Cartoon Network (Australia)

Cartoon Network is a cable and satellite television channel created by Turner Broadcasting, a unit of WarnerMedia which primarily shows animated programming.

The Australia version is available on Pay TV (Foxtel, Optus and Austar). It is also on 3 as a part of its new mobile TV service for $4 a month although this feed is merely a heavily repeated media stream of Cartoon Network's best shows. Telstra also broadcasts Cartoon Network on mobile service, though this is the same feed as seen on Foxtel. Neighbourhood Cable broadcasts the network in yet another feed in regional Victoria. SKY Network Television has broadcast the network in New Zealand, since 1997 originally during the day on SKY UHF preset channel 7 with Orange (later SKY 1, and now The Box) broadcasting during the evenings. The Cartoon Network introduced 24 hour programming in New Zealand in 1998 when the SKY Digital service was launched. Cartoon Network Australia and Asia followed suit on 1 July 2001.

History

1995 - 1999: Checkerboard Era

The original Cartoon Network logo

It had started its broadcast in Australia in 1995 as the dual-channel TNT & Cartoon Network as part of the Foxtel cable TV launch, operating from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., with Turner Classic Movies (formerly TNT) taking the remainder of the daily schedule. On 1 July 2001, Cartoon Network Australia became a separate 24-hour channel, with exclusive local feeds for the Mandarin-speaking areas like Taiwan, the English Speaking area in the Philippines, India, Japan, South Korea, and Australia. It originally aired only Hanna-Barbera cartoons such as Yogi Bear, Top Cat, The Flintstones etc. The channel quickly started to develop though, airing for the first time MGM cartoons (Tom and Jerry, Droopy, and Spike and Tyke) on 1 January 1996, and (after WarnerMedia's purchase of Turner in 1996) Warner Bros shows (Looney Tunes, and several other Looney Tunes related cartoons) on 1 January 1997. On 1 January 1998, Cartoon Network started to air its first original shows (Space Ghost Coast to Coast and The Moxy Show), however The Moxy Show was soon cancelled.

1999 - 2005: Powerhouse Era

1999 was the year Cartoon Network received its first facelift, introducing new bumpers, new shows and a new 'powerhouse' theme. The new shows for 1999 were Dexter's Laboratory, Cow and Chicken, I Am Weasel and Johnny Bravo. The following year, 2000, saw even more Cartoon Network originals being introduced, including The Powerpuff Girls, Mike, Lu & Og, Ed, Edd n Eddy, and Courage the Cowardly Dog. Some of these shows (Mike, Lu & Og, Ed, Edd n Eddy and Courage the Cowardly Dog) were not produced by Cartoon Network. In 2001, the rate of new Cartoon Network originals kept going, with Sheep in the Big City, Time Squad, Samurai Jack and Whatever Happened to Robot Jones? being brought in. Due to the large number of Cartoon Network originals that were on Cartoon Network, they decided to name these shows Cartoon Cartoons, which led to the Friday night block Cartoon Cartoon Fridays being introduced to Australia later in 2001. Also in 2001, Cartoon Network introduced other programming blocks including Toonami, Acme Hour, Prime Time, Boomerang (now a channel) and Cartoon Network After Dark. 2002 saw more Cartoon Cartoons introduced including Grim & Evil and Codename: Kids Next Door. Grim & Evil eventually spun off into two separate series, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy and Evil Con Carne. Justice League and Mucha Lucha! also debuted on Cartoon Network in 2002. In 2003, there were no new Cartoon Network original shows added to the schedule, however there were several new programming blocks and non-Cartoon-Cartoons added. The programming blocks include Boomeraction (currently a block on the channel Boomerang), and Tiny TV (currently also a block on Boomerang). Shows added to the line-up in 2003 include The Mask, and X Men: Evoloution. 2004 saw the introduction of Cartoon Cartoon Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends. Apart from Foster's, there were no Cartoon Cartoons introduced in 2004. Programming blocks introduced in 2004 include Fridays and Eyeballs A Go-Go. Also, 2004 was the year that the Boomerang programming block was made into a TV channel.

