Although Pixar has had success with films, their first cartoon, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, managed something their spinoff Lightyear in 2022 could not. Every Pixar movie has won critical acclaim, with 11 winning the Oscars for Best Animated Feature. However, six Pixar movies were not nominated and were all spinoffs, sequels, or prequels, including 2022’s box office failure, Lightyear.
Lightyear was an attempt to expand the Toy Story universe by making Buzz Lightyear the main character, but it was met with disappointing box office results. In contrast, the cartoon show Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, aired from 2000-2001, successfully captured the character’s personality and was a financial success.
The show, created by the same team that developed Kim Possible, starred a roster of 90s voice acting talent, including Patrick Warburton as Buzz Lightyear and Nicole Sullivan as Princess Mira Nova. The show’s simple premise involved Buzz and his team going on different adventures across the galaxy, unlike Lightyear’s origin story.
Buzz Lightyear of Star Command took itself less seriously than Lightyear, which makes it more enjoyable. The show’s success can be attributed to its ability to balance action and comedy, unlike Lightyear, which struggled to balance its sci-fi adventure story with humor.
Pixar’s current TV strategy is to focus on direct continuations of existing franchises, rather than experimenting with new formulas. This is evident in shows like Car Toons, Monsters At Work, and Dug Days, which continue the world of Cars, Monsters Inc., and Toy Story, respectively. It’s unlikely that viewers will see another Pixar TV show like Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, which was an early attempt to spin off the Toy Story franchise.