The History of Cartoon Network- Part 1: 1992-2002

We start a journey on the history of the first 24/7 Network devoted to nothing but Cartoons.
In part 1, we focus on the start and what many consider the peak of the channel with it's first 10 years.
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[@ATK10155]

I started crying for some reason when the dexter’s theme started playing. I’m 26 and watched cartoon network as a kid along with monster jam and whatever else my parents let me watch. And it’s like 20 years just went by in a blink. And I wish badly to be back in that bedroom. But it’s all over. Rest in peace to those shows and thank god for turner broadcasting.

[@ivandabovic9345]

This deserves so much more views... But from the comments I can see that it gets all the love... :)

[@burritouzumakireal]

Oh this is absolutely the kind of video I was looking for, a multihour, multi part series going over the history of CN

[@DarthInfernusify]

I attended the same high school as Craig Mccracken. A few years ago I worked with a guy who graduated with Craig in high school. He’s been drawing the PPGirls for a long time. He tripped out when he was channel surfing back in the day and saw the PPGirls on TV.

[@47Cartoonguy]

Dude you’re doing an excellent job on this I love it but I agree with the other comment, Cartoon Network was never a kids network it was more towards family’s especially animation lovers

[@TheOneNerd1]

I wish KZbin still had annotations. Maybe I could post a correction. Maybe I can address it in part 2.

[@47Cartoonguy]

@@TheOneNerd1 oh it’s a great vid anyway just wanted to throw it out there super excited for more. one of my next vids is on the City era

[@darkspyofficial]

Yo 47CartoonGuy

[@andersongarcia5117]

What do you mean it wasn’t a kids network

[@branthelegouniversalfan]

_"We're not positioning The Cartoon Network as just a kids network. Toons appeal to people of all ages."_ Cartoon Network executive vice president Betty Cohen, 1992

[@kaplisisdx8651]

Just what i was looking for: A long video revisiting the history of one of my favourite channels! You've done a great job! Not only is cartoon network one of the few channels dedicated to animation, but it is also the closest thing to an official Warner Bros. animation channel.

[@ST0NE_206]

I’m really glad I found this, this documentary is absolutely incredible!

[@TheOneNerd1]

Thank you for saying that. Glad you liked it

[@zekemcnees]

About an hour in and this has been fantastically presented. The amount of detail you go into with how and why shows were produced is appreciated. Born in 1989, I only got to see glimpses of CN between 1995-2002 while visiting relatives before finally having access to the channel at home. This brings back so many fuzzy memories and context for the things I missed. You’ve provided a great service for those of us who wish to hold on to these memories and understand them better. So thank you so much for your hard work.

[@TheOneNerd1]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it so far

[@paintinginmykitchen5152]

This is insanely good, I've just sat and watched the whole thing. This needs way more views! I've tried other "history of CN" videos before but I either can't stand the presentation or they're just too short. This one was perfect, awesome job! Now to watch part 2 :)

[@daelen.cclark]

Even the Animation Lookback series?

[@tjh6678]

Honestly, I don't see why this video doesn't have more traction. It's probably the most thorough of all the CN history lessons I've seen on this site (& only the first part, yet!). Good stuff, chief 👌

[@TheOneNerd1]

I appreciate that, I just have to hope this video somehow makes it into that crazy algorithm I guess. But your comment will be a big help with that.

[@TylerMarquis911]

1999 baby and genuinely loved every second of this video man supper props for bringing back our childhoods

[@TheOneNerd1]

Thank you and thank you for watching.

[@MarkMeadows90]

I started watching Cartoon Network in 1994 when I was 4 years old. I don't remember it much. I remember a lot of the older classic cartoons of the past. I remember the Checkerboard Era, Startburst Era, Powerhouse Era, and the City Era. But the Powerhouse Era had it made back then. That was peak Cartoon Network right there. EDIT: I had to take almost two days to watch this whole video. You did an amazing job breaking it down year by year with all the programming that was on CN at the time. I am proud to say I have watched A LOT of CN back in those days when I was a kid. I will watch your 2003-2008 video soon. I did watch some CN during that time period, but a lot of the shows didn't really appeal to me as I was growing up during my teenaged years.

[@kurtfranklin2680]

About an hour in. Thus brings back so many memories. I was born in late 1982 and loved watching Cartoon Network in the 90s. I remember when cartoons like Dexter, power puff and Johnny bravo debuted on the what a cartoon show before they got their own series. Great video. Look forward to part too.

[@kiwikarp9509]

I'm not finished with the video yet, but this video series is good as is. The only thing I don't like is how long and frequent bumpers are. It makes sense for big important shows and moments to get a full bumper, but going back and forth between listing a show, playing a bumper, listing a show, playing a bumper...it just artificially increased the video's length. If you do make a second part, I hope the bumpers and ads for less important shows are either trimmed down or cut, but I'll still watch it regardless.

