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Cartoon Network (United States)
Encyclopedia
Cartoon Network is an American cable television
network owned by Turner Broadcasting
which primarily airs animated
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 Broadcasting
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 Coast
, along with Cartoon Cartoons
original programmings like Dexter's Laboratory
, Johnny Bravo
, Cow and Chicken
, I Am Weasel
, The Powerpuff Girls
, Ed, Edd n Eddy
and Courage the Cowardly Dog
. In 2008, it started airing live-action programming, including movies from Warner Bros.
and New Line Cinema
.
's cable-TV conglomerate acquired most of the pre-May 1986 MGM
film and television library (which also included Gilligan's Island
and its animated spin-offs, the U.S. rights to a majority of the RKO Radio Pictures
library, and the a.a.p.
catalog which includes the pre-1950 Warner Bros.
film library, the Harman and Ising
Merrie Melodies
except Lady, Play Your Mandolin!
, the pre-August 1948 color Warner Bros. cartoons, and the Fleischer Studios
and Famous Studios
Popeye
cartoons released by Paramount Pictures
). 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 Productions
and acquired its large library as well as most of the Ruby-Spears
library.
and Merrie Melodies
), the 1933–1957 Popeye cartoons, MGM
cartoons, and Hanna-Barbera
cartoons. At first, cable providers in New York City
, 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. Nickelodeon
had paved the way in the 1980s. On August 11, 1991, Nickelodeon had launched three "high-profile" animated series: Doug
, The Ren & Stimpy Show, and Rugrats
, further signifying the importance of cartoons in its programming. The Disney Channel
and the Family Channel
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 time
and late night television
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 System
had defied conventional wisdom before by launching CNN
, 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 24/7
. 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 Jerry
Show presented the classic cat-and-mouse team, and Bugs and Daffy Tonight provided classic Looney Tunes
shorts. Late Night Black and White showed early black-and-white
cartoons (mostly from the Fleischer Studios
and Walter Lantz
cartoons from 1930s), and ToonHeads
, 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 Toons
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 Jerry
and, as of March 14, 2011, Looney Tunes
.
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 deals
. 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".
and was first aired in 1993. The first series produced by Cartoon Network was Space Ghost Coast to Coast
(1994), but the show mostly consisted of "recycled animation cels" from the archives of Hanna-Barbera, being an ironic deconstruction
of a talk show
. It featured live-action guests, mostly consisting of celebrities which were past their prime or counterculture
figures. A running gag was that the production cost was dubbed "minimal". The series found its audience among young adults who appreciated its "hip
" perspective.
Kevin Sandler considered that Space Ghost Coast to Coast was instrumental in establishing Cartoon Network's appeal to older audiences. Space Ghost
, a 1960s superhero
by Hanna-Barbera, was recast as the star of a talk show
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 Project
, gave similar treatments to the Scooby gang. However, there were less successful efforts at such revivals. A Day in the Life of Ranger Smith
and Boo Boo Runs Wild
(1999) featured new takes on Yogi Bear
's supporting cast by John Kricfalusi
. 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 Studios
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 animation
. The project was spearheaded by several Cartoon Network executives, plus John Kricfalusi
and Fred Seibert
. 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 Nicktoons
and would go on to produce the similar animation anthology series Oh, Yeah! Cartoons
and Random Cartoons
.
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-off
of What a Cartoon! in 1996. Three more series based on shorts debuted in 1997: Johnny Bravo
, Cow and Chicken
, and I Am Weasel
(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 Girls
in 1998 and concluded with Courage the Cowardly Dog
and Mike, Lu & Og
in 1999 .The unrelated series Ed, Edd n Eddy
was also launched in 1999.
These original series were intended to appeal to a wider audience than the average Saturday morning cartoon
. Linda Simensky
, 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 Central
and less "socially responsible" than their counterparts at Nickelodeon
. 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.
. This consolidated ownership of all the Warner Bros. cartoons, so now post-July 1948 and the former Sunset
-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 Nickelodeon
, 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' WB
, plus certain new programs such as Justice League
.
Cartoon Network's programming wouldn't be available in Canada until 1997, when a Canadian specialty network entitled Teletoon
and its French language counterpart
launched.
was officially premiered (as a block) with the airing of the "Director's Cut" episode of Home Movies
.
