New ‘DuckTales’ series to hit Disney XD in 2017

“DuckTales,” the beloved Disney animated series that originally ran on TV from 1987 to 1990, is getting a reboot. Disney announced on Wednesday it has ordered a new series of globe-spanning adventures starring Uncle Scrooge, his grandnephews Huey, Dewey and Louie and the rest. The new series is expected to premiere on the Disney XD channel in 2017.

Disney’s Uncle Scrooge character has long resided in the .00001 percent, with his giant bin filled with money and his penchant for taking daily swims in all that amassed wealth. And his adventures have frequently involved his never-ending quest to amass even more wealth.

Will Disney, always sensitive to current popular sentiment, temper Scrooge’s unparalleled greed? Or will the character’s hallmark characteristics remain a lovable and forgivable sin in an age of massive divergence between the rich and the poor?

Likely, it won’t be a concern for kids no matter what Scrooge likes to do with his money. His adventures are just a lot of fun.

Many characters from the first “DuckTales” series are expected to make a return, including Duckworth, Gyro Gearloose, Launchpad McQuack, Flintheart Glomgold, Magica DeSpell & Poe, Ma Beagle and the Beagle Boys, Mrs. Beakley and Webbigail Vanderquack.

One key difference between the first series and the reboot is the inclusion of Donald Duck, who was just a guest star previously.

The original series was a massive hit for Disney and paved the way for many syndicated afternoon cartoons, including “Tailspin,” “Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers” and “Darkwing Duck.” The stories were loosely adapted from the Duck stories of comic book artist Carl Barks, whose influence can be seen in the work of George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and others.

The series also inspired the feature film, “DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp.”

Though many of Barks’ best stories were already adapted for the first “DuckTales” series, Disney has continued to commission many Duck adventures from other artists over the years, providing lots of inspiration for the new series.

The timing seems to be right for Disney, with children who grew up with the original series grown to adulthood and having children of their own. A recent YouTube video of the “DuckTales” theme song featuring real ducks hit 4 million views since its launch in September.

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