2005 - 2008: City Era

In 2005 the bumpers were replaced with 3D animations of a 'city' that all the Cartoon Network toons lived in. Show-specific bumpers were replaced with 3-D animations of a well-known scene from the particular show (e.g.: a Dexter's Laboratory bumper would feature Dexter's house, a Powerpuff Girls bumper would feature most likely the PPG household, and so forth). The retro, checkerboard logo was replaced with the 'CN' city-style logo of today. In 2006, several new Cartoon Network originals premiered, including Robotboy, The Life and Times of Juniper Lee, Camp Lazlo, Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi, My Gym Partner's a Monkey, Ben 10 and Squirrel Boy. Between January 2006 and May 2007, Cartoon Network phased out all Hanna-Barbera animation and shows previously labelled Cartoon Cartoons (as of May 2007, the only shows made before 2003 airing on Cartoon Network were Tom and Jerry and the Powerpuff Girls, although since then a few older cartoons have come and gone). The Cartoon Cartoons moniker previously used for Cartoon Network originals was also dropped in 2006. On Sunday May 6 2007, Cartoon Network officially aired Cow and Chicken, I Am Weasel and Johnny Bravo for the last time before heading off to Boomerang. In February, 2008 Adult Swim relaunched on The Comedy Channel airing shows such as Robot Chicken.

2008 - 2011: New Wave Era

On August 31 2008, the format of Cartoon Network's bumpers and commercials changed, and the Cartoon Network Theatre and Fridays Flicks were renamed to Cartoon Network Popcorn. This mimics a similar decision made by Cartoon Network Southeast Asia, with the major visual theme being the recurring 'dynamic line' on the network's official website and also in all the Station IDs, bumpers, etc. During the New Wave Era much of Cartoon Network's comedy/fun-oriented programs (such as Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends and Camp Lazlo), which were popular in the early-mid 2000s, are being shown much less frequently on the network, making way for more anime and action-oriented shows (such as Ben 10, Ben 10: Alien Force, The Secret Saturdays, Pokémon DP Battle Dimension).

2011 - present : CHECK It / It's a Fun Thing! Era

On 12 September 2011, Cartoon Network Australia advertised the premiere date of The Amazing World of Gumball (1 October) with the newly rebranded with the current Cartoon Network logo used in the USA. (Courtesy of Brand New School).

Cartoon Network rebranded on 1 October 2011 at 9am in Australia along with the rest of the Asia-Pacific country at 10am. Following the rebrand, Cartoon Network's logo would change for the second time, from the city-style logo to the current neo-checkerboard logo. The It's a Fun Thing! era will, in addition, see renewed emphasis on the 'checkerboard' theme of the network as well as increased use of the original Cartoon Network checkerboard logo. The "It's A Fun Thing!" tagline has also been introduced as the network's new slogan.

The theme song sung by Dutch teen pop singer Jeronimo.

Cartoon Network Video

Cartoon Network Video is a free video on demand service. It used to be on Cartoon Network Australia and New Zealand's website but moved to the Cartoon Network HQ (Asia Pacific) website. Then it late on this year it moved back to the Cartoon Network Australia Website after the website refresh.

Programming blocks on Cartoon Network

2000-2004

Cartoon Cartoon Fridays (2001 - 2004)

Cartoon Cartoon Fridays originally began in 2001 as a two-and-a-half hour-long block from 6:30PM to 9:00PM centred around the Cartoon Cartoon family of CN cartoons. Every week between 2001 and 2003 it would be hosted by a different CC character (one of its main appeals), and would be composed of three segments - a random assortment of Cartoon Cartoon cartoons for the first hour; .Com Pick, where the show to be aired was voted for on CN's website; and Premiere Premiere, where a new episode of a Cartoon Cartoon cartoon was shown. From 2003 until February 2004 Cartoon Cartoon Fridays' runtime was cut down to one-and-a-half hours from 7:00PM to 8:30PM, wherein each segment had a runtime of 30 minutes, and the random assortment of cartoons was replaced with a feature cartoon. After this the block was discontinued in February 2004, its timeslot replaced by Megatoon Movie until later in May when Fridays was introduced to take its place, and Cartoon Network Theatre would replace it in another timeslot.

