Remember when Cartoon Network was an all ages network?

[themistermanguy]

Currently, while Cartoon Network is a solid kids' network offering quality children's animation that can entertain adults, there was a point where Cartoon Network was actually for anyone and everyone who loves animation. Now yes, kids did make up a good majority of its viewership (which is no suprprise considering kids and cartoons go together like PB & J), and Cartoon Network did dedicate most of its daytime schedule to children, they didn't sell themselves as strictly a kids network, but rather a family network targeting general households as opposed to just children. This gave CN a huge advantage over other animation outlets at the time like Nickelodeon and Comedy Central as it allowed Cartoon Network to appeal to a very broad audience, which was not only good for ratings, but also for advertisers.

Spoiler: To give you an example, here's a commercial break compilation from July 2000.

Notice there's a distinct patern and balance to the ads. Of course, you'll get your toy and cereal ads for the kiddies, but you'll also see Coca-Cola ads, Swiffer ads, ads for things adults would buy. This showed how open CN was to advertisers of all age groups.

Cartoon Network also divided its schedule up into different dayparts to target different audience during different times of the day. Early mornings were usually reserved for preschool shows like Small World and Big Bag. Most of the day targeted young children and stay at home moms with Tom & Jerry and 80s HB reruns. Late afternoon and early evenings were reserved for of course, Toonami. Targeting Teens and Preteens with edgy anime (edited for family friendly purposes of course) and other action animation that were more complex and story driven than your standard Rugrats/looney tunes fare. Prime-time was usually reserved for Anthology shows like Toon Heads, reruns of Flinstones/Jetsons, or the Cartoon Cartoons, wnich targeted the whole family, or anyone who wanted to watch a cartoon. And late nights were for parents or grandparents still watching the channel.

Overall, I always considered 90s and early 2000s era Cartoon Network to be the Nintendo of TV Animation. Where they didn't really catered strictly to just kids, nor did they cater strictly to just adults, but just anyone who wanted to watch Cartoons, weather it be children, teens, or adults.

Cartoon Network has had its ups and downs, recently seeing a quality resurgence after a creatively bankrupt "MTV syndrome" period in 2009, having the success of shows like Adventure Time definitely makes it along with Disney XD and The Hub, one of the better networks for kids currently on TV right now. But at the same, its also interesting to see that they never began as strictly a kids network.

 

[Madame_Lawliet]

People actually archive daily commercial blocks?... And other people watch them?
What a time to be alive...

OT: Yeah CN's kidna all about the kids these days, but times have changed, if a teenager or an adult wants to watch a cartoon today they'll just hop on the internet or a video streaming service where they can watch whatever the hell they want without having to be passive to whatever happens to be on at the time. The only demographic that may still be looking for cartoons on actual television these days are kids, so the network went in that direction as a result.
Plus, it's not just the kid stuff, Toonami is still alive as part of Adult Swim, which has become CN's depository for all the stuff they would once run on their programming block proper.

It's not the same as it was in the Nineties, but well... it's not the same world it was in the Nineties.

 

[themistermanguy]

People actually archive daily commercial blocks?... And other people watch them?
What a time to be alive...

OT: Yeah CN's kidna all about the kids these days, but times have changed, if a teenager or an adult wants to watch a cartoon today they'll just hop on the internet or a video streaming service where they can watch whatever the hell they want without having to be passive to whatever happens to be on at the time. The only demographic that may still be looking for cartoons on actual television these days are kids, so the network went in that direction as a result.
Plus, it's not just the kid stuff, Toonami is still alive as part of Adult Swim, which has become CN's depository for all the stuff they would once run on their programming block proper.

It's not the same as it was in the Nineties, but well... it's not the same world it was in the Nineties.

Adult Swim is a separate entity from CN run by completely separate staff, so I don't count Toonami as part of the CN schedule. Plus, I never said being a kids network was a bad thing. In fact, CN is one of the better networks for children currently. I'm just pointing out a fact a lot of people seem to for forget.

