Cartoon Network is an American
cable televisionCable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
network owned by
Turner BroadcastingTurner Broadcasting System, Inc. is the Time Warner subsidiary managing the collection of cable networks and properties started and acquired by Robert Edward "Ted" Turner starting in the mid-1970s. The company has its headquarters in the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia. TBS, Inc...
which primarily airs
animatedAnimation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
programming. The channel was launched on October 1, 1992 after Turner purchased the animation studio Hanna-Barbera Productions in 1991. It was served as a 24-hour outlet for classic animation properties from the
Turner BroadcastingTurner Broadcasting System, Inc. is the Time Warner subsidiary managing the collection of cable networks and properties started and acquired by Robert Edward "Ted" Turner starting in the mid-1970s. The company has its headquarters in the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia. TBS, Inc...
libraries and was all-ages-oriented, but now the channel serves as a platform for the up & rising animation medium with various programmes catering to both adult and child audiences respectively.
It also broadcasts many shows, ranging from action to animated comedy. Original series started in 1994 with
Space Ghost Coast to CoastSpace Ghost Coast to Coast is an American animated parody talk show hosted by the 60s Hanna-Barbera cartoon character Space Ghost. The show premiered on April 15, 1994 on Cartoon Network...
, along with
Cartoon CartoonsCartoon Cartoons is a collective name for Cartoon Network original series. These cartoons were originally produced by Hanna-Barbera and Cartoon Network Studios, but over the years, studios like a.k.a. Cartoon, Kino Films, Stretch Films, Blanky Blook and Curious Pictures produced these series for...
original programmings like
Dexter's LaboratoryDexter's Laboratory is an American animated television series created by Genndy Tartakovsky and produced by Cartoon Network Studios . The show is about a boy named Dexter who has an enormous secret laboratory filled with an endless collection of his inventions...
,
Johnny BravoJohnny Bravo is an American animated television series created by Van Partible for Cartoon Network. The series stars a muscular beefcake young man named Johnny Bravo who dons a pompadour hairstyle and an Elvis Presley-like voice and has a forward, woman-chasing personality...
,
Cow and ChickenCow and Chicken is an American animated series, created by David Feiss. The series shows the surreal adventures of a cow, named Cow, and her chicken brother, named Chicken. They are often antagonized by "The Red Guy", who poses as various characters to scam or hurt them...
,
I Am WeaselI Am Weasel is an American animated television series produced by Cartoon Network Studios in co-production with Hanna-Barbera, created by David Feiss, and broadcast on Cartoon Network....
,
The Powerpuff GirlsThe Powerpuff Girls is an American animated television series created by animator Craig McCracken and produced by Hanna-Barbera for Cartoon Network...
,
Ed, Edd n EddyEd, Edd n Eddy is an original animated television series created by Danny Antonucci and produced by Canadian-based a.k.a. Cartoon. It premiered on Cartoon Network on January 4, 1999. Ed, Edd n Eddy was one of Cartoon Network's longest running and most successful franchises and the longest-running...
and
Courage the Cowardly DogCourage the Cowardly Dog is an American animated television series created by John R. Dilworth for Cartoon Network. Its central plot revolves around a somewhat anthropomorphic dog named Courage who lives with his owners, Muriel and Eustace Bagge, an elderly, married farming couple in the "Middle of...
. In 2008, it started airing live-action programming, including movies from
Warner Bros.Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
and
New Line CinemaNew Line Cinema, often simply referred to as New Line, is an American film studio. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne as a film distributor, later becoming an independent film studio. It became a subsidiary of Time Warner in 1996 and was merged with larger sister studio Warner...
.
Development
In 1986,
Ted TurnerRobert Edward "Ted" Turner III is an American media mogul and philanthropist. As a businessman, he is known as founder of the cable news network CNN, the first dedicated 24-hour cable news channel. In addition, he founded WTBS, which pioneered the superstation concept in cable television...
's cable-TV conglomerate acquired most of the pre-May 1986
MGMMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
film and television library (which also included
Gilligan's IslandGilligan's Island is an American television series created and produced by Sherwood Schwartz and originally produced by United Artists Television. The situation comedy series featured Bob Denver; Alan Hale, Jr.; Jim Backus; Natalie Schafer; Tina Louise; Russell Johnson; and Dawn Wells. It aired for...
and its animated spin-offs, the U.S. rights to a majority of the
RKO Radio PicturesRKO Pictures is an American film production and distribution company. As RKO Radio Pictures Inc., it was one of the Big Five studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orpheum theater chains and Joseph P...
library, and the
a.a.p.Associated Artists Productions was a distributor of theatrical feature films and short subjects for television. It existed from 1953 to 1958. It was later folded into United Artists. The former a.a.p. library was later owned by MGM/UA Entertainment and then Turner Entertainment. Turner continues...
catalog which includes the pre-1950
Warner Bros.Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
film library, the
Harman and IsingHugh Harman and Rudolf "Rudy" Ising were an American animation team best known for founding the Warner Bros. and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer animation studios...
Merrie MelodiesMerrie Melodies is the name of a series of animated cartoons distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures between 1931 and 1969.Originally produced by Harman-Ising Pictures, Merrie Melodies were produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions from 1933 to 1944. Schlesinger sold his studio to Warner Bros. in 1944,...
except
Lady, Play Your Mandolin!Lady, Play Your Mandolin! was the first Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon, directed by Rudolf Ising of Harman and Ising. It was originally released in August 1931.-Overview:...
, the pre-August 1948 color Warner Bros. cartoons, and the
Fleischer StudiosFleischer Studios, Inc., was an American corporation which originated as an Animation studio located at 1600 Broadway, New York City, New York...
and
Famous StudiosFamous Studios was the animation division of the film studio Paramount Pictures from 1942 to 1967. Famous was founded as a successor company to Fleischer Studios, after Paramount acquired the aforementioned studio and ousted its founders, Max and Dave Fleischer, in 1941...
PopeyePopeye the Sailor is a cartoon fictional character created by Elzie Crisler Segar, who has appeared in comic strips and animated cartoons in the cinema as well as on television. He first appeared in the daily King Features comic strip Thimble Theatre on January 17, 1929...
cartoons released by
Paramount PicturesParamount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
). In 1988, its cable channel Turner Network Television was launched and had gained an audience with its film library. In 1991, it purchased animation studio
Hanna-Barbera ProductionsHanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
and acquired its large library as well as most of the
Ruby-SpearsRuby-Spears Productions is a Burbank, California-based entertainment production company that specializes in animation...
library.
Launch
At 12PM ET on October 1, 1992, Cartoon Network was launched as an outlet for Turner's considerable library of animation, and the initial programming on the channel consisted exclusively of reruns of classic Warner Bros. cartoons (the pre-August 1948
Looney TunesLooney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and was Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series. Since its first official release, 1930's Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the series has become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television...
and
Merrie MelodiesMerrie Melodies is the name of a series of animated cartoons distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures between 1931 and 1969.Originally produced by Harman-Ising Pictures, Merrie Melodies were produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions from 1933 to 1944. Schlesinger sold his studio to Warner Bros. in 1944,...
), the 1933–1957
Popeye cartoons,
MGMMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
cartoons, and
Hanna-BarberaHanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
cartoons. At first, cable providers in
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and Detroit carried the channel. By the time the network launched, Cartoon Network had a 8,500 hour cartoon library.
Cartoon Network was not the first cable channel to have relied on cartoons to attract an audience.
NickelodeonNickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
had paved the way in the 1980s. On August 11, 1991, Nickelodeon had launched three "high-profile" animated series:
DougDoug is an American animated sitcom created by Jim Jinkins and co-produced by his studio, Jumbo Pictures . Doug centers on the surreal and imaginative exploits of its title character, Douglas "Doug" Funnie, who experiences common predicaments while attending middle school. The series lampoons...
