Cartoon Network (Australia)

Infobox TV channel
name= Cartoon Network
logofile= CN logo.svg
logoalt= Cartoon Network
logosize= 200px
launch= October 1995
country = Australia
owner= Turner Broadcasting System| Time Warner
sister names= Boomerang
Turner Classic Movies (Asia)
web= [http://www.cartoonnetwork.com.au/ www.cartoonnetwork.com.au]
sat serv 1=Foxtel Digital
sat chan 1=Channel 713
sat serv 2=Austar Digital
sat chan 2=Channel 713
sat serv 3=Sky Network Television
sat chan 3=Channel 42
sat serv 4=SelecTV
cable serv 1=Optus feat. Foxtel Digital
cable chan 1=Channel 713
cable serv 2=Foxtel Digital
cable chan 2=Channel 713
cable serv 3=Austar Digital
cable chan 3=Channel 713
cable serv 4=Neighbourhood Cable
cable chan 4 = Channel 13
cable serv 5=TransACT
cable chan 5 = Channel 5
cable serv 6=TelstraClear InHomeTV
cable chan 6=Channel 42
dummy parameter=
|

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

The Australian 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. [cite web | url = http://planet3.three.com.au/mobileTV/entertainment.asp|title = 3 Mobile offers Cartoon Network | accessdate = 2006-04-09] 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 became available 24 hours a day in New Zealand when the Sky Digital service was launched. [cite web | url = http://www.skytv.co.nz/index.cfm?pageid=491|title = SKY Network Television offers Cartoon Network | accessdate = 2006-04-09]

History

1995 - 1999: Checkerboard Era

Cartoon Network started broadcasting in Australia in October 1995 as part of the Foxtel cable TV launch. 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 & Jerry, Droopy, and Spike and Tyke) in 1996, and (after Time Warner's purchase of Turner in 1996) Warner Bros shows (Looney Tunes, and several other Looney Tunes related cartoons) in 1997. In 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 & 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, Ed, 'n' Eddy, and Courage the Cowardly Dog. Some of these shows (Mike, Lu & Og, Ed, Ed, '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 . 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 3-D 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, checker board 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 Ami Yumi, My Gym Partner's a Monkey and Squirrel Boy. The "Cartoon Cartoons" moniker previously used for Cartoon Network originals was also dropped in 2006. In February, 2008 [adult swim] relaunched on The Comedy Channel airing shows such as Robot Chicken.

Present Era

On August 31 2008, the format of Cartoon Network's bumpers and commercials changed and also they change the name of Cartoon Network Theatre and Fridays Flicks to Cartoon Network Popcorn

Shows currently screening on Cartoon Network Australia (as of September 2008)

Current Shows

Cartoon Series

* Ben 10
* Camp Lazlo
* Class Of 3000
*
* Courage The Cowardly Dog
* Chop Socky Chooks
* Ed, Edd n' Eddy
* Fantastic Four
* Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends
* Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, The
* Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi
* Johnny Test
* Life and Times of Juniper Lee, The
* My Gym Partner's a Monkey
* The Powerpuff Girls
* Shaggy & Scooby Doo Get a Clue!
* Skunk Fu!
* Squirrel Boy
*
* Tom and Jerry
* Part of The all New Show Show

Anime Series

* Bakugan Battle Brawlers
* Blue Dragon
* Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo
* Dragon Ball Z
* Naruto
* One Piece
* Powerpuff Girls Z
* Pokémon

Upcoming Shows

*
* Coconut Fred's Fruit Salad Island
*
* Tak and The Power of Juju (TV series)
* The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack
* The Secret Saturdays
*

hows formerly on Cartoon Network

All programs that were previously aired on Cartoon Network in the mid - 90's are now gone from the network's schedule. When Cartoon Network's original programming was introduced in 1998, the first shows were leaving the schedule. As time went on, more and more Cartoon Network originals replaced the older cartoons which were then moved to Cartoon Network's sister channel Boomerang. In 2001, Cartoon Network reached the point where they were showing more Cartoon Cartoons than the older Hanna-Barbera ones. In 2003, the only old cartoons left on Cartoon Network were Yogi Bear, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Tom & Jerry, Looney Tunes, The Scooby - Doo Show and Top Cat. In 2004, Cartoon Network deleted the final older cartoons from the schedule, including the Boomerang block, which aired episodes of older HB cartoons that were previously on the network. Since then, a number of Cartoon Cartoons and Toonami shows have been deleted from the schedule, although Tom & Jerry and Looney Tunes have returned to the network to fill in gaps.

Programming blocks on Cartoon Network

The All New Show Show

In February 2008, The All New Show Show replaced Fridays as Cartoon Network's destination for premiere shows and viewer-selected shows. The All New Show Show airs for 1 hour on Monday afternoons starting at 5.30pm. Each week, The All New Show Show, which is hosted by Blooregard Q. Kazoo (a popular character on Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends), is broadcasted from different locations across Australia. The first half-hour of The All New Show Show is known as "It's Your Show Show" and it replaced The .Com Pick as Cartoon Network's viewer-selected program. In the second half-hour of The All New Show Show, you would most likely see a brand new premiere episode of Class of 3000, Ben 10, My Gym Partner's A Monkey or Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends.

120% Cartoon Network

120% Cartoon Network is Cartoon Network's weekend afternoon programming block. It airs from 4pm to 6pm and is very popular since it has no ads. It currently airs Cartoon Cartoon franchises Ed, Edd n' Eddy, Dexter's Laboratory and The Powerpuff Girls, Cartoon Network originals My Gym Partner's a Monkey, The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends.

Tiny TV

Tiny TV is currently shown on Boomerang, but because the block doesn't fit in with Boomerang (being a classic cartoon channel), it is a Cartoon Network programming block. It began airing in October 2003, and is currently shown from 10am - 12pm weekdays. Previously, the block aired babyfication versions of classic Hanna-Barbera shows such as The Flintstone Kids, Tom & Jerry Kids and A Pup Named Scooby Doo. Now, it shows other toddler-themed cartoons such as "Meteor and the Mighty Monster Trucks", "Postman Pat, The Little Red Tractor" and "Franklin".

Former Programming blocks

Fridays

Fridays, originally titled Cartoon Cartoon Fridays, was the Friday afternoon program block on Cartoon Network that showcased the channel's original animated series. It started off with .Com Pick, a segment where viewers vote for the show they want to watch on the network's website. The Fridays premiere which included a new episode of a show finished the block.

Toonami

Toonami launched on Cartoon Network Australia on July 7 2001 [http://east.sakura.ne.jp/aniba/aninews/aus.htm] as an outlet for action animation. Most of its lineup consisted of anime, including already popular shows such as Dragonball 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.

Chunky, Chunkier and Chunkiest holiday toons

Aired on every holiday in 2007 beginning with chunky holiday toons, then chunkier, then chunkiest which had no breaks and no time for pitstops (similar to 120% cartoon network) The block aired on weekdays from 9AM.

Acme Hour

Acme Hour was a Cartoon Network programming block that started in March, 2001. It was an hour-long compilation of Tom & 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

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.

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. Prior to its removal for unknown reasons, the Australian feed was one in the Asia-Pacific region to have this block. This block is now currently shown on The Comedy Channel.

References