 

[Dreadman75]

People actually archive daily commercial blocks?... And other people watch them?
What a time to be alive...

OT: Yeah CN's kidna all about the kids these days, but times have changed, if a teenager or an adult wants to watch a cartoon today they'll just hop on the internet or a video streaming service where they can watch whatever the hell they want without having to be passive to whatever happens to be on at the time. The only demographic that may still be looking for cartoons on actual television these days are kids, so the network went in that direction as a result.
Plus, it's not just the kid stuff, Toonami is still alive as part of Adult Swim, which has become CN's depository for all the stuff they would once run on their programming block proper.

It's not the same as it was in the Nineties, but well... it's not the same world it was in the Nineties.

Adult Swim is a separate entity from CN run by completely separate staff, so I don't count Toonami as part of the CN schedule. Plus, I never said being a kids network was a bad thing. In fact, CN is one of the better networks for children currently. I'm just pointing out a fact a lot of people seem to for forget.

Don't forget that before it's cancellation in 2008 Toonami was a part of CN. I remember the days when Toonami used to be on every weekday around 4-6 or so. Man those were the days...

OT: I'm really glad that CN has finally managed to pull itself out of that horrendous phase where it was obsessed with live action programming. Ugh! That was just embarrassing. Now we've got Adventure Time, Regular Show, Gumball to a lesser extent...things are looking brighter for the time being.

 

[Bertylicious]

"Remember when Cartoon Network was an all ages network?"

... No? I'm pretty old and to me CN has always been about kids TV. The reason you get ad spots for stuff parents might want is because parents might be watching with their kids.

 

[Ten Foot Bunny]

July 2000 and not a single political attack ad? Wow!

Those were definitely the network's glory days in my opinion. I was a huge fan of Johnny Bravo and Space Ghost Coast-to-Coast. One of the best moments of the latter was when The Ramones showed up for an interview and got abused by Space Ghost for being a punk band. That was epic.

 

[themistermanguy]

"Remember when Cartoon Network was an all ages network?"

... No? I'm pretty old and to me CN has always been about kids TV. The reason you get ad spots for stuff parents might want is because parents might be watching with their kids.

Notice how Nickelodeon has kids ads almost exclusively. Where most of the time on CN, there were 3 at most. Its because Nick sold itself as "The first kids network". Mind you, this was when SpongeBob had a large adult fanbase.

Also, you mentioned those ads played because parents might be watching those shows. That would basicaly mean CN also targeted adults who wanted to watch cartoons as well, thus, making them a family network.

 

[Chemical Alia]

July 2000 and not a single political attack ad? Wow!

Those were definitely the network's glory days in my opinion. I was a huge fan of Johnny Bravo and Space Ghost Coast-to-Coast. One of the best moments of the latter was when The Ramones showed up for an interview and got abused by Space Ghost for being a punk band. That was epic.

Space Ghost Coast to Coast was such a good show. It was a clean show. It was a good, clean show!

But yeah, the last time I ever watched Cartoon Network at all regularly was towards the end of the 90's, and I got into my late teens, I felt that its programming was a bit too kiddy for my age. I mostly just watched it for Space Ghost and cheesy 70's sci-fi boy cartoons like Thundarr. There were a lot of commercials aimed at adults (always with the number 1-800-2400, I dunno why!), but I always assumed it was for the parents watching stuff with their kids.

 

[themistermanguy]

July 2000 and not a single political attack ad? Wow!

Those were definitely the network's glory days in my opinion. I was a huge fan of Johnny Bravo and Space Ghost Coast-to-Coast. One of the best moments of the latter was when The Ramones showed up for an interview and got abused by Space Ghost for being a punk band. That was epic.

Space Ghost Coast to Coast was such a good show. It was a clean show. It was a good, clean show!

But yeah, the last time I ever watched Cartoon Network at all regularly was towards the end of the 90's, and I got into my late teens, I felt that its programming was a bit too kiddy for my age. I mostly just watched it for Space Ghost and cheesy 70's sci-fi boy cartoons like Thundarr. There were a lot of commercials aimed at adults (always with the number 1-800-2400, I dunno why!), but I always assumed it was for the parents watching stuff with their kids.

