Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (TV series)#Critical response

{{Infobox television

| image = Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs The Series logo.png

| image_upright =

| image_size =

| image_alt =

| caption =

| alt_name = Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs: The Series{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWps5tJE114 |title=Monday with a Chance of Meatballs |author=YTV (TV channel) |website=YouTube |author-link=YTV (Canadian TV channel) |date=2016 |quote=we'll follow with a Cloudy: The Series marathon}}

| genre = {{Plainlist|

}}

| based_on = {{based on|Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs|Sony Pictures Animation}}

| developer = Mark Evestaff
Alex Galatis

| writer =

| screenplay =

| story =

| director = {{plainlist|

Jos Humphrey
Steven Garcia
Andrew Duncan
Johnny Darrell

}}

| creative_director =

| voices = {{plainlist|

}}

| theme_music_composer =

| opentheme =

| endtheme =

| composer = Steffan Andrews

| country = Canada
United States

| language = English

| num_seasons = 2

| num_episodes = 104

| list_episodes = List of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs episodes

| executive_producer = {{plainlist|

Steven DeNure
Ken Faier
Asaph Fipke (season 1)
Kirsten Newlands
Josh Scerba
Rick Mischel
Mark Evestaff

}}

| producer = Lesley Jenner

| editor =

| runtime = 11 minutes

| company = {{plainlist|

Corus Entertainment
Sony Pictures Animation
DHX Media
DHX Studios Vancouver{{cite web|url=https://www.skwigly.co.uk/dhx-media-serving-second-season-cloudy-chance-meatballs-series/|title=DHX MEDIA SERVING UP A SECOND SEASON OF CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS, THE SERIES|website=Skwigly|date=February 1, 2018}}

}}

| channel = {{plainlist|

YTV (Canada)
Cartoon Network and Boomerang SVOD (United States, season 1)

}}

| first_aired = {{Start date|2017|02|20}}

| last_aired = {{End date|2018|06|30}}

| related =

}}

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (also known as Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs: The Series) is a 2D animated television series developed by Mark Evestaff and Alex Galatis for Cartoon Network and YTV. It is produced by DHX Media and Sony Pictures Animation in association with Corus Entertainment via YTV Canada Inc.. Loosely based on the film series of the same name, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is the first television series to be produced by Sony Pictures Animation and was animated using Toon Boom Harmony.

The series officially premiered in the United States on March 6, 2017, on Cartoon Network, with a sneak peek airing on February 20, 2017. After an unsuccessful run, the show moved to Boomerang's SVOD service, where it debuted on January 11, 2018. In Canada, the series was originally planned to air on Teletoon, but instead premiered on YTV on April 6, 2017. On February 2, 2018, DHX Media announced the series has been picked up for a second season.{{cite web|url=http://www.animationmagazine.net/tv/dhx-serves-up-second-helping-of-cloudy-with-a-chance-of-meatballs/|title=DHX Serves Up Second Helping of 'Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs'|date=2 February 2018|website=Animationmagazine.net|access-date=18 July 2018}} Despite the series being renewed for another season, the second season never aired on Cartoon Network or Boomerang as the show itself never aired on Cartoon Network in 2018 or afterwards. The series aired on Cartoon Network for the final time in December 2017, showing the Christmas special of the series.

In January 2020, all mentions of the series were removed from the Cartoon Network and Boomerang websites and apps, meaning that Cartoon Network had completely abandoned the series. The entire first season is available on Netflix in the United Kingdom, Europe, and formerly in the United States before it was removed on January 20, 2024.

