Cartoon Network
Channel Name: Cartoon
Network
Launched:
June 4, 2002 (block), December 4, 2003 (channel)
Owned by:
Fox International Channels
(21st
Century Fox)
Country:
United States and International
Broadcast area: Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan,
Sri Lanka, Maldives.
Network:
Animax
Headquarters:
London
Sister channels:
AXN India, SET PIX
Language: English
Website:
Cartoon Network is an American cable
television network owned by Turner Broadcasting System which airs animated
programming. The channel was launched on October 1, 1992, after Turner
purchased the animation studio Hanna-Barbera Productions in 1991. It was
originally a 24-hour outlet for classic animation properties from the Turner
Broadcasting libraries and was all-ages-oriented which it broadcasts in
time-sharing with TCM, but now the channel targets children and teens (about ages
7–15)and older teens and adults with mature content during its late night
daypart Adult Swim, which is treated as a separate entity for promotional and
ratings purposes.
The
network broadcasts shows ranging from action to animated comedy. Original series
started in 1993 with The Moxy Show, along with Cartoon Cartoons original
programs such as Dexter's Laboratory, Cow and Chicken, I Am Weasel, The
Powerpuff Girls, Ed, Edd n Eddy, Johnny Bravo, The Grim Adventures of Billy
& Mandy, Codename: Kids Next Door, and Courage the Cowardly Dog. In 2009,
it started airing live-action programming, including movies from Warner Bros.
and New Line Cinema. The network celebrated its 20th birthday; this celebration
started on October 1, 2012, and ended on November 4, 2012.
History:
1980s and 1990s Development On August 4,
1986, Ted Turner's Turner Broadcasting System acquired
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists from Kirk Kerkorian, but due to the over the
debt-load of his companies, on October 17, 1986, he was forced to sell MGM back
to Kerkorian after approximately only 74 days of ownership. However Turner kept
some of MGM's film and television library made prior to May 1986 (as well as
some of United Artists library) and formed Turner Entertainment.[1]
On October 3, 1988, its cable channel
Turner Network Television was launched and had gained an audience with its film
library.[2] At this time Turner's animated library included:
The
MGM cartoon library
The
Pre-1948 colour Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies
The
Harman-Ising Merrie Melodies (except Lady, Play Your Mandolin!)
The
Fleischer Studios/Famous Studios Popeye cartoons.
In
1991, it purchased animation studio Hanna-Barbera Productions for $320
million.[3]
Launch:
The original Cartoon Network logo, used from October 1, 1992 to June 13, 2004.
The logo is still used today on some occasions and on the television show of
United Kingdom, Ireland, and Europe called "The Amazing World of
Gumball".
On February 18, 1992, Turner
Broadcasting System announced plans to launch the Cartoon Network as an outlet
for Turner's considerable library of animation.[4] The launch took place on
October 1, 1992, and was hosted by the MGM cartoon character Droopy in a
special event called Droopy's Guide to the Cartoon Network, during which the first
cartoon on the network, Rhapsody Rabbit, was shown.[5][6][7][8] Initial
programming on the channel consisted exclusively of reruns of classic Warner
Bros cartoons (the pre-1950 Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies), the 1933–1957
Popeye cartoons, MGM cartoons, and Hanna-Barbera cartoons.[4] At first, cable
providers in New York City, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and Detroit carried
the channel.[7] By the time the network launched, Cartoon Network had an
8,500-hour cartoon library.[9] From its launch until 1995, the network's
announcers said the network's name with the word "The" added before
"Cartoon Network", thus calling the network "The Cartoon
Network". By the time that the network began broadcasting, Cartoon Network
also operated a programming block (containing its cartoons) that aired on TNT,
entitled "Cartoon Network on TNT".
A
joint bid of Cartoon Network and TCM was in 1994, 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, as did USA Network, whose Cartoon Express
was widely popular. In each of these cases, until October 1, 1992, 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 would also find success.[10]
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 would show three shorts with a similar
theme and provide trivia about the cartoons.[citation needed] 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 Looney Tunes.
A challenge
for Cartoon Network was to overcome its low penetration of existing cable
systems. When launched on October 1, 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".[10]
Series:
For the first few years of Cartoon Network's existence, programming meant for
Cartoon Network would also be simulcast on TBS and/or TNT in order to increase
the shows' (and Cartoon Network's) exposure; examples include The Real
Adventures of Jonny Quest, Cartoon Planet, SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron and
2 Stupid Dogs.
The
network's first exclusive original show was The Moxy Show, an animation
anthology series first airing in 1993.[11] The first series produced by Cartoon
Network was Space Ghost Coast to Coast in 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.[12]
Kevin
Sandler considered Space Ghost Coast to Coast 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.[13] However, there were less
successful efforts at such revivals. A Day in the Life of Ranger Smith and Boo
Boo Runs Wild (1999) were short cartoons featuring new takes on Yogi Bear's
supporting cast by John Kricfalusi. Their style of humor, sexual content and
break in tone from the source material was rather out of place among the rest
of the Cartoon Network shows, and the network rarely found a place for them in
its programming.[14]
In 1994, Hanna-Barbera's new division
Cartoon Network Studios was founded and started production on What a Cartoon!