Acme Hour (2001 - 2003)

Acme Hour was a Cartoon Network programming block that started in March 2001. It was an hour-long compilation of Tom and Jerry, Popeye and Looney Tunes cartoon shorts. The block's schedule remained unchanged before coming to an end in May 2003. It aired weekdays from 2pm - 3pm and held that timeslot for three years.

Cartoon Network After Dark (2001 - 2002)

Cartoon Network After Dark was a programming block which started on Cartoon Network in August 2001, and lasted up until March 2002. It kept the same timeslot for the 7 months it went to air, 9pm - 12am weekdays. The name 'Cartoon Network After Dark' was shortened to just 'After Dark' in December 2001.

Cartoon Cartoons Summer (2001 - 2002)

December 2001 to February 2002.

Cartoon Network's Cool Pool Party (2002 - 2003)

December 2002 to February 2003.

Eyeballs A Go-Go (2003 - 2004)

December 2003 to February 2004.

Toon-O-Scope (2004)

During 2004, in every Zodiac period a character was assigned to that period and for the duration of the block which would air Fridays at 6:30PM the corresponding show was aired. For example, Billy from The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy was a Sagittarius, and Blossom from The Powerpuff Girls was an Aries.

Megatoon Movies (2004)

Megatoon Movies was Cartoon Network Australia's first dedicated movie block, running for only approximately 3 months from February to May 2004 before being replaced by Fridays in its timeslot and Cartoon Network Theatre in its function. Megatoon Movies would showcase movies ranging from Cartoon Network originals to other animated films.

Miguzi (2004 - 2006)

The latest the Wayback Machine has recorded Miguzi on the CNA website has been June 13, 2006.

Fridays and Fridays Flick (2004 - 2008)

Fridays took over from Cartoon Cartoon Fridays and Megatoon Movies in May 2004. Initially, Fridays' programming was not too dissimilar with Cartoon Cartoon Fridays: it ran from 7:00PM to 8:30PM, and the segments followed: .Com Pick; Fridays Premiere (the same as Premiere Premiere); and an episode of a Cartoon Cartoon cartoon. This changed however in 2005 when Fridays was moved into the 4:00PM - 6:00PM timeslot, and replaced its final segment with Double Play, which played double episodes back-to-back of a Cartoon Network cartoon (not just Cartoon Cartoon cartoons). Fridays Flick was aired on an unknown timeslot and served as the successor to Cartoon Network Theatre. It was discontinued in February 2008 to make way for the All New Show Show, and with the format change on August 31st 2008 to the New Wave era, Fridays Flick was discontinued in favour of Cartoon Network Popcorn.

Cartoon Network Theatre (2004 - ?)

The successor to Megatoon Movies. It was discontinued at an unknown date in favour of Fridays Flick.

Eyeballs 2 (2004 - 2005)

December 2004 to February 2005.

Holidaze (2005-2006)

December 2005 to February 2006.

Cartoon Network's Out of the Cage (2006 - 2007)

December 2006 to February 2007.

Chunky, Chunkier and Chunkiest Holiday Toons (2007 - 2008)

Aired during every school holiday period in 2007 (spilling over into 2008 due to December-February summer season), beginning with Chunky Holiday Toons, then Chunkier, then Chunkiest - which unlike the others had "no time for pitstops" (similar to 120% Cartoon Network). The block aired on weekdays from 9:00 AM.