,
The Ren & Stimpy Show, and
RugratsRugrats is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain for Nickelodeon. The series premiered on August 11, 1991, and aired its last episode on June 8, 2004....
, further signifying the importance of cartoons in its programming. The
Disney ChannelDisney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
and
the Family ChannelThe cable television network ABC Family has gone through several different owners during its history. Stipulations in sales terms for the network require that the network maintain the word "Family" in its name.-CBN Cable :...
had also included animated shows in their programming. In each of these cases, cartoons were only broadcast during the morning or the early afternoon.
Prime timePrime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
and
late night televisionLate night television in the United States is the block of television programming airing after 11:00 pm and usually through 2:00 am. Traditionally, this type of programming airs after the late local news and is most notable for being the daypart used for a particular genre of programming that falls...
hours were reserved for live-action programs, following the assumption that television animation could only attract child audiences, while Cartoon Network was a 24-hour single-genre channel with animation as its main theme.
Turner Broadcasting SystemTurner Broadcasting System, Inc. is the Time Warner subsidiary managing the collection of cable networks and properties started and acquired by Robert Edward "Ted" Turner starting in the mid-1970s. The company has its headquarters in the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia. TBS, Inc...
had defied conventional wisdom before by launching
CNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, a channel providing 24-hours news coverage. The concept was previously thought unlikely to attract a sufficient audience to be particularly profitable, however the CNN experiment had been successful and Turner could hope that the Network could also find success.
Initially, the channel would broadcast cartoons
24/724/7 is an abbreviation which stands for "24 hours a day, 7 days a week", usually referring to a business or service available at all times without interruption...
. Most of the short cartoons were aired in half-hour or hour-long packages, usually separated by character or studio—
Down Wit' Droopy D aired old Droopy Dog shorts,
The Tom and JerryTom and Jerry are the cat and mouse cartoon characters that were evolved starting in 1939.Tom and Jerry also may refer to:Cartoon works featuring the cat and mouse so named:* The Tom and Jerry Show...
Show presented the classic cat-and-mouse team, and
Bugs and Daffy Tonight provided classic
Looney TunesLooney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and was Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series. Since its first official release, 1930's Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the series has become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television...
shorts.
Late Night Black and White showed early
black-and-whiteBlack-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
cartoons (mostly from the
Fleischer StudiosFleischer Studios, Inc., was an American corporation which originated as an Animation studio located at 1600 Broadway, New York City, New York...
and
Walter LantzWalter Benjamin Lantz was an American cartoonist, animator, film producer, and director, best known for founding Walter Lantz Productions and creating Woody Woodpecker.-Early years and start in animation:...
cartoons from 1930s), and
ToonHeadsThe TV series ToonHeads is an animation anthology series consisting of uncut Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer & Warner Bros. cartoon shorts, with interesting background information and trivia, prominently by animators and voice actors like: Mel Blanc, Tex Avery, Hugh Harman, Rudy Ising, David H. DePatie, Friz...
, which would show three shorts with a similar theme and provide trivia about the cartoons. There was also an afternoon cartoon block called
High Noon ToonsHigh Noon Toons was a 3-hour programming block of cartoons hosted by two cowboy hand puppets named Haas and Lil' Jo shown on Cartoon Network in the mid-1990s...
which was hosted by cowboy hand puppets (an example of the simplicity and imagination the network had in the early years). The majority of the classic animation that was shown on Cartoon Network no longer airs on a regular basis, with the exception of
Tom and JerryTom and Jerry are the cat and mouse cartoon characters that were evolved starting in 1939.Tom and Jerry also may refer to:Cartoon works featuring the cat and mouse so named:* The Tom and Jerry Show...
and, as of March 14, 2011,
Looney TunesLooney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and was Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series. Since its first official release, 1930's Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the series has become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television...
.
The first challenge for Cartoon Network was to overcome its low penetration of existing cable systems. When launched in October 1992, the channel was only carried by 233 cable systems. However, it benefited from
package dealsProduct bundling is a marketing strategy that involves offering several products for sale as one combined product. This strategy is very common in the software business , in the cable television industry Product bundling is a marketing strategy that involves offering several products for sale as...
. New subscribers to sister stations TNT and WTBS could also get access to Cartoon Network through such deals. The high ratings of Cartoon Network over the following couple of years led to more cable systems including it. By the end of 1994, Cartoon Network had become "the fifth most popular cable channel in the United States".
Series
The network's first original show was
The Moxy ShowThe Moxy Show was an animation anthology television series produced by Hanna-Barbera and is the first Cartoon Network original series. The show ran on December 5, 1993, originally as The Moxy Pirate Show, and consisted of classic cartoons divided by 3-D animated interstitials featuring Moxy, a dog,...
and was first aired in 1993. The first series produced by Cartoon Network was
Space Ghost Coast to CoastSpace Ghost Coast to Coast is an American animated parody talk show hosted by the 60s Hanna-Barbera cartoon character Space Ghost. The show premiered on April 15, 1994 on Cartoon Network...
(1994), but the show mostly consisted of "recycled animation cels" from the archives of Hanna-Barbera, being an ironic
deconstructionDeconstruction is a term introduced by French philosopher Jacques Derrida in his 1967 book Of Grammatology. Although he carefully avoided defining the term directly, he sought to apply Martin Heidegger's concept of Destruktion or Abbau, to textual reading...
of a
talk showA talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
. It featured live-action guests, mostly consisting of celebrities which were past their prime or
countercultureCounterculture is a sociological term used to describe the values and norms of behavior of a cultural group, or subculture, that run counter to those of the social mainstream of the day, the cultural equivalent of political opposition. Counterculture can also be described as a group whose behavior...
figures. A running gag was that the production cost was dubbed "minimal". The series found its audience among young adults who appreciated its "
hipHip is a slang term meaning fashionably current and in the know. Hip is the opposite of square or prude.Hip, like cool, does not refer to one specific quality. What is considered hip is continuously changing. The term hip is said to have originated in African American Vernacular English in the...
" perspective.
Kevin Sandler considered that
Space Ghost Coast to Coast was instrumental in establishing Cartoon Network's appeal to older audiences.
Space GhostSpace Ghost is a fictional superhero created by Hanna-Barbera Productions and designed by Alex Toth for CBS in the 1960s. In his original incarnation, he was a superhero who, with his sidekick teen helpers Jan, Jace, and Blip the monkey, fought supervillains in outer space...
, a 1960s
superheroA superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
by Hanna-Barbera, was recast as the star of a
talk showA talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
parody. This was arguably the first time the Network revived a "classic animated icon" in an entirely new context for comedic purposes. Grown-ups who had ceased enjoying the original takes on the characters could find amusement in the "new ironic and self-referential context" for them. Promotional shorts such as the "Scooby-Doo Project", a parody of the
The Blair Witch ProjectThe Blair Witch Project is a 1999 American horror film pieced together from amateur footage. The film was produced by the Haxan Films production company. The film relates the story of three student filmmakers The Blair Witch Project is a 1999 American horror film pieced together from amateur...
, gave similar treatments to the Scooby gang. However, there were less successful efforts at such revivals.
A Day in the Life of Ranger SmithA Day in the Life of Ranger Smith is a stand-alone special parody of the Hanna-Barbera cartoon series, The Yogi Bear Show, which revolves around Ranger Smith. A Day in the Life of Ranger Smith was made by The Ren & Stimpy Show creator John Kricfalusi and his company Spümcø...
and
Boo Boo Runs WildBoo Boo Runs Wild is a stand-alone special parody of the Hanna-Barbera cartoon series, The Yogi Bear Show. It was made by The Ren & Stimpy Show creator John Kricfalusi and his company Spümcø. Boo Boo Runs Wild originally aired on Cartoon Network on September 24, 1999, along with A Day in the Life...
(1999) featured new takes on
Yogi BearYogi Bear is a fictional bear who appears in animated cartoons created by Hanna-Barbera Productions. He made his debut in 1958 as a supporting character in The Huckleberry Hound Show. Yogi Bear was the first breakout character created by Hanna-Barbera, and was eventually more popular than...
