If you ask most people what the oldest cartoon is, chances are they would tell you it was Disney’s Steamboat Willie. Although many people believe it is the oldest cartoon, it obviously isn’t as it is the last item on this list.
The oldest cartoons predate Steamboat Willie by a few decades and people were already toying with animating pictures in the mid to late 1800s — even people from the paleolithic era attempted to depict motion in their cave drawings.
Although there were a few early attempts of animated drawings, the items on this list are considered to be the earliest cartoons.
Release Date: November 18, 1928
Creator: Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks (animated by: Les Clark, Ub Iwerks, and Wilfred Jackson)
Country of Origin: United States
Running Time: 7:42
photo source: Wikipedia
Of all the early cartoons on this list, Steamboat Willie is the most iconic as it is considered the official debut of Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. The film was the third featuring Mickey to be produced, but the first to be released.
It was also the first Disney cartoon with synchronized sound and the first cartoon ever to feature a fully post-produced soundtrack.
The cartoon was an immediate hit with audiences and critics and its popularity lead Disney to reproduce the first two Mickey films with sound and release them in theaters.
Steamboat Willie is now a part of popular culture and has been referenced numerous times in other animated and non-animated works.
Release Date: September 5, 1927
Creator: Walt Disney, Charles Mintz, and George Winkler (animated by: Ub Iwerks, Hugh Harman, Les Clark, Friz Frelang, Ben Clopton, Norm Blackburn, and Rollin “Ham” Hamiltion)
Country of Origin: United States
Running Time: 5:46
photo source: Wikipedia
Trolley Troubles was the first animated short that featured Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, the inspiration for Mickey Mouse. Oswald was created by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks for Universal Pictures.
Although the film was the first Oswald film released to the public, it was the second one produced. Disney and his team finished Poor Papa earlier in 1927, but Universal was unhappy with how the short turned out and Trolley Troubles was released instead.
The film was immediately successful and Universal released a new Oswald cartoon every two weeks.
It was released on DVD in 2007 in the Walt Disney Treasures volume The Adventures of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.
Release Date: February 1926
Creator: Lotte Reiniger (animated by: Walter Ruttmann, Bertold Bartosch, and Carl Koch)
Country of Origin: Germany
Running Time: 65 minutes
photo source: Wikipedia
The Adventure of Prince Achmed (Die Abenteuer des Prinzen Achmed in the original German) is the oldest surviving animated feature-length film.
Although there were two earlier animated feature films created by Argentinian cartoonist Quirino Cristiani, they were accidentally destroyed and are now considered lost.
The film features a silhouette animation technique that was created by Lotte Reiniger and the original prints of the movie featured color tinting. It took three years for Reiniger and her team to make the film and each second of the movie features 24 frames.
The movie’s story is based on “The Story of Prince Ahmed and the Fairy Paribanou” and other elements from One Thousand and One Nights.
Release Date: 1923
Creator: Walt Disney (animated by: Hugh Harman, Rudolf Ising, Ub Iwerks, and Carman Maxwell)
Country of Origin: United States
Running Time: 12:29
photo source: Wikipedia
Alice’s Wonderland, not to be confused with Alice in Wonderland, was the first animated short film produced by Walt Disney. It was the first of several short films in Disney’s Alice Comedies series. The film was never shown in theaters, but was shown to film distributors.
It was released as a bonus feature in the Special “Un-Anniversary Edition” of Alice in Wonderland and can be viewed on the film’s Wikipedia page.
The film mixes live action with animation as Alice is played by a young actress named Virginia Davis. After she goes on a tour through Disney’s animation studio, she later dreams that she is in “cartoon-land.”
Release Date: November 9, 1919
Creator: Pat Sullivan and Otto Messmer
Country of Origin: United States
Running Time: 48 seconds
photo source: Wikimedia Commons
Feline Follies was the first cartoon to feature Felix the Cat, one of the most famous cartoon characters from the silent film era.
The creation of Felix has been disputed and both Pat Sullivan and Otto Messmer are credited as Felix’s creators. Messmer was an American cartoonist and the lead animator at Sullivan’s studio, which produced the Felix cartoons.
The first 25 cartoons were shown in theaters and distributed by Paramount Pictures from 1919 – 1921. In the first two cartoons, Feline Follies and The Musical Mews, Felix’s character is named Master Tom.
Some of the old cartoons, including Feline Follies were well-preserved and can be viewed at archive.org or official British Pathé archives at britishpathe.com.
Release Date: February 8, 1914
Creator: Winsor McCay
Country of Origin: United States
Running Time: 12 minutes
photo source: Wikipedia
Although American cartoonist and animator Winsor McCay created two earlier animated films, Gertie the Dinosaur is his most famous work. It is typically cited as the first example of a true cartoon and was the first to use animation techniques such as registration marks, keyframes, tracing paper, animation loops, and the Mutoscope action viewer.
The film is so important in the history of animation that it is the best preserved of McCay’s films and a copy is housed in the U.S. Library of Congress’ Film Registry.
McCay’s film influenced the next generation of animators including Walt Disney, Otto Messmer, Paul Terry, and the Fleischer brothers.
Release Date: January 1912
Creator: Winsor McCay
Country of Origin: United States
Running Time: 6 minutes
photo source: Wikipedia
How a Mosquito Operates was the second animated film created by cartoonist Winsor McCay. After the success of his first film Little Nemo, McCay improved his animation techniques and dedicated more time to creating new films. He spent more time developing a more coherent story line and deeper characterization for this film than in Little Nemo.
In addition to being technically better than other animated shorts of the time period, it is one of the first examples of line-drawn animation.