(also 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
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.[12][15]
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.[12] 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.[12][15][16] The unrelated series Ed, Edd n Eddy was
also launched in 1999, creating a line-up of critically acclaimed shows.[10]
Many of these series 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 series
beginning June 11, 1999.
In
1997, Cartoon Network launched a new action block called Toonami, which
includes shows like Tenchi Muyo!, Sailor Moon, Gundam Wing, and "soon to
be phenomenon across the nation" Dragon Ball Z. Toonami was hosted by
Moltar from the Space Ghost franchise until 1999, where Toonami was later
hosted by its own original character "T.O.M.".
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
manage.[13]
Expansion:
In 1996, Turner merged with Time Warner.[17] Ironically, Time Warner's
predecessor Warner Communications had created rival Nickelodeon, now owned by
Viacom. The merger 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 and ABC, the network would not air them until September
1999 (from Nickelodeon) and October 2000 (from ABC), however, the majority of
the post-July 1948 cartoons that were shown on its now sibling Kids' WB began
airing on the network in January 1997. Newer animated productions by Warner
Bros.' animation subsidiary also started appearing on the network—mostly reruns
of shows that had aired on Kids' WB and some from Fox Kids, plus certain new
programs such as Justice League.[18]
Cartoon
Network's programming would not be available in Canada until 1997, when a
Canadian specialty network entitled Teletoon and its French language
counterpart launched.
2000s:
Cartoon Network's second logo used in various forms, from June 14, 2004 to May
28, 2010.
On
April 1, 2000, what was originally a block on Cartoon Network, now has spun-off
into its own channel, Boomerang. Turner brought Cartoon Network's 1992 to 2000
classic programming into one more place.
Adult
Swim debuted on September 2, 2001, with an episode of Home Movies. 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.
The
first theatrical film The Powerpuff Girls Movie was released on July 3, 2002,
which received mixed to positive reviews by critics.
On
September 5, 2003, the "Cartoon Cartoon Fridays" block was rebooted
in 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" 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, Squirrel Boy, And Class Of 3000. The
last airing of "Fridays" was on February 23, 2007.
At
5AM ET on the morning of June 14, 2004, Cartoon Network debuted its second logo
and its slogan, "This is Cartoon Network!"[19] 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 since October 1, 1992, resigned on
February 9, 2007, due to the 2007 Boston bomb scare.[20][21] Following
Samples's resignation, Stuart Snyder was named his successor.[22] On September
1, 2007, the network's 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.[23] 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.[citation
needed]
Starting
in the end of 2007, the network has also began to air some imported programs
from the Canadian channel Teletoon such as George of the Jungle, Atomic Betty,
6teen, Chaotic, Bakugan Battle Brawlers, Stoked, and the Total Drama Series.
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.[24]
Cartoonstitute was eventually cancelled[citation needed], and out of all the
shorts, two or three, Regular Show, Secret Mountain Fort Awesome, and Uncle
Grandpa, were selected, after animator Craig McCracken (creator of The
Powerpuff Girls and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends) left the network after
15 years in 2009.[citation needed] On September 20, 2008, Cartoon Network ended
Toonami after its 11-year run.[25]
Beginning
May 25, 2008, Cartoon Network began airing animated shorts, called Wedgies.
Wedgies include The Talented Mr. Bixby, Nacho Bear, Big Baby and The Burmeno
Avenue Experience. Wedgies were made to fill in spots between two programs.
Wedgies ran from 2008–2009, with a second run airing during 2010. Wedgies was
discontinued after 2010, although reruns can still be seen on Boomerang as of
March 2013.[26] 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.[27]
In
June 2009, Cartoon Network introduced a series a block of live-action reality
shows known as CN Real, featuring programs such as The Othersiders, Survive
This, BrainRush, Destroy Build Destroy, Dude, What Would Happen and Bobb'e
Says.[28] The network also aired some limited sports programming, including
basketball recaps and Slamball games, during the commercials.
2010s:
A variation of the network's current logo which resembles its original logo,
used as of 2010.
A
new identity for the channel was introduced on May 29, 2010, along with a new
theme and new bumpers. The network's current 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.[29] Since December 27, 2010, Adult Swim began starting 1 hour earlier
at 9 PM.[30]
In
February 2011, Cartoon Network aired their first sports award show, called Hall
of Game Awards, hosted by professional skateboarder Tony Hawk. The second Hall
of Games Awards aired February 20, 2012, was hosted by professional basketball
player Shaquille O'Neal.
