Cartoon Network (Johnsonverse)

Cartoon Network is an American television channel focusing on animated shows.

Development
In 1991, Johnson Industries purchased animation studio Hanna-Barbera for US $320 million. The Hanna-Barbera library, pre-1970 WB library, and the pre-1980 MGM library were licensed to Turner. On February 18, 1992, Turner Broadcasting System and Johnson announced their plans to launch the Cartoon Network as an outlet for Johnson's considerable library of animation.

1992-2004
On October 1, 1992, Cartoon Network played "The Star Spangled Banner" (which was a tradition whenever a new Turner-owned network launched) and a video of a person placing dynamite in a field and then blowing the dynamite up; the channel's launch then occurred on that day and was hosted by the Droopy cartoon character in a special event called Droopy's Guide to the Cartoon Network, during which the first cartoon on the network,, was shown.

This vintage 1994 Cartoon Network poster features the classic Hanna-Barbera characters in an Andy Warhol style drawing. The poster was created by Cartoon Network artists to promote an employee-only gallery featuring similar art using the Hanna-Barbera characters.

Cartoon Network was not the first to have relied on cartoons to attract an audience; however, it was the first 24-hour single-genre channel with animation as its main theme. Turner Broadcasting System had defied conventional wisdom before by launching, a channel providing 24-hour 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 hoped that Cartoon Network would also find success.

Initially, the channel would broadcast cartoons 24 hours a day. 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 shorts, The Show presented the classic cat-and-mouse team, and Bugs and Daffy Tonight provided classic shorts. Late Night Black and White showed early cartoons (mostly from the and cartoons from the 1930s, as well as black-and-white Merrie Melodies and MGM cartoons), and would show three shorts with a similar theme and provide trivia about the cartoons. There was also an afternoon cartoon block called, which was hosted by cowboy hand puppets (an example of the simplicity and imagination the network had in its 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 and.

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. New subscribers to sister channels and 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".

For the first few years of Cartoon Network's existence, programming meant for the channel would also be simulcast on TBS and/or TNT, both of which were still full-service cable networks that carried a variety of different programming genera, in order to increase the shows' (and Cartoon Network's) exposure; examples include, , , and.

The network's first exclusive original show was, an animation anthology series first airing in 1993. The first series produced by Cartoon Network was in 1994, but the show mostly consisted of "recycled animation cells" from the archives of Hanna-Barbera, being an ironic of a. It featured live-action guests, mostly consisting of celebrities which were past their prime or figures. A running gag was that the production cost was dubbed "minimal". The series found its audience among young adults who appreciated its "" perspective.

Kevin Sandler considered Space Ghost Coast to Coast instrumental in establishing Cartoon Network's appeal to older audiences. , a 1960s by Hanna-Barbera, was recast as the star of a 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, gave similar treatments to the Scooby gang. However, there were less successful efforts at such revivals. and (1999) were short cartoons featuring new takes on 's supporting cast by. 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.

In 1994, Hanna-Barbera's new division was founded and started production on (also known as World Premiere Toons and Cartoon Cartoons). 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. The project was spearheaded by Cartoon Network executives, plus and. Kricfalusi was the creator of and served as an advisor to the network, while Seibert was formerly one of the driving forces behind Nickelodeon's and would go on to produce the similar animation anthology series and.

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. was the most popular short series according to a vote held in 1995 and eventually became the first of What a Cartoon! in 1996. Three more series based on shorts debuted from 1997 to 1999:, , (the latter two as segments of the same show; I Am Weasel was later spun off into a separate show), , , and. The unrelated series was also launched in 1999, creating a line-up of critically acclaimed shows. 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 on June 11, 1999.

These original series were intended to appeal to a wider audience than the average. , 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 "" than their counterparts at and less "" than their counterparts at. Sandler pointed to the whimsical rebelliousness, high rate of exaggeration and self-consciousness of the overall output, each individual series managed.

In 1996, Cartoon Network decided to air preschool programming and air them every Sunday morning, such as hiring, the makers of on , to make a show called , a live-action/puppet television program targeted at pre-school viewers, as well as , a children's animated anthology show and variety show, in which showcased featured several segments from animated TV programs aimed at preschoolers from several countries around the world except for Japan, China, and Korea. Big Bag ran until 1998, and Small World ran until 2001.

