Behind the Rankings: Boomerang still doesn't get it

Yesterday, Boomerang slipped into the weekly Cultureshark Streaming Video Power Rankings by virtue of adding the rest of The Flintstones. It's great that the whole series is available, and hopefully the later series are on the way. Really, though, what took so long? There's no reason this couldn't have been there at launch. For 5 bucks a month, as I mentioned when I reviewed Boomerang last month, stuff like the complete Flintstones should be a given.

The service got press coverage this week not for adding more classic 'toons, but for announcing new original programming. You know what my reaction to that is? It's the same one I had when I had Boomerang and learned that only some of The Flintstones was streaming:

This piece lays out the Boomerang lineup: https://deadline.com/2018/05/boomerang-turner-scooby-doo-guess-who-yabba-dabba-dinosuars-1202396229/

The family-friendly premium video subscription service is serving up new series featuring classic animated characters. Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? brings back the Mystery Inc. gang for some sleuthing adventures with celebrity guests while Yabba-Dabba Dinosaurs! features new stories from Pebbles, Bamm Bamm, Dino and your favorite Bedrock families.

Parents aren't going to pay 5 bucks a month for this stuff. There isn't enough content for the little kids, and the adults who want the old stuff don't care about these new versions. How about you just add more classic Scoob and Flintstones?

Boomerang also announced that the launch of a full Spanish language experience for its users starting Memorial Day weekend. They will also offer families and fans the opportunity to personalize their Boomerang experience through avatar creation and show discovery.  In addition, Boomerang users will have more interactivity with the ability to create and share playlists featuring their personal cartoon favorites along with other features that will elevate interaction with some of Boomerang’s favorite characters.

OK, the Spanish thing is cool. But all the other is window dressing. Better usability of the service would be great. How about just a working watchlist rather than being able to share it?

And how about you just add more classic cartoons from that brontosaurus-sized library?

Boomerang is not going to make it with originals. It is going to make it by luring older folks like me with the archival content. I believe it should try that before spending money on remakes that many (raises hand) are going to be reluctant to even sample.   If Boomerang has some strategy based on holding back content so it doesn't burn through the archives early, well, as I have already suggested, it may be sacrificing viability now by worrying about the future.