Lego Ninjago

LEGO Ninjago (known as LEGO Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu until mid-2019) is a CGI comedy-action family television show that aired on Cartoon Network in the United States and Canada, Nickelodeon in Denmark and Greece, and Disney XD in Latin America (Pilot Episodes-Season 7) and Cartoon Network (Season 11-).

The pilot episodes were released on January 14, 2011, and the first two episodes of the first season were released on December 2, 2011. The first proper season aired in February, March, and April 2012.

Since Adventure Time ended on September 3, 2018, it became the longest currently-running show that airs on Cartoon Network.

In 2019, the series dropped the subtitle of Masters of Spinjitzu and the episode run-times were changed from 22 minutes to 11 minutes.

The Creation of the Series
In 2009, LEGO decided to do a retake on a theme that had existed for a few years: Ninja, which was a Castle Sub-theme that was discontinued in 2000. Taking some ideas from the old theme, they revamped it into a new one called Ninjago.

Later, Tommy Andreasen and Thomas Fenger thought up and created the martial art of Spinjitzu.

On February 22, 2010, the Hageman Brothers finished the first draft of the pilot episode.

On May 2, 2010, the first proof-of-concept animation by Wilfilm was completed, in which Kai fought a Skulkin.[1]

Though it was initially meant to only introduce the toyline, the potential was seen in the pilot, and at some point in the pilot's production, a proper series was commissioned.[2]

In early 2011, the Pilot Episodes were released. The first season released starting in December of that year and lasted a few months into 2012. The second season aired in July of that same year, with the two-season run intended to be the full run of the show.

Original Ending and Return (2013-2017)
Originally LEGO had planned that the series would end after two seasons. Due to fan demand, in 2014, it returned with Season 3. During this time, the production of the third season was choppy, starting out as 13 episodes, then being reduced to 2 before they were able to settle on 8.

The show continued strongly in 2015, going for two seasons a year, with 2016 being a slight exception, having a season, and a holiday special in the later half of the year. There was a small hiatus on this schedule in 2017 to make way for The LEGO Ninjago Movie. 2017 was also the first year to have nothing written by the Hageman Brothers, as David Shayne and a team of writers wrote the seventh season.

Refreshing the Main Cast (2018-2019)
Given the release of The LEGO Ninjago Movie expected to bring in new fans to the show, the show underwent a refresh. The main characters were given redesigns to match their appearances in the movie. Lloyd was also given a new voice actor, to reflect him growing up in the time between the seventh and eighth seasons. The animation was also done through a new pipeline, improving the quality, and the tone became noticeably darker.

New Animation Studio (2019-Present)
After 8 and a half years and 100 episodes, LEGO gave the show a soft reboot, starting with Secrets of the Forbidden Spinjitzu. The Masters of Spinjitzu subtitle was removed from the franchise's branding, and now the show is simply titled LEGO Ninjago. The animation studio changed from WILFilm ApS to WildBrain (formerly called DHX Media). With this came a more fast-paced animation style and mediums of animation beyond the 3D rendered LEGO figures occasionally being used (such as the "anime" style in "The Absolute Worst," "The Last of the Formlings," and "Dungeon Party!"). The biggest change of all is that the runtime of the episodes was reduced from 22-minutes to 11-minutes.

There is some confusion about whether this soft-reboot is a new show that is a continuation of the original or the same show albeit with many changes. Television and streaming networks treat this as a new show, calling Secrets of the Forbidden Spinjitzu Season 1 of LEGO Ninjago. However, several showrunners call Secrets of the Forbidden Spinjitzu Season 11, implying it is the same show as before, despite the myriad of changes to the format. LEGO no longer refers to the season number when advertising new installments, instead referring to them mainly by their respective subtitles.

Before Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu
"Long before time had a name, Ninjago was created by the First Spinjitzu Master by using the four weapons of Spinjitzu: The Scythe of Quakes, the Nunchucks of Lightning, the Shurikens of Ice, and the Sword of Fire. Weapons so powerful, no one can handle their power at once. When he passed away, his two sons swore to protect them. But the oldest was consumed by darkness and wanted to possess the weapons. A battle between brothers broke out, and the oldest was struck down and banished to the Underworld. Peace returned and the younger brother hid the weapons. But knowing his older brother's relentless ambition for power, he placed a guardian to protect them. And for fear of his own demise, a map for an honest man to hide." -Master Wu

Premise
The show is set primarily on the fictional Ninjago Island, a world that draws inspiration from a blend of East-Asian culture and popular Western media while taking place in a modern setting.

Long before the events of the series, the First Spinjitzu Master used the power of the Golden Weapons to create the world of Ninjago. Trained in the legendary art of Spinjitzu by the wise Master Wu, a group of young Ninja (Kai, Jay, Cole, and Zane, and eventually Lloyd and Nya) with mastery over the Elements fight to defend their land against those who wish to conquer it. Each season focuses on a different one, more, or all of the Ninja and features a different group of varied antagonists.

Main Plot

 * Main article: List of LEGO Ninjago Episodes

The show can be divided into three parts: a pilot consisting of four episodes, thirteen full seasons, and a Halloween TV Special. There are also six Mini-Movies set between the pilot and the first season, which provide insight into the backstory of the show.