"Toonami" debuted on the Cartoon Network in 1997, back when the network was just hitting its stride. Cartoon Network debuted in 1992, and originally offered mostly old animated reruns. It was, for years, the best place to find old Droopy cartoons, as well as Looney Tunes, Tom & Jerry cartoons, old DC superhero fare, and reruns of Hanna-Barbera trash like "Scooby-Doo" and "The Flintstones."
In 1994, the network had the brilliant idea to repurpose a largely forgotten Hanna-Barbera character named Space Ghost, transforming him into a talk show host. "Space Ghost Coast to Coast" set a new dadaist tone for the Cartoon Network, proving that it could make hip, self-aware, original content in addition to its blocks of reruns. In 1996 and 1997, Cartoon Network launched a quartet of new shows -- "Dexter's Laboratory," "Johnny Bravo," "The Powerpuff Girls," and "Cow and Chicken" -- and their reputation was solidified. It was now a destination station.
In 1994, the network had the brilliant idea to repurpose a largely forgotten Hanna-Barbera character named Space Ghost, transforming him into a talk show host. "Space Ghost Coast to Coast" set a new dadaist tone for the Cartoon Network, proving that it could make hip, self-aware, original content in addition to its blocks of reruns. In 1996 and 1997, Cartoon Network launched a quartet of new shows -- "Dexter's Laboratory," "Johnny Bravo," "The Powerpuff Girls," and "Cow and Chicken" -- and their reputation was solidified. It was now a destination station.
- 4/6/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
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