Remember this? Still trying to forget? Well, too bad, because unlike season 5 and that movie trilogy, ReBoot: The Guardian Code looks like a thing that will actually exist. A casting call went live last month looking for young actors to play the leads in the CG/live action hybrid. The sheet reveals the show’s general plot outline and more on the characters. Fans are definitely in for something.

ReBoot: The Guardian Code is a live-action/CG animated action-comedy hybrid series about four teenagers who discover on their first day of high school that they’ve been selected to become the Next-Generation Guardians of Cyberspace. Their selection began months earlier when they started playing the multiplayer Cyber-Guardian video game together online. Now Austin, Parker, Tamra, and Grey have to make their gamertags – VECTOR, GOOGZ, ENIGMA, and D-FRAG – into more than just names, and protect cyberspace from threats both within and without. Threats that also pose great risk to the real world. It’s more than these kids expected when they started high school. Way more…

I mentioned in my last post about The Guardian Code that I didn’t loathe the idea of the show not being fully CG. Yes, it kind of betrays the point behind ReBoot (it takes place in a computer …), but from a cynical marketing perspective, CG cartoons are a dime a dozen now. That’s not so for CG/live action hybrids (for a reason). That said, this description really lost me. High school action-comedy. Yeah, those first two seasons of the original show could be damn goofy at times, but when I think of ReBoot, I don’t first think of Mike the TV. I think of THAT DAMN CLIFFHANGER EAGHQAEDAXCASHCJAS the multi-part stories and overall tonal shift to darker content that occurred in the last two seasons. That form of writing is extremely uncommon in the action-comedy genre. Setting the show in a high school isn’t going to alleviate any of those “this sounds exactly like Zixx, Code Lyoko, Superhuman Samurai Syber Squad, etc.” comments either. But whatever, I guess the kids this is primarily aimed at wouldn’t be familiar with any of those. However, I’m sure they’re very aware of the trillion kidcoms that air on YTV, so for the sake of some originality, I hope Rainmaker balances the show more on the action side of things. After all, they really only have one competitor for that space.

Okay, deep breaths. Onto the character profiles. I’ll give a forewarning that a lot of casting sheets break down characters into their bare essentials to get as wide a pool of applicants as possible. Maybe these characters won’t be walking tropes in the final show.

AUSTIN: Male, 15 years old. Talent may be older but we’re seeking talent that must look 15 years of age. Caucasian. ATHLETIC. The Skater Dude (In an ideal world, we would love to find someone that is an avid skater). Austin is cool, smart and capable but somewhat aloof and detached. Always moving, never still, Austin is a natural athlete with terrific reflexes, interested in individual pursuits and extreme sports. He’s not team oriented at all. Still dealing with his father’s sudden death a year ago, Austin masks his grief behind his wisecracking, carefree persona and doesn’t want to talk about it – at all. Ever. Austin is a natural leader, he just doesn’t know it yet, and isn’t ready to accept that kind of responsibility. His best friend is Parker. They’ve been like brothers since they were little kids. Austin teases Parker, but he always has his back and knows that Parker has his. Please make a note of your client’s age with submission (feel free to suggest talent that is older than this description but for the purpose of this series, production would like to stick close to the age in breakdown)… WE WOULD LOVE TO FIND SOMEONE THAT DOES KNOW HOW TO SKATEBOARD. SERIES LEAD

GREY: Male, OPEN ETHNICITY. 15 years old. Talent may be older but we’re seeking talent that must look 15 years of age. The Jock. Big, athletic and strong, Grey’s a terrific football player, although deep down he doesn’t care for it that much. But he always tries to please so he sticks with the sport at which he excels. A fitness nut, he’s always exercising – push ups, sit ups, squats, lunges, whatever. He comes from a military family, and has a tough “drill sergeant” father. While he’s highly competitive, he’s also fair and supportive. The exception to that rule is when rules aren’t followed. Then Grey can be harsh. He needs structure and likes things planned and by the book. Please make a note of your client’s age with submission (feel free to suggest talent thatt is older than this description but for the purpose of this series, production would like to stick close to the age in breakdown)… WE WOULD LOVE TO FIND SOMEONE THAT DOES KNOW HOW TO PLAY FOOTBALL (PLEASE DO NOT LIMIT BUT IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL). SERIES LEAD.