's supporting cast by
John KricfalusiMichael John Kricfalusi , better known as John K., is a Canadian animator. He is creator of The Ren & Stimpy Show, its adults-only spin-off Ren & Stimpy "Adult Party Cartoon", The Ripping Friends animated series, and Weekend Pussy Hunt, which was billed as "the world's first interactive web-based...
. Their "tasteless" humor, sexual content and lack of respect for the source material was rather out of place among the rest of the Cartoon Network shows. These shorts do not seem to have much of a fan-following and the network rarely found a place for them in its programming.
In 1994, Hanna-Barbera's new division
Cartoon Network StudiosCartoon Network Studios is an American animation studio. A subsidiary of the Turner Broadcasting System , Cartoon Network Studios focuses on producing and developing animated programs only for and related to Cartoon Network...
was founded and started production on
What-a-Cartoon (promotionally known as
World Premiere Toons). This show debuted in 1995, offering original animated shorts commissioned from Hanna-Barbera and various independent animators. The Network promoted the series as an attempt to return to the "classic days" of studio animation, offering full animator control, high budgets, and no
limited animationLimited animation is a process of making animated cartoons that does not redraw entire frames but variably reuses common parts between frames. One of its major trademarks is the stylized design in all forms and shapes, which in the early days was referred to as modern design...
. The project was spearheaded by several Cartoon Network executives, plus
John KricfalusiMichael John Kricfalusi , better known as John K., is a Canadian animator. He is creator of The Ren & Stimpy Show, its adults-only spin-off Ren & Stimpy "Adult Party Cartoon", The Ripping Friends animated series, and Weekend Pussy Hunt, which was billed as "the world's first interactive web-based...
and
Fred SeibertFrederick "Fred" Seibert is a television and film producer and entertainment entrepreneur who owns Frederator Studios, and who has held leading positions with MTV Networks, Hanna-Barbera, and Next New Networks; he owns Frederator Studios...
. Kricfalusi was the creator of
The Ren & Stimpy Show and served as an advisor to the Network, while Seibert was formerly one of the driving forces behind
NicktoonsNicktoons are animated television shows that are produced by and aired on the children's television channel Nickelodeon. Prior to 1991, Nickelodeon aired mostly foreign made animated series. The idea for Nicktoons was formed in 1989 and on Sunday, August 11, 1991, the first Nicktoon, Doug, was...
and would go on to produce the similar animation anthology series
Oh, Yeah! CartoonsOh Yeah! Cartoons is an American animation showcase that appeared on the Nickelodeon cable channel. Oh Yeah! was an animation project guided by Fred Seibert, former Creative Director of MTV Networks and President of Hanna-Barbera...
and Random CartoonsRandom! Cartoons is a spin-off of the Nickelodeon animation showcase Oh Yeah! Cartoons. Produced by Frederator Studios and Nickelodeon Animation Studios for the Nicktoons Network, it premiered on Nicktoons Network on December 6, 2008.-Description:...
.
Cartoon Network was able to assess the potential of certain shorts to serve as pilots for spin-off series and signed contracts with their creators to create ongoing series.
Dexter’s Laboratory was the most popular short series according to a vote held in 1995 and eventually became the first
spin-offIn media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
of
What a Cartoon! in 1996. Three more series based on shorts debuted in 1997:
Johnny BravoJohnny Bravo is an American animated television series created by Van Partible for Cartoon Network. The series stars a muscular beefcake young man named Johnny Bravo who dons a pompadour hairstyle and an Elvis Presley-like voice and has a forward, woman-chasing personality...
,
Cow and ChickenCow and Chicken is an American animated series, created by David Feiss. The series shows the surreal adventures of a cow, named Cow, and her chicken brother, named Chicken. They are often antagonized by "The Red Guy", who poses as various characters to scam or hurt them...
, and
I Am WeaselI Am Weasel is an American animated television series produced by Cartoon Network Studios in co-production with Hanna-Barbera, created by David Feiss, and broadcast on Cartoon Network....
(the latter two as segments of the same show; later,
I Am Weasel was separated and got its own show). These were followed by
The Powerpuff GirlsThe Powerpuff Girls is an American animated television series created by animator Craig McCracken and produced by Hanna-Barbera for Cartoon Network...
in 1998 and concluded with
Courage the Cowardly DogCourage the Cowardly Dog is an American animated television series created by John R. Dilworth for Cartoon Network. Its central plot revolves around a somewhat anthropomorphic dog named Courage who lives with his owners, Muriel and Eustace Bagge, an elderly, married farming couple in the "Middle of...
and
Mike, Lu & OgMike, Lu & Og is an American animated television series produced by Kinofilm Studios that ran on Cartoon Network. The show was the seventh Cartoon Cartoon, based on a short for The What-A-Cartoon! Show. Created by Chuck Swenson, the show follows a girl named Mike, a foreign exchange student from...
in 1999 .The unrelated series
Ed, Edd n EddyEd, Edd n Eddy is an original animated television series created by Danny Antonucci and produced by Canadian-based a.k.a. Cartoon. It premiered on Cartoon Network on January 4, 1999. Ed, Edd n Eddy was one of Cartoon Network's longest running and most successful franchises and the longest-running...
was also launched in 1999.
These original series were intended to appeal to a wider audience than the average
Saturday morning cartoonA Saturday morning cartoon is the colloquial term for the animated television programming that has typically been scheduled on Saturday mornings on the major American television networks from the 1960s to the present; the genre's peak in popularity mostly ended in the 1990s while the popularity of...
.
Linda SimenskyLinda Simensky is a production manager of various works of animation. Simensky served as an executive for Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network.Simensky graduated from University of Pennsylvania in 1985.Simensky received the June Foray Award in 2000....
, vice-president of original animation, reminded adults and teenage girls that cartoons could appeal to them as well. Kevin Sandler's article of them claimed that these cartoons were both less "bawdy" than their counterparts at
Comedy CentralComedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
and less "socially responsible" than their counterparts at
NickelodeonNickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
. Sandler pointed to the whimsical rebelliousness, high exaggeration, and self-consciousness of the overall output, while each individual series managed to be "visually bold and energetic" in its own way.
Expansion
In 1996, Turner merged with
Time WarnerTime Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
. This consolidated ownership of all the Warner Bros. cartoons, so now post-July 1948 and the former
SunsetSunset Productions was a television syndication division of Warner Bros. which existed in the 1950s.-Overview:Sunset Productions is best known as the company identified on a package of black-and-white Warner Bros. cartoons distributed in television syndication in the early 1950s...
-owned black-and-white cartoons (which Warner Brothers had reacquired in the 1960s) releases were being shown on the network. Although most of the post-July 1948 cartoons were still contracted to be shown on
NickelodeonNickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
, the network wouldn't air them until September 1999. Newer animated productions by Warner Bros. also started appearing on the network—mostly reruns of shows that had aired on
Kids' WBKids' WB! was Warner Bros. American childrens programing division brand for The WB Television Network. In September 2006, the block moved to The CW Television Network. The CW is the result of The WB's merger with UPN in 2006...
, plus certain new programs such as
Justice LeagueJustice League is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from 2001 to 2004 on Cartoon Network. The show was produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It is based on the Justice League of America and associated comic book characters published by DC Comics...
.
Cartoon Network's programming wouldn't be available in Canada until 1997, when a Canadian specialty network entitled
TeletoonTélétoon is a Canadian French language Category A specialty channel that specializes in animation programming. Télétoon is owned by Teletoon Canada Inc; a 50/50 partnership between Astral Media and Corus Entertainment...
and its
French language counterpartTélétoon is a Canadian French language Category A specialty channel that specializes in animation programming. Télétoon is owned by Teletoon Canada Inc; a 50/50 partnership between Astral Media and Corus Entertainment...
launched.