The film features minimal backgrounds and focuses on the character’s actions to tell the story without the use of intertitles, which were commonly used to show dialogue in silent films.
Release Date: April 8, 1911
Creator: Winsor McCay
Country of Origin: United States
Running Time: 11:33
photo source: Wikimedia Commons
Little Nemo (also called Winsor McCay: The Famous Cartoonist of the N.Y. Herald and His Moving Comics) is one of the oldest examples of detailed hand-drawn animation, which looks similar to modern cartoons. It was the first animated film created by famous American cartoonist, Winsor McCay and it features characters from McCay’s comic strip Little Nemo in Slumberland.
Most of the film’s runtime shows McCay betting his colleagues that he can make 4000 drawings move, which is then followed by the actual animation.
The film was immediately well-received after it premiered in 1911 and McCay ended up hand-coloring each of the frames, which were originally black and white, for future shows.
Release Date: August 17, 1908
Creator: Émile Cohl
Country of Origin: France
Running Time: Approx. 1:20
photo source: Wikipedia
Fantasmagorie is considered to be the oldest cartoon in the world. The very short animation is one of the earliest examples of traditional (hand-drawn) animation. It was created in 1908 by French cartoonist Émile Cohl.
The film depicts a stick figure man moving around and encountering morphing objects such as a wine bottle that turns into a flower.
Cohl eventually worked for the French studio Éclair and in 1912, he came to the U.S. to spread the studio’s animation techniques.
Fantasmagorie was followed by two more short films created by Cohl Le Cauchemar du fantoche (The Puppet’s Nightmare, which is lost) and Un Drame chez les fantoches (The Love Affair in Toyland for American release and Mystical Love-Making for British release).
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On Cartoon Network, Where Else?
Country United States Broadcast area Nationwide Headquarters 1050 Techwood Drive NW, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Programming Language(s) EnglishSpanish (with SAP; a Spanish language simulcast of the channel is also available)
Picture format 480i (SDTV) 4:3 (1992- May 16, 2013) (downscaled version of the HD feed since May 17, 2013)1080i (HDTV) 16:9 (October 15, 2007 - Present)
Ownership Owner Warner Bros. Discovery Brother & Sister channelsCartoon Network (abbreviated as CN, as of 2004) is an American cable television channel owned by the Warner Bros. Global Kids, Young Adults and Classics division of Warner Bros. Entertainment, itself a subsidiary of AT&T’s dia through its Studios & Networks division (now currently Warner Bros. Discovery). It targets children, mainly those ages 7 to 14.
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 programs catering to both adult and child audiences respectively.
It also broadcasts many shows, ranging from action to animated comedy. Original series started in 1993 with The Moxy Show, 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 2005, it started airing live-action programming, including movies from Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema.
The founder of Cartoon Network was Betty Cohen. She served as president of the network until 2001, when she was replaced by Jim Samples. Samples was succeeded in 2007 by Stuart Snyder. Snyder was succeeded in 2014 by Christina Miller. Miller was succeeded in 2020 by Tom Ascheim. Ascheim was succeeded in 2022 by Michael Ouweleen.
History
1986–1992: Development
In 1986, Ted Turner's cable-TV conglomerate acquired most of the pre-May 1986 MGM film and television library[1] (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./u.a. 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.[2] In 1991, it purchased animation studio Hanna-Barbera Productions and acquired its large library as well as most of the Ruby-Spears library.[3]
1992–2001: Cohen era
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./RKO cartoons (the pre-August 1948 Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies), the 1933–1957 Popeye cartoons, MGM cartoons, UA cartoons, and Hanna-Barbera cartoons. At first, cable providers in New York City, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and Detroit carried the channel.[4] By the time the network launched, Cartoon Network had a 8,500 hour cartoon library.[5]
Cartoon Network was not the first cable channel to have relied on cartoons to attract an audience. Nickelodeon had paved the way in the 1990s. 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. 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.[6]
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 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".[6]
The network's first original show was The Moxy Show 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.[7]
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.[8] 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.[9]
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.[10][7]
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.[7] 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 .[10][7][11]The unrelated series Ed, Edd n Eddy was also launched in 1999.[6]
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.[12]
In 1996, Turner merged with Time Warner. 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.
On April 1, 2000, Cartoon Network launched a digital cable and satellite channel called Boomerang, which was spun-off from a program block on Cartoon Network that featured animated series and shorts from the 1980s and earlier.
2001-2007: Samples era
On June 18, Betty Cohen, who had served as Cartoon Network's president since its founding, left due to creative disagreements with Jamie Kellner, then-head of Turner Broadcasting. On August 22, Jim Samples was appointed general manager and Executive Vice President of the network, replacing Cohen.
Adult Swim debuted on September 2, 2001, with an episode of Home Movies; the block initially aired on Sunday nights, with a repeat telecast on Thursdays. Adult Swim was also where Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law, Sealab 2021 and Aqua Teen Hunger Force made their official debuts, although they first aired in December 2000, while Space Ghost Coast to Coast was on hiatus.
Three new original series premiered in 2001: Time Squad, Samurai Jack, and Grim & Evil.
In 2002, Whatever Happened to... Robot Jones? and Codename: Kids Next Door premiered; the former was short-lived, but the latter became a juggernaut for the network in the mid-2000s.
On October 2, 2002, Cartoon Network celebrated its 10th anniversary with a one-day special bumper showing quick clips from shows, bumpers, and promos throughout their history, set to the tune of "Something to Believe In" by Poison. The first theatrical film based on a Cartoon Network program, The Powerpuff Girls Movie – which received generally positive reviews by critics – was released on July 3, 2002.