The first theatrical film The Powerpuff Girls Movie
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 Logic
) and its slogan, “This is Cartoon Network!” The bumpers now featured 2D
cartoon characters from their shows interacting in a CGI
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 Boomerang
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 scare
. 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 Hives
song Fall is Just Something That Grown-Ups Invented. On October 15, 2007, the channel began broadcasting in 1080i high definition
. Every October since 2007, Cartoon Network would air 40 episodes of the former Fox Kids
program Goosebumps
, 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 Teletoon
such as George of the Jungle
, Atomic Betty", 6teen
, Chaotic
, Bakugan Battle Brawlers
, Stoked
, Total Drama Island
and its successors Total Drama Action
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 McCracken
as executive producer and Rob Renzetti
as supervising producer. Both reported to Rob Scorcher, who created the idea. It would have worked similar to What A Cartoon!
, by creating at least 150 pieces of animation within 20 months. Cartoonstitute was eventually cancelled, and out of all the shorts, two Regular Show
and Secret Mountain Fort Awesome
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 Crew972
. The bumpers of that era had white, faceless characters called Noods, based on the DIY toy, Munny
. 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 Blum
), ended the block with its final monologue.
In June 2009, a block of live-action reality shows, The Othersiders
, Survive This
, BrainRush
, Destroy Build Destroy
, Dude, What Would Happen
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 Slamball
games, during the commercials.
, 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 Awards
, hosted by Tony Hawk
. The second Hall of Games Awards will air in 2012 and will be hosted by Shaquille O'Neal
.
At its 2011 upfront, Cartoon Network has announced 14 new series, including The Problem Solverz
, formerly known as Neon Knome, The Looney Tunes Show
, Secret Mountain Fort Awesome
, Level Up
, a scripted live-action comedy series which will have a 90-minute starting film, Tower Prep
, Green Lantern
, How to Train Your Dragon
, the series based on the Dreamworks film
, The Amazing World of Gumball
, Total Drama: Revenge of the Island
, the sequel of Total Drama World Tour; and ThunderCats
. The network also has a new Ben 10
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 Lantern
. 9 Story's Almost Naked Animals
, 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, Sidekick
.
After announcing two new reality live action shows in Unnatural History
and Tower Prep
, 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.
, Cow and Chicken
, Johnny Bravo
, I Am Weasel
, The Powerpuff Girls
, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends
, Codename: Kids Next Door
and The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy
, including non-productions like Ed, Edd n Eddy
, Courage the Cowardly Dog
and Adventure Time
. The network also carries acquired programs that some of them were produced by Warner Bros. Animation
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 Head
, The Othersiders
, Destroy Build Destroy
and Dude, What Would Happen
. A Spanish language
audio track is accessible via SAP
, 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.
(Looney Tunes
, Merrie Melodies
) and the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio
(Tom and Jerry
and other series), the television series produced by the Hanna-Barbera
animation studio (The Flintstones
, Scooby-Doo
, and many others), syndicated shows from Kids' WB
(Batman: The Animated Series
and others), and licensed anime
shows (Dragonball Z, Mobile Suit Gundam Wing
).
By the early 2000s, Cartoon Network had established programming blocks aimed at different age demographics. The shows broadcast during the early morning had preschoolers
as their target audience and mostly had prosocial behavior
as a theme. The Toonami
programming block, featured later in the day, mostly included anime shows and their target audience were tweens
and teenagers
. Prime time
shows mostly included classic cartoons, featured as part of theThe Tex Avery Show
, The Chuck Jones Show and The Bob Clampett Show
. Their target audience included teenagers and adults. The Adult Swim
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 Mermaid
(1989), prime time animated series starting with The Simpsons
(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.
, allowed the Network to pursue licensing agreements with companies interested in selling series-related merchandise. For example, agreements with Kraft Foods
led to widespread in-store advertising for Cartoon Network-related products. The Network also worked on cross-promotion campaigns with both Kraft and Tower Records
. In product development and marketing, the Network has benefited from its relation to corporate parent Time Warner
, allowing for mutually-beneficial relationships with various subsidiary companies.
Time Warner Cable
, the cable-television subsidiary of the corporate parent, distributed Cartoon Network as part of its packages. Turner Broadcasting System
, 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 Jack
, one of CN's original shows, was at times seen at Kids' WB
, while Cardcaptors
, 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.
, 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 Time
, Entertainment Weekly
, and Sports Illustrated Kids. AOL
, a sibling company to Time Warner covering Internet services, helped promote Cartoon Netwoerk shows online by offering exclusive contents for certain animated series, online sweepstakes
and display advertising
for CN.