2000s
On September 2, 2001,
Adult SwimAdult Swim is an adult-oriented Cable network that shares channel space with Cartoon Network from 9:00 pm until 6:00 am ET/PT in the United States, and broadcasts in countries such as Australia and New Zealand...
was officially premiered (as a block) with the airing of the "Director's Cut" episode of
Home MoviesHome Movies is a dialogue-driven American animated series that originally aired from 1999 to 2004. The plot surrounds eight-year-old Brendon Small , who makes films with his friends Melissa Robbins and Jason Penopolis in his spare time...
.
The first theatrical film
The Powerpuff Girls MovieThe Powerpuff Girls Movie is a 2002 American animated film based on the Cartoon Network animated television series of the same name. Produced by Cartoon Network Studios for Warner Bros. Pictures and Cartoon Network, the film debuted in the United States on July 3, 2002...
was released in 2002, which received mixed to positive reviews by critics.
At 5AM ET on the morning of June 14, 2004, Cartoon Network debuted its second logo with a new theme and new bumpers (designed by
Animal LogicAnimal Logic is an Australian digital visual effects company based at Fox Studios in Sydney, Australia and Santa Monica, California. Established in 1991, Animal Logic's core business has traditionally been the design and production of high-end visual effects for commercials and television programs,...
) and its slogan, “This is Cartoon Network!” The bumpers now featured
2DTraditional animation, is an animation technique where each frame is drawn by hand...
cartoon characters from their shows interacting in a
CGIComputer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
city composed of sets from their shows. By now, nearly all of Cartoon Network's classic cartoon programming had been relocated to its sister network
BoomerangBoomerang is a 24-hour American cable television channel owned by Turner Broadcasting System, a division of Time Warner. Boomerang specializes in reruns of animated programming from Time Warner's extensive archives, including pre-1986 MGM, Hanna-Barbera, Cartoon Network, DePatie-Freleng Enterprises...
to make way for new programming.
Jim Samples, president of the Cartoon Network for 13 years, resigned on February 9, 2007 due to the
2007 Boston bomb scareThe 2007 Boston bomb scare occurred on January 31, 2007 when the Boston Police Department mistakenly identified battery-powered LED placards resembling the Mooninite characters in the show Aqua Teen Hunger Force found throughout Boston, Massachusetts and the surrounding cities of Cambridge and...
. Following Samples's resignation, Stuart Snyder was named his successor. On September 1, 2007, the network look was revamped, and bumpers and station identification were themed to
The HivesThe Hives are a Swedish garage rock band that first garnered attention in the early 2000s as a prominent group of the garage rock revival. Their mainstream success came with the release of the "greatest hits" album Your New Favourite Band, featuring their most well-known song "Hate to Say I Told...
song Fall is Just Something That Grown-Ups Invented. On October 15, 2007, the channel began broadcasting in 1080i
high definitionHigh-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
. Every October since 2007, Cartoon Network would air 40 episodes of the former
Fox KidsFox Kids was the Fox Broadcasting Company's American children's programming division and brand name from September 8, 1990 until September 7, 2002. It was owned by Fox Television Entertainment airing programming on Monday–Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings.Depending on the show, the...
program
GoosebumpsGoosebumps is a Canadian children's horror anthology television series based on R. L. Stine's Goosebumps books.-Networks:...
, though Cartoon Network lost the rights to the show on October 31, 2009 and stopped airing the program.
Starting in the end of 2007, the network has also began to air some imported programs from
TeletoonTélétoon is a Canadian French language Category A specialty channel that specializes in animation programming. Télétoon is owned by Teletoon Canada Inc; a 50/50 partnership between Astral Media and Corus Entertainment...
such as
George of the JungleGeorge of the Jungle is a Canadian television series. It is the remake of the 1967 animated series of the same name, using Adobe Flash animation. It is produced in Canada , and more recently in the USA on Cartoon Network, premiering with the Christmas special. In Latin America, it is airing on...
, Atomic Betty",
6teen6teen is a Canadian animated sitcom, which premiered in Canada in 2004 on Teletoon. In the USA, 6teen first premiered on Nickelodeon on December 18, 2005 and was removed from the schedule on May 13, 2006 before being removed completely in 2007 before the series' run could be completed. 6teen was...
,
ChaoticChaotic is an American-Canadian animated fantasy television series produced by 4Kids Entertainment and animated by Bardel Entertainment. It is based on the Danish trading card game of the same name. Much of the plot is based on the original storyline of the Danish trading card game.-Premise:Chaotic...
,
Bakugan Battle Brawlersis a Japanese action adventure anime television series produced by TMS Entertainment and Japan Vistec under the direction of Mitsuo Hashimoto. The story centers on the lives of creatures called Bakugan and the battle brawlers who possess them...
,
StokedStoked is a Canadian animated TV series produced by Fresh TV Inc. It is produced by Jennifer Pertsch and Tom McGillis and premiered on Teletoon on June 25, 2009. It is currently airing on Teletoon in Canada, and formerly on Cartoon Network in the United States...
,
Total Drama IslandTotal Drama Island is a Canadian animated television series which lampoons the conventions commonly found in reality shows. The show and its sequel seasons are collectively referred to as the Total Drama series. It premiered on the Canadian cable television specialty channel Teletoon on July 8, 2007...
and its successors
Total Drama ActionTotal Drama Action is a Canadian animated television series. It is the second season of the Total Drama series, which began with Total Drama Island. The show premiered in Teletoon at 6:30 pm ET/PT on January 11, 2009. This series was also created by the makers of 6teen, another Teletoon program...
and Total Drama World Tour.
Cartoon Network announced at its 2008 Upfront that it was working on a new project called
Cartoonstitute, which was headed by animators
Craig McCrackenCraig McCracken is an American animator and creator of The Powerpuff Girls and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends.-Biography:...
as executive producer and
Rob RenzettiRobert "Rob" Renzetti is an American animator and director who created the animated television series My Life as a Teenage Robot and is currently story editor on the animated television series My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic.-Background:...
as supervising producer. Both reported to Rob Scorcher, who created the idea. It would have worked similar to
What A Cartoon!What a Cartoon! , is an American animation showcase project created by Fred Seibert for Hanna-Barbera Cartoons to be run on Cartoon Network...
, by creating at least 150 pieces of animation within 20 months. Cartoonstitute was eventually cancelled, and out of all the shorts, two
Regular ShowRegular Show is an American animated television series created by J. G. Quintel...
and
Secret Mountain Fort AwesomeSecret Mountain Fort Awesome is an American animated television series created by Peter Browngardt and produced at Cartoon Network Studios for Cartoon Network...
were selected, after animator Craig McCracken (the creator of
The Powerpuff Girls and
Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends) eventually left the network after 15 years in 2009. On September 20, 2008, Cartoon Network ended Toonami after its 11-year run.
Beginning May 25, 2008, Cartoon Network began airing animated shorts, called
Wedgies, to fill in spots between two programs. On July 14, 2008, the network took on a newer look created by Tristan Eaton and was animated by
Crew972Crew972, established in April 2005, is an Israeli 3D animation studio that provides 3D animation services and develops and creates original animated entertainment.-History:...
. The bumpers of that era had white, faceless characters called Noods, based on the DIY toy,
MunnyA Munny doll is a toy from the American company Kidrobot.- Action Figure :A Munny doll is made out of vinyl and has movable joints.A Munny doll is a blank figure the owner can decorate using pens, pencils, markers, paint, and other supplies...
. The standard network logo was then completely white, adopting different colors based on the occasion in the same style.
On Saturday September 20, 2008, Cartoon Network ended Toonami after it's eleven year run on the network. At the end of Toonami's final airing, the host, TOM (voiced by
Steven BlumSteven Jay Blum is an American voice actor known primarily for his work in anime dubs and video games, using his distinctive deep voice. Among his credits include the voice of Spike Spiegel of the anime series Cowboy Bebop and Mugen of the anime series Samurai Champloo...
), ended the block with its final monologue.
