Due to the quality of the Micheal Bay films, when I heard of the newest attempt at a transformers series I was in a word.... Skeptical. My first experience with Transformers: Prime was watching poor quality reruns ripped on YouTube, and I couldn't stop watching. As a die hard fan of Transformers, I've been waiting for a well written series based off of my favorite toys.
In the first season of TF: Prime, it becomes apparent to the viewer that the characters are characters. they have depth and reason to be on the show, unlike the "characters" from previous incarnations of the Autobots and Decepticons. in the past, the characters in transformers have been used as plot devices, only there to offer unnecessary help to the characters that really mattered. Transformers Prime shows the characters meanings through the relationships they discover with themselves and others.
In the second season things do get a bit more jaded, with interlocking stories and more complex characters with more hints to the good 'ol days of G1. from what I can tell so far, Transformers Prime is a fantastic show with dark stories, fantastic animation, and promise beyond expectations. If you've been on the fence about the privately owned series, I can guarantee you'll like it.