In 1996, Turner Broadcasting System merged with (ironically, Time Warner's predecessor had created rival, now owned by , in 1977). The merger consolidated ownership of all the Warner Bros. cartoons, allowing the post-July 1948 and the former -owned black-and-white cartoons (which Warner Bros. had reacquired in the 1960s) releases to be shown on the network. Although most of the post-July 1948 cartoons were still contracted to be shown on Nickelodeon and, 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 broadcast network 's block began airing on Cartoon 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, along with certain new programs such as.

Cartoon Network's programming would not be available in Canada until 1997 when a Canadian called and its launched.

In 1997, Cartoon Network launched a new action block entitled. Its lineup initially consisted of 1980s reruns of and. However, new shows were introduced and they consisted of action cartoons and anime, such as, , , and. Toonami was hosted by Moltar from the Space Ghost franchise until 1999, where Toonami was later hosted by its own original character, a muscular teenage robot named TOM. During that same year, a series of bumpers featuring the instrumental were introduced. These bumpers lasted from 1997 to 2004.

2004-2010
One new original series premiered in 2000:. On April 1, Cartoon Network launched a and satellite channel known as, which was spun off from one of their programming blocks that featured retro animated series and shorts.

Three new original series premiered in 2001:, , and. On June 18,, who had served as Cartoon Network's president since its founding, left due to creative disagreements with , then-head of. On August 22, was appointed general manager and Executive Vice President of the network, replacing Cohen. debuted on September 2, with an episode of ; the block initially aired on Sunday nights, with a repeat telecast on Thursdays. The initial lineup consisted of, , , , and.

In 2002, and premiered; the former was short-lived, but the latter became a juggernaut for the network in the mid-2000s. The first theatrical film based on a Cartoon Network series,, was released on July 3, 2002. It received generally positive reviews from critics and grossed $16.4 million globally on a budget of $11 million. On October 1 of that year, Cartoon Network celebrated their tenth anniversary, with a montage showcasing the network's various phases over the years.

2003 saw the debuts of and, both spinoffs of Grim & Evil. On October 3, the Cartoon Cartoon Fridays block was rebooted in a live-action format as "Fridays", hosted by Tommy Snider and Nzinga Blake (2003–2004), the latter of which was later replaced by Tara Sands (2005–2007). It aired several new Cartoon Network series, most of which did not bear the "Cartoon Cartoon" sub-brand. Acquired shows started picking up again with the following year in the fall.

Cartoon Network's second logo was used from June 14, 2004 until May 28, 2010. Unlike the first, many accent colors and styles existed for this logo.

In 2004, Cartoon Network premiered three new original series:, , and , and (which was also an acquired series). On June 14, Cartoon Network rebranded, which included an updated version of its original logo (with the checkerboard motif retained and the "C" and "N" being the centerpiece) and a new slogan, "This is Cartoon Network!" The introduced as part of the rebrand featured cartoon characters from its shows interacting in a city composed of sets from their shows. These bumpers lasted from 2004 to 2007. By now, nearly all of Cartoon Network's classic programming had been relocated to its sister network to make way for new programming.

2005 saw the debuts of four more original series:, , , and. On August 22, Cartoon Network launched a block aimed at the preschool demographic known as ; shows on the block included, , , , and. The block was largely unsuccessful and was discontinued in 2007. From 2005 to 2008, most of the network's older Cartoon Cartoons (such as Dexter's Laboratory and The Powerpuff Girls) could be viewed in segments on a half-hour block known as The Cartoon Cartoon Show.

After its predecessor,, Cartoon Network created an all-new animated short series consisting of overseas shorts, pilots, college shorts, or even shorts created for the show itself. That show was called ; it first aired on the day of October 2, 2005. Sunday Pants varies on different types of animation, from traditional hand-drawn animation to Flash, or even CGI, possibly making it similar to other shows such as on or on. The show was created by Craig "Sven" Gordon and Stuart Hill, and was produced at Spitfire Studios. The show has a similar concept to What a Cartoon!, except that the shorts are 1–3 minutes long and the show is squeezed to be 23 minutes (without commercials). There are animated and live-action intervals in-between shorts. The live-action ones are performed by American band The Slacks, while the animated ones are animated by WeFail. The show lasted for less than a month, with its final airing taking place on October 23, 2005. In January 2006, the show was announced to be returning the month after but said return never came to fruition and the series was ultimately cancelled.

