Cartoon Network



Turner Broadcasting launched this cable channel on October 1, 1992, after acquiring the extensive Hanna-Barbera animation library the year before (and even before this, Turner owned some animation, by way of the 1986 MGM/UA deal). Cartoon Network and the rest of Turner Broadcasting later merged with Time Warner in 1996, giving it access to more animated material, by way of Warner Bros. However the network wouldn’t really take off until the premiere of What a Cartoon Show, which would eventually lead to the creation of the first of a number of original productions. When Cartoon Network decided to push classic H-B cartoons aside for its original productions, it launched Boomerang, a satellite and premium cable channel, in April 2000, to serve as a "retirement home" for them.

Many of Cartoon Network's original productions are highly praised and many consider them to be superior to cartoons shown on broadcast networks, especially as more and more broadcast networks are abandoning their animated programming blocks outright. CN has (and still does all the time) pushed the limit on what a kids' channel can show, by airing several TV-14–rated animated films (such as the Hellboy series and Justice League: The New Frontier) and TV-PG series (like both Clone Wars series), resulting in a LARGE Periphery Demographic, even having a bumper featuring an excessive Cluster F-Bomb. It is best known among the Anime community for its now returning Toonami block, which helped increase the popularity of Japanese animation in America during the 10 years it aired.

The overnight schedule is a separate block called Adult Swim, which is considered separated in Nielsen ratings, although still run by CN executives. Once again praised for many of its original programs (even the weirder ones), Adult Swim is also well-known for bringing more exposure to mature Anime series as well as rescuing other shows from death or complete obscurity.

Around the mid-2000s, the network began to incorporate live action shows as it attempted to compete with other "kids'" channels, such as Nickelodeon and the Disney Channel. A number of animated originals as well as the Toonami and Miguzi blocks were cancelled or ended, only to be replaced by a number of live action programs, which came to a head when CN Real, a block of live-action reality shows and scripted series, was created. This block was cancelled shortly after its creation, as low ratings and a huge backlash from the animation community and older fans prompted a return to the network's signature "cartoon" programming.

The New Tens have been a renaissance for the network when it comes to returning to its roots of airing animated originals with the network premiering a large number of new animated series to cater to a variety of interests, with even more to come. Classics like Dexters Laboratory and The Powerpuff Girls have also found their way back to the schedule after being relegated to Boomerang, and after a huge fan campaign following an April Fools' Day stunt, Toonami has also returned to the schedule. And speaking of variety of interests, the network has been taking a subtle change in demographics as displayed by its recent crop of TV-PG rated shows starting with Canadian imports 6teen and Total Drama Island and continuing with the originals Adventure Time and Regular Show. Also, most of its current action/adventure cartoons are rated TV-PG-V. Quite unusual considering that programs that go above the TV-Y7 rating were a rarity even during the network’s peak popularity, but it seems like that they have started to take note of the growing Periphery Demographic.

In addition, a new Crossover Mascot Fighter called Cartoon Network Punch Time Explosion was released in June 2011 on the Nintendo 3DS, and an Updated Rerelease on Play Station 3/Wii/Xbox 360 in November.

This network has made the following original series:

 * What a Cartoon Show
 * Dexters Laboratory
 * Johnny Bravo
 * Cow and Chicken
 * I Am Weasel
 * The Powerpuff Girls
 * Ed, Edd n Eddy
 * Mike Lu and Og
 * Courage the Cowardly Dog
 * Sheep in The Big City
 * Time Squad
 * Samurai Jack
 * The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy
 * Evil Con Carne
 * Whatever Happened to Robot Jones?
 * Codename: Kids Next Door
 * Duck Dodgers
 * Megas XLR
 * Fosters Home for Imaginary Friends
 * Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi
 * The Life and Times of Juniper Lee
 * Camp Lazlo
 * Star Wars Clone Wars
 * Ben 10
 * Ben 10 Alien Force
 * Ben 10 Ultimate Alien
 * Ben 10 Omniverse
 * My Gym Partner's a Monkey
 * Squirrel Boy
 * Class of 3000
 * Out of Jimmys Head (failed live action/animation hybrid)
 * Chowder
 * Transformers Animated
 * The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack
 * The Secret Saturdays
 * Adventure Time
 * Generator Rex
 * Regular Show
 * Sym-Bionic Titan
 * Robotomy
 * The Problem Solverz
 * The Amazing World of Gumball
 * Secret Mountain Fort Awesome
 * Level Up (second attempt at a live action/animated hybrid)

