Ed, Edd & Eddy's 25th Anniversary

[5YearsOnEastCoast]

If you were growing up with Cartoon Network in late 90s and 2000s, there is a very high chance that you have heard of a show called Ed, Edd & Eddy. While this show never reached popularity of Powerpuff Girls, it still is among most popular CN shows in 2000s.

Today is Ed-Boys 25th birthday since it has been exactly 25 years since they premiered on CN for first time. It was created by Danny Antonucci.

What is this show about? It follows adventures of three kids: dim-witted Ed, smart Edd and scheming Eddy. They generally tried to scheme the neighborhood kids to get their money so they could buy jawbreakers. But not every episode was about that. In some episodes they were playing hide and seek with other kids or having adventures in a junkyard.

One unique thing about this show was how there were only 12 characters in the entire show (13 counting Plank). Seriously besides the aftermentioned title characters, this show also had a strange but funny foreigner named Rolf (Life has many doors, Ex-boys!), wimpy kid named Jimmy, weird bald kid Johnny who's best friend is a piece of wood (Plank), Ed's younger bratty sister Sarah, Kevin who hates the Eds (Especially Eddy) and keeps calling them dorks, Nazz who is more down to earth and nice compared to rest of the cast and the Kanker Sisters(Lee, Marie and May) who stalk Eds. These are the only characters that appear through the show in it's 69 episode run, and while we do see some other characters in the show (like Eddy's parents), we don't fully see them and we never hear their voices. The only "new" character that was introduced was Eddy's brother in last 10 minutes of the movie which served as a finale of the series and was build up through the show. I can't really think of any show that had more than 13 characters in the whole run.

This cartoon is a comedy and it took full advantage of it. This show has great animations and timing is good which makes slapstick in this show funny. And I want to give it credit for having such a variety of sound effects used in it. It also had some witty dialogue in the show and some hilarious lines in the show like this:

This show ran from 1999-2009 and it was a success for CN and spammed various merchandise like toys, DVDs, video games etc. It was one of the most memorable shows on CN.

What are your thoughts and memories on this show about 3 Ed-boys?

 

[JMTV]

Ah yes, the good ol' Ed Boys! I remember watching a lot of Ed Edd n Eddy when I was a kid. I used to love that show back then. I remember seeing it back in 2009 when Cartoon Network rerun the show a lot. Then, I got more into it in 2010. Yes, I did saw Big Picture Show when it first premiered.

One of the best thing I love about the Eds is that it is one of the most unique looking shows out of any Cartoon Cartoon from Cartoon Network, before and after. As much as we love Dexter and Powerpuff Girls, both of them were very Hanna Barbara inspired (not to say it was a bad thing, but it does capture that type of style). Ed Edd n Eddy was so different. It has that squiggly animation, wild imagination, creative scams, and funny slapstick and jokes, and all around great slice of life comedy about kids just being kids.

However, there are flaws in the Eds that I cannot overlooked. I don't like when the show was being too nihilistic and annoying, and I'm not too crazy about the school setting in Season 5, and I thought slapstick, even though it's great, can get way too brutal and over-the-top for my tastes (especially Season 5).

Other than that, I do like Ed Edd n Eddy. Was it all time favorite Cartoon Network show? Maybe not, but I do like it.

With that, Happy 25th Anniversary, Ed Boys!

 

[Perla Magica]

This show was and still is my favorite childhood cartoon outside of The Powerpuff Girls. If I had to choose my favorite episodes it could be "One + One = Ed" and "Once Upon an Ed".

 

[Silverstar]

I liked Ed, Edd 'n' Eddy. It's ironic that it was almost a Nicktoon (though it didn't happen since Nick wasn't willing to give creator Danny Antonucci full creative freedom like he wanted) since this show is so quintessentially a Cartoon-Cartoon in my book, even though IIRC Ed3 was the first Cartoon Cartoon to not be produced by Hanna-Barbera, later Cartoon Network Studios. My favorite character was Ed; one of the few examples of dopey random humor done correctly.

I even own an Ed, Edd 'n' Eddy T-shirt which I wear sometimes.

 

[LinusFan303]

Wow happy 25th to Ed Edd and Eddy. I liked this show from the start, lots of fun!

 

[Goldstar!]

Ed, Edd 'n' Eddy was anarchic, mindless fun. Pretty good for a show that was made, or or less on a dare. Danny Antonucci, who was known for making stuff like Lupo the Butcher and The Brothers Grunt, was challenged that he couldn't make a show for kids. He accepted that challenge and the rest is history.

 

[Dr.Pepper]

If somebody forced me to pick one cartoon to call my favorite I would pick Ed Edd n Eddy. I’m not sure why I liked it so much, but I did. Well I didn’t like it at first. The original ads made it look pretty bad and in my defense, season 1 is easily my least favorite. It wasn’t until the summer of 2000 when I started watching it after I saw my brother watching it. I didn’t get obsessed with it until more like the spring of 2001, but it was my favorite ever since.