At
its 2011 upfront, Cartoon Network announced 14 new series, including Adventure
Time, Regular Show, The Problem Solverz, formerly known as Neon Knome, The
Looney Tunes Show, Secret Mountain Fort Awesome, Level Up, a scripted
live-action comedy series with a 90-minute starting film, Tower Prep, Green
Lantern, Dragons: Riders of Berk, the series based on the DreamWorks film, How
to Train Your Dragon, The Amazing World of Gumball, Total Drama: Revenge of the
Island, the 4th season of Total Drama; ThunderCats, Ninjago: Masters of
Spinjitzu and Ben 10: Omniverse.[31] 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.[32] 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.[33]
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. 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 TV rights to the web series, The Annoying Orange and added it to its
prime time lineup.[34] For a short time, Cartoon Network also returned two
1960s cartoons, The Flintstones and The Jetsons, to its daytime lineup, after
years of being seen only on Boomerang.
It
was announced Thursday, February 2, 2012, that Teletoon would be launching a
Canadian version of Cartoon Network that also includes a Canadian version of
the overnight block Adult Swim.[35] This channel launched on July 4, 2012.[36]
On March
18, 2012, Cartoon Network aired its first documentary, Speak Up, an
anti-bullying campaign featuring a special appearance by President Barack
Obama.[37] 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.[38] The special is based on the 2011
film Bully directed by Lee Hirsch.[38]
To
celebrate the 20th anniversary of Cartoon Network, the block Cartoon Planet was
revived on March 30, 2012, now airing the channel's original programming from
the late 1990s through mid-2000s.[39] From October 1 to November 4, 2012,
Cartoon Network celebrated its 20th birthday, airing birthday and party-themed
reruns of their 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. Also, Totally Spies! will
be airing its Season 6 starting in September 2013 with Total Drama: All-Stars
maybe.
Programming:
Main article: List of programs broadcast by Cartoon Network
Cartoon
Network's current programming includes original programming such as Adventure
Time, Regular Show, The Amazing World of Gumball, Secret Mountain Fort Awesome,
and the Ben 10 series. Acquired animated programming from other studios include
Mad, The Looney Tunes Show, and Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu. Live-action
programming includes original productions Level Up and the live-action/animated
hybrid The High Fructose Adventures of Annoying Orange. In addition, the studio
reruns various incarnations of the Scooby-Doo series, the Looney Tunes
theatrical short subjects, and Tom and Jerry, which has been in constant
rotation since the network's 1992 premiere. A Spanish language audio track for
select programs is accessible via SAP; some cable and satellite companies offer
the Spanish feed as a separate channel.
Cartoon
Network benefited from having access to a large collection of animated
programming, including the libraries of Warner Bros. (Looney Tunes, Merrie
Melodies), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (Tom and Jerry and other series), and
Hanna-Barbera (The Flintstones, Scooby-Doo, Snorks, and others). Especially in
its earlier years, the company's co-ownership with Hanna-Barbera gave the
network access to an established animation studio, something chief rival
Nickelodeon did not yet have.[40] Much of Cartoon Network's original
programming originates from the network's in-house studio, Cartoon Network
Studios. The studio originally began as a small division of Hanna-Barbera but
eventually was spun off when that studio was folded into Warner Bros. Animation
in the late 1990s. This studio would produce some of the network's earliest
original series, including Dexter's Laboratory, Johnny Bravo, The Powerpuff
Girls, Ed, Edd n Eddy and Courage the Cowardly Dog.
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 The Tex Avery
Show, The Chuck Jones Show, and The Bob Clampett Show.
Marketing:
Cartoon Network shows with established fan followings, such as the 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.[41]
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 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 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 Network shows
online by offering exclusive contents for certain animated series, online
sweepstakes and display advertising for CN.[41]
Warner
Home Video, the home video subsidiary, distributed VHS tapes, DVDs and Blu-ray
Discs featuring Cartoon Network shows. Rhino Entertainment, a record label
subsidiary, 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 the 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.[41]
Controversy and
censorship: Cartoon Network has, during its history, broadcast most
of the Warner Bros. animated shorts originally created between the 1920s 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[disambiguation needed] gags, 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.[42]
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 stereotypes, 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".[42]
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.[42]
When
Cartoon Network began rerunning the original Looney Tunes again in March 2011
(given their own time slot this time in place of marathons during New Year's
Day), most censored scenes in some cartoons (along with original title cards)
have been reinstated, such as gunfire and alcohol, though the network still
edits out racially insensitive scenes. Two of the network's shows, Adventure
Time, and Regular Show, have shown scenes of violence, mild profanity, sexual
references, drug references, references to Ableism, and alcohol references.