On October 3, 2003, Cartoon Cartoon Fridays was rebooted in a live-action format as Fridays, hosted by Tommy Snider, Nzinga Blake (2003–2004), and Tara Sands (2005–2007). It aired series outside the Cartoon Cartoon sub-brand such as Samurai Jack, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi, Juniper Lee, Camp Lazlo, My Gym Partner's a Monkey, Squirrel Boy and Class of 3000; Fridays ended its run on February 23, 2007.
On June 14, 2004, Cartoon Network entered the CN City era. Here, they debuted an updated version of its original logo (with the checkerboard motif retained and the "C" and "N" being the centerpiece) and a new slogan, "This is Cartoon Network!"[13] The bumpers introduced as part of the rebrand featured 2D cartoon characters from its 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.
In 2005, while the City era still going on, Cartoon Network launched Cartoon Network Summer. It featured new episodes of old shows and premieres of new shows, including Camp Lazlo and The Life and Times of Juniper Lee On Christmas premieres of new shows started to air including Ben 10, and My Gym Partner's a Monkey. During 2005, Lumpus and Slinkman (Camp Lazlo) hosted a block at Summer 05' called Cabin Fever 10:00 AM-4:00 PM.
In 2005, Cartoon Network launched a block aimed at the preschool demographics called Tickle U, which was not the first time Cartoon Network attracted that kind of audience. In the 1990s, there was a show called Big Bag, a puppet show co-produced by Sesame Workshop (formerly named Children's Television Workshop), the people responsible for Sesame Street. There was also Small World, which was more like a collection of animated preschool shorts from around the world. Reruns of Tom & Jerry Kids, A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, Hamtaro and Baby Looney Tunes were shown early in the morning. Shows featured on Tickle U were Gordon the Garden Gnome, Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs, Peppa Pig, Firehouse Tales, and Gerald McBoing-Boing. This block was trying hard to find its audience, because of this, Tickle U was a major failure to the network. The block was plugged months after its premiere, making it one of the short-lived blocks on the station up to 2005 December.
On April 3, 2006, Cartoon Network entered the "Yes!" era, which overtook the CN City look on April 10. In Summer 2006, the network's slogan was a simplistic “Cartoon Network: Yes!”, as spoken by Fred Fredburger, a character from The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy. The network also used bumps featuring the cast of Camp Lazlo as stick puppets and characters doing random in front of a red background. The Now/Then bumpers were also changed; the city background were modified to use flat, dark colors to give the bumpers a "New Age" feel. The CN City bumpers were still used during this time, but not as much as the "Yes!" bumpers.
On December 8, 2006, Cartoon Network produced their first live-action television movie called Re-Animated, a collaboration between both live-action and animation. A year later in 2007, the film was spun-off into its own half-hour series entitled Out of Jimmy's Head, which continues the events of the film. This was also the first show on Cartoon Network to feature live-action characters as the main cast, even though it was not the first to combine live-action and animation together (the first being Space Ghost Coast to Coast). The show was short-lived, as it only lasted for 20 episodes, making Out of Jimmy's Head the only show on Cartoon Network to be affected by the Writers Guild of America strike in 2007.
2007–2014: Snyder era
In January 2007, the CN City look nearly disappears, and the Yes! look was slightly refreshed. The new campaign featured two different styles of bumps. The first style was "Lunchbox of Doom", featuring an assortment of show clips inside a CGI gothic lunchbox, a reference to an episode of The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy. The second was "VS.", comparing two cartoon characters.
Jim Samples, who served as Cartoon Network's general manager and Executive Vice President since August 2001, resigned on February 9, 2007, following a bomb scare in Boston caused by packages left around the city that were part of an outdoor marketing campaign promoting the Adult Swim series Aqua Teen Hunger Force.[14] Following Samples's resignation, Stuart Snyder was named his successor.[15]
On September 14, 2007, the network's look was revamped, and bumpers and channel identification were themed to The Hives song Fall is Just Something That Grown-Ups Invented. Every October since 2007, Cartoon Network would air 40 episodes of Goosebumps, though Cartoon Network lost the rights to the show on October 31, 2009.
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.[16] Cartoonstitute was eventually cancelled, and out of all the shorts, 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.[17]
Beginning on May 25, 2008, Cartoon Network has been 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.[18] In June 2009, a block of live-action reality shows began airing in a programming block promoted as CN Real.[19] Another bumper named "Ridiculously Short Cartoons" aired excerpts from shows on Cartoon Network, also airing until May 2008. The network has also aired some limited sports programming, including Slamballgames, during the commercials.
About a third of their Cartoon Network Studios shows were cancelled in 2008. When the new year started, Cartoon Network started using some of the shows that aired on Teletoon. Johnny Test was added in January 2008, George of the Jungle was also added that same month, Bakugan Battle Brawlers was added in February 2008, Chop Socky Chooks was added in March 2008, Total Drama Island was added in June 2008 and 6teen was added in November 2008.
Programming blocks also changed. New episodes of comedy cartoons moved to Thursdays starting in March 2008. You Are Here, a new action block started to air replaced Fried Dynamite.
Cartoon Network started 2009 with a Looney Tunes marathon. The Powerpuff Girls had a marathon to honor its tenth birthday which also premiered The Powerpuff Girls Rule! special. [20]
A new identity for the station was introduced on May 29, 2010, along with a new theme and new bumpers and a new slogan, CHECK it. The branding, designed by Brand New School, 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.[21] In February, Cartoon Network aired their first sports award show, called Hall Of Game Awards.
Also in 2010, Sym-Bionic Titan premiered. It was created by Genndy Tartakovsky.
At its April 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.[22] 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.[23]
In the summer of 2011, Cartoon Network introduced a new line of bumpers known as YEEEAUHHHH!. After announcing two new 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 (originally aired on Fox). 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 acquired the television rights to The High Fructose Adventures of Annoying Orange, based on the web series, The Annoying Orange and added it to its primetime lineup.