 

[Eldorado]

I remember that the first time I heard of Ed, Edd 'n Eddy was from an issue of Disney Adventures magazine, though I may have learned about it before then maybe. I can't remember. But I do remember learning of their love of jawbreakers from that commercial where they chased one.

Either way, the show was one of my absolute favorites back during the early 2000's (right up there with Angela Anaconda).

 

[parkersfan89]

FYI: CP is airing an Ed, Edd, & Eddy marathon tommorrow

 

[JMTV]

In honor of Ed Boys' 25th, here are numerous bumpers and promos for Ed Edd n Eddy over the years.



Sometimes, when looking at these promos, you'd think to yourself, "man, why can't we get good promos like this anymore?"

 

[AdrenalineRush1996]

Happy 25th anniversary to one of my favourite shows that I watched as a kid.

 

[DocForbin]

I was actually 30 when Ed, Edd n Eddy premiered but I found it a lot more entertaining than the junk that was on Prime Time at the time (I mean, really, like most people I couldn't stand Friends). I especially like Ed's gravy fixation and his saying "GRAVY!" all the time.

 

[Darklordavaitor]

I was meaning to say something along these lines for The Powerpuff Girls' anniversary post (and maybe I can, there's always time), but I think these two shows are what officially made Cartoon Network not just THE place to watch cartoons, but a serious contender to Nickelodeon and the still-expanding Disney Channel.

Yes, Dexter's Laboratory had proven itself to be a household name by this point, the classics like Scooby-Doo and Bugs Bunny were continuing to remain popular with all ages, and Toonami (particularly the one-two punch of Sailor Moon and DBZ) deserves special mention. But to me, The Powerpuff Girls proved to be a refinement and potential peak of what the new kids at Hanna-Barbera, itself transitioning into Cartoon Network Studios, were achieving, while Ed, Edd n' Eddy was an example of what could be done by broadening the channel's influences. By the time CCF started at the end of 99, I think Nick was especially paying notice.

Danny Antonucci passed over Dexter's Lab, Johnny Bravo and Powerpuff Girls' classic HB-meets-UPA designs and instead mixed golden age and independent animation into a blender for a unique mix between contemporary and classic design. Bits of Squigglevision (especially early on in the show's run) done with a similar rubbery style of Fleischer's work, which itself was juxtaposed with a vintage-yet-timeless jazz score alongside modern voice acting and sound effects, and a weird yet believable balance of writing influence. At its best, Ed, Edd n' Eddy had the deranged timing of Tex Avery, Mike Judge's (particularly-pre King of the Hill) distant depravity, and Charles Schulz's knack for childlike pathos. I can see why this mix of influence turned off viewers at first, but it's arguably the most cartoony show not just on Cartoon Network's lineup, but across all of television at the time. And I think the show was all the better for it.

It's no secret that Ed, Edd n' Eddy is special, for me and as a whole. It's my subjective favorite Cartoon Network original and I have argued for it being their objective best series. There wasn't anything like it before it aired, and there hasn't really been anything close to it since. That may be for the best, as no one really seemed to get it besides Danny and crew. Look at all the gaudy, off-model merch exists for proof. But hey, as far as I'm concerned, the Eds are as funny today as they were when they started up, and watching the series all the way through recently only proves that. The series remained consistent throughout its run, constantly finding new ways to play with its world, from the earliest, almost primitive episodes to the emotional Big Picture Show.

If only I could buy the boys a round of jawbreakers. Happy anniversary!

 

[parkersfan89]

I was meaning to say something along these lines for The Powerpuff Girls' anniversary post (and maybe I can, there's always time), but I think these two shows are what officially made Cartoon Network not just THE place to watch cartoons, but a serious contender to Nickelodeon and the still-expanding Disney Channel.

Yes, Dexter's Laboratory had proven itself to be a household name by this point, the classics like Scooby-Doo and Bugs Bunny were continuing to remain popular with all ages, and Toonami (particularly the one-two punch of Sailor Moon and DBZ) deserves special mention. But to me, The Powerpuff Girls proved to be a refinement and potential peak of what the new kids at Hanna-Barbera, itself transitioning into Cartoon Network Studios, were achieving, while Ed, Edd n' Eddy was an example of what could be done by broadening the channel's influences. By the time CCF started at the end of 99, I think Nick was especially paying notice.