Two new Cartoon Network original series premiered in 2006: and. Three made-for-TV movies debuted this year:, , and , the latter of which was the network's first live-action TV movie and a collaboration between live-action and animation.

Samples resigned from his post on February 9, 2007, following a caused by packages left around the city that were part of an outdoor marketing campaign promoting the Adult Swim series Aqua Teen Hunger Force. On May 2, Stuart Snyder was named Samples' successor. On September 1, the network's look was revamped, with bumpers and station IDs themed to song "." 2007 saw the debut of, a spin-off of the movie Re-Animated, and the first live-action Cartoon Network series. 2007 also saw the debut of the series. In late 2007, The network began broadcasting programs from channels such as and, including , , , , , , , and the series. Each October from 2007 to 2009, Cartoon Network also re-ran 40 episodes of the former series.

Cartoon Network announced at its 2008 upfront that it was working on a new project called, which was headed by animators as executive producer and as supervising producer. Both reported to, who created the idea. It would have worked similar to, by creating at least 150 pieces of animation within 20 months. Cartoonstitute was eventually cancelled, and out of all the shorts, two or three,, and , 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. On September 20, 2008, Cartoon Network ended Toonami after its 11-year run. From 2008 to 2010, Cartoon Network aired animated shorts that served as interstitials between programs, called Wedgies, which included The Talented Mr. Bixby, Nacho Bear, Big Baby and The Bremen Avenue Experience. On July 14, 2008, the network took on a refreshed look created by Tristan Eaton and animated by. The bumpers of that era had white, faceless characters called Noods, based on the DIY toy,. These characters had many variations that made them look like characters from different CN shows. The standard network logo was changed to be white, adopting different colors based on the occasion in the same style.

In June 2009, Cartoon Network introduced a block of live-action reality shows called "CN Real", featuring programs such as, , , , and. The network also aired some limited sports programming, including basketball recaps and games, during commercial breaks. That year, it also started airing live-action feature films from and.

2010-present
A new identity for the channel was introduced on May 29, 2010, along with a new theme and new bumpers, and a new tagline, "CHECK it". The branding, designed by, makes heavy use of the black and white checkerboard which made up the network's first logo (and was carried over in a minimized form to the second logo), as well as various color variations and various patterns. On December 27, 2010, Adult Swim expanded by one hour, moving its start time from 10 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET. In February 2011, Cartoon Network aired its first sports award show, hosted that year by professional skateboarder.

At its 2011 upfront, Cartoon Network announced 12 new series, including, (both originally planned for Adult Swim, but switched to CN for being "too cute"), , , (a scripted live-action comedy series with a 90-minute precursor film), , , (a series based on the DreamWorks film, ), , the 4th season of ; , , and. The network announced it planned to debut a new programming block called DC Nation which would focus on the, the first being the series.

After announcing two new live-action shows in and, which were both cancelled after their first seasons, Cartoon Network acquired the game show, (originally aired on ). 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 the television rights to, based on the web series, and added it to its primetime lineup.

On February 2, 2012, and, owners of , announced they would launch a Canadian version of that also includes a version of the U.S. network's Adult Swim nighttime block. The channel launched on July 4, 2012.

On March 18, 2012, Cartoon Network aired its first documentary, Speak Up, an anti-bullying campaign featuring a special appearance by President. On April 28, 2013, the network aired the half-hour documentary The Bully Effect, which details the story of teenager Alex Libby and his struggle with bullying in high school. The special is based on the 2011 film directed by.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Cartoon Network, the block was revived on March 30, 2012, now airing the channel's original programming from the late 1990s through mid-2000s. From October 1 to November 4, 2012, Cartoon Network celebrated its 20th birthday, airing birthday and party-themed reruns of its shows.

In 2012, Cartoon Network announced new programming for the upcoming year, including the live-action series ; the animated series, , , I Heart Tuesdays, , , , , , and ; and a new special, the latter of which aired on January 20, 2014.

On May 20, 2013, Cartoon Network gave a refresh to its look by adding new bumpers, graphics, and sounds. A short animation was created for each show, and these animations were used when featuring the show in Next bumpers. The background used in its promos and bumpers was also changed from black to white.