Warner Home Video
, the home video subsidiary, distributed VHS tapes and DVDs featuring Cartoon Network shows. Rhino Entertainment
, 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 Comics
, the comic book subsidiary, published a series featuring the Powerpuff Girls, indicating it could handle other CN-related characters. Warner Bros.
, the film studio subsidiary, released The Powerpuff Girls Movie
in 2002. Kevin Sandler considered it likely that the film would find its way to HBO or Cinemax
, two television network subsidiaries which regularly broadcast feature films. Sandler also viewed book tie-in
s through Warner Books as likely, since it was the only area of marketing not covered yet by 2001.
originally created between the 1930s and the 1960s, but the censorship
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 Dwarfs
" (1943), a racist but critically well-regarded short, was notably omitted entirely, while "The Scarlet Pumpernickel
" (1950) and "Feed the Kitty
" (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 stereotype
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 Hare
" (1945) in its entirety, but only certain clips of "Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips
" (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.
network that shares Channel space with Cartoon Network from 9:00 pm to 6:00 am ET/PT
in the United States, and broadcasts in countries such as Australia
and New Zealand
. The network features myriad stylistically-variable animated and live-action shows, including original programming, syndicated shows, and Japanese anime
, 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.
) make appearances. Other promos show real kids who make great physically related achievements, or cartoon characters explaining ways of getting active.
developed by Cartoon Network and Grigon Entertainment. FusionFall uses the Unity engine
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.
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 stretched
to fill a 16:9
aspect ratio
. This process results in a warped picture, which is especially apparent during horizontal panning. All programs produced in HD are aired letterboxed
on the Standard definition feed.
Cable television
Cable 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 Broadcasting
Turner Broadcasting System
Turner 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 animated
Animation
Animation 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 Broadcasting
Turner Broadcasting System
Turner 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 Coast
Space Ghost Coast to Coast
Space 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 Cartoons
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...
original programmings like Dexter's Laboratory
Dexter's Laboratory
Dexter'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 Bravo
Johnny Bravo
Johnny 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 Chicken
Cow and Chicken
Cow 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 Weasel
I Am Weasel
I 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 Girls
The Powerpuff Girls
The Powerpuff Girls is an American animated television series created by animator Craig McCracken and produced by Hanna-Barbera for Cartoon Network...
, Ed, Edd n Eddy
Ed, Edd n Eddy
Ed, 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 Dog
Courage the Cowardly Dog
Courage 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.
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 Cinema
New Line Cinema
New 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 TurnerTed Turner
Robert 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 MGM
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-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 Island
Gilligan's Island
Gilligan'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 Pictures
RKO Pictures
RKO 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
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.
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 Ising
Harman and Ising
Hugh Harman and Rudolf "Rudy" Ising were an American animation team best known for founding the Warner Bros. and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer animation studios...
Merrie Melodies
Merrie Melodies
Merrie 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!
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 Studios
Fleischer Studios
Fleischer Studios, Inc., was an American corporation which originated as an Animation studio located at 1600 Broadway, New York City, New York...
and Famous Studios
Famous Studios
Famous 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...
Popeye
Popeye
Popeye 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 Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount 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 Productions
Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-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-Spears
Ruby-Spears Productions
Ruby-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
Looney 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 Melodies
Merrie Melodies
Merrie 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, MGM
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-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-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-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 City
New York City
New 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. Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, 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: Doug
Doug
Doug 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 Rugrats
Rugrats
Rugrats 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 Channel
Disney Channel
Disney 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 Channel
Television networks preceding ABC Family
The 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 time
Prime time
Prime 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 television
Late night television
Late 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 System
Turner Broadcasting System
Turner 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 CNN
CNN
Cable 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 24/7
24/7
24/7 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 Jerry
Tom and Jerry
Tom 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 Tunes
Looney Tunes
Looney 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-white
Black-and-white
Black-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 Studios
Fleischer Studios
Fleischer Studios, Inc., was an American corporation which originated as an Animation studio located at 1600 Broadway, New York City, New York...
and Walter Lantz
Walter Lantz
Walter 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 ToonHeads
ToonHeads
The 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 Toons
High Noon Toons
High 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 Jerry
Tom and Jerry
Tom 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 Tunes
Looney Tunes
Looney 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 deals
Product bundling
Product 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
The 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 Coast
Space Ghost Coast to Coast
Space 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 deconstruction
Deconstruction
Deconstruction 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 show
Talk show
A 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 counterculture
Counterculture
Counterculture 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 "hip
Hip (slang)
Hip 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 Ghost
Space Ghost
Space 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 superhero
Superhero
A 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 show
Talk show
A 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 Project
The Blair Witch Project
The 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 Smith
A Day in the Life of Ranger Smith
A 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 Wild
Boo Boo Runs Wild
Boo 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 Bear
Yogi Bear
Yogi 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 Kricfalusi
John Kricfalusi
Michael 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 Studios
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...
