Cartoon Network claims it will broadcast more new episodes than ever before in its 11-year history more than 500 new half-hours, including five new animated series, new episodes of returning original series and new acquisitions. The new schedule was unveiled Feb. 25, 2004 at Cartoon Network's Upfront presentation to advertising executives and the media in New York City, during its pitch for on-air advertising buys.
"By greenlighting more new shows faster, ramping up production of current hits and aggressively acquiring new series, we'll have twice the amount of new programming on our air this year than we did in 2002," said Jim Samples, evp/gm, Cartoon Network. "I'm confident that our new shows will not only solidify our current lead with boys, but will continue the growth in girls viewing that started earlier this year."
New Shows: MEGAS XLR: A new action/comedy series about a 20-something grease monkey who discovers a giant fighting robot from the future in a New Jersey landfill. Premieres May 1, at 9:00 pm anchoring Toonami's new Saturday night lineup. Coop brings his discovery, called Megas, home and customizes it, but, in doing so, attracts the attention of evil aliens from the future. Coop now must save mankind, when he'd rather play videogames and use his giant robot to cruise the Garden State. MEGAS XLR, created by Jody Schaeffer and George Krstic, is produced by Cartoon Network Studios in Burbank, California.
FOSTER'S HOME FOR IMAGINARY FRIENDS: From Craig McCracken, creator of THE POWERPUFF GIRLS, FOSTER'S HOME FOR IMAGINARY FRIENDS features Mac, a smart, creative and shy 8-year-old, and his imaginary friend, Bloo. Premieres with a 90-minute feature on July 16, followed by the series debut on Sept. 3. Mac's mom thinks that her son is too old to have an imaginary friend, so Bloo is sent to live at the Victorian mansion that serves as Madame Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. Mac strikes a deal with the home's staff - Madame Foster, Frankie and Mr. Herriman - who promise not to let Bloo be adopted by anyone else if Mac visits him every day. Mac becomes the favorite visitor of all the imaginary friends, including Wilt, Eduardo and Coco, who bring the boy along on their adventures.
JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED: The heroes of the Justice League return in August with a new series, Justice League Unlimited, which incorporates a bold new look and a much larger scope. Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern continue to lead the universe's most powerful superheroes in an effort to stop criminal plots and alien threats that endanger the universe. Now, in Justice League Unlimited, they are joined by an even greater collection of heroes some of whom are well known, like Supergirl, Green Arrow and the Atom, as well as some that are less familiar, like Booster Gold, Hawk & Dove, Elongated Man, The Question, Mister Miracle, Big Barda and Zatanna. The original heroes band together with new ones to battle alien invasions, powerful sorcerers, vast shadowy conspiracies and even ancient gods.
ATOMIC BETTY: This new series, set to premiere in September, follows the adventures of Betty, a little girl with a big secret. To her friends and family, she's the sweet and brainy girl next door. But when the galaxy beckons, she sheds her humdrum persona and becomes "Atomic Betty, Galactic Guardian and Defender of the Cosmos." While the citizens of Earth carry on with their every day lives, Atomic Betty zips daringly across the galaxy on valiant missions, from saving a race of space monkeys from a giant caterpillar invasion to rescuing a kidnapped ambassador from a ruthless king. An original concept by Atomic Cartoons, ATOMIC BETTY is produced by Breakthrough Animation Inc. and Atomic Cartoons with Tele-Images Kids with the participation of the Shaw Fund and the Canadian Television Fund.
HI HI PUFFY AMIYUMI: One of Japan's biggest pop music acts arrives in America as a cartoon. HI HI PUFFY AMIYUMI, set to debut in December, follows the adventures of two very cool, but very different, pop stars as they travel from gig to gig or just hang out in their hometown of Tokyo. Ami is the peppy, positive and resourceful one. Yumi is the hard-rocking, no-nonsense cynic with an absolutely infallible sense of cool. Together, they take the world by storm, despite occasional misjudgments from their well meaning but tragically square manager, Kaz. HI HI PUFFY AMI YUMI also will feature live-action segments starring the real life Puffy AmiYumi as well as the group's catchy J-pop hits.
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JUNIPER LEE: Juniper Lee appears to be a typical 11-year-old girl having fun with friends, dealing with siblings and worrying about schoolwork. But fate has dealt June a slightly different hand. For generations, a member of her family has been born into the secret responsibility of fighting the forces of mischief and chaos that hide everywhere. On any given day, she may have to skip out on her best friend's birthday party to discipline some unruly six-foot leprechauns or smack down some troublemaking gnomes. THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JUNIPER LEE, from creator Judd Winnick, will premiere in February 2005.