That's partially right. But several Nicktoons had huge teen/adult followings, but there were really never any ads aimed at them when they aired. Cartoon Network however, had many as they targeted families and households rather than strictly young children (even though 6-11 was their biggest audience).

 

[crazygameguy4ever]

Cartoon Network used to be really good in the 90's and early 2000s.. now it's filed with stupid shows, that are badly and cheaply made like Teen Titans go, Clarence, Uncle grandpa ,the looney Toons Show and Ben 10 omniverse

 

[Jacco]

Yeah dude. I remember when they aired Outlaw Star with all its violence and swearing and (semi) nudity. For a ten year old me thst was the most badass thing ever.
Outlaw Star still holds a special place in my heart for that reason. Now we have things like Adventure Time which are more subtle about their adult content but still.

 

[Nazulu]

Cartoon Network used to be really good in the 90's and early 2000s.. now it's filed with stupid shows, that are badly and cheaply made like Teen Titans go, Clarence, Uncle grandpa ,the looney Toons Show and Ben 10 omniverse

Agreed. I tried my best to get into these new shows but I can't stand them. I try to look past their boring art style and focus on the writing, but they aren't special there either.

I got into Cartoon Network late because we didn't get a Optus or Foxtel network till I was in high school, and it was the shit. I loved Swat Cats, the original Looney Tunes, and there was Tiny Tunes which was also fun, The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, ...I watched a lot OK. And I also loved Toonami.

 

[themistermanguy]

Cartoon Network used to be really good in the 90's and early 2000s.. now it's filed with stupid shows, that are badly and cheaply made like Teen Titans go, Clarence, Uncle grandpa ,the looney Toons Show and Ben 10 omniverse

Clearence is actually pretty funny from what I've been told. And a few bad shows on the network doesn't make the entire network bad. Though one thing CN can definitely improve upon is its promos, they make their shows like like laughing stocks when they're really not.

 

[themistermanguy]

Yeah dude. I remember when they aired Outlaw Star with all its violence and swearing and (semi) nudity. For a ten year old me thst was the most badass thing ever.
Outlaw Star still holds a special place in my heart for that reason. Now we have things like Adventure Time which are more subtle about their adult content but still.

From what I've heard, Outlaw Star was one of the more heavily censored anime on Toonami, but I've been told it got several things past the radar like the word bastard. However, I still think it should've went to Adult Swim in lightly cut form as it was a Seinen (Which targeted adult men). But the Y7 edit did eventually air on Adult Swim though.

 

[FPLOON]

Damn... I still remember that Pokemon ad for Pokemon: The Movie 2000... (Still remember getting screwed over by those Pokemon cards at the theater I went to at the time...) And WAS THAT A COMMERCIAL FOR THE BOB CLAMPETT SHOW?! *swoons*

OT: I remember the 90's and early 00's... Apparently, cartoon creators basically made shows that made them happy instead of thinking [too hard, I guess] about who's their "target demographic" was or wondering if they're attracting the "wrong audience" and stuff like that... Cartoon Network is slowly trying to recapture that time, only in a more modern/up-to-date sense... But, I still doubt it will ever be like how it was back then, especially given the fiasco with DC Nation and stuff like that...[footnote]Also, they need to release the complete series to some of their other shows like Ed, Edd, n' Eddy, Dexter's Lab, Johnny Bravo, and Courage the Cowardly Dog just to names the "first four" off the top of my head that's not The Powerpuff Girls, since that series already had their complete series box set...[/footnote]

At least they're better than Nickelodeon these days... especially in the show advertising/schedule department, in my opinion... (Seriously, Nick... You basically only have two good/great shows[footnote]Turtles and Korra, arguably...[/footnote], [modern] Spongbob, [post-baby] Fairly OddParents, and everything else is either just live-action "sitcoms" or something that's getting more praise/advertising on your Nicktoons station right now...)