On February 2, 2012, Corus Entertainment and Astral Media, owners of Teletoon, announced they would launch a Canadian version of Cartoon Network that also includes a version of the U.S. network's Adult Swim nighttime block. The channel launched on July 4, 2012.
On March 18, 2012, Cartoon Network aired its first documentary, Speak Up, an anti-bullying campaign featuring a special appearance by President Barack Obama. On April 28, 2013, the network aired the CNN half-hour documentary The Bully Effect, which details the story of teenager Alex Libby and his struggle with bullying in high school. The special is based on the 2011 film Bully directed by Lee Hirsch.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Cartoon Network, the Cartoon Planet block was revived on March 30, 2012, which aired the channel's original programming from the late 1990s through mid-2000s. From October 1 to November 4, 2012, Cartoon Network celebrated its 20th birthday, airing birthday and party-themed reruns of its shows.
In 2012, Cartoon Network announced new programming for the upcoming year, including the live-action series Incredible Crew; the animated series Teen Titans Go!, Uncle Grandpa, Steven Universe, I Heart Tuesdays, Clarence, Total Drama All-Stars, Grojband, Beware the Batman, The Tom and Jerry Show, and Legends of Chima; and a new Powerpuff Girls special, the latter of which aired on January 20, 2014.
On May 20, 2013, Cartoon Network gave a refresh to its look by adding new bumpers, graphics, and sounds. A short animation was created for each show, and these animations were used when featuring the show in Next bumpers. The background used in its promos and bumpers was also changed from black to white.
For Christmas 2013, Cartoon Network temporarily aired from 6AM to 10PM EST, with Adventure Time and Regular Show taking up the 9:00 and 9:30 slots.
2014–2019: Miller era
On March 6, 2014, Stuart Snyder was confirmed to have been removed as president and COO of Turner's Animation, Young Adults & Kids Media division after company changes.[24] On July 16, 2014, Christina Miller was named his successor as president and general manager of Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, and Boomerang.[25]
On March 31, 2014, Cartoon Network's 8 pm ET/PT primetime hour was given to its night time block Adult Swim, causing new episodes of the network's programming to change timeslots.[26]
On October 21, 2014, Cartoon Network, along with CNN and Boomerang, were taken off the Dish Network in the United States after Turner Broadcasting declined to renew its contract with the Dish Network.[27] The channels were restored on November 21, 2014.
On May 30, 2016, Cartoon Network USA refreshed the channel with a new graphics package based on previous rebrands in the Check It family called "Dimensional", the new graphics were developed by Bent Design Lab and features cartoon characters in 3D CGI, stop-motion, and 2D graphic techniques. Branding and marketing agency Troika developed the "Dimensional" style guide, a list of rules on how the graphics should be implemented on the channel.[28] In September 2016, the network took back an extra hour from its Adult Swim block, ending its broadcasting daily at 9 pm.
On October 22, 2016, AT&T reached a deal to buy Time Warner for over $80 billion. If approved by federal regulators, the merger would bring Time Warner's properties, including Cartoon Network, under the same umbrella as AT&T's telecommunication holdings, including satellite provider DirecTV.[29][30]
In 2017, new bumpers aired, such as "New New New New". On January 27, the block Friday Party! began airing, which received negative reviews due to the promos only advertising Teen Titans Go. On September 1, two new blocks started airing on Fridays. One was Ben 10 Alien of the Week, which aired from 5pm to 6pm and later from 5:00pm to 5:30pm. It was an hour (later 30 minutes) block dedicated to a Ben 10 alien and it had a new episode to kick it off. The other new block was NEW NEW NEW NEW, which aired from 6pm to 8pm. It had new episodes of Teen Titans Go!, OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes, The Amazing World of Gumball, and We Bare Bears.
Ben 10 Alien of the Week ended on November 3, 2017, while NEW NEW NEW NEW ended on April 20, 2018.
In 2018, several new series premiered, including Apple & Onion, Summer Camp Island, and Craig of the Creek.
On September 13, 2018, Cartoon Network USA updated their Dimensional branding by adding drawings that were created by fans on the Cartoon Network Mashup site: with it, fans can claim a frame that is added in a mashup video (looping) that will appear on TV as bumpers (including the Next ones), this era is called by fans the "Mashup" era, though it's a simple update that use the same assets as the Dimensional (new one from 2017-2018) branding. From September to December 2018, Cartoon Network temporarily got back the 8pm hour. On March 4, 2019, AT&T announced a major reorganization of dia's Turner Broadcasting division, which involves Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, and Turner Classic Movies being transferred to Warner Bros. Entertainment. Although AT&T did not specify any timetable for the changes to take effect, WarnerMedia had begun to remove all Turner references in corporate communications and press releases, referring to that unit's networks as "divisions of WarnerMedia".
In 2019, several new original series premiered on the network, including Infinity Train, Victor and Valentino, and Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart.
On November 27, 2019, it was announced that Christina Miller would be leaving WarnerMedia at the end of 2019. Michael Ouweleen will be serving as interim president of Cartoon Network, with Miller helping with the transition.[31]
2020–2022 Ascheim era
On April 7, 2020, Tom Ascheim was named President of Warner Bros. Global Kids, Young Adults and Classics. During his tenure, he oversaw Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and Boomerang, the studios of Cartoon Network and Warner Bros Animation in Los Angeles and will have global responsibility for the Turner Classic Movies channel. At Warner Bros, he reunites with Ann Sarnoff, with whom he worked at Nickelodeon. It became effective on July 1, 2020.