In June 2009, a block of live-action reality shows,
The OthersidersThe Othersiders is an American paranormal reality television series that premiered on June 17, 2009 on the Cartoon Network. The program follows a group of five teenagers who are interested in the paranormal and explore reportedly haunted sites to discover any paranormal activity. Aimed for a teen...
,
Survive ThisSurvive This is a Canadian reality TV show on which eight teenagers with limited survival skills training are taken into a forest and confronted with a number of survival challenges to test their skills and perseverance. The series airs on YTV in Canada and Cartoon Network in the United States...
,
BrainRushBrainRush is a live-action game show on Cartoon Network, hosted by Lamorne Morris and, to a lesser extent, Sarah Karges. It first aired on June 20, 2009. The show was canceled due to low ratings.-Format:...
,
Destroy Build DestroyDestroy Build Destroy was a live action program on Cartoon Network. It focuses on an unusual type of a game show, where two teams destroy a random object and build vehicles out of them, and then destroy the losers' creation...
,
Dude, What Would HappenDude, What Would Happen was a live-action reality show that airs on Cartoon Network. It is targeted to viewers ages 9–17. The show first aired on August 19, 2009, along with Bobb'e Says. The show is hosted by three male teenagers who wonder what would happen if some wild event, scheme, or...
and
Bobb'e Says, began airing in a programming block promoted as
CN Real. The network also aired some limited sports programming, including basketball recaps and
SlamballSlamball is a form of basketball played with 4 trampolines in front of each net. It is played "full contact" and has boards around the court....
games, during the commercials.
2010s
A new identity for the station was introduced on May 29, 2010, along with a new theme and new bumpers. The network's current branding, designed by
Brand New SchoolBrand New School, founded in 2000, is a creative design and production studio specializing in commercials, interactive media, branding consultation and design, and music videos. Brand New School has offices in New York, Los Angeles, and London, and has directed commercials for such companies as...
, makes heavy use of the black and white checkerboard which made up the network's first logo, as well as various CMYK color variations and various patterns. Since December 27, 2010, Adult Swim began starting 1 hour earlier at 9 PM. In February 2010, Cartoon Network aired their first sports award show, called
Hall of Game AwardsHall of Game Awards is an award show held by Cartoon Network that was hosted by Tony Hawk and airedon February 25th. A 2nd show has been confirmed for 2012 with Shaquille O'Neal hosting.-Presenters:* Snoop Dogg* Venus Williams* Drew Brees...
, hosted by
Tony HawkAnthony Frank "Tony" Hawk , nicknamed "The Birdman" is an American retired professional skateboarder and actor. Hawk gained significant fame for completing the first 900 as well as his licensed video game titles distributed by Activision...
. The second
Hall of Games Awards will air in 2012 and will be hosted by
Shaquille O'NealShaquille Rashaun O'Neal , nicknamed "Shaq" , is a former American professional basketball player. Standing tall and weighing , he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA...
.
At its 2011 upfront, Cartoon Network has announced 14 new series, including
The Problem SolverzThe Problem Solverz is an American animated television series produced by Made 100% in Burbank and Mirari Films and created by Ben Jones, a member of the art collective Paper Rad, for Cartoon Network...
, formerly known as
Neon Knome,
The Looney Tunes ShowThe Looney Tunes Show is a packaged show, created for Cartoon Network, and broadcast from 2002 to 2005. It was produced by Warner Bros. Animation. The show featured cartoon shorts from the original Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies theatrical cartoon series produced from 1930 to 1969.-External links:...
,
Secret Mountain Fort AwesomeSecret Mountain Fort Awesome is an American animated television series created by Peter Browngardt and produced at Cartoon Network Studios for Cartoon Network...
,
Level UpLevel Up was a UK children's TV programme that was broadcast on CBBC. It was launched on the 3rd April 2006, replacing Xchange. The show was an hour long and during the school year broadcasting from 7:30am until 8:30am...
, a scripted live-action comedy series which will have a 90-minute starting film,
Tower PrepTower Prep is an American-Canadian television series that aired on Cartoon Network. It debuted on October 16, 2010, after the world premiere of Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster. The series is created by Paul Dini, a former producer and writer of Batman: The Animated Series and Superman: The...
,
Green LanternThe Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
,
How to Train Your DragonHow to Train Your Dragon is a series of nine books set in a fictional Viking world. The books were published starting in 2003 as children's novels written by British author Cressida Cowell and published by Hodder Children's Books...
, the series based on the
Dreamworks filmHow to Train Your Dragon is a 2010 3D computer-animated action fantasy film by DreamWorks Animation loosely based on the 2003 book of the same name. The film stars the voices of Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, T.J. Miller, Kristen Wiig, and Christopher...
,
The Amazing World of GumballThe Amazing World of Gumball is a British/American animated television series created by Ben Bocquelet. It first aired on May 2, 2011 in the United Kingdom as a sneak preview and officially premiered on September 5, 2011. It premiered a week later on May 9, 2011 in the United States on Cartoon...
,
Total Drama: Revenge of the IslandTotal Drama: Revenge of the Island is the fourth season of the Total Drama franchise. The series' extension was commissioned by Teletoon from the producers, Fresh T.V. Inc. This season will take place back at Camp Wawanakwa but this time with an entirely new cast...
, the sequel of
Total Drama World Tour; and
ThunderCatsThunderCats is an American animated television series executive produced by Sam Register, and produced by Ethan Spaulding and Michael Jelenic and is a reboot of the original series by Tobin "Ted" Wolf. It is produced by Warner Bros. Animation with animation provided by the Japanese Studio 4°C.The...
. The network also has a new
Ben 10The Omnitrix was originally created by a Galvan named Azmuth. The Omnitrix was intended to allow beings to experience life as other species in order to bring understanding and foster peace in the universe....
series planned . The network announced a new block planned to air called "DC Nation"; this block will focus on the titular heroes, the first being
Green LanternThe Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
. 9 Story's
Almost Naked AnimalsAlmost Naked Animals is a Canadian animated television series that is produced for YTV and Cartoon Network. On January 7, 2011, The series aired a sneak peek on YTV and officially premiered on the next day. The series was created by Noah Z...
, an animated comedy about a group of shaved animals in their underwear running a hotel called the
Banana Cabana, was also picked up by the network and made its US debut on June 13, 2011, the same premiere date as another Canadian-acquired animated series,
SidekickSidekick is a Canadian animated television series created by Todd Kauffman and Joey So. The series first aired on YTV on September 30, 2010 in Canada as a special preview and officially premiered on October 2, 2010 at 10:30AM ET. It premiered on Cartoon Network on June 13, 2011 at 3:30PM ET in the...
.
After announcing two new reality live action shows in
Unnatural HistoryUnnatural History is a television series produced by Warner Horizon Television for Cartoon Network.The series is the second scripted, live-action show on Cartoon Network after the short-lived Out of Jimmy's Head. The first season consisted of thirteen hour-long episodes and premiered on Sunday,...
and
Tower PrepTower Prep is an American-Canadian television series that aired on Cartoon Network. It debuted on October 16, 2010, after the world premiere of Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster. The series is created by Paul Dini, a former producer and writer of Batman: The Animated Series and Superman: The...
, which were both cancelled after their first seasons, Cartoon Network acquired the game show,
Hole in the Wall. By the end of 2011,
Hole in the Wall and the final two CN Real shows,
Destroy Build Destroy and
Dude, What Would Happen were removed from Cartoon Network's schedule completely. In 2012, Cartoon Network will add an adaptation of the popular web series
The Annoying Orange to it's lineup.
Programming
Many of the programs were actually aired including the original series that were produced by Cartoon Network Studios, like
Dexter's LaboratoryDexter's Laboratory is an American animated television series created by Genndy Tartakovsky and produced by Cartoon Network Studios . The show is about a boy named Dexter who has an enormous secret laboratory filled with an endless collection of his inventions...
