Cartoon Cartoons

Cartoon Cartoons is a collective name used by Cartoon Network for their original series 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 2003. Since their heyday, re-runs of the Cartoon Cartoons have continued to air on The Cartoon Cartoon Show (2005–2008) and Cartoon Planet (2012–2014).

History

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 are followed by The Powerpuff Girls in 1998. The series Ed, Edd n Eddy premiered in 1999.[2][3] and concluded with Mike, Lu & Og and Courage the Cowardly Dog in 1999, creating a lineup of critically acclaimed shows.[4] In 2001,the network received Time Squad and Grim & Evil (the previous state of Evil con Carne and The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy). In 2002, Codename: Kids Next Door became a full series after being chosen in the previous year's "Big Pick Weekend". Kids Next Door would be the final Cartoon Cartoon.

The "Cartoon Cartoon" brand was first introduced in July 1997 for the network's Cartoon Cartoon Fridays, originally part of the network's Friday night programming block. This block would become 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 on 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 which each individual series managed.[5]

In June 2003, the Cartoon Cartoons brand was temporarily discontinued and the openings of Cartoon Cartoons that were shown before the opening of the actual Cartoon Cartoons show was dropped. That same month "Summer Fridays" replaced Cartoon Cartoon Fridays, making it the first Cartoon Network Friday-themed program block not to feature the Cartoon Cartoons names or air under the Cartoon Cartoons brand. Summer Fridays also featured shows that were not a Cartoon Cartoons series and syndicated series that originally aired on other networks, such as Teen Titans and What's New, Scooby-Doo?.

Cartoon Cartoons also had a jazzy-7-note theme song (composed by Steve Mank). The song was first played in a promo titled "What's That?" for the brand's introduction in 1997. In 1999, Michael Kohler worked with Mank to make a remixed version for Cartoon Cartoon Fridays. In 2000, Primal Screen composed the improved-extended version of the song and it was used for the What a Cartoon! (The Cartoon Cartoon Show) reruns as an intro and ending, as well in promos of Cartoon Cartoon Summer and Cartoon Cartoon Primetime.

Despite its retirement in 2003 and introduction of the network's second logo on June 14, 2004, the Cartoon Network Productions "Ripple" logo still continued to be used until November 10, 2016 which plays the ending part of a song. It features the network's 1992–2004 logo at the middle of a screen, with a parent company byline displayed below ("A Time Warner Company" from 1999–2001; 2003–2016 and "An AOL Time Warner Company" from 2001–2003). The Service Mark (1999 – late 2014) and Trade Mark symbols (late 2014–2016) is displayed between the logo. Behind the CN logo are the circles used on a bumper, which will stop appearing once the jingle finishes. Its background color is black (with the exception of Dreamworks Dragons). Some shows or episodes can also have a music from the credits or none at all. It was first used on Ed, Edd n Eddy. The music can also be played on some of its international variants, like on Animal Control: Season 1 and Courage the Cowardly Dog: The Fog of Courage, but with different elements which are the 2010 CN logo and copyright information. The only difference between the logo and closing bumper is there the lack of any CN characters that say "Cartoon Cartoons" after the music is played. The usage of the "Ripple" logo was discontinued on November 10, 2016, starting with the Regular Show episode "The Key to the Universe".

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. In October 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 Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi, The Life and 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

TitlePremiere dateFinale date(s)Note(s)
What a Cartoon! / The What a Cartoon! Show / The Cartoon Cartoon ShowFebruary 20, 1995November 28, 1997 (as main show)
August 23, 2002 (as collective series)		[lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2]


Full series

TitlePremiere dateFinale dateNote(s)
Dexter's LaboratoryApril 28, 1996November 20, 2003[lower-alpha 3][lower-alpha 4][lower-alpha 2]
Johnny BravoJuly 14, 1997August 27, 2004[lower-alpha 3][lower-alpha 4][lower-alpha 2]
Cow and ChickenJuly 15, 1997July 24, 1999[lower-alpha 3][lower-alpha 4][lower-alpha 2]
I Am WeaselJuly 22, 1997March 2, 2000[lower-alpha 3][lower-alpha 4][lower-alpha 2]
The Powerpuff Girls (original series)November 18, 1998March 25, 2005[lower-alpha 3][lower-alpha 4][lower-alpha 2]
Ed, Edd n EddyJanuary 4, 1999November 8, 2009[lower-alpha 3][lower-alpha 4][lower-alpha 2]
Mike, Lu & OgNovember 12, 1999May 27, 2001[lower-alpha 2]
Courage the Cowardly DogNovember 12, 1999November 22, 2002[lower-alpha 3][lower-alpha 4][lower-alpha 2]
Sheep in the Big CityNovember 17, 2000April 7, 2002
Time SquadJune 8, 2001November 26, 2003
Grim & EvilAugust 24, 2001October 18, 2002[lower-alpha 3][lower-alpha 4]
Whatever Happened to... Robot Jones?July 19, 2002November 14, 2003[lower-alpha 3]
Codename: Kids Next DoorDecember 6, 2002January 21, 2008[lower-alpha 4][lower-alpha 2]
The Grim Adventures of Billy & MandyJune 13, 2003October 12, 2008[lower-alpha 4][lower-alpha 2]
Evil Con CarneJuly 11, 2003October 22, 2004[lower-alpha 3][lower-alpha 4]

Programming blocks

Title Year(s) aired Note(s)
Cartoon Cartoons1997–2003
Cartoon Cartoon Weekend1997–2002
Cartoon Cartoon Fridays1999–2003
Cartoon Cartoon of the Day1999–2000
The Saturday Morning Block1999–2000
The Cartoon Cartoon Show2000[6]–03;[7] 2005–08[8]
Cartoon Cartoon Summer2000–01
Cartoon Cartoon Fridays Big Pick Weekend2000–01
Cartoon Cartoon Primetime2001
The Premiere Premiere Show2001–02
Cartoon Cartoon Weekend Summerfest2002
Cartoon Cartoon Top 52002[9]–08

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Renamed to The What a Cartoon! Show in 1996 and again to The Cartoon Cartoon Show in 2000.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 This show is, or was, airing on Boomerang
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Reran as segments on The Cartoon Cartoon Show and Top 5, beginning in 2005.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 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. Archived from the original on June 12, 2011. Retrieved August 30, 2010.
  2. 1 2 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
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.