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 animation
Limited animation
Limited 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 Kricfalusi
John Kricfalusi
Michael 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 Seibert
Fred Seibert
Frederick "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 Nicktoons
Nicktoons
Nicktoons 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! Cartoons
Oh Yeah! Cartoons
Oh 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 Cartoons
Random Cartoons
Random! 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-off
Spin-off (media)
In 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 Bravo
Johnny Bravo
Johnny 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 Chicken
Cow and Chicken
Cow 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 Weasel
I Am Weasel
I 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 Girls
The Powerpuff Girls
The 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 Dog
Courage the Cowardly Dog
Courage 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 & Og
Mike, Lu & Og
Mike, 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 Eddy
Ed, Edd n Eddy
Ed, 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 cartoon
Saturday morning cartoon
A 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 Simensky
Linda Simensky
Linda 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 Central
Comedy Central
Comedy 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 Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, 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
Time 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 Sunset
Sunset Productions
Sunset 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 Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, 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' WB
Kids' WB
Kids' 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 League
Justice League (TV series)
Justice 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 Teletoon
Télétoon (Canadian TV channel)
Télétoon 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 counterpart
Télétoon (Canadian TV channel)
Télétoon 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
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...
was officially premiered (as a block) with the airing of the "Director's Cut" episode of Home Movies
Home Movies (TV series)
Home 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 Movie
The Powerpuff Girls Movie
The 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 Logic
Animal Logic
Animal 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 2D
Traditional animation
Traditional animation, is an animation technique where each frame is drawn by hand...
cartoon characters from their shows interacting in a CGI
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-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 Boomerang
Boomerang (TV channel)
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...
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 scare
2007 Boston bomb scare
The 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 Hives
The Hives
The 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 definition
High-definition television
High-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 Kids
Fox Kids
Fox 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 Goosebumps
Goosebumps (TV series)
Goosebumps 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 Teletoon
Télétoon (Canadian TV channel)
Télétoon 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 Jungle
George of the Jungle (2007 TV series)
George 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", 6teen
6teen
6teen 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...
, Chaotic
Chaotic (TV series)
Chaotic 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 Brawlers
Bakugan Battle Brawlers
is 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...
, Stoked
Stoked (TV series)
Stoked 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 Island
Total Drama Island
Total 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 Action
Total Drama Action
Total 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 McCracken
Craig McCracken
Craig McCracken is an American animator and creator of The Powerpuff Girls and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends.-Biography:...
as executive producer and Rob Renzetti
Rob Renzetti
Robert "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!
The Cartoon Cartoon Show
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 Show
Regular Show
Regular Show is an American animated television series created by J. G. Quintel...
and Secret Mountain Fort Awesome
Secret Mountain Fort Awesome
Secret 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 Crew972
Crew972
Crew972, 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, Munny
Munny
A 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 Blum
Steven Blum
Steven 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 Othersiders
The Othersiders
The 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 This
Survive This
Survive 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...
, BrainRush
BrainRush
BrainRush 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 Destroy
Destroy Build Destroy
Destroy 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 Happen
Dude, What Would Happen
Dude, 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 Slamball
Slamball
Slamball 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
Brand 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 Awards
Hall of Game Awards
Hall 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 Hawk
Tony Hawk
Anthony 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'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille 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 Solverz
The Problem Solverz
The 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 Show
The Looney Tunes Show
The 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 Awesome
Secret Mountain Fort Awesome
Secret Mountain Fort Awesome is an American animated television series created by Peter Browngardt and produced at Cartoon Network Studios for Cartoon Network...