VERA: Female. ASIAN. 15 years old. Talent may be older but we’re seeking talent that must look 15 years of age. Attractive. V.E.R.A. (Virtual Evolutionary Recombinant Avatar) was designed as an adaptive construct with one purpose – to train and mentor the Next Generation Guardians. Her programmer didn’t want her getting distracted, so he programmed her to be focused and determined. But once she’s 3-D bioprinted as a 15-year-old girl, some of her programming is altered, and she becomes more easily distracted. But Vera is a multitasking marvel, exploring all the fascinating aspects of this world and figuring out who she wants to be, while making sure the Guardians fulfill their mandate to protect and defend cyberspace. As an odd duck new human, Vera will provide a lot of comedic relief. Please make a note of your client’s age with submission (feel free to suggest talent that is older than this description but for the purpose of this series, production would like to stick close to the age in breakdown)… SERIES LEAD

PARKER: Male. OPEN ETHNICITY. 14 years old. Talent may be older but we’re seeking talent that must look 14 years of age. The Techno-Geek. Innovative and daring, Parker is an avid gamer and prides himself on being an A+ student, excelling in math and science. He skipped a grade, has a bit of a superior attitude about being so smart, and he’s sometimes impatient when others don’t catch on quickly enough. When Parker likes something he is excitable and enthusiastic, but he can also be judgmental of things he doesn’t like. Ultimately, Parker wants to fit in, be respected and appreciated, but he also likes being different. It’s become part of his identity, a badge he wears proudly. He’s often awkward, not fully understanding social cues. Parker looks up to Austin but he’s not afraid to challenge him if he doesn’t agree with his point of view. Please make a note of your client’s age with submission (feel free to suggest talent that is older than this description but for the purpose of this series, production would like to stick close to the age in breakdown)… SERIES LEAD

TAMRA: Female. OPEN ETHNICITY. 15 years old. Talent may be older but we’re seeking talent that must look 15 years of age. ATHLETIC. It would be great to find someone that can also perform Martial Arts (not mandatory but it would be an asset). The Social Media Maven. Tamra is an intense, opinionated, alt chick. But under her edgy, sarcastic exterior she is actually quite sensitive, open and empathetic. Her YouTube channel gives her a voice and a means to share her thoughts and feelings. She enjoys having an online following but isn’t so thrilled when people recognize her in person. She’s not after fame, she just wants to engage. Tamra is into music, video games, and has a purple belt in karate. She has a strong sense of right and wrong and doesn’t trust people who are dishonest and manipulative. Please make a note of your client’s age with submission (feel free to suggest talent that is older than this description but for the purpose of this series, production would like to stick close to the age in breakdown).

ReBoot fans are taking this reveal about as well as you could expect. Shout out to Salfmus on Reddit for posting this gem, “If I was [original series creator] Gavin Blair, after reading this I would hide in the opera’s basement and play sorrowful organ music for the rest of my life.”

The casting call ends with some information on the production itself. ReBoot: The Guardian Code will begin filming in Vancouver late August with things set to end on November 26th. The show is listed as being for YTV, with an episode count of 20. That’s six less than the original greenlight announcement, but the new number might be a typo, or those last six episodes are conditional.

I’ve also dug up a demonstration video of a Guardian Code companion TCG game. There’s some reused art from the original show alongside what appears to be some new designs. Who knows what’s temp.

I try not to slag things on this blog before seeing a single frame, so I’ll say that a lot can change. After all, the pre-broadcast versions of the original were rough.

Update: The card game video has been taken down. Mirror here.