When Teen Titans Go! first made its debut to the world, fan reception was very mixed. Gone were the serious storylines and animation of the original animated series created by Glen Murakami, and what remained was a chibi style comedy show that contained the original roster from the first series. While there was some initial disappointment from the fan base, it didn't take long for Teen Titans Go! to find its wings and now, four years later, it just hit a milestone on Friday and aired its 200th episode.
The news comes from Variety, who spoke to creators Michael Jelenic and Aaron Horvath about the impressive run Teen Titans Go! has had. The series, which first began in 2013, will get a feature-length film in 2018 and is one of the few Cartoon Network shows to do so. When commenting on the success of the series, Horvath mentioned that the show never intended to follow in the footsteps of the original Teen Titans animated series, or really any comic-book show:
They're comic book characters, and we play with a lot of tropes, but it was never intended to be something like the original show would have done with, 'who's the villain and let's save the world.' The joke is taking a small idea and blowing it up --- like going to get a sandwich but having to get parts from the four corners of the universe.
Which is likely why Teen Titans Go! went super meta with their 200th episode. Titled "The Self-Indulgent 200th Episode Spectacular", the episode featured the Titans witnessing their world disappearing and going to meet their makers to figure out what is going on. Turns out they literally met their makers, as both Michael Jelenic and Aaron Horvath were featured in the episode as the Titans are tasked with trying to animate the animators throughout the course of the episode. It's a whacky concept, but as Horvath indicates in his quote, that's the kind of territory this show has operated in since its beginning.
As for just how many episodes Teen Titans Go! has left in the tank following their film, that appears to be a mystery to even Aaron Horvath. While speaking on the film deal, Horvath shared that every time they think the show has hit its peak, it only grows larger:
It was fortuitous timing...We keep thinking the show has hit its peak, but somehow it keeps going and the audience keeps getting bigger.
Teen Titans Go! is currently in the midst of a marathon on Cartoon Network, and can be watched all day today until 8 p.m. ET. For more on other shows airing in the near future, visit our fall premiere guide or hop ahead to 2018 with our midseason premiere guide. For a look at some shows that didn't survive 2017, visit our cancellation guide. For more information on the upcoming Teen Titans Go! film, head on over to our landing page for more details.