"I am thrilled to be joining Warner Bros. and especially excited to be working with the deeply talented folks at Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Boomerang, TCM and Warner Bros. Animation,” said Ascheim. “I’ve been watching their work since I was a child, and it’s thrilling to be part of such a storied group. I’m equally excited to be working again with Ann Sarnoff, who remains one of the best people I’ve ever had the privilege to work with." [32]
On April 29, 2020, Micheal Ouweleen has been named the President of Adult Swim. It became effective on July 1, 2020. [33]
On February 5, 2021, Tom Ascheim stated in a interview with Kidscreen that Cartoon Network would expand its offerings to include series aimed at family audiences, girls, and preschoolers.[34] The interview ended with the acquisition of the broadcast rights to Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go!, a reboot of the original Thomas & Friends series.
These plans culminated on February 17, when it was announced that WarnerMedia's international preschool brand Cartoonito would come to Cartoon Network in United States as a programming block (in addition to a streaming component on HBO Max). Over 20 series are expected to be featured at its fall 2021 launch.[35]
2019–2020; 2022–present: Ouweleen era
In November 27, 2019, Ouweleen became the interim President of Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, and Boomerang due to the departure of Christina Miller. His stint as head of the division ended on July 1, 2020 with the appointment of Tom Ascheim to the position; he became President of Adult Swim at that point, reporting to Ascheim.
In May 2022, following WarnerMedia's merger with Discovery to form Warner Bros. Discovery the month prior, Tom Ascheim's role was eliminated and Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, and Boomerang were moved into Warner Bros. Discovery Networks U.S., with Michael Ouweleen gaining oversight to Cartoon Network and Boomerang once again after one year and ten months. Eleven months into his presidency, he decided that Cartoon Network was being watched by too many adults and thus he changed Adult Swim's time to 5:00pm and forced all non-Scooby-Doo movies to air on there with the moving of the ACME Night block to Adult Swim resulting in movies that don't fit the brand airing on there. All of the general audience shows Ascheim greenlit such as Unicorn: Warriors Eternal and My Adventures with Superman moved to Adult Swim before they even premiered, making Cartoon Network in the same rut they were in since 2015: Strictly for kids.
Editing of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts
Cartoon Network has, during its history, broadcast most of the Warner Bros. animated shorts originally created between the 1920s and the 1960s, but the network edited out scenes depicting discharge of gunfire, alcohol ingestion, cowboys and Indians gags, tobacco, and politically incorrect humor. The unedited versions were kept from both broadcasting and wide release on the video market. Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs (1943), a politically incorrect 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.[36]
There was media attention in June 2001 over a network decision concerning further omissions from broadcasting. Cartoon Network formerly scheduled a 49-hour-long marathon annually known as June Bugs, promising to broadcast every Bugs Bunny animated short in chronological order. The network originally intended to include 12 shorts for its 2001 airing of the marathon (one of them part of the Censored Eleven list of Merrie Melodies and Looney Tunes cartoons effectively shelved from distribution) that had become controversial for using ethnic and national stereotypes, albeit broadcasting them past midnight to ensure few children were watching, with introductions concerning their historic value as representatives of another time. The network's corporate parent 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".[36]
Programming
Cartoon Network's current original programminng includes We Baby Bears and Craig of the Creek. The network's original programming is produced at Cartoon Network Studios, while other shows have either been co-produced with or acquired from other studios, including the affiliated Warner Bros. Animation. In the past, Cartoon Network has also produced and aired live-action and animated hybrid programming.
Over the years, Cartoon Network has aired various Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry shorts in constant rotation, dating back to the network's launch in 1992 until 2017. In its early days, Cartoon Network benefited from having access to a large collection of animated programming, including the libraries of Warner Bros. (Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (Tom and Jerry), and Hanna-Barbera (The Flintstones, Scooby-Doo, Snorks). Turner's ownership of Hanna-Barbera gave the network access to an established animation studio, something its rivals didn't have.[12] Most of these series were removed by 1999 and moved to Boomerang in 2000.
Original series
For more information about this section, visit: Cartoon Cartoons
Much of Cartoon Network's original programming originates from the network's in-house studio, Cartoon Network Studios. Beginning as a division of Hanna-Barbera, this studio would produce some of the network's earliest original series, including Dexter's Laboratory, Cow and Chicken, I Am Weasel, Johnny Bravo, and The Powerpuff Girls. Cartoon Cartoons was once the branding for Cartoon Network's original animated television series, but it was seldom used by the network by 2003. The name was eventually discontinued in 2008. Additionally several of the Cartoon Network's original series have been produced by studios other than the network's own in-house studio. Notable examples of this being Ed, Edd n Eddy, Courage the Cowardly Dog, and Codename: Kids Next Door.
Programming blocks
By the early 2000s, Cartoon Network had established programming blocks aimed at different age demographics. The shows broadcast during the early morning had preschoolers called Tickle U 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 its target audience was tweens and teenagers. Prime time shows mostly included classic cartoons, featured as part of The Tex Avery Show, The Chuck Jones Show and The Bob Clampett Show. Preschool programming was discontinued by 2007.