Plot

The series is a prequel, featuring the high school years of Flint Lockwood, the eccentric young scientist in the films.{{cite magazine|last1=Perlman|first1=Jake|title='Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs' coming to TV|url=https://www.ew.com/article/2014/10/09/cloudy-chance-meatballs-tv|access-date=30 November 2016|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=9 October 2014}} In his adventures, he is joined by Sam Sparks, a new girl in town and the school's "wannabe" reporter, along with Flint's dad Tim, Steve the Monkey, Manny as the head of the school's audiovisual club (among other professions), Earl as a school gym teacher, Brent still riding on his fame from the sardine commercial, and Mayor Shelbourne, who serves as the school principal, and who wins every Mayoral election on the pro-sardine platform.{{cite press release|title=DHX Media and Sony Pictures Animation Taking Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs to Television|url=http://www.dhxmedia.com/trade-news/dhx-media-and-sony-pictures-animation-taking-cloudy-with-a-chance-of-meatballs-to-television/|publisher=DHX Media|access-date=October 10, 2014|date=October 9, 2014}}

A certain aspect that is contradicted is Flint and Sam's meetup. The episode "And the Winner Is..." clarifies that Flint and Sam met in high school as opposed to their adulthood in the first film. The work around for this is Flint stating that if Sam ever had to move, he would invent a memory eraser, which would erase any memories of their friendship so she would not be saddened by the loss of another friend as she and her family frequently move. While this explains why Sam has no memory of Flint, it does not explain why she has no prior knowledge of Swallow Falls, as her visit in the film was her first time and she is living in the area during the events of the series.

Episodes

Cast

Mark Edwards as:{{cite web|title=Who You Calling Garbage? - Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Videos|url=http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/video/cloudy-with-a-chance-of-meatballs/who-you-calling-garbage-episode.html|publisher=Cartoon Network|access-date=February 8, 2017|archive-date=October 14, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171014020650/http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/video/cloudy-with-a-chance-of-meatballs/who-you-calling-garbage-episode.html|url-status=dead}}
Flint Lockwood; an inventor. He is the titular main protagonist in the show.
Steve; Flint's pet vervet monkey who communicates using a Speak and Spell monkey thought translator Flint invented.
Katie Griffin as Sam Sparks; a weather intern from New York City and a reporter.
David Berni as "Baby" Brent McHale; an infamous celebrity mascot of Baby Brent's Sardines.
Seán Cullen as:
Tim Lockwood; Flint's widowed father.
Mayor Susan Shelbourne; the gluttonous and egotistical mayor of Swallow Falls.
Old Rick; an elderly citizen in Swallow Falls.
Patrick McKenna as:
Gil; Mayor Shelbourne's neglected son
Manny; Sam's Guatemalan cameraman and a former doctor, pilot, and comedian.
Clé Bennett as Earl Devereaux; the town's athletic cop and Cal's dad.
Kim Roberts (uncredited) as Regina; the wife of Earl Devereaux.{{cite web | url=https://www.toronto.com/things-to-do/oakwood-village-actor-relishes-appearance-on-the-handmaids-tale/article_8f390553-61fb-5196-a3ff-ff559aedaac6.html? | title=Oakwood Village actor relishes appearance on the Handmaid's Tale | date=30 January 2018 }}

Production

Sony Pictures Animation and Canadian family entertainment company DHX Media signed to co-produce the series in 2014, starting with twenty-six 22-minute episodes (fifty-two 11-minute segments).{{cite news|last1=Friedlander|first1=Whitney|title=Sony, DHX Creating 'Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs' TV Series|url=https://variety.com/2014/tv/news/cloudy-with-a-chance-of-meatballs-tv-series-1201325948/|access-date=30 November 2016|work=Variety|date=9 October 2014}} DHX Media handles the global television and non-U.S. home entertainment distribution, along with worldwide merchandising rights, while Sony distributes home entertainment in the United States. Turner Broadcasting System handles international distribution via Cartoon Network.{{cite news|last1=Vlessing|first1=Etan|title=MIPCOM: Sony's 'Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs' TV Show Sells to Turner Broadcasting|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/mipcom-sonys-cloudy-a-chance-829379|access-date=30 November 2016|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=5 October 2015}}

