Paramount has announced the cancellation of two major animated children’s series: Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Dora, according to reports from Deadline and The InSneider on November 12, 2025. The cancellations are part of a broader programming restructuring following the Paramount-Skydance merger and represent a strategic shift in how the company prioritizes its animated content.
Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Ends After Season 2
Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the animated spinoff of the critically acclaimed 2023 film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, will conclude with its second season. The series premiered on Paramount+ in late 2024 and was renewed for a second season earlier this year, making the cancellation announcement a significant reversal.
Season 2 is set to premiere on Paramount+ in December 2025 and will subsequently air on Nicktoons in 2026, allowing the final season to reach audiences across both platforms.
Despite the cancellation, the series has been celebrated by critics. Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles holds a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, indicating universal critical acclaim. The series features voice acting from Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Nicolas Cantu, and Brady Noon, who bring the iconic turtles Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo to life.
Dora the Explorer Revival Also Ending
Paramount+ has also canceled its CG-animated revival of Dora the Explorer, one of Nickelodeon’s most iconic franchises. The rebooted series, which targeted preschool audiences, will conclude after its fourth season, despite having a fifth season already produced.
Dora’s fourth season is scheduled to premiere on Paramount+ at a date yet to be disclosed. Following the streaming premiere, the fourth season will air on Nick Jr., maintaining the series’ presence on the traditional network.
While a fifth and final season has already been produced, Paramount has not announced how or when this season will be released, leaving fans uncertain about its ultimate fate. The original Dora the Explorer, which ran for eight seasons (2000-2008), became a cultural phenomenon and launched numerous spinoffs and films.
The Reason Behind the Cancellations
Both cancellations stem from a major organizational restructuring at Paramount following its merger with Skydance. In this restructuring, all Paramount linear networks—including Nickelodeon—along with Nickelodeon Animation Studios have been consolidated into a larger “TV Media” division overseen by Chair George Cheeks.
In a recent memo, Cheeks outlined that the networks will focus on a smaller, more selective slate that prioritizes top-tier franchises. SpongeBob SquarePants and PAW Patrol were specifically cited as priority properties, while Dora and Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were noticeably omitted from the list.
This represents a significant cost-cutting measure as Paramount seeks to streamline its operations and focus resources on franchises with broader appeal and higher profitability.
Third-Party Licensing Opportunities
Despite canceling both series on Paramount+ and Nickelodeon, Paramount is not abandoning these intellectual properties entirely. The company is actively exploring third-party licensing opportunities for both Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Dora, potentially allowing these series to find new homes on competing streaming platforms.
Paramount has established a pattern of doing this in recent years, with numerous Nickelodeon titles currently available on Netflix, suggesting that both series could potentially land on that platform or another service.
The Timing and Critical Acclaim Paradox
The cancellation of Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is particularly notable given its exceptional critical reception. A show with a perfect 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes typically represents exactly the kind of acclaimed content that streaming platforms highlight.
The series’ cancellation despite universal critical praise underscores that even quality content can fall victim to broader corporate restructuring and prioritization decisions. The fact that the entire Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise is experiencing a massive resurgence—driven by the 2023 film’s box office and critical success—makes the timing seem particularly counterintuitive.
What Happens to Already-Produced Episodes
While future production has ended, fans will still have access to previously produced content:
Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Season 2 will premiere on Paramount+ in December before airing on Nicktoons in 2026.
Dora Season 4 will premiere on Paramount+ at a date to be announced, followed by a linear window on Nick Jr..
Dora Season 5, while already produced, has no confirmed release date or platform announcement at this time, creating uncertainty about whether this final season will ever see the light of day.
The Broader Streaming War Context
These cancellations reflect the ongoing challenges facing streaming services as they balance content creation costs with subscriber growth and retention. Paramount+, in particular, has faced pressure to reduce expenditures while maintaining a competitive programming slate.
The decision to focus on tentpole franchises like SpongeBob SquarePants and PAW Patrol suggests Paramount is pursuing a quality-over-quantity strategy, banking on established properties with proven track records rather than investing in new or revitalized animated series.
Fan Reactions and Future Prospects
For fans of both series, the news represents a significant disappointment. However, the announcement that Paramount is exploring third-party licensing opportunities provides a glimmer of hope that these beloved shows might find new homes and potentially continue production elsewhere.
The precedent has already been set: numerous Nickelodeon titles have successfully made the transition to Netflix, creating a potential pathway for both Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Dora to continue their stories on alternative platforms