Marketing
Cartoon Network shows with established fan followings, such as Dexter's Laboratory, 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.[37]
Time Warner Cable, the former cable television subsidiary of the corporate parent (which was spun off from Time Warner in 2009), distributes 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, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, one of CN's original shows, was at times seen at Kids' WB (which was discontinued on May 24, 2008), while Xiaolin Showdown and ¡Mucha Lucha!, two of Kids' WB's original shows, were seen at Cartoon Network. In each case, the swap intended to cultivate a shared audience for the two networks. Time Inc., the former subsidiary overseeing the 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 until Time Inc. was spun off from Time Warner on June 9, 2014. AOL, a now-former sibling company to Time Warner covering Internet services, helped promote Cartoon Network shows online by offering exclusive content for certain animated series, online sweepstakes and display advertising for CN.[37]
Warner Home Video, the home video subsidiary, distributed VHS tapes, DVDs and Blu-ray Discs featuring Cartoon Network shows. Select Warner Bros. Family Entertainment VHS releases came with bonus cartoons from Cartoon Network. Rhino Entertainment, the former record label subsidiary of the corporate parent (which was spun off from Time Warner in 2004), distributed cassette tapes and CDs with Cartoon Network-related music. These 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 this film would find its way to HBO or Cinemax, two television network subsidiaries which regularly broadcast feature films. Sandler also viewed book tie-ins through Warner Books as likely, since it was the only area of marketing not covered yet by 2001.[37]
Related projects
Adult Swim
Adult Swim (often stylized as [adult swim] or [as]) is the adult-oriented programming brand of Cartoon Network. The programs featured on Adult Swim are geared toward a mature audience, in contrast to the all-ages, preteen daytime programming of Cartoon Network. As a result, Adult Swim is treated by Nielsen as a separate network in its ratings reports (similar to Nickelodeon's Nick at Nite and now-defunct Nickmom blocks) and marketed as such because of its differing target demographics.[38] The network broadcasts both animated and live-action shows (including original programming, syndicated Fox shows, and Japanese anime) generally with minimal or no editing for content.
Adult Swim is usually broadcast from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. ET/PT in the United States. Its start time was moved up an hour to 8:00pm on March 31, 2014, though the timeslot was given back to Cartoon Network on numerous occasions. Such occasions include the premieres of Adventure Time: Stakes in 2015, the final season of Regular Show in 2016, new episodes from the sixth season of The Amazing World of Gumball in 2018, and the first ten episodes of Steven Universe Future in 2019.[39]
Toonami
Toonami (a portmanteau of "cartoon" and "tsunami", suggesting a "tidal wave" of animated cartoons) is a brand used for action-oriented programming blocks and television channels worldwide. The original program block launched on Cartoon Network in the United States on March 17, 1997 and primarily aired both American cartoons and Japanese anime. The block would end its original run on September 20, 2008, before it was later revived on May 26, 2012, as a relaunch of Adult Swim's Saturday night anime block. Toonami's current incarnation is similar to that of the "Midnight Run", a special version of the block that originally ran on Saturday nights and was the forerunner for Adult Swim. The block is best known for its branding and aesthetic, including its animated host, a robot named TOM, that was later voiced by Steven Blum.
The Toonami brand was also used internationally for dedicated networks in the United Kingdom (replacing CNX), Asia (in December 2012), India (in February 2015), and France (in February 2016).[40]
Cartoonito
Cartoonito is a programming block aimed at preschoolers that launched on the network in Fall 2021.[41]
Cartoonito is a direct competitor to Disney-ABC's Disney Junior, Paramount's Nick Jr. and PBS's PBS Kids, and a successor to Tickle-U.
Boomerang
Boomerang is a brand dedicated to classic and theatrical cartoons aimed towards the Baby Boom generation. It was originally a weekend programming block that aired on Cartoon Network from December 8, 1992 until October 2004. On April 1, 2000, Boomerang received a new look and was spun off into its own cable channel.[42] In 2017, an online Boomerang video-on-demand service was launched. The SVOD service is the only platform that airs new episodes of "Scooby-Doo,” "Looney Tunes,” and "Tom & Jerry.”[43]
Move It Movement
Move It Movement (previously named Get Animated) is a campaign of the channel, encouraging children to get active, more importantly in outdoor areas.[44] The program is designed "to provide support and encouragement in the ongoing battle against childhood obesity."[45] The Get Animated campaign was launched on February 28, 2005.[46]
Cartoon Network on Demand
Cartoon Network on Demand is the network's video on demand service, which launched in 2002, and allows viewers to watch the latest episodes of their original series.
Cartoon Network HD
Cartoon Network HD is a high definition 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.
Cartoon Network Studios
Cartoon Network Studios is a production studio located in the network's West Coast headquarters of Burbank, California, which serves as the network's first animation studio division to provide original programs for the network. While the studio makes original programs for the network, original Cartoon Network shows like The Moxy Show, Big Bag, Mike, Lu & Og, Ed, Edd n Eddy, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Sheep in the Big City, Codename: Kids Next Door, The Secret Saturdays, and Sunday Pants were all co-produced by the network itself without the studio.
Williams Street
Williams Street Productions is the adult production studio division that provides original program to the network's late-night program Adult Swim that is located in Atlanta, Georgia, along with the main headquarters of the network.
Cartoon Network Studios Europe
Cartoon Network Studios Europe (formerly known as Cartoon Network Development Studio Europe until 2017 and soon to be Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe) is the network's European production studio division that is located in London, England, which provides other original programs but from the United Kingdom.
Cartoon Network Latin America Original Productions
Cartoon Network Latin America Original Productions is the network's Latin America production studio division that is located in Latin America.
Cartoon Network Productions
Cartoon Network Productions is the network's distribution arm. It distributes the shows, pilots, and movies through various international Cartoon Network channels since 1994.
Cartoon Network Games
Cartoon Network Games (formerly known as Cartoon Network Interactive until 2014) is the video game developer and publisher of video games based on Cartoon Network shows since 2000.
Cartoon Network Enterprises
Cartoon Network Enterprises is the network's global licensing and merchandising arm established in 2001. It distributes merchandises of various Cartoon Network brands such as The Powerpuff Girls, Ben 10, We Bare Bears, Steven Universe, and more.