,
Cow and ChickenCow and Chicken is an American animated series, created by David Feiss. The series shows the surreal adventures of a cow, named Cow, and her chicken brother, named Chicken. They are often antagonized by "The Red Guy", who poses as various characters to scam or hurt them...
,
Johnny BravoJohnny Bravo is an American animated television series created by Van Partible for Cartoon Network. The series stars a muscular beefcake young man named Johnny Bravo who dons a pompadour hairstyle and an Elvis Presley-like voice and has a forward, woman-chasing personality...
,
I Am WeaselI Am Weasel is an American animated television series produced by Cartoon Network Studios in co-production with Hanna-Barbera, created by David Feiss, and broadcast on Cartoon Network....
,
The Powerpuff GirlsThe Powerpuff Girls is an American animated television series created by animator Craig McCracken and produced by Hanna-Barbera for Cartoon Network...
,
Foster's Home for Imaginary FriendsFoster's Home for Imaginary Friends is an American animated television series created and produced at Cartoon Network Studios by animator Craig McCracken, creator of The Powerpuff Girls. It first premiered on Cartoon Network on August 13, 2004, as a 90-minute television movie, which led to a series...
,
Codename: Kids Next DoorCodename: Kids Next Door, also known as Kids Next Door or by its acronym KND, is an American animated television series created by Tom Warburton and produced by Curious Pictures in Santa Monica, California.. The series debuted on Cartoon Network on December 6, 2002 and aired its final episode on...
and
The Grim Adventures of Billy & MandyThe Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy often shortened as Billy and Mandy is an American animated television series that aired on Cartoon Network. It is also the spin-off of Grim & Evil. Having originally aired as part of Grim & Evil The show began in 2001, And went on to become one of Cartoon...
, including non-productions like
Ed, Edd n EddyEd, Edd n Eddy is an original animated television series created by Danny Antonucci and produced by Canadian-based a.k.a. Cartoon. It premiered on Cartoon Network on January 4, 1999. Ed, Edd n Eddy was one of Cartoon Network's longest running and most successful franchises and the longest-running...
,
Courage the Cowardly DogCourage the Cowardly Dog is an American animated television series created by John R. Dilworth for Cartoon Network. Its central plot revolves around a somewhat anthropomorphic dog named Courage who lives with his owners, Muriel and Eustace Bagge, an elderly, married farming couple in the "Middle of...
and
Adventure TimeAdventure Time was a local children's television show on WTAE-TV 4 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1959 to 1975. It was hosted by the late Paul Shannon, with guitarist Joe Negri and puppeteer Jim Martin...
. The network also carries acquired programs that some of them were produced by
Warner Bros. AnimationWarner Bros. Animation is the animation division of Warner Bros., a subsidiary of Time Warner. The studio is closely associated with the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies characters, among others. The studio is the successor to Warner Bros...
and third party animation studios, which were not produced by Cartoon Network Studios. It also has original live-action series like
Out of Jimmy's HeadOut of Jimmy's Head was Cartoon Network's second live-action/animated television series. It is based on the live-action/animated telefilm Re-Animated that aired on December 8, 2006...
,
The OthersidersThe Othersiders is an American paranormal reality television series that premiered on June 17, 2009 on the Cartoon Network. The program follows a group of five teenagers who are interested in the paranormal and explore reportedly haunted sites to discover any paranormal activity. Aimed for a teen...
,
Destroy Build DestroyDestroy Build Destroy was a live action program on Cartoon Network. It focuses on an unusual type of a game show, where two teams destroy a random object and build vehicles out of them, and then destroy the losers' creation...
and
Dude, What Would HappenDude, What Would Happen was a live-action reality show that airs on Cartoon Network. It is targeted to viewers ages 9–17. The show first aired on August 19, 2009, along with Bobb'e Says. The show is hosted by three male teenagers who wonder what would happen if some wild event, scheme, or...
. A
Spanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
audio track is accessible via
SAPSecond audio program , also known as secondary audio programming, is an auxiliary audio channel for analog television that can be broadcast or transmitted both over the air and by cable TV.-Usage:...
, some cable and satellite companies offer the Spanish feed as a separate channel.
Cartoon Network benefited from having access to "the largest collection of animated programming" available. The titles available for broadcasting included the libraries of threatrically-released shorts produced by both
Warner Bros.Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
(
Looney TunesLooney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and was Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series. Since its first official release, 1930's Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the series has become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television...
, Merrie MelodiesMerrie Melodies is the name of a series of animated cartoons distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures between 1931 and 1969.Originally produced by Harman-Ising Pictures, Merrie Melodies were produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions from 1933 to 1944. Schlesinger sold his studio to Warner Bros. in 1944,...
) and the
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studioThe Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio was the in-house division of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer motion picture studio in Hollywood, California during the Golden Age of American animation, responsible for producing animated short subjects to accompany MGM feature films in Loew's Theaters...
(
Tom and JerryTom and Jerry are the cat and mouse cartoon characters that were evolved starting in 1939.Tom and Jerry also may refer to:Cartoon works featuring the cat and mouse so named:* The Tom and Jerry Show...
and other series), the television series produced by the
Hanna-BarberaHanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
animation studio (
The FlintstonesThe Flintstones is an animated, prime-time American television sitcom that screened from September 30, 1960 to April 1, 1966, on ABC. Produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, The Flintstones was about a working class Stone Age man's life with his family and his next-door neighbor and best friend. It...
,
Scooby-DooScooby-Doo is an American media franchise based around several animated television series and related works produced from 1969 to the present day. The original series, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, was created for Hanna-Barbera Productions by writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears in 1969...
, and many others), syndicated shows from
Kids' WBKids' WB! was Warner Bros. American childrens programing division brand for The WB Television Network. In September 2006, the block moved to The CW Television Network. The CW is the result of The WB's merger with UPN in 2006...
(
Batman: The Animated SeriesBatman: The Animated Series is an American animated series based on the DC Comics character Batman. The series featured an ensemble cast of many voice-actors including Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Arleen Sorkin, and Loren Lester. The series won four Emmy Awards and was nominated...
and others), and licensed
animeis the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
shows (
Dragonball Z, Mobile Suit Gundam WingMobile Suit Gundam Wing, known in Japan as , is an anime series in the mecha genre, and is one of the alternate universe Gundam series, taking place in the After Colony timeline. It is the second alternate universe in the Gundam media franchise, following Mobile Fighter G Gundam...
).
By the early 2000s, Cartoon Network had established programming blocks aimed at different age demographics. The shows broadcast during the early morning had
preschoolersPreschool education is the provision of learning to children before the commencement of statutory and obligatory education, usually between the ages of zero and three or five, depending on the jurisdiction....
as their target audience and mostly had
prosocial behaviorProsocial behavior, or "voluntary behavior intended to benefit another", consists of actions which "benefit other people or society as a whole," "such as helping, sharing, donating, co- operating, and volunteering." These actions may be motivated by empathy and by concern about the welfare and...
as a theme. The
ToonamiToonami was a registered trademark of Cartoon Network, used initially for action-oriented programming blocks on Cartoon Network television channels worldwide, mostly showing American cartoons and Japanese anime, originating in the United States on March 17, 1997 and ended on September 20, 2008.The...
programming block, featured later in the day, mostly included anime shows and their target audience were
tweensA tween is a North American neologism that describes a person who is between the ages of 9 and 12 years old . The term is often described in popular media as referring to a pre-adolescent who is at the "in-between" stage in their development when they are considered "too old for toys, too young...
and
teenagersAdolescence is a transitional stage of physical and mental human development generally occurring between puberty and legal adulthood , but largely characterized as beginning and ending with the teenage stage...
.
Prime timePrime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
shows mostly included classic cartoons, featured as part of the
The Tex Avery ShowThe Tex Avery Show was an animated showcase of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Warner Bros. cartoon shorts prominently by animator Tex Avery . The showcase premiered on the Cartoon Network in 1996 , and was taken off the air in 2002...
