Cartoon Cartoons

Cartoon Cartoons was a collective name used by Cartoon Network for their original series running from 1996 to 2003. The majority of them were produced by Hanna-Barbera and/or Cartoon Network Studios. The concept of Cartoon Cartoons was spearheaded by Fred Seibert, and originated from his animation anthology series, What a Cartoon! (later re-titled to The Cartoon Cartoon Show). Once their popularity had grown, the Cartoon Cartoons were featured on the network's Friday night programming block, Cartoon Cartoon Fridays.

The name was retired by the network in 2004 and met its demise in 2009, with the cancellation of Ed, Edd n Eddy. Since their heyday, re-runs of the Cartoon Cartoons have continued to air on The Cartoon Cartoon Show (2005 to 2008) and Cartoon Planet (2012 to 2014). Cartoon Network continues to produce new series under the "Cartoon Network Original Series" banner.

History

See also: What a Cartoon!

Cartoon Cartoons first appeared as shorts on animation showcase series What a Cartoon! in 1995, under the name of World Premiere Toons. The series was produced by Hanna-Barbera and Cartoon Network Studios under the direction of Fred Seibert. Seibert had been a guiding force for Nickelodeon (having overseen the creation of Nicktoons shortly prior to his departure) prior to joining Hanna-Barbera and would establish Frederator Studios years later.[1]

Through What a Cartoon!, 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.[2] Dexter's Laboratory was the most popular short series according to a vote held in 1995, and became the first Cartoon 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; I Am Weasel was later spun off into a separate show). These were followed by The Powerpuff Girls in 1998 and concluded with Courage the Cowardly Dog and Mike, Lu & Og in 1999.[2][3] The unrelated series Ed, Edd n Eddy also premiered in 1999, creating a line-up of critically acclaimed shows.[4]

The Cartoon Cartoons aired throughout prominently throughout the network's schedule and on the Friday night programming block, Cartoon Cartoon Fridays, which became the marquee night for premieres of new episodes and series beginning on June 11, 1999.

The Cartoon Cartoons 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 rate of exaggeration and self-consciousness of the overall output, each individual series managed.[5]

Programming blocks

More shows premiered bearing the Cartoon Cartoons brand, airing throughout the network's schedule and prominently on "Cartoon Cartoon Fridays", which became the marquee night for premieres of new episodes and shows beginning June 11, 1999. On September 5, 2003, the block was rebooted under an hybrid live-action format as "Fridays", hosted by Tommy Snider and Nzinga Blake, who was later replaced by later co-host Tara Sands. It aired shows outside the "Cartoon Cartoon" moniker, such as Samurai Jack, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi, The Life & Times of Juniper Lee, Camp Lazlo, My Gym Partner's A Monkey and Squirrel Boy. The last airing of "Fridays" was on February 23, 2007.

As early as September 2005, the "Cartoon Cartoons" label was primarily used for The Cartoon Cartoon Show, a half-hour program featuring episodes of older Cartoon Cartoons that were no longer shown regularly on the network, and "Cartoon Cartoons The Top 5", an hour-long program featuring a countdown of the week's five "best" Cartoon Cartoons from the older lineup.

The block Cartoon Planet was revived on Cartoon Network on March 30, 2012, airing in a format similar to The Cartoon Cartoon Show. It features Cartoon Cartoons such as Dexter's Laboratory, Johnny Bravo, Cow and Chicken, I Am Weasel, The Powerpuff Girls, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Ed, Edd n Eddy, Codename: Kids Next Door, and other original Cartoon Network Studios series such as Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Camp Lazlo, and Chowder. Cartoon Planet returned on October 5, 2012, for Cartoon Network's 20th anniversary.

List of series

Precursor

Title Premiere date Finale date Note(s)
What a Cartoon! / The What a Cartoon! Show / The Cartoon Cartoon Show February 20, 1995 August 23, 2002 [lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2]

Full series

Title Premiere date Finale date Note(s)
Dexter's Laboratory April 28, 1996 November 20, 2003 [lower-alpha 3][lower-alpha 4][lower-alpha 2]
Johnny Bravo July 7, 1997 August 27, 2004 [lower-alpha 3][lower-alpha 4][lower-alpha 2]
Cow and Chicken July 15, 1997 July 24, 1999 [lower-alpha 3][lower-alpha 4][lower-alpha 2]
I Am Weasel July 15, 1997 March 2, 2000 [lower-alpha 3][lower-alpha 4][lower-alpha 2]
The Powerpuff Girls November 18, 1998 March 25, 2005 [lower-alpha 3][lower-alpha 4][lower-alpha 2]
Ed, Edd n Eddy January 4, 1999 November 8, 2009 [lower-alpha 4][lower-alpha 2]
Mike, Lu & Og November 12, 1999 May 27, 2001 [lower-alpha 2]
Courage the Cowardly Dog November 12, 1999 November 22, 2002 [lower-alpha 3][lower-alpha 4][lower-alpha 2]
Sheep in the Big City November 17, 2000 April 7, 2002
Time Squad June 8, 2001 November 26, 2003
Grim & Evil August 24, 2001 October 18, 2002 [lower-alpha 3][lower-alpha 4]
Whatever Happened to... Robot Jones? July 12, 2002 November 14, 2003 [lower-alpha 3]
Codename: Kids Next Door December 6, 2002 January 25, 2008 [lower-alpha 4]
The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy June 13, 2003 October 12, 2008 [lower-alpha 4][lower-alpha 2]
Evil Con Carne July 11, 2003 October 22, 2004 [lower-alpha 3][lower-alpha 4]

Programming blocks

Title Year(s) aired Note(s)
Cartoon Cartoons 1996–2004
Cartoon Cartoon Fridays 1999–2003
Cartoon Cartoon Fridays Big Pick Weekend 2001
Cartoon Cartoon Weekend 1997–2002
Cartoon Cartoon Weekend Summerfest 2002
Cartoon Cartoon Summer 2001–2003
The Cartoon Cartoon Show 2000[6]–2003;[7] 2005–2008[8]
Cartoon Cartoon Top 5 2002[9]–2004
Cartoon Cartoon Primetime 2001

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Renamed to The What a Cartoon! Show in 1996 and again to The Cartoon Cartoon Show in 2000.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 This show is, or was, airing on Boomerang
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 Reran as segments on The Cartoon Cartoon Show and Top 5, beginning in 2005.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 4.10 Reran as segments on Cartoon Planet, beginning in 2012.

References

  1. ↑ Strike, Joe (July 15, 2003). "The Fred Seibert Interview — Part 1". Animation World Network. Retrieved August 30, 2010.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Mittell (2004), p. 82-83
  3. ↑ Strike, Joe (July 15, 2003). "The Fred Seibert Interview – Part 1". Animation World Network. Retrieved 2010-08-30.
  4. ↑ Mittell (2004), p. 80
  5. ↑ Stabile, Harrison (2003), p. 98-99
  6. ↑ http://www.tvschedulearchive.com/cartoon-network/2000/060500.txt
  7. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20031009142728/http://schedule.cartoonnetwork.com/servlet/ScheduleServlet?action=viewAll&showID=313920&show=Cartoon+Cartoon+Show
  8. ↑ "CN Schedule". tvschedulearchive.com. Retrieved September 11, 2014.
  9. ↑ http://www.toonzone.net/shows/cnschedules/revisions.html

External links