Broadcast

In French, it aired on Télétoon in Canada.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs premiered on Boomerang in Latin America on May 12, 2017 with a broadcast of the first 4 episodes, for next Friday continue with recurring releases (double episode), meanwhile Cartoon Network premiered the series on May 18, 2017 premiering a new episode every Thursday. In Australia and New Zealand, the series premiered on Cartoon Network on September 2, 2017.{{cite web|title=Cartoon Network Australia And Boomerang Australia September 2017 Highlights|url=https://www.regularcapital.com/2017/07/cartoon-network-australia-and-boomerang-australia-september-2017-highlights/|website=RegularCapital: Cartoon Network International News|publisher=RegularCapital/Turner Broadcasting System Asia-Pacific/Catapult Communications|access-date=5 July 2017|archive-date=6 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170806023810/https://www.regularcapital.com/2017/07/cartoon-network-australia-and-boomerang-australia-september-2017-highlights/|url-status=dead}} In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the series was first broadcast on Cartoon Network on August 28, 2017 starting with the episode "Who You Callin’ Garbage!" (S1EP5).{{cite web|title=Cartoon Network UK New Show Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs The Series Monday 28th August|url=https://www.regularcapital.com/2017/08/cartoon-network-uk-new-show-cloudy-with-a-chance-of-meatballs-the-series-monday-28th-august/|website=RegularCapital: Cartoon Network International News|access-date=15 August 2017}} In France, the series started broadcast on Boing from September 2017; in the same period it started on Cartoon Network in Italy. In India, the series aired on Cartoon Network. The series began broadcasting on Disney Channel in Germany on 6 November 2017. New episodes began premiering on Boomerang's SVOD service in the United States in January 2018. Older episodes of the series are also available on Boomerang.{{cite web|url=http://www.animationmagazine.net/top-stories/cloudy-pup-named-scooby-doo-join-boomerang-lineup-this-month/|title='Cloudy,' 'Pup Named Scooby-Doo' Join Boomerang Lineup This Month|date=4 January 2018|website=Animationmagazine.net|access-date=18 July 2018}} On February 2, 2018, DHX Media announced the series has been picked up for a second season. On November 30, 2018, the show was made available for streaming on Netflix in the United States.

In August 2019, CBS All Access acquired the U.S. broadcast rights to the series, beginning with Season 2.{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2019/08/cbs-all-access-adding-childrens-programming-cloudy-with-a-chance-of-meatballs-danger-mouse-inspector-gadget-1202664783|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190808214432/https://deadline.com/2019/08/cbs-all-access-adding-childrens-programming-cloudy-with-a-chance-of-meatballs-danger-mouse-inspector-gadget-1202664783/|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 8, 2019|title=CBS All Access Adding Children's Programming; 'Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs', 'Danger Mouse', 'Inspector Gadget' Among Content|date=8 August 2019}}

Home media

Region 1:

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs: Swallow-een Falls Spooktacular! (October 10, 2017){{Cite web|url=http://www.tvmegs.net/2017/09/cloudy-with-chance-of-meatballs-series.html|title = Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs: The Series - Two Single-Disc DVDS for the Cartoon Network Show}}
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs: Lobster Claus is Coming to Town (October 31, 2017)

Reception

=Critical response=

Common Sense Media rated the show 3/5 stars stating "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs doesn't attempt to lead directly into the movies and in fact presents a major inconsistency for the later stories by introducing Sam to Flint during their teen years. Of course this is only a concern for those who have seen the chronologically later stories first; new viewers without a history with these characters won't have a problem and likely will want to follow up with the movies at some point. A big plus to the show? Even though the science often isn't realistic, the hero and heroine make nerdiness seem pretty cool."{{cite web|url=https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/cloudy-with-a-chance-of-meatballs|title=Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs - TV Review|website=Commonsensemedia.org|date=9 March 2017|access-date=18 July 2018}}

