Cartoon Network Too

Cartoon Network Too
Launched 24 April 2006 (24 April 2006) (original)
24 May 2007 (24 May 2007)
(relaunch)
Closed 23 May 2007 (23 May 2007) (original)
1 April 2014 (1 April 2014) (relaunch, replaced by 1-hour timeshift of Cartoon Network)
Owned by Turner Broadcasting System Europe
(Time Warner)
Picture format 576i (16:9/4:3) (SDTV)
Audience share 0.1% (November 2012, BARB)
Country United Kingdom
Ireland
Language English
Broadcast area United Kingdom, Ireland & Malta[1]
Headquarters Turner House,
Great Marlborough Street,
London, United Kingdom[2]
Replaced Cartoon Network +1
Replaced by Cartoon Network +1
Sister channel(s) Cartoon Network
Boomerang
Cartoonito
TCM
TCM 2
CNN International
Website CNToo.co.uk (closed)
Availability
Satellite
Sky Channel 602
Cable
Virgin Media Channel 705
UPC Ireland Channel 617
UPC Poland Channel 680
WightFibre Channel 56
IPTV
TalkTalk TV Channel 326

Cartoon Network Too was a British TV network created by Turner Broadcasting. CN Too is the sister station of Cartoon Network, and it often aired programmes a while after they are shown on the main Cartoon Network.[3] During the daytime, it usually aired some action-adventure programming such as Ben 10: Alien Force and Star Wars: The Clone Wars. During overnight hours, usually between midnight and 06:00, it also aired some shows which are no longer being produced, and are no longer in high demand (i.e. Skatoony). Cartoon Network Too was closed on 1 April 2014.

History

2006–2007: Launch and early years

On 24 April 2006, Cartoon Network Too was launched on Sky. It also became available on SCTV Digital when that service became available in 2006, along with the main Cartoon Network Channel and Boomerang. The channel aired from 03:00 to 19:00, sharing a broadcast frequency with TCM 2, a UK-only spin-off station from TCM (although the two channels have separate channel numbers).

During its early months, Cartoon Network Too broadcast cartoons primarily made by Hanna-Barbera such as Dexter's Laboratory, The Powerpuff Girls, Johnny Bravo, Wacky Races and Cow & Chicken.[4][5] It also showed cartoons such as Ed, Edd n Eddy, The Cramp Twins and Courage the Cowardly Dog.

The channel launched at 10:15 with Dexter's Laboratory being the first program to air. It was then followed by Cow and Chicken at 10:30, and Wacky Races at 11:00 during its original launch morning. Many of the shows originally on the channel have been removed since.

"Modern classics"

Within a few months of broadcasting, the channel relaunched itself into a "modern classic" programming channel with shows like Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry, also shown on Boomerang, appearing alongside Cartoon Network shows from the recent past.

Introduction of Cartoonito block

Starting from 4 September 2006, the channel gave up 9 of its 16 hours of programming a day for Cartoonito as a programming block from 06:00 until 15:00, which was not a popular choice for some viewers. The channel's airtime remained 03:00 to 19:00, however actual Cartoon Network Too programming only aired between 03:00 and 06:00 then from 15:00 until 19:00, as the remaining hours contained Cartoonito's programming.

2007–2014: Cartoon Network Too as a 24 hour channel

On 23 May 2007 at 19:00, the old version of the channel closed for the last time. Then, on 24 May 2007 at 03:00, Toonami was shut down permanently and Cartoon Network Too was moved into Toonami's slot, allowing a full Cartoonito channel to launch in Cartoon Network Too's original timeshared-with-TCM2 slot, expand into the full former-Cartoon Network Too schedule (thus expanding Cartoonito from 9 hours a day to 16 hours a day). Viewers of Toonami were given three weeks of notice before Turner took the channel off air. Cartoon Network Too was in the process moved to Toonami's former slot on Sky Digital channel 602 and was launched on Virgin Media channel 732, again replacing Toonami.

Cartoonito more recently changed its broadcast hours to 04:00 until 20:00, following a one-hour shift in the time-split arrangement with TCM 2.

The US version of Toonami stayed on air until 20 September 2008.

In June 2007, Cartoon Network Too became available on Top Up TV Anytime, which is a video-on-demand service. However, on 2 June 2009 it was removed, but the main Cartoon Network channel continues to be accessible via Top Up TV Anytime. In June 2010, Cartoon Network Too was removed from SCTV Digital as a result of that service going into administration. On 16 May 2012, Cartoon Network Too's logo was changed in line with the already updated main Cartoon Network logo, retaining its "eyes" motif that the network has used since 2006. At the same time, it now targets a slightly older audience. It now focuses on action-adventure programming and all modern classic programming will move to Boomerang in the near future. Modern classic programming had begun to be removed from Cartoon Network Too in favour of action-adventure programming, and by 16 May 2012 all modern classic programming had been removed. The remaining 4:3 shows were converted to 16:9 as well. On 1 April 2014, Cartoon Network Too was replaced with a relaunched 1-hour timeshift of Cartoon Network. The Cartoon Network Too website remained online explaining the change for a few days before redirecting to a placeholder image of the Turner logo. It then later redirected to the official Cartoon Network UK website (twice), a 403 error and a Microsoft Internet Information Services placeholder page. It currently redirects to an error message.

2006 power outage

On the night of 27 July 2006 Cartoon Network, along with its sister channels suffered a major technical fault due to a power cut in Soho, London. This was due to the 2006 European heat wave, with thunderstorms taking full force.

The power cut caused a mix up of Turner Broadcasting System Europe channels (i.e. Cartoon Network being broadcast on Boomerang and Toonami, with Boomerang being broadcast on Cartoon Network Too). Boomerang +1 was off air for some time, while TCM, reverted between TCM France and other programming during the times it was able to provide a service.

TCM 2 didn't have a power cut because of its downtime of timesharing. Most advertising was suspended and several of the channel websites were offline also. Those who could still receive the channels had a backup transmission played out, making people confused when Cartoon Network Too and Boomerang were showing episodes of The Flintstones at the same time. These backups where played out with a scrolling message which said "We apologise for the disruption to this service. This is due to technical problems. We will resume normal programming as soon as possible" in multiple languages.

Whilst most channels returned to the air quickly, it took longer for Cartoon Network Too to resume programming and it was also joked on various animation based forums by Toonami UK viewers, many of whom have made note of their disdain for the direction in which Turner took the brand in the UK, that the backup transmission was more entertaining, purely due to the lack of live action programming aired during the outage.

The idents on Toonami which aired between shows during the black-out displayed the message "Sorry! Toonami is broken, we'll be right back as soon as we fix it.". These idents have since been re-used in disclaimers warning viewers not to try stunts on various shows at home.

Logos and idents

Programmes

Final programming

Late at night only

Former programming

daggerRe-runs only double-daggerNow on Boomerang

References

  1. ↑ "Pan-European Opportunity: Cartoon Network". Turner Media Innovations. Retrieved 23 June 2011.
  2. ↑ "Company Information". Turner Broadcasting System Europe. Archived from the original on 15 February 2012. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
  3. ↑ "New look for Turner channels". Toy News Online. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
  4. ↑ "Timeline: Turner Broadcasting System Europe LTD". Turner Broadcasting System Europe. Archived from the original on 7 January 2009. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
  5. ↑ "Turner fights ITV and BBC with launch plans". Campaign. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
  6. ↑ Also airs on the main Cartoon Network schedule overnight.
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