120% Cartoon Network (2008)

Was once CNA's 2-hour long afternoon block for cartoons without advertisements, airing from 4:00PM to 6:00PM. Previously one cartoon per block was aired during each airing, however it was later adapted to air 6 episodes. On Foxtel each episode was lumped into the same 120% CN TV listing. This block was popular because it had no advertisements. Oftentimes it aired older cartoons from the Cartoon Cartoon era such as Ed, Edd n Eddy, Courage the Cowardly Dog and The Powerpuff Girls and newer Cartoon Network originals, including My Gym Partner's a Monkey, The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Camp Lazlo and Codename: Kids Next Door.

The All New Show Show and It's Your Show Show (2008 - 2009)

The All New Show Show was a block that was hosted by Bloo from Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, which replaced the obsolete Fridays block. Every Monday night from 5:00PM to 6:00PM Bloo would showcase a new episode of a show chosen every few weeks, depicted as if Bloo was broadcasting from different locations in Australia. It's Your Show Show would take up the first half-hour of the block, and served as the successor to Fridays' .Com Pick segment where the show to be played during that block was voted for on the CN website. The All New Show Show would take up the latter half of the block, of which shows such as Class of 3000, Ben 10: Alien Force, My Gym Partner's a Monkey, Speed Racer: The Next Generation and Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends often took up the new episode spot.

The block was axed in August 2009, possibly due to Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends' final episode, "Goodbye to Bloo" being aired 3 months prior, and perhaps due to dwindling fan appeal. The timeslot was filled in by Big 5 at 5, bringing to an end an era of viewer-selective programs and premiere episodes in the one show on Cartoon Network.

Cartoon Network Neurology (2008 - ?)

A short-lived morning cartoon block from around May 2008 that played weekday mornings from 7:00AM.

Cartoon Network Popcorn (2008 - 2013)

Cartoon Network Popcorn originally aired every Friday at 6:00 PM, and encored on Saturdays at 10:30 AM and 8:00 PM, and Sundays at 12:30 PM. CNP showcased movies ranging from Cartoon Network originals to other animated films. Jumanji was once a film aired in this block. With the rebranding to the It's a Fun Thing! era on October 1st 2011 Cartoon Network Popcorn as a block was discontinued before being revived in 2012 and again in 2013 as Cartoon Network Popcorn Cinema, where CN offered airings of cartoons such as Adventure Time, Regular Show and Gumball at certain Hoyts, Village, and Event Cinemas locations. The cartoons were distributed by Fourth Wall Distribution during CNPC's lifespan.

Cartoon Network Sunblock and Sunblock Summer (2008, 2009)

Cartoon Network Sunblock was the name given to the Cartoon Network summer weekday morning lineup for summer 2008/09, running for a comparatively long 7 hours. Sunblock, which is very similar (almost identical) to summer lineups in recent years such as Holidaze, Out of the Cage and Chunkiest Holiday Toons. The lack of quality new shows being produced by Cartoon Network in recent years has led to a decline in its summer lineups, which in the past (think Eyeballs A Go-Go in 2003-04, Eyeballs 2 in 2004-05, and Holidaze in 2005-06) used to involve major prizes such as TVs, holidays and iPods, and many consolation prizes. In Summer 2008/09, there were no prize winners on Cartoon Network.

Big 5 at 5 (2009)

Big 5 at 5 replaced The All New Show Show with an alternate airing schedule. Rather than air one new episode every week, each weekday at 5pm showed a new episode based on the weekday it aired on. Mondays aired Chowder; Tuesdays aired Batman: The Brave and the Bold; Wednesdays aired Bakugan Battle Brawlers; Thursdays aired The Secret Saturdays; and Fridays aired Johnny Test.

Har Har Harlidays (2010)

A block that played during the summer holidays of 2010 (December - January).

Good Morning Scooby (2011 - ?)

A Saturday morning cartoon block hosted by characters Scooby Doo and Shaggy from What's New, Scooby Doo?

Alien Network

A temporary rebranding of Cartoon Network every Saturday where back-to-back episodes of Ben 10 and related spin-off series would play.