, The Chuck Jones Show and
The Bob Clampett ShowThe Bob Clampett Show was an animation anthology television program which ran from 2000 to 2001. Produced by the Cartoon Network, it featured animated theatrical shorts from the Warner Bros. library that were animated or directed by Bob Clampett, as well as a selection of shorts from the Beany and...
. Their target audience included teenagers and adults. The
Adult SwimAdult Swim is an adult-oriented Cable network that shares channel space with Cartoon Network from 9:00 pm until 6:00 am ET/PT in the United States, and broadcasts in countries such as Australia and New Zealand...
franchise, launched in 2001, was broadcast at night hours, including "mature" series with explicit content aimed at adult audiences.
Jason Mittell considers Cartoon Network to have helped the "cartoon genre" (animation in general) reach a wider audience in the 1990s. Mittell noted that Disney feature films starting with
The Little MermaidThe Little Mermaid is a 1989 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale of the same name. Distributed by Walt Disney Pictures, the film was originally released to theaters on November 14, 1989 and is the twenty-eighth film in...
(1989), prime time animated series starting with
The SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
(1989-present), and the success of Cartoon Network all helped end the "stigma" of animation only appealing to children, allowing adults to enjoy animation once again. He also credited the Network for returning cartoons initially designed for mass audiences back to their original purpose, but noted that in the case of the Hanna-Barbera shows, Cartoon Network only broadcast the most successful and well-regarded of them, largely overlooking the "lesser efforts" of the company in an apparent belief that these would turn off their adult viewers. The Network's target audience, however, is stated to include "people who love cartoons" in general, regardless of their age or whether the viewers approach cartoons as a form of nostalgia, due to an appreciation of the art form, or simply seeking entertainment.
Marketing
Cartoon Network shows with established fan followings, such as the
The Powerpuff GirlsThe Powerpuff Girls is an American animated television series created by animator Craig McCracken and produced by Hanna-Barbera for Cartoon Network...
, allowed the Network to pursue licensing agreements with companies interested in selling series-related merchandise. For example, agreements with
Kraft FoodsKraft Foods Inc. is an American confectionery, food and beverage conglomerate. It markets many brands in more than 170 countries. 12 of its brands annually earn more than $1 billion worldwide: Cadbury, Jacobs, Kraft, LU, Maxwell House, Milka, Nabisco, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Trident, Tang...
led to widespread in-store advertising for Cartoon Network-related products. The Network also worked on cross-promotion campaigns with both Kraft and
Tower RecordsTower Records was a retail music chain that was based in Sacramento, California. It currently exists as an international franchise and an online music store....
. In product development and marketing, the Network has benefited from its relation to corporate parent
Time WarnerTime Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
, allowing for mutually-beneficial relationships with various subsidiary companies.
Time Warner CableTime Warner Cable is an American cable television company that operates in 28 states and has 31 operating divisions...
, the cable-television subsidiary of the corporate parent, distributed Cartoon Network as part of its packages.
Turner Broadcasting SystemTurner Broadcasting System, Inc. is the Time Warner subsidiary managing the collection of cable networks and properties started and acquired by Robert Edward "Ted" Turner starting in the mid-1970s. The company has its headquarters in the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia. TBS, Inc...
, the subsidiary overseeing various Time Warner-owned networks, helped cross-promote Cartoon Network shows and at times arranged for swapping certain shows between the networks. For example,
Samurai JackSamurai Jack is an American animated television series created by animator Genndy Tartakovsky that aired on both Cartoon Network and Toonami from 2001 to 2004. It is noted for its highly detailed, outline-free, masking-based animation, as well as for its cinematic style and pacing...
, one of CN's original shows, was at times seen at
Kids' WBKids' WB! was Warner Bros. American childrens programing division brand for The WB Television Network. In September 2006, the block moved to The CW Television Network. The CW is the result of The WB's merger with UPN in 2006...
, while
Cardcaptors, abbreviated as CCS and also known as Cardcaptors, is a Japanese shōjo manga series written and illustrated by the manga artist group Clamp. The manga was originally serialized monthly in Nakayoshi from the May 1996 until the June 2000 issue, and later published in 12 tankōbon volumes by Kodansha...
, an anime show licensed by Kids' WB, was at times seen at Cartoon Network. In each case the swap intended to cultivate a shared audience for the two networks.
Time Inc.Time Inc. is a subsidiary of the media conglomerate Time Warner, the company formed by the 1990 merger of the original Time Inc. and Warner Communications. It publishes 130 magazines, most notably its namesake, Time...
, the subsidiary overseeing the many magazines of the corporate parent, ensured favorable coverage of Cartoon Network and advertising space across its publications. Printed advertisements for CN shows could appear in magazines such as
TimeTime is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
,
Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, and
Sports Illustrated Kids.
AOLAOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
, a sibling company to Time Warner covering Internet services, helped promote Cartoon Netwoerk shows online by offering exclusive contents for certain animated series, online
sweepstakesThe United States consumer sales promotion known as a sweepstake has become associated with marketing promotions targeted toward both generating enthusiasm and providing incentive reactions among customers by enticing consumers to submit free entries into drawings of chance...
and
display advertisingDisplay advertising is a type of advertising that typically contains text , logos, photographs or other images, location maps, and similar items. In periodicals, display advertising can appear on the same page as, or on the page adjacent to, general editorial content...
for CN.
Warner Home VideoWarner Home Video is the home video unit of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., itself part of Time Warner. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Video . The company launched in the United States with twenty films on VHS and Betamax videocassettes in late 1979...
, the home video subsidiary, distributed VHS tapes and DVDs featuring Cartoon Network shows.
Rhino EntertainmentRhino Entertainment Company is an American specialty record label and production company. It is owned by Warner Music Group.-History:Rhino was originally a novelty song and reissue company during the 1970s and 1980s, releasing compilation albums of pop, rock & roll, and rhythm & blues successes...
, a record label subsidiary, distributed cassette tapes and CDs wirh Cartoon Network-related music. All such products were also available through the Warner Bros. Studio Store.
DC ComicsDC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
, the comic book subsidiary, published a series featuring the Powerpuff Girls, indicating it could handle other CN-related characters.
Warner Bros.Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
, the film studio subsidiary, released
The Powerpuff Girls MovieThe Powerpuff Girls Movie is a 2002 American animated film based on the Cartoon Network animated television series of the same name. Produced by Cartoon Network Studios for Warner Bros. Pictures and Cartoon Network, the film debuted in the United States on July 3, 2002...
in 2002. Kevin Sandler considered it likely that the film would find its way to HBO or
CinemaxCinemax, sometimes abbreviated as simply "Max", is a collection of premium television networks that broadcasts primarily feature films, along with softcore erotica, original action series, documentaries and special behind-the-scenes features. Cinemax is operated by Home Box Office, Inc., a...
, two television network subsidiaries which regularly broadcast feature films. Sandler also viewed book
tie-inA tie-in is an authorized product based on a media property a company is releasing, such as a movie or video/DVD, computer game, video game, television program/television series, board game, web site, role-playing game or literary property...
s through Warner Books as likely, since it was the only area of marketing not covered yet by 2001.
Censorship
Cartoon Network has, during its history, broadcast most of the
Warner Bros. animated shortsThis is a listing of the shorts, feature films, television programs, and television specials in Warner Bros.' Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series, extending from 1929 through the present. Altogether, 1,003 animated theatrical shorts alone were released under the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies...
originally created between the 1930s and the 1960s, but the
censorshipthumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
practices of the Network and its corporate parent resulted in editing out scenes depicting discharge of gunfire, alcohol ingestion, cowboys and Indians gags, and racist humor. The unedited versions were kept from both broadcasting and wide release on the video market. "
Coal Black and de Sebben DwarfsCoal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs is a Merrie Melodies animated cartoon directed by Bob Clampett, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, and released to theatres on January 16, 1943 by Warner Bros...