Danny Antonucci passed over Dexter's Lab, Johnny Bravo and Powerpuff Girls' classic HB-meets-UPA designs and instead mixed golden age and independent animation into a blender for a unique mix between contemporary and classic design. Bits of Squigglevision (especially early on in the show's run) done with a similar rubbery style of Fleischer's work, which itself was juxtaposed with a vintage-yet-timeless jazz score alongside modern voice acting and sound effects, and a weird yet believable balance of writing influence. At its best, Ed, Edd n' Eddy had the deranged timing of Tex Avery, Mike Judge's (particularly-pre King of the Hill) distant depravity, and Charles Schulz's knack for childlike pathos. I can see why this mix of influence turned off viewers at first, but it's arguably the most cartoony show not just on Cartoon Network's lineup, but across all of television at the time. And I think the show was all the better for it.

It's no secret that Ed, Edd n' Eddy is special, for me and as a whole. It's my subjective favorite Cartoon Network original and I have argued for it being their objective best series. There wasn't anything like it before it aired, and there hasn't really been anything close to it since. That may be for the best, as no one really seemed to get it besides Danny and crew. Look at all the gaudy, off-model merch exists for proof. But hey, as far as I'm concerned, the Eds are as funny today as they were when they started up, and watching the series all the way through recently only proves that. The series remained consistent throughout its run, constantly finding new ways to play with its world, from the earliest, almost primitive episodes to the emotional Big Picture Show.

If only I could buy the boys a round of jawbreakers. Happy anniversary!

let's hope CP airs the movie in the future!

 

[Ace]

Maybe I have a bias because of course... my avatar and I grew up with the show.

Even with it's quirks and flaws the show is revolutionary for what it did for animation. It acheived what Ren and Stimpy tried to do without all the behind the scenes drama having to do with it's creator and ended up being a lot better than Ren and Stimpy. The show wasn't just laugh out loud funny it showed what you could do with the medium. Some of my favorite examples are the episode "Don't rain on my Ed" with it's diverse angles and sense of tension, The Christmas special with that one scene with Eddy walking in the snow and the beginning scenes of the Big Picture Show. It also excelled in dialogue for a cartoon with each of the Eds having their distinct colorful way of talking. Ed with his one liners, Edd with his large vocabulary and Eddy with his laid back and angry demeanor.

Season 5 although I think the school setting was pretty unnecessary and at times delivered hit and miss premises and limited the series scope but it also has a lot of the series best moments and had some pretty high quality animation and cinematic qualities. The show was just different in terms of things it excelled at. I still like it better than season 1 first rough batch of episodes. I agree that the show was sometimes too mean for it's own good in the second half of it's run but I also think the creative ideas and humor they came up with (as well as the movie) more than made up for it.

I think this is the one case where I can say that I don't think there will be another show quite like it. Maybe there will be something that comes which borrows one or two elements from it but for a number of reasons I don't think there will be anything quite like Ed Edd n Eddy again.

 

[Checkerboard]

This show went on longer than I expected. But it was a good show. It was relatable and different. Maybe a bit gritty and gloomy even. You could see the episodes playing out in real life. Yet there was this glass wall, literally, between the audience and its world. Something felt off. A disturbance in the force lol. More mature than it looked. Yet still fun. It's hard to describe. If you watched it you know what I mean. Only a few shows at the time had that. And only a few after that. Billy and Mandy would be in a similar space, though that one is clearly more fantasy and fiction that EEE could ever be. The contrast between the Eds was good. Jimmy and Plank as well as the Sisters were important. And Jawbreakers... looked more attractive than in real life. Happy anniversary! I'm going to tell mom. Relax, will ya?

 

[[classic swim]]

I still think it’s masterful for what it was.

It left a mark on television fairly easily. I was already getting into adult animation and it still won me over any time it was on.

There was an era where I could enjoy it at the comfort of my home, or any time I went to the Pizza Hut buffet. A lifetime later, I was watching Checkered Past at my job and even my coworkers could recognize and laugh at the show.


You don’t, and won’t see much in its place.

Regardless of how I feel about animation today, you just won’t see as many cartoons out there that truly love being a cartoon. I find solace with it being somewhat of an unmoved temple.

If there was any modern equivalent to the universal animated comedy found in Looney Tunes and Tom & Jerry; Ed, Edd n Eddy would still be the proper answer a quarter of a century later.

 

[Space Cadet]

Haven't watched this show in a long time, but I loved watching it as I grew up. I feel like it's fairly underrated today compared to other Cartoon Cartoon shows.

 

[doglover44]

I loved and still love the Eds I feel after the Big Picture Show movie they could have made another season of the kids and the eds getting along and hanging out

 

[Silverstar]

I loved and still love the Eds I feel after the Big Picture Show movie they could have made another season of the kids and the eds getting along and hanging out

Maybe ,but Danny Antonucci and his crew were exhausted by that point and just wanted to call it a day. In fact, Antonucci did Big Picture Show in lieu of another season.