Sonic Boom platforms. Sticks, a jungle badger who has spent most of her life living alone in the wilderness, will appear in the Sonic Boom TV series, Wii U and Nintendo 3DS video games, and merchandise, forming a common thread across all iterations of the new Sonic Boom world.  Sticks joins Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy to form the core ensemble featured throughout the Sonic Boom franchise.

 

“Sticks is a significant addition to the Sonic Boom universe and the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise,” said Hiroyuki Miyazaki, Chief Content Officer for the Sonic Brand, SEGA of America.  “She brings a quirky personality and perspective to the team dynamic, and we look forward to sharing this energetic and funny new character with the world.”

 

Sticks is new to Sonic’s circle of friends– actually new to friends in general– and as the most primal character in the Sonic universe, she is a force of nature in every way.  Sticks is wilder than the other members of Sonic’s team with unparalleled animal instincts and extremely sharp survival skills.  She’s a fearsome combatant and a tenacious hunter who’s armed with handmade weapons at all times, most notably a handmade boomerang that she keeps in tow.

 

Her wildness means that her social skills need plenty of work and she’s not the most trusting individual. Full of outrageous suspicions, Sticks’ instincts often prove to be accurate. While the concepts of sharing, compassion and friendship are foreign to her, Sticks has a good heart and a genuine desire to get closer to her new friends, particularly Amy, who helps Sticks adapt to civilization. Sticks and Amy quickly become best friends, with Sticks willing to go to extremes to protect her new pal, a quality that will play out through new Sonic Boom content. Her eccentric character adds an endless amount of humor and surprise to the Sonic team.