[@TheOneNerd1]

I completely understand, and I am trying to help the flow in part 2, but one of the reasons I wanted to make this series was to show off some of the awesome promos and what not. I appreciate you watching either way

[@kiwikarp9509]

@@TheOneNerd1 I get that, I love those bumpers too. But after enough times it gets exhausting, and that probably effects engagement. Personally, I've wanted to know more about how and why those bumpers were made, so maybe a video dedicated to that down the line would help with appreciation?(totally understandable if that's too much work though)

[@lamontyaboy718]

Also I don't know if it's just me but the audio when you talk is a little too low. I had it up on full volume and it was still hard to hear exactly what you said at some points. Otherwise this was great and I will definitely watch the other videos in the series whenever you release them.

[@angelinacamacho8575]

funny thing is CN latam used to have the slogan ¨perfect as is¨ .

[@gh0st.ic3]

This is great! I’ve never seen so much info about the first 10 years of the network. I know this video hasn’t gotten a lot of traction which is really sad but I really hope you cover the next years as well! Very fun and informative ❤

[@corypixley2173]

This is cool vid I wish adult swim would do a April’s fools but just run the Orignal first adult swim line up with the Orignal bumpers

[@tavvyprods1275]

I was always waiting for an ideal tribute to the channel itself for its 30th Anniversary and low and behold I found it. I give you my applause.

[@yuskewl9233]

I cant wait to see more

[@tavvyprods1275]

@@yuskewl9233 I hope there will be more too.

[@lovetrain2455]

This is so well done it's criminal how little views this has

[@evilvelvet]

This is in fantastic detail, great job! Can't wait for the next part

[@TheOneNerd1]

Thank you for watching. Hard at work on part 2

[@sharkfish1231]

This video is awesome,can't wait for part 2

[@TheOneNerd1]

Thanks, working on it everyday. Hopefully you will not have to wait long

[@jedd.0322]

this is an excellent video hope to see more

[@jescis0]

I didn't know about "Hong Kong Phooey" until I saw it on "Cartoon Network" 😮😮 I loved it!! Penelope Pitstop And The Anthill Gang" was another one I loved and it was my mother's given name!! 😂😂

[@BlackMaleSpirituality]

You have created my current favorite documentary. Congratulations!

[@merovech7]

This is just incredible, an absolute masterclass assessment of the greatest channel in the greatest age of television - thank you for bringing back all the great memories and doing justice to Cartoon Network ❤

[@TheOneNerd1]

Thank you for watching and the kind words. I hope you will enjoy part 2 when it comes out

[@kalilreviews7852]

it pains me this only has 10K views. this was a amazing retrospective and taught me some stuff i had no idea about. You deserve so much more

[@TheOneNerd1]

Thank you, every bit of engagement helps

[@MarioLuigi25]

Oh man, this was a massive trip down Memory Lane. I love this video so much and it's so great revisiting the golden era of Cartoon Network

[@TheOneNerd1]

Thank you for watching. I hope you will look forward to part 2, in production now

[@MSDGAMEZ]

So glad I was a kid in the 90s

[@ShyRanger]

Good fun video overall, although I did notice at least one mistake and only pointing this out cause I always remember it as a common misconception. 2:56:40 No, Aqua Teen was NOT a Space Ghost spinoff, Baffler Meal aired much later after ATHF was a popular thing. Instead Baffler Meal is a psuedo-crossover episode, where the Aqua Teen characters are based on one of their early pitch ideas, a Teen Hunger Force. Everything else you said is correct, but no they weren't originally on Space Ghost nor were they originally made for it.

[@shoolcreates1999]

I've never heard of Big Bag before. Well researched.

[@TheOneNerd1]

I never had either. Just seemed to come and go and no one wants to acknowledge it

[@SobbleWobble13]

I've briefly heard about on a blameitonjorge video I watched a few years ago

[@MatthewdeKimble]

Amazing retrospective, thank you for the love and hard work that went into this. One thing that really comes across is how pervasive Tom Kenny is as a voice actor. What didn't he work on?

[@TheOneNerd1]

Thank you for watching and glad you liked my series. Tom Kenny really is a workhorse of voice acting, and was rewarded with essentially a career for life

[@yoshi5I4]

Crazy to think I haven't even thought of many of these cartoons for like twenty years but I know the themes perfectly, especially the one for I Am Weasel which blew my mind that is done by April March but sure enough there's no mistaken that voice

[@nerodragon8703]

Great video

[@TheOneNerd1]

Thank you

[@ethanpartingtonstudios1187]

Make Part 2

[@TheOneNerd1]

Believe me. I am hard at work on part 2. Just have to juggle that video with all the other stuff I want to make. But I appreciate you watching

[@YuukiTakemoto1996]

Swayzak was my favourite part of classic CN!