Mobile app
Cartoon Network has a mobile app that provides the latest full episodes, a live stream from the East and West coast, and games, as well as the network's schedule.
Video games
In 2011, Cartoon Network characters were featured in a four-player mascot brawler fighting game similar to Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. video game series called Cartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion for the Nintendo 3DS. The game was later released for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and the Wii as Cartoon Network Punch Time Explosion XL. Several video games based on the cartoon series Ben 10 were released by Cartoon Network as well. The Cartoon Network website also features various flash games incorporating characters from various Cartoon Network franchises. For example, FusionFall which was a massive multiplayer game released on January 14, 2009, and shut down on August 29, 2013.
Past programming blocks
Main category: Cancelled Programming Blocks
Action programming blocks
Cartoon Network had a long history of action-oriented programming blocks. One of the network's first blocks was Super Adventures.
From 1992-1994, Super Adventures presented action-oriented cartoons like Space Ghost, Birdman, The Fantastic Four, among many other 1960's-1970's Hanna-Barbera/Ruby-Spears action series. It aired on weekday afternoons, and also had a weekend afternoon counterpart known as "Super Adventure Saturdays".
In 1994, Super Adventures was replaced with Afternoon Adventures, which presented a more varied mix of old and then-recent action cartoons, such as James Bond Jr., Captain Planet, Swat Kats and Jonny Quest. That same year, a Saturday late-night block called Power Zone debuted, which mostly aired the same action shows as its predecessor blocks. Power Zone supplanted Afternoon Adventures in 1996.
"Power Zone" was canceled sometime in the fall of 1996, after which there was no permanent action block on Cartoon Network until the debut of Toonami on March 17, 1997.
Cartoon Planet
Cartoon Planet is an animated variety show that originally premiered in 1995 on TBS Superstation and continued its run from 1996 to 1997 on Cartoon Network. A spin-off of the animated Space Ghost Coast to Coast talk show, the premise was that Space Ghost had recruited his imprisoned evil arch nemesis Zorak and his loud and extremely dimwitted archenemy Brak to assist him in hosting a variety show. As apart of Cartoon Network's Twentieth Anniversary, Cartoon Planet was revived in an effort to gain more ratings. The revived block premiered on Friday, March 30, 2012 at 8pm/7c. The block featured old classic shows hosted by Zorak and Brak (Space Ghost is absent for unknown reasons).
Cartoon Cartoon Fridays/Fridays
Main article : Fridays (Cartoon Cartoon Fridays)
Cartoon Cartoon Fridays (then known as Fridays), was launched on June 11, 1999 and last aired on February 23, 2007. Cartoon Cartoon Fridays (as it was known until May 16, 2003, then became Summer Fridays until August 29, 2003) was the Friday night version of "Cartoon Cartoons". This program block on Cartoon Network that showcased the channel's original cartoon series, with new episode premieres usually taking place in this block. The block was "hosted" by cartoon characters that were part of Cartoon Cartoons shows (Usually along with new episodes of their respective shows airing on their corresponding night). The block aired between 7 p.m.- 5 a.m., with the shows and segments repeating at least twice.
On February 23, 2007, Cartoon Network aired the last Fridays before being replaced with Friday Night Premiere Thunder.
The Big Pick
Main article: The Big Pick
The Big Pick was a summer event that aired on Cartoon Cartoon Fridays. There would be a Cartoon Cartoon short that aired every Friday at 9pm, before a brand-new episode of a Cartoon Cartoon. There would also be a Cartoon Cartoon Weekend with 53 hours of original programming with the Premiere Premieres airing four additional times over the weekend then the viewers would vote for the series to become a new Cartoon Cartoon, only two series became new and those were Grim & Evil (2000, premiered in 2001) and Codename: Kids Next Door (2001, premiered in 2002). The Big Pick was discontinued in 2002.
Miguzi
Main article: Miguzi
Miguzi was a cartoon block that premiered on April 19, 2004 at 5 p.m. and finished its run on May 25, 2007 at 6 p.m.. This block was themed around Erin, a girl who finds refuge within the confines of a strange spaceship that is trapped underwater and inhabited by aquatic creatures. This lighter-toned action block was from Williams Street, the producers of late-night programming block Adult Swim and Toonami, a block of programming which Miguzi replaced in the weekday-afternoon timeslot.
Saturday Video Entertainment System
Main article: Saturday Video Entertainment System
The Saturday Video Entertainment System was a Toonami-like block of action animation airing Saturday nights which ran March 1, 2003 to April 10, 2004. SVES was packaged like a video game, with a Samus Aran-like character in bumps reminiscent of older arcade/Super NES game design. This block was also designed by Williams Street.
Tickle U
Main article: Tickle U
Tickle U was a two-hour programming block for pre-schoolers on weekday mornings from August 22, 2005 to January 5, 2006. The block had programs like Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs, Firehouse Tales, Little Robots, Gordon the Garden Gnome, Yoko! Jakamoko! Toto!, Peppa Pig and Gerald McBoing-Boing.
June Bugs
Main article: June Bugs
June Bugs was a yearly 48 hour marathon of Bugs Bunny cartoons which started on the first weekend in June 1993. In 2001, the marathon was intended to air nearly every Bugs Bunny cartoon ever made in chronological order, but Time Warner demanded to pull off 12 cartoons deemed "politically incorrect" by today's standards.[47] However, with there being considerably less than 48 hours of shorts, it would repeat several times.
In June 2012 and 2013, the June Bugs marathon returned with rerun of both classic Looney Tunes shorts and The Looney Tunes Show.
