If, for some reason, you found yourself wondering why the live-action Powerpuff Girls never materialised, we finally have visual proof of why Blossom, Buttercup, and Bubbles are better off staying animated. A teaser trailer for CW’s cancelled show has surfaced online, and we’re relieved that someone at the studio saved the day by making sure it never took flight.
A three-and-a-half-minute snippet of what was supposed to be the trailer for the doomed live-action Powerpuff Girls show has been made public by Lost Media Busters. And it’s safe to say we all dodged a bullet with this one.
The promo clip begins with Professor Utonium creating the girls in the lab, which is roughly the same as the opening for the animated series. However, we quickly learn that Mojo Jojo, the notoriously brilliant chimpanzee, has been replaced by Mojo, a human scientist who we first meet in the teaser, working alongside Professor Utonium and his young son Jojo, who has a major crush on little Blossom. And from there, it’s pretty much all downhill.
As the girls grow up, Blossom is described as “constantly stressed,” Buttercup as “constantly rebellious,” and Bubbles as “constantly drinking.” Somehow, this dysfunctional dynamic between the girls leads to them making a mistake that results in Mojo’s death.
Following the tragic event, Blossom flees the town, while Buttercup emerges as somewhat of a hero in her own right. And Bubbles? Well, she travels to Hollywood but finds she has lost much of her former fame.
Nevertheless, seven years later, they return to Townsville and are forced to face a new threat to the city in order to save their father.
In all honesty, the whole thing feels like a parody of the actual Cartoon Network show that someone conjured up for a Saturday Night Live skit. Sure, the animated show (which also collaborated with Nike for some awesome sneakers) did have comedic tones, but it was a far cry from the level of cringe in The CW’s live-action Powerpuff Girls trailer.
Maybe a live-action Dexter’s Laboratory TV series could work better?
There you have it, then—strong evidence of why this live-action series was never a good idea in the first place. If you’re in the mood to subject yourself to some cringe-worthy content today, make sure to watch the full trailer for the live-action Powerpuff Girls TV show below.