[@spencermccarthy5157]

I love how Cartoon Network was like back in the early 1990's better.

[@corypixley2173]

This guy needs more subs who is your narrator reminds me of defunct land

[@TheOneNerd1]

I do my own narration

[@angelinacamacho8575]

funny thing is that here in latin america cartoonito is its own channel and has existed as such before even making it to CN US. also cartoon network here doesnt share space with AS instead that has its own channel as well and boomerang latam used to not air cartoons. instead it aired old live action spanish teen dramas. at night instead of AS you get a mixed marathon of we bare bears and gumball but 10 years ago it was a marathon of old cartoons like woody woodpecker, looney tunes, hannah barbara, and so on.

[@blackdynasty06]

I never know my hometown of Hattiesburg, MS was mentioned on Space Ghost!

[@ohsoedgy6888]

Ted Turner developed with the baseball empire with the Atlanta Braves back in the 1990s and developed an animation empire in the 1990s with Cartoon Network!

[@TheOneNerd1]

Don't forget WCW

[@somniumlucidus969]

Damn, this was literally my birth till 5th grade

[@justvibing2497]

Also cn really started dying when they added adult swim

[@lamontyaboy718]

Yeah. I mean it was a good idea to have a place for more adult cartoons. I truly believe adult swim has done a lot in the past 2 decades to help change the mindset that cartoons are only for kids. However it needed to stay in its lane. Only airing overnight. It's kinda ridiculous that the block now starts at 8pm and apparently in August it's gonna start at 7? Like seriously cmon this is just getting out of hand.

[@justageek6635]

Why am I seeing this just now? It took the algorhythm five months to recommend me this? Jokes aside, this is a very awesome video about CN, very in depth and researched. Can't wait for the next part 🫡 [Comment to feed the algorhythm]

[@TheOneNerd1]

Really appreciate the comment and glad you enjoyed. Hoping the second part will get me more in the algorithm. But the reality is that I just need to make more and consistent content.

[@justvibing2497]

1:39:15 very bad voice, ed edd n eddy best idea ever

[@kootunesscrewy]

Is it weird that I call both Merrie Melodies and Looney Tunes as just Warner Bros Cartoons or the latter ("Looney Tunes")? I mean... both became the same series around 1943.

[@justvibing2497]

1:47:30 great advice

[@piousranger7333]

I miss cartoon cartoon fridays I wish they would rerun on boomerang

[@damienlong3009]

I love the old cartoons

[@heartz.2450]

When will u Make a part 2

[@TheOneNerd1]

Work is being done editing it everyday

[@justvibing2497]

1:16:04 dk what year was the peak, but it wasn't this one. Crazy how cn used to market the shows, so much effort but now it's nowhere near the same effort. I have stop watching cn years ago though

[@joester4life]

KIDS LOVE IT!

[@johndex]

Great Video but like seeing was never intended for kids at the beginning, it was a family Network

[@TheOneNerd1]

Yeah, I do kind of classify it weird at the start. Cause while I say it was a Network dedicated to kids, I do also go over the stuff for families. I should have made it clearer they were going for adults at the start too.

[@somniumlucidus969]

Did i miss it? What happened to oh yea cartoons?

[@susanfit47]

Cartoon Network brought the rights to play Woody Woodpecker from Walter Lantz Productions from Universal in late 90s, likely 1997. It was costing CN too much to have the rights to those, so they dropped them. CN aired the same series (from the late 80's) that was syndicated to b'cast stations by Program Exchange, about Scooby-Doo and Rocky & Bullwinkle. ProgEx were bent on modern broadcast standards, so a noticable amount of editiong a la Warners with CN. USA Network would also be the most logical place to air them, since Barry Diller secured all the rights to past Universal movie from new parent comany Vivaldo. CN gave up the rights to those cartoons about the same time Time-Warner decided they would rather "make their own" cartoons for airing on the channel, following the intial success of Dexter's Laboratory.

[@SobbleWobble13]

I'm only on the first part but for future reference, can do more commentary and less playing the clips in their entireties?

[@TheOneNerd1]

That is something I do in future parts

[@SobbleWobble13]

@@TheOneNerd1 ok good

[@hunnitbtw]

you deserve 100x more views than this. this makes me mad seeing this lol

[@TheOneNerd1]

I appreciate you saying that, and for watching. Hope you enjoy the rest of the series

[@pizzakoe]

*meee and my friends get no respect*