=Accolades=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
scope="col"\| Year ! scope="col"\| Award ! scope="col"\| Category ! scope="col"\| Recipient(s) ! scope="col"\| Result ! scope="col" class="unsortable" \| {{Abbr\|Ref.\|Reference}}
2018 \| Saturn Awards \| Best Animated Series or Film on Television \| Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs \| {{nom}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{cite web\|url=https://variety.com/2018/film/news/saturn-awards-nominations-2018-black-panther-walking-dead-1202727752/\|title='Black Panther,' 'Walking Dead' Rule Saturn Awards Nominations\|last=McNary\|first=Dave\|work=Variety\|date=March 15, 2018\|access-date=March 15, 2018\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180316023438/http://variety.com/2018/film/news/saturn-awards-nominations-2018-black-panther-walking-dead-1202727752/\|archive-date=March 16, 2018\|url-status=dead\|df=mdy-all}}
2019 \| Canadian Screen Awards \| Best Animated Program or Series \| Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs \| {{nom}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{Cite web\|url=https://etcanada.com/news/435306/the-winners-canadian-screen-awards-presented-for-creative-fiction-storytelling/\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190328130224/https://etcanada.com/news/435306/the-winners-canadian-screen-awards-presented-for-creative-fiction-storytelling/\|url-status=dead\|archive-date=March 28, 2019\|title = The Winners: Canadian Screen Awards Presented for Creative Fiction Storytelling\|date = 27 March 2019}}

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"

scope="col"| Year

! scope="col"| Award

! scope="col"| Category

! scope="col"| Recipient(s)

! scope="col"| Result

! scope="col" class="unsortable" | {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}

2018

| Saturn Awards

| Best Animated Series or Film on Television

| Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

| {{nom}}

| style="text-align:center;"| {{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2018/film/news/saturn-awards-nominations-2018-black-panther-walking-dead-1202727752/|title='Black Panther,' 'Walking Dead' Rule Saturn Awards Nominations|last=McNary|first=Dave|work=Variety|date=March 15, 2018|access-date=March 15, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180316023438/http://variety.com/2018/film/news/saturn-awards-nominations-2018-black-panther-walking-dead-1202727752/|archive-date=March 16, 2018|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}

2019

| Canadian Screen Awards

| Best Animated Program or Series

| Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

| {{nom}}

| style="text-align:center;"| {{Cite web|url=https://etcanada.com/news/435306/the-winners-canadian-screen-awards-presented-for-creative-fiction-storytelling/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190328130224/https://etcanada.com/news/435306/the-winners-canadian-screen-awards-presented-for-creative-fiction-storytelling/|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 28, 2019|title = The Winners: Canadian Screen Awards Presented for Creative Fiction Storytelling|date = 27 March 2019}}

References

{{Reflist|refs=

{{cite press release|author1=Sony Pictures Animation|title=Sony Pictures Animation Announces 2017 & 2018 Slate|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sony-pictures-animation-announces-2017--2018-slate-300287319.html|publisher=PR Newswire|access-date=September 25, 2016|date=June 20, 2016}}

{{cite web|last1=Amidi|first1=Amid |author-link=Amid Amidi|title=First Look at Cartoon Network's 2D 'Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs' Series (Clip)|url=http://www.cartoonbrew.com/tv/first-look-cartoon-networks-2d-cloudy-chance-meatballs-series-145968.html|publisher=Cartoon Brew|access-date=December 8, 2016|date=December 8, 2016}}

{{cite web|last1=Wolfe|first1=Jennifer|title=First Look: 'Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs' Series Set for March 6 Premiere|url=http://www.awn.com/news/first-look-cloudy-chance-meatballs-series-set-march-6-premiere|publisher=Animation World Network|access-date=February 17, 2017|date=February 16, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170217060621/http://www.awn.com/news/first-look-cloudy-chance-meatballs-series-set-march-6-premiere|archive-date=February 17, 2017|url-status=live}}}}

External links

[https://www.sonypicturesanimation.com/projects/series/cloudy-chance-meatballs Official website] at Sony Pictures Animation
[https://www.corusent.com/properties/cloudy-chance-meatballs/ Official website] at Corus Entertainment
{{IMDb title|tt4123482}}

{{Portal|Animation|Canada|Cartoon|Speculative fiction|Science fiction|2010s

}}{{wikiquote}}

Category:Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (franchise)

Category:2010s American animated comedy television series

Category:2010s American children's comedy television series

Category:2010s American comic science fiction television series

Category:2010s American high school television series

Category:2017 American animated television series debuts

Category:2018 American television series endings

Category:2010s Canadian animated comedy television series

Category:2010s Canadian children's television series

Category:2010s Canadian comic science fiction television series