It has also aired original series created from other companies, made just for the network (Or, in the case of anime, exported for the network.):

 * Almost Naked Animals
 * Sidekick
 * Justice League
 * Teen Titans
 * Totally Spies
 * Code Lyoko
 * Duck Dodgers
 * Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
 * Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's
 * Total Drama
 * 6teen
 * Stoked
 * Star Wars the Clone Wars
 * Deltora Quest
 * Batman the Brave And The Bold
 * Bakugan (As of Season 2, the US has been ahead of Japan)
 * The Garfield Show
 * The Fairly Odd Parents (Italy)
 * Scaredy Squirrel
 * Scooby Doo Mystery Incorporated
 * MAD
 * Young Justice
 * The Looney Tunes Show
 * ThunderCats (2011)
 * The High Fructose Adventures of Annoying Orange (live action/SynchroVox/animation hybrid)

This network has also aired reruns (and in some cases, new episodes) of the following series:

 * Animaniacs
 * Capitol Critters
 * Captain Planet and the Planeteers
 * DCAU
 * Batman the Animated Series
 * Superman the Animated Series
 * Batman Beyond
 * Static Shock
 * Centurions
 * The Flintstones
 * Freakazoid
 * Godzilla
 * The Jetsons
 * Jonny Quest
 * Jonny Quest the Real Adventures
 * Johnny Test (Channel Hop; Season 4)
 * Looney Tunes (Which come and go. As of March 2011 they're back.)
 * Mucha Lucha
 * One Piece (Channel Hop; the 4Kids! Entertainment dubbed Alabasta arc and the short-lived FUNimation TV dub for half of the Skypiea saga)
 * Popeye
 * Pokémon (Channel Hop; since 2007)
 * Road Rovers
 * Scooby Doo
 * What's New Scooby Doo
 * The Smurfs
 * Space Ghost
 * Space Ghost Coast to Coast
 * Cartoon Planet
 * Speed Racer
 * Superfriends
 * Storm Hawks
 * The Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries
 * Taz-Mania
 * Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
 * Tex Avery MGM Cartoons, MGM Oneshot Cartoons, Barney Bear and Happy Harmonies (Aired in half hour blocks. Currently still air on Boomerang.)
 * Cartoon Network also used to run a half hour block of solely Tex Avery cartoons called The Tex Avery Show.
 * Tiny Toon Adventures
 * Tom and Jerry (The oldest cartoons that still air on the network, along with Looney Tunes.)
 * Tom and Jerry Tales
 * Top Cat
 * Two Stupid Dogs
 * Wacky Races
 * Wait Till Your Father Gets Home
 * Xiaolin Showdown
 * Wheres Huddles
 * Yogi Bear and related spin-offs (except Yo Yogi!)

Programming blocks that are airing or have aired on this network include:

 * Adult Swim
 * Boomerang
 * Cartoon Cartoons
 * Cartoon Cartoon Fridays
 * CN Real hottip:*:The end result of the mid-2000s push for live-action programming to compete with the [[Disney Channel and other kid-oriented entertainment channels. The backlash against this block was enormous, and low ratings eventually resulted in its cancellation. To put it into deeper perspective, the original page on this very site for the block turned into a massive Flame Bait and Take That magnet, so much so that it eventually got deleted and made a member of the Permanent Red Link Club. See the discussion Here.
 * DC Nation


 * Miguzi
 * Saturday Video Entertainment System
 * Toonami
 * Toon Heads
 * You Are Here

Doo-doo-dwee-dow!