On March 6, 2014, Stuart Snyder was confirmed to have been removed as president and COO of Turner's Animation, Young Adults & Kids Media division after company changes. On July 16, 2014, Christina Miller was named his successor as president and general manager of Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, and Boomerang.

On March 31, 2014, Cartoon Network's 8 pm ET/PT primetime hour was given to its night time block Adult Swim, causing new episodes of the network's programming to change timeslots.

On October 21, 2014, Cartoon Network, along with CNN and Boomerang, were taken off the in the United States after Turner Broadcasting declined to renew its contract with the Dish Network. The channels were restored on November 21, 2014.

In 2015, Tim Johnson was visiting Cartoon Network Studios when he got into a heated argument with president and COO Christina Miller after the former noticed how much of the schedule was dominated by reruns of the much-maligned show Teen Titans Go!. Miller kept insisting that the show was funny and popular, and went on to state how violent and raunchy such favorites as Adventure Time and Regular Show were. The next day, March 1, Johnson Industries announced it had acquired the remaining 50% of Cartoon Network from Turner, likely as a result of the argument. Two days later, Tim divulged the exact reason for the acquisition: Miller was intentionally using Teen Titans Go! as a weapon to shaft any series she found inappropriate for children, with the endgame of turning Cartoon Network into a preschool-aimed network. As Johnson noted, however, many of the morals in TTG encouraged bad behavior, and even illegal acts. Further investigation found that Miller was in deep with a major national criminal network, using TTG to create a new generation of criminals and anarchists. For her troubles, Miller was arrested, and TTG was banned for its link to a crime ring; the remaining unaired episodes were burned off without advertisement, before all broadcast masters were unceremoniously deleted, all merchandise was pulled from shelves and destroyed, the writing staff, along with creators Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, were arrested for being members of the crime syndicate that concocted the series, and all references to the series were removed from the website and network advertising. After that, everything was locked up nice and tight to ensure that the series was never aired again, let alone mentioned. Despite this, the episodes are still circulating online, and home video releases command high prices on eBay; Johnson has been working hard to take down these episodes and confiscate and destroy home video releases, hellbent on erasing the series' existence, to the point it denies the series ever existed.

2015 also marked the first time a major sporting event was aired on the network, as multiple broadcast conflicts on other Johnson-owned networks saw the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway moved to Cartoon Network. A demographics study conducted in 2017 revealed that airing the race on Cartoon Network had exposed the sport to a new generation of fans.

Normal

 * Apple & Onion
 * Gravity Falls (reruns)
 * The Loud House
 * Pinky Malinky
 * The Garfield Show
 * Viva Piñata
 * Clarence
 * The Kids of Hills Beach
 * The Cheetahmen
 * Growing Around
 * The Rapsittie Street Kids
 * Craig of the Creek
 * Scooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated
 * Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends (reruns)
 * OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes
 * UniKitty!
 * Summer Camp Island
 * Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
 * Sonic Boom
 * Mighty Magiswords
 * The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius
 * Summer Camp Island
 * Galactic Kids Next Door
 * The Patakis
 * Phineas & Ferb (second-run from Disney Channel)
 * Milo Murphy's Law (second-run from Disney Channel)
 * Welcome to the Wayne
 * SpongeBob SquarePants (second-run from Nickelodeon)
 * Harvey Beaks
 * The Ren & Stimpy Show (reruns, will return in 2019)
 * Regular Show
 * Hey Arnold!
 * Adventure Time
 * We Bare Bears
 * The Amazing World of Gumball
 * Mighty Magiswords
 * Total DramaRama

The Gerry Anderson Show (Saturday Mornings)

 * Fireball XL5
 * Stingray
 * Thunderbirds
 * Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
 * Terrahawks

Girl Power! (Sunday Mornings)

 * Sailor Moon Crystal
 * K-On! (Johnson version)
 * Lucky Star (Johnson version)
 * Tokyo Mew Mew (new dub created by Johnson)
 * The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (Johnson version)