Camp Kidney's Bean Scout Jamboree

An occasional weekend-long block dedicated to Camp Lazlo.

Super Fun Saturdays

A Saturday morning block dedicated to original CN programming.

Laughternoons

Laughternoons is a program block that provides mainly comedy and cartoon shows, examples include Regular Show and Uncle Grandpa. It is only on the channel during school weeks of the year.

Toonami

Toonami launched on Cartoon Network Australia on July 7, 2001[1] as an outlet for action animation. Most of its lineup consisted of anime, including already popular shows such as Dragon Ball Z, as well as the Australian premiere of Cardcaptors and exclusives such as Gundam Wing and Yu Yu Hakusho. Occasionally it also broadcast action cartoons from the United States such as Batman of the Future.

On its launch, Toonami broadcast on Saturday evenings from 6.00pm to 8.00pm and on Sunday afternoons from 3.00pm to 5.00pm. Each day's programming was repeated in the Toonami "Late Run" from 11.00pm to 1.00am. Toonami soon expanded to weekdays, and for a number of years could be seen seven days a week. Although timeslots varied, the main Toonami block remained on weekday afternoons; in 2005 it was airing weeknights from 6.00pm, with mini-marathons playing on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

In September 2005, Toonami was dropped from the Cartoon Network schedule. Former Toonami programming, and new programming that would have previously gone to Toonami is now spread out across the network's other timeslots.

List of Programs

• Adventure Time
• The Amazing World of Gumball
• Ben 10
• Clarence
• Detentionaire
• Freaktown
• George of the Jungle
• Johnny Test
• The Powerpuff Girls
• Regular Show
• Steven Universe
• Supernoobs
• Teen Titans Go!
• Uncle Grandpa
• We Bare Bears

Tiny TV

A mini-block dedicated to cartoons for smaller children, similar to Nick Jr.

List of previous programs

• Dragon Tales
• Fantastic Max
• Gordon the Garden Gnome
• Little Red Tractor
• Postman Pat
• The Secret World of Benjamin Bear

Boomerang

Now Cartoon Network's sister TV channel, Boomerang was originally a Cartoon Network block for the lesser-known Hanna-Barbera classic cartoons that didn't already have regular half-hour slots. It began in April 2001 as a morning block airing at 10am - 12pm, but in August 2001 also aired as an hour-long mini block in Cartoon Network After Dark. The shows on Boomerang changed randomly every week, for both the morning and the evening block. The Boomerang blocks had bumpers which featured children's toys of characters in Hanna-Barbera cartoons coming to life. These bumpers were sometimes also used on the TV channel. The evening block last aired in March 2002, and the morning block last aired in September 2004.

[adult swim]

A time block suited for mature audience, targeting adults at least 17 years old and above.The comedy block that started at 10:30pm and ended at 12:00pm with an encore till 1:30 on Fridays and Saturdays aired the following shows; Space Ghost Coast To Coast, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Sealab 2021, Harvey Birdman Attorney At Law, The Brak Show, Home Movies, The Venture Bros, Tom Goes To The Mayor and before the block was ceased Squidbillies also premiered with a special disclaimer about the content.The anime block which aired from Monday to Thursday included Bleach, Cowboy Bebop, Inuyasha,Air Gear (the only M-rated program to air on the channel), Black Cat, Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex and other various programs.

Prior to its removal for Strategic reasons, the Australian feed was one in the Asia-Pacific region to have this block. This block is currently shown on The Comedy Channel with Harvey Birdman and Aqua Teen Hunger Force as well as the premiere of Robot Chicken and Moral Orel. Most of the anime that previously aired on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim now air on the Sci Fi Channel with its own anime block.

Madman Entertainment has also been releasing Adult Swim DVD in region 4 starting with Aqua Teen, Harvey Birdman and Robot Chicken in 2007. It has since released most volumes of every series that has a DVD, including future releases.

It will switch back on in some time. Mostly to build the [adult swim] brand profile on a channel that has the target demo already watching.