Re-airs of these series in earlier timeslots may feature edits for time or
content. Examples of cartoons that have had their censored scenes and title
cards reinstated include Scaredy Cat and For Scent-imental Reasons, two
cartoons that have shown gunfire.
Many
licensed anime programs broadcast on the action-themed block Toonami had to be
edited in order to receive a TV-Y7 rating because of objectionable content that
could be considered offensive or inappropriate to its younger viewers. Despite
this fact, Toonami managed to get these series on the air through editing out
heavy amounts of violence, drug usage, language, sexuality and nudity
particularly with Rurouni Kenshin, YuYu Hakusho, Neon Genesis Evangelion,
Gundam, Dragon Ball Z, Outlaw Star, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Tenchi Muyo!, Dragon Ball and
Sailor Moon; however, some swears, suggestive dialogue, and depictions of blood
did get past the censors. Series such as Yu Yu Hakusho, Cyborg 009, and Rurouni
Kenshin, which were becoming much too violent and dark to edit, were moved to
later time slots. Anime such as Naruto and One Piece received minor editing and
include light swearing, partial nudity, and alcohol references unlike.
Online:
Cartoon Network registered its official website, CartoonNetwork.com, on January
9, 1996. It officially launched on July 27, 1998.[43] Sam Register served as
the site's Senior Vice President and Creative Director from 1997 to 2001.[44]
In the site's early years, various animation studios produced exclusive
"Web Premiere Toons", short cartoons made specifically for
CartoonNetwork.com.[45] Cartoon Network launched Cartoon Orbit, an online
gaming network characterized by digital trading cards called
"cToons", in October 2000.[46] The game officially ended on October
16, 2006.
In
July 2007, Nielsen ratings data showed visitors spent an average of 77 minutes
on the site, surpassing the previous record of 71 minutes set in 2004, and the
site ranked 26th in terms of time spent for all US domains.[47][48]
Sister channels
and related projects:
Adult Swim
Adult Swim logo, used as of 2003.
Adult
Swim (often stylized as [adult swim] or [as]) is an teen/adult-oriented cable
television network that's bundled with Cartoon Network airing from 9:00 pm to
6:00 am ET/PT in the United States, and broadcasts in countries such as
Australia and New Zealand.[49] 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 preteen and young teens daytime
programming on Cartoon Network.
Toonami
Toonami logo, used as of 27 April 2013.
Toonami
(a portmanteau of the words cartoon and tsunami suggesting a "tidal
wave" of animated cartoons) is a brand 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. It was
revived on May 26, 2012, as a Saturday night anime block on Adult Swim,
reclaiming their Saturday anime lineup, similar to its previous mature-geared
"Midnight Run" incarnation which was that block's forerunner.
The
Toonami brand was subsequently used in the United Kingdom as the name of an
action-oriented animation channel with two CGI hosts. It replaced a former
Cartoon Network-owned channel, CNX, which had been a Toonami/live-action hybrid
network.
Boomerang
Boomerang logo, used as of 1992.
Boomerang
was a programming block on Cartoon Network (since the network's launch in 1992)
aimed towards the Baby Boom generation. The block's start time changed
frequently but was always aired in the weekends. On April 1, 2000, Boomerang
received both a new look and its own cable channel.[50]
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.[51] The
program is designed "to provide support and encouragement in the ongoing
battle against childhood obesity."[52] The Get Animated campaign was
launched on February 28, 2005.[53]
Cartoon Network On Demand
Cartoon
Network On Demand is a video on demand service, which launched in 2002, and
allows viewers to watch the latest episodes of the most Cartoon Network
programming. These Cartoon Network episodes are rentable and are available in
wide screen and in high definition.
High definition:
Cartoon Network HD logo, used from May 29, 2010 – May 6, 2013. It is still used
in Europe, United Kingdom, and Ireland.
The
network's high definition feed was launched on October 15, 2007 and is carried
on most cable and satellite providers. As all Turner networks do (with the
exception of Turner Classic Movies), 4:3 content is carried in a stretched
format to fill a 16:9 screen. All programs produced in HD are aired letterboxed
on standard definition.
On
February 9, 2013, the HD-availability lower third, which started appearing
since 2008 on the standard-definition feed, was removed. During the week of May
6, 2013 Cartoon Network removed the "HD" text from its HD-feed screen
bug.
Video games:
In 2011, Cartoon Network characters were featured in a 4-player mascot brawler
fighting game similar to Super Smash Bros. Brawl called, "Cartoon Network:
Punch Time Explosion" for the Nintendo 3DS. In a later month the game was
released for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and the Wii. This time, it was
called, "Cartoon Network Punch Time Explosion XL." Several video
games based on the cartoon series Ben 10 were released by Cartoon Network as
well. Also, on the Cartoon Network website there are various flash games available
featuring characters from various Cartoon Network franchises...... Wikipedia >>
Google Photos >>