" (1943), a racist but critically well-regarded short, was notably omitted entirely, while "
The Scarlet PumpernickelThe Scarlet Pumpernickel is a 1949 animated Warner Bros. Looney Tunes theatrical cartoon short released in 1950, directed by Chuck Jones and written by Michael Maltese....
" (1950) and "
Feed the KittyFeed the Kitty is a Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Chuck Jones and written by Michael Maltese, in which bulldog Marc Antony adopts a small cat, Pussyfoot , and tries to hide it from his owner...
" (1952) , both well-regarded, had their finales heavily edited due to violence.
There was controversy in 2001 over a Network decision concerning further omissions from broadcasting. The Cartoon Network scheduled a 49 hour-long marathon promising to broadcast every
Bugs Bunny animated short in chronological order. The Network originally intended to include 12 shorts that had become controversial for using
ethnic stereotypeAn ethnic stereotype is a generalized representation of an ethnic group, composed of what are thought to be typical characteristics of members of the group.Ethnic stereotypes are commonly portrayed in ethnic jokes.-Ethnic stereotypes:*African Americans...
s, albeit broadcasting them past midnight to ensure no children were watching, with introductions concerning their historic value as representatives of another time. The Network's corporate parent, however, considered it likely that there would be complaints concerning racial insensitivity. This led to all 12 being omitted in their entirety. Laurie Goldberg, vice-president of public relations, defended the decision, stating, "We're the leader in animation, but we're also one of the top-rated general entertainment networks. There are certain responsibilities that come with that."
Following complaints by its adult fanbase, the Network offered a compromise solution: the 12 omitted animated shorts would be included in upcoming documentaries. The first such documentary was a special on "The Wartime Cartoons". It notably included "
Herr Meets HareHerr Meets Hare is a 1945 Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Friz Freleng. This short, coming a few months before the collapse of the Third Reich, was one of the last major wartime cartoons from Warner Brothers...
" (1945) in its entirety, but only certain clips of "
Bugs Bunny Nips the NipsBugs Bunny Nips the Nips is a Merrie Melodies animated cartoon directed by Friz Freleng, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, and released to theaters on April 22, 1944 by Warner Bros. Pictures and The Vitaphone Corporation....
" (1943). Kevin Sandler considered it a positive sign of the Network being willing to "confront and unveil" some of the dishonorable aspects of animated history, but noted that so far only the Warner Bros. shorts got this serious treatment, not the MGM animated shorts also broadcast by the Network.
Adult Swim
Adult Swim (often stylized as
[adult swim] or
[as]) is an adult-oriented
cable televisionCable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
network that shares Channel space with Cartoon Network from 9:00 pm to 6:00 am ET/
PTPacific Time may refer to:* Pacific Time Zone , a time zone on the west coast of the United States, Canada and Mexico* Pacific Time , a radio program produced by KQED and carried on several other NPR stations...
in the United States, and broadcasts in countries such as
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The network features myriad stylistically-variable animated and live-action shows, including original programming, syndicated shows, and Japanese
animeis the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
, generally with minimal or no editing for content. The programs featured on Adult Swim are geared toward an 18+ audience, in contrast to the originally all-ages daytime programming on Cartoon Network.
Boomerang
Boomerang was a programming block on Cartoon Network (since the network's launch in '92) aimed towards The Baby Boom Generation. The block's start time jumped frequently but was always aired in the weekends. On April 1, 2000, Boomerang received both a new look and a cable spin off channel.
Get Animated
Get Animated is a campaign of the channel, encouraging children to get active, more importantly in outdoor areas. Original promos involved many different cartoon characters, and real kids. Current promos still show cartoon characters playing alongside kids, though occasional sports celebrities (such as
Freddy AduFredua Koranteng "Freddy" Adu is a Ghanaian-born American soccer player who currently plays for Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer. He plays primarily as an attacking midfielder, but he is also used as a winger or forward....
) make appearances. Other promos show real kids who make great physically related achievements, or cartoon characters explaining ways of getting active.
Cartoon Network Universe: FusionFall
Cartoon Network Universe: FusionFall is a
massively multiplayer online gameA massively multiplayer online game is a multiplayer video game which is capable of supporting hundreds or thousands of players simultaneously. By necessity, they are played on the Internet, and usually feature at least one persistent world. They are, however, not necessarily games played on...
developed by Cartoon Network and Grigon Entertainment.
FusionFall uses the
Unity engineUnity is an integrated authoring tool for creating 3D video games or other interactive content such as architectural visualizations or real-time 3D animations. Unity's development environment runs on Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X, and the games it produces can be run on Windows, Mac, Xbox 360,...
as its client technology basis. For the first year, the full game required a subscription; free accounts could only access to a portion of the content. It was scheduled to be released in fall 2008, but the release date was pushed back to January 14, 2009. The game became free-to-play on April 19, 2010.
Cartoon Network HD
Cartoon Network HD is a
high definitionHigh-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
feed version of Cartoon Network that launched on October 15, 2007, and is available from many cable and all satellite service providers. Older 4:3 content is
stretchedStretch-o-Vision is a neologism used to describe the practice of upconverting video from a standard aspect ratio to a widescreen aspect ratio. HDTV programming is broadcast in the 16:9 aspect ratio, a widescreen image. However, most SDTV programming is usually broadcast in the 4:3 aspect ratio....
to fill a
16:916:9 is an aspect ratio with a width of 16 units and height of 9. Since 2009, it has become the most common aspect ratio for sold televisions and computer monitors and is also the international standard format of HDTV, Full HD, non-HD digital television and analog widescreen television ...
aspect ratioThe aspect ratio of a shape is the ratio of its longer dimension to its shorter dimension. It may be applied to two characteristic dimensions of a three-dimensional shape, such as the ratio of the longest and shortest axis, or for symmetrical objects that are described by just two measurements,...
. This process results in a warped picture, which is especially apparent during horizontal panning. All programs produced in HD are aired
letterboxedLetterboxing is the practice of transferring film shot in a widescreen aspect ratio to standard-width video formats while preserving the film's original aspect ratio. The resulting videographic image has mattes above and below it; these mattes are part of the image...
on the Standard definition feed.
See also
- Cartoon Cartoons
Cartoon Cartoons is a collective name for Cartoon Network original series. These cartoons were originally produced by Hanna-Barbera and Cartoon Network Studios, but over the years, studios like a.k.a. Cartoon, Kino Films, Stretch Films, Blanky Blook and Curious Pictures produced these series for...
- Cartoon Network Studios
Cartoon Network Studios is an American animation studio. A subsidiary of the Turner Broadcasting System , Cartoon Network Studios focuses on producing and developing animated programs only for and related to Cartoon Network...
- List of programs broadcast by Cartoon Network
- Adult Swim
Adult Swim is an adult-oriented Cable network that shares channel space with Cartoon Network from 9:00 pm until 6:00 am ET/PT in the United States, and broadcasts in countries such as Australia and New Zealand...
- Boomerang
Boomerang is a 24-hour American cable television channel owned by Turner Broadcasting System, a division of Time Warner. Boomerang specializes in reruns of animated programming from Time Warner's extensive archives, including pre-1986 MGM, Hanna-Barbera, Cartoon Network, DePatie-Freleng Enterprises...
- Toonami
Toonami was a registered trademark of Cartoon Network, used initially for action-oriented programming blocks on Cartoon Network television channels worldwide, mostly showing American cartoons and Japanese anime, originating in the United States on March 17, 1997 and ended on September 20, 2008.The...
- Cartoonito
Cartoonito is a British preschool television channel in the UK, available in both English and French. The channel usually airs programmes directed towards children under age 8, or "kids" versions of popular children's shows...
- Tooncast
Tooncast is a Latin American cable television channel owned by Turner Broadcasting System Latin America/Time Warner. Launched on December 1, 2008 in some countries of the region, it airs 24-hours of classic animation, both from Hanna-Barbera and Cartoon Network, and with no interruptions...
External links