New Episodes of Returning Series include: TEEN TITANS, TOTALLY SPIES (April), THE POWERPUFF GIRLS, CODENAME: KIDS NEXT DOOR (May), JOHNNY BRAVO (includes a half-hour special), DUCK DODGERS (June 26), THE GRIM ADVENTURES OF BILLY AND MANDY, EVIL CON CARNE, STAR WARS: CLONE WAR (March 26).
Acquisitions: TRANSFORMERS: ENERGON: The newest installment of the legendary story matching the Autobots vs. the Decepticons, already joined Cartoon Network's Saturday lineup on Jan. 31.
MUCHA LUCHA: Flash animated comedy series about three budding young masked wrestlers, debuts on Cartoon Network March 5. MUCHA LUCHA will air as part of Fridays, Cartoon Network's primetime block of animated comedies.
ASTRO BOY: The new series based on the classic anime property makes its Cartoon Network debut March 8 at 5:00 pm. Astro Boy is a reluctant superhero fighting for justice and peace among robots and humans alike.
CODE LYOKO: Cartoon Network has acquired 26 episodes of the animated series that blends traditional 2D and 3D animation. CODE LYOKO tells the story of a group of students who uncover a parallel digital world named LYOKO that is threatened by a deadly virus that could ultimately destroy Earth.
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: Donatello, Michelangelo, Raphael and Leonardo, four turtles trained in the Bushido code, use their skills to battle the evil Shredder and The Foot Clan in the new 30-minute series produced by Mike Young Prods. that will weekdays on Carton Network beginning April 19.
DUEL MASTER: The anime series about Shobu, a master of an engrossing playing card game who can bring the cards' creatures to life, begins in March with 26 episodes.
GUNDAM SEED: Fifth episodes of this new anime series begins in April. Dragonball GT: Cartoon Network will begin airing 20 new episodes in May.
RAVE MASTERS: The anime series begins in May with 26 episodes.
CYBORG 009: Cartoon Network has acquired 26 additional episodes, which will begin in June.
New Strips: CODENAME: KIDS NEXT DOOR: Cartoon Network's #1 show with kids 6-11, CODENAME: KIDS NEXT DOOR, brings its five ingenious heroes and their adult-thwarting missions to Cartoon Network Monday-Friday at 3:00 pm and 9:00 pm beginning March 15.
TEEN TITANS: Cartoon Network's most successful new series of 2003 will air Monday-Fridays at 6:30 pm and 10:30 pm. Based on the long-running DC Comics series, TEEN TITANS stars Robin as the leader of a band of teenage superheroes, produced by Warner Bros. Animation.
New Orders of Existing Series: CODENAME: KIDS NEXT DOOR has been given the greenlight through its sixth season, which will bring the series up to 78 episodes. The third season begins in May.
ED, EDD N EDDY will return with three new half-hour holiday specials, beginning with a Christmas special in 2004.
THE GRIM ADVENTURES OF BILLY & MANDY, created by Maxwell Atoms at Cartoon Network Studios, has been given the greenlight for an additional season, its fourth, which will bring the series up to 52 total episodes.
DUCK DODGERS, starring Porky Pig, Duck Dodgers and Marvin the Martian in the 24th and 1/2 century, has been given the greenlight for 13 additional episodes from WBA, which will take the series to 39 total episodes.
Adult Swim: Late night's only show starring a winged attorney returns with a new season of antics and objections on Sunday, April 18. HARVEY BIRDMAN, ATTORNEY AT LAW will air Sunday evenings at 11:30 pm. The new season of 10 new episodes will include guest stars Speed Buggy, The Jetsons, Grape Ape and the father/son combo of Doggie Daddy and Augie Doggie all turning to Harvey for legal counsel.
AQUA TEEN HUNGER FORCE joins the lineup Monday-Thursday at 12:00 am beginning April 19. Meatwad, Master Shake and Frylock, three human-sized food products living in a rental house in New Jersey, torment their neighbor Carl and meander through their mundane yet surreal existence.
SEALAB 2021 returns with a new season of underwater insanity and hilarity beginning June 20.
In THE VENTURE BROTHERS, dimwitted brothers Hank and Dean Venture, their scientist father and his bodyguard, Brock, live on a spacious ranch with a high-tech laboratory. Their adventures take them to exotic locales around the world, from the deepest, darkest rainforests to the most dangerous urban jungles. THE VENTURE BROTHERS, from Noodlesoup Prods., will premiere on Aug. 1.
Cartoon Network (www.CartoonNetwork.com), seen in 85.7 million U.S. homes and 145 countries around the world, is Turner Broadcasting System Inc.'s 24-hour, ad-supported cable service offering animated entertainment.
