The Energon Pub

I'm totally bummed out that Transformers Prime ended after just 65 episodes. No doubt there are other TF Prime fans that are outraged just like me that there are only 65 episodes. In my opinion there should be more than 65 episodes. Why only 65??? If the show is doing well in the ratings there should be more episodes. A lot of animated shows that ended after just 65 episodes. During the 80s, 90s and 2000s, there are hundreds even thousands of cartoons that ended after just 65 episodes. Why the hell just 65????

Prime should have got more episodes/more seasons. Look at the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toons (1987 version and 2003 version) they each have more than 100 episodes.

Should TF Prime get more episodes?

It was always meant to get 65 episodes, with the possibility of sequels should the show be popular enough, we got those 65 episodes and a TV movie.
On top of that we're getting a sequel show that follows the show directly.

We've been over this ever since the show was first announced, so welcome to the dazzling year 2010.

65 episodes is nothing to complain about for a (semi-)serialized, non-comedy, action-based children's cartoon. That is a BIG number of episodes, and TF: Prime should feel proud for having gotten than many. It's become the second-longest TF cartoon ever made.

That is, unless Rescue Bots's third season gets a full 26 episodes, then that show would dethrone TF: Prime into being the third-longest.

As for why specifically 65 episodes, it is because that is the magic episode number for airing syndicated television programs. Once they reach 65 episodes, the makers were faced with two options: Either continue on with the show, or stop where they are so they could syndicate it in overseas/foreign markets. Satisfied with how much they had done with the show and with where they'd taken it within the desired 65 episodes, they chose Option 2, ending it where they always wanted it to end and giving them the freedom to move on to other/newer projects.

They were simply done with the series and had done all that they had wanted to do with it, even if some of what they wanted to do before had to be trimmed down, fast-forwarded, and/or simply hastened due to Hasbro springing the Beast Hunters thing on them at the last minute.

Well, Jackie Chan Adventures - great animated series produced by Jeff Kline had 5 seasons and almost 100 episodes. And it was a fun until end. And JCA was much less original than Transformers, and all seasons used the same formula...

However, Dead Metal is right: Sequel change the math. And we must remember that originaly show was designed for 26 episodes.

We also have to consider that non-comedy children's action shows are a dying breed. There's very little on them on TV anymore these days, and lot of the last few great ones have gotten canceled either after one or two seasons or even prematurely. Most networks nowadays want shows that will make kids laugh rather than wow them with awesomeness and intelligence.

The only ones that are still on TV these days are either reruns of older shows, some toyetic anime series, Power Rangers (which has become a lot more comedy-focused ever since Saban got it back from Disney), comedy shows that work action into their stories, certain series that air on Adult Swim's Toonami (which little kids don't get to watch very easily), superhero cartoons that have become more silly than serious as of late, or ones that the makers really had to push to get on the air. Transformers seems to fall into a similar category as Power Rangers, being a toy-driven action show that should be safe as long as the products keep selling.