, Level Up
Level Up
Level 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 Prep
Tower Prep
Tower 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 Lantern
Green Lantern
The 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 Dragon
How to Train Your Dragon
How 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 film
How to Train Your Dragon (film)
How 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 Gumball
The Amazing World of Gumball
The 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 Island
Total Drama: Revenge of the Island
Total 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 ThunderCats
ThunderCats (2011 TV series)
ThunderCats 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 10
Ben 10
The 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 Lantern
Green Lantern
The 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 Animals
Almost Naked Animals
Almost 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, Sidekick
Sidekick (TV series)
Sidekick 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 History
Unnatural History (TV series)
Unnatural 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 Prep
Tower Prep
Tower 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
Dexter'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 Chicken
Cow and Chicken
Cow 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 Bravo
Johnny Bravo
Johnny 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 Weasel
I Am Weasel
I 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 Girls
The Powerpuff Girls
The 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 Friends
Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends
Foster'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 Door
Codename: Kids Next Door
Codename: 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 & Mandy
The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy
The 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 Eddy
Ed, Edd n Eddy
Ed, 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 Dog
Courage the Cowardly Dog
Courage 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 Time
Adventure Time
Adventure 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. Animation
Warner Bros. Animation
Warner 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 Head
Out of Jimmy's Head
Out 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 Othersiders
The Othersiders
The 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 Destroy
Destroy Build Destroy
Destroy 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 Happen
Dude, What Would Happen
Dude, 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 language
Spanish language
Spanish , 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 SAP
Second audio program
Second 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.
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 Tunes
Looney Tunes
Looney 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 Melodies
Merrie Melodies
Merrie 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 studio
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio
The 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 Jerry
Tom and Jerry
Tom 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-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-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 Flintstones
The Flintstones
The 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-Doo
Scooby-Doo
Scooby-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' WB
Kids' WB
Kids' 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 Series
Batman: The Animated Series
Batman: 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 anime
Anime
is 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 Wing
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing
Mobile 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 preschoolers
Preschool education
Preschool 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 behavior
Prosocial behavior
Prosocial 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 Toonami
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...
programming block, featured later in the day, mostly included anime shows and their target audience were tweens
Tween (demographic)
A 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 teenagers
Adolescence
Adolescence 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 time
Prime time
Prime 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 theThe Tex Avery Show
The Tex Avery Show
The 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 Show
The Bob Clampett Show
The 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 Swim
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...
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 Mermaid
The Little Mermaid (1989 film)
The 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 Simpsons
The Simpsons
The 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
The 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 Foods
Kraft Foods
Kraft 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 Records
Tower Records
Tower 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 Warner
Time Warner
Time 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 Cable
Time Warner Cable
Time 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 System
Turner Broadcasting System
Turner 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 Jack
Samurai Jack
Samurai 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' WB
Kids' WB
Kids' 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
Cardcaptor Sakura
, 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.
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 Time
Time (magazine)
Time 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 Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment 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. AOL
AOL
AOL 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 sweepstakes
Sweepstakes
The 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 advertising
Display advertising
Display 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 Video
Warner Home Video
Warner 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 Entertainment
Rhino Entertainment
Rhino 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 Comics
DC Comics
DC 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.
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 Movie
The Powerpuff Girls Movie
The 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 Cinemax
Cinemax
Cinemax, 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-in
Tie-in
A 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 shortsLooney Tunes and Merrie Melodies filmography
This 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 censorship
Censorship
thumb|[[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 Dwarfs
Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs
Coal 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 Pumpernickel
The Scarlet Pumpernickel
The 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 Kitty
Feed the Kitty
Feed 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 stereotype
Ethnic stereotype
An 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 Hare
Herr Meets Hare
Herr 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 Nips
Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips
Bugs 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
Cable 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/PT
Pacific Time
Pacific 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 Australia
Australia
Australia , 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 Zealand
New Zealand
New 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 anime
Anime
is 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 AduFreddy Adu
Fredua 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 gameMassively multiplayer online game
A 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 engine
Unity (game engine)
Unity 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
High-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 stretched
Stretch-o-Vision
Stretch-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 16:9
16:9
16:9 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 ratio
Aspect ratio
The 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 letterboxed
Letterbox
Letterboxing 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 CartoonsCartoon 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...
- Cartoon Network StudiosCartoon 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...
- List of programs broadcast by Cartoon Network
- Adult SwimAdult 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...
- BoomerangBoomerang (TV channel)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...
- ToonamiToonamiToonami 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...
- CartoonitoCartoonitoCartoonito 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...
- TooncastTooncastTooncast 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...