CN Real
Main article: CN Real
CN Real was a block that featured Cartoon Network's first live action shows that started airing in June 2009. Shows that have aired on the block include The Othersiders, Survive This, Destroy Build Destroy, BrainRush, Dude, What Would Happen, and Bobb'e Says. The block originally aired on Wednesday and Saturday nights with 2 shows on each day, but they were then merged to only airing on Wednesdays. The block received negative reception and most of the shows were canceled along with the block itself. However Dude, What Would Happen and Destroy Build Destroy would continue to air on CN Real's old Wednesday night timeslot. A lot of viewers hate CN Real.
CN Sports
Main article: CN Sports
A sub-block of CN Real which was a time-buy from Red Bull devoted to action sports. The programs aired Saturday nights with a Sunday afternoon encore, featuring 10 Count (a countdown list program) and Re:Evolution of Sports (a program which previously aired under the same arrangement on the Fox Sports Net family of regional sports networks). Last aired on November 1, 2009.
Wedgies
Main article: Wedgies
Wedgies are shorts that appear occasionally after a show or a movie, usually as a time filler. Some Wedgies include Nacho Bear, Big Baby, Calling Cat 22,The Talented Mr. Bixby, and The Bremen Avenue Experience along with shorts from The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack. This was a replacement of the original Cartoon Network Extra, which featured the usual 11-minute episodes of some Cartoon Network series. Wedgies also include skits by Blake and the Fried Dynamite crew, which air mostly after school.
Invaded
Main article: Cartoon Network Invaded
Cartoon Network Invaded was a special crossover event that aired on May 4, 2007 and involved a continuing storyline involving paranormal or alien like themes that ran through five different Cartoon Network cartoons: Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Ed, Edd n Eddy, My Gym Partner's a Monkey, Camp Lazlo, and The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy. It also aired on Cartoon Network (Southeast Asia), Cartoon Network (Philippines) and Cartoon Network (Australia) during the Halloween season of the same year.
On May 28, 2007 and June 1, 2007 the event concluded with a mini-marathon of all shows aired back-to-back with their alternate endings.
Har Har Tharsdays
Main article: Har Har Tharsdays
Har Har Tharsdays (originally CN Thursday Nights) was a block of programming on Cartoon Network that started airing June 5, 2008. The block aired comedy series such as Chowder, The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack, Total Drama Island, Total Drama Action, 6teen, Stoked, and Johnny Test. These shows rotated through. The block sometimes changes its name to commemorate certain events, like "Star Star Starsdays" (in honor of the premiere of Star Wars: The Clone Wars) "Heart Heart Theartsdays" (for Valentine's Day) or "Scare Scare Scaresdays" (for Halloween). Also, without any changing of the name, the block took on a Green look for Ben 10 week, featuring Ben Tennyson in clips with the other characters directly before or after commercial breaks. This block ended before April 5, 2010, when all of Cartoon Network's comedy programs moved to Mondays.
Super Chunk
Super Chunk is a marathon block on Cartoon Network that first aired from 1994–2000, then started airing again on August 17, 2009. This block was dedicated to airing three-hour marathons of shows from its library of programming. It was replaced by Cartoon Olio. Then, after an almost seven-year hiatus, Cartoon Network brought the block back again, yet again revamped with a giant Nood in the forest with the words Super Chunk painted in the sky, but the block ended a few weeks after.
You Are Here
You Are Here was a Friday night action/adventure block that premiered on October 3, 2008. It was taken off the air again after May 28, 2010, the night before the network rebranded along with a new logo. The programming consisted of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Ben 10: Alien Force, Ben 10: Ultimate Alien, The Secret Saturdays, Batman: The Brave and the Bold and Generator Rex. These shows were moved to a new block called Night of Action.
Night of Action
Night of Action is a Friday night action programming block that was premiered on September 17, 2010, including action programs like Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Ben 10: Ultimate Alien, Sym-Bionic Titan, Generator Rex, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Young Justice and Grand Chase. In March 2011, they aired Ninjago Part 1 for the first Friday then Part 2 in another Friday.
DC Nation
DC Nation is an action block where (as the name suggests) are emitted animated series DC company as Batman: The Brave and The Bold, Young Justice, Green Lantern, and exclusive movies like Superman and Batman: Apocalypse, special films, plus news, and news related.
Flicks
Flicks (formerly Mr. Spim's Cartoon Theater, Cartoon Network's Cartoon Theatre, Movie Madness and later The Flicks) was a movie block on Cartoon Network, featuring animated theatrical feature films, animated made-for-TV feature films, and films made for Cartoon Network. Since 2003, live-action films from Warner Bros. or New Line Cinema, in which are both owned by Time Warner, regardless if they are cartoon-related (though most are), became part of Cartoon Network's library of movies. Although airs movies from Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema, the network also airs movies from other major Hollywood studios such as: 20th Century Studios, Columbia Pictures and Paramount Pictures.
The name of the block was changed on Christmas to "Flicksmas". On July 3, 2010, "Flicks" were rebranded with a live-action human family, no longer containing the Noods. It was later hosted by internet personality KevJumbua (Kevin Wu), and finally, the sentient C and N letters from the current network logo along with a dog named "Flicksy" began hosting.
The block was discontinued at the end of February 28, 2015. Movies were still shown on the network but without the Flicks branding until August 27, 2023. Most non-Scooby-Doo movies now air on Adult Swim.
Start and End Times
(2005-2008, 2009-2010, 2013)
(2005-2008)
(2006-2007)
(2010-2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021-2022, 2023)
(2013-2015, 2016, 2017-2018, 2019-2021, 2022-2023)
(2023)
(2023-Present)
Cartoon Network Era Names
Slogans
Gallery
Cartoon Network - Flicksmas 2014 Promo
References