Adult Alone Time (Friday Nights)
All shows in this block are regularly rotated.
 * The Simpsons (Seasons 1-10 only)
 * Family Guy (Seasons 1-4 only)
 * Bob's Burgers
 * Richie Rich (1980-1984 version)
 * King of the Hill
 * The Flintstones (Seasons 1-5 only)
 * Monster World (reruns)
 * Space Ghost: Coast to Coast (reruns)
 * Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law (reruns)
 * The Brak Show (reruns)
 * Rick and Morty (second-run from Adult Swim channel)
 * Robot Chicken (second-run from Adult Swim channel)
 * The Boondocks (Seasons 1-3 only)
 * Archer
 * Duckman
 * Home Videos
 * Aqua Teen Hunger Force
 * Code Monkeys
 * Moral Orel
 * Squidbillies (second-run from Adult Swim channel)
 * Final Space
 * Bravest Warriors

Land of the Rising Sun (Monday-Thursday mornings)

 * Pokemon
 * Yo-Kai Watch
 * Sonic X (redubbed with current cast and uncut)
 * Speed Racer
 * Doraemon
 * Cardcaptor Sakura (new dub)
 * Powerpuff Girls Z (new dub with original American cast)
 * Astro Boy
 * WBC's Sgt. Frog (second-run from WBC)

Midnight Run (Sundays-Fridays)
All shows in this block are regularly rotated.
 * Tom & Jerry
 * Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies
 * Chocodile
 * Droopy
 * The Flintstones
 * The Jetsons
 * Huckleberry Hound
 * Quick Draw McGraw
 * Atom Ant
 * Magilla Gorilla
 * Scooby-Doo (all versions)
 * Yogi Bear
 * Top Cat
 * Woody Woodpecker
 * Wacky Races
 * Snagglepuss
 * Yakky Doodle
 * Godzilla (redubbed with original Godzilla roars and with edited intro eliminating the Godzooky part)
 * Speed Buggy
 * Josie and the Pussycats
 * Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (removed after Bill Cosby allegations came out)
 * Johnny Quest (1960s episodes only)
 * The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show
 * The Funky Phantom
 * The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan
 * Hong Kong Phooey
 * Super Friends (and sequels)
 * Popeye the Sailor Man
 * Thundarr the Barbarian
 * GI Joe: A Real American Hero
 * The Transformers (Season 1-6)
 * He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
 * She-Ra: Princess of Power
 * Thundercats (original)
 * Star Wars: Droids
 * Ewoks
 * The Smurfs
 * Shirt Tales
 * Snorks
 * The Pirates of Dark Water
 * 2 Stupid Dogs
 * SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron
 * Captain Planet and the Planeteers (Season 1-2)
 * Garfield and Friends
 * The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! (live-action and Legend of Zelda segments removed and replaced with hints for Mario games)
 * The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3
 * Super Mario World
 * BraveStarr
 * Mega Man (1994 series)
 * Private SNAFU (with contextual intro by Tom Hanks)
 * Beany and Cecil

Weekdays

 * 4 PM: Sailor Moon (Johnson version)
 * 4:30 PM: The Transformers (Season 7-13)
 * 5:00 PM: Dragon Ball Z (uncensored and with original music)
 * 5:30 PM: Voltron: Defender of the Universe (reruns)
 * 6 PM: Transformers: Cyberverse
 * 6:30 PM: Mega Man (Johnson anime; second-run)

Midnight Run (Saturdays)

 * 10 PM: Attack on Titan (Season 3)
 * 10:30 PM: Batman: The Animated Series (reruns)
 * 11 PM: Hyperdimension Neptunia: The Space War
 * 12 AM: Dragon Ball Super
 * 12:30 AM: My Hero Academia
 * 1 AM: FLCL Progressive
 * 1:30 AM: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders
 * 2 AM: Hunter x Hunter
 * 2:30 AM: Black Clover
 * 3 AM: Naruto: Shippuden
 * 3:30 AM: Star Wars: Rebels (reruns)
 * 4 AM: Pop Team Epic

Normal

 * Victor and Valentino
 * Infinity Train
 * Villainous
 * Captain Planet (Johnson reboot)

Girl Power!

 * Squid Girl
 * Azumanga Daioh (Johnson version, subtitled)

Land of the Rising Sun

 * CLANNAD (Johnson version)

Weekdays

 * Beast Wars: Transformers (reruns)
 * ReBoot (reruns)
 * Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Season 7)

Midnight Run

 * FLCL Alternative