Why is 2001 my favorite year in Cartoon Network’s 30-year history? Well, because…
10) It introduced Samurai Jack and Justice League
Two classic action series premiered this year: Samurai Jack, Genndy Tartakovsky’s second show for the network; and Justice League, the first Cartoon Network series produced by Warner Bros. Animation.
9) It introduced Time Squad and Grim & Evil
These two “Cartoon Cartoons” weren’t big hits, but they’re worth mentioning. Time Squad was the first new series produced at Cartoon Network Studios. Grim & Evil consisted of The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy—the winner of the first-ever Big Pick—and Evil Con Carne. Both segments became half-hour series in 2003.
8) It introduced two since-disowned Hanna-Barbera spoofs
I’m referring to The Flintstones: On the Rocks and Night of the Living Doo, both of which have been buried.
True to its title, The Flintstones: On the Rocks starts with Fred and Wilma Flintstone seeking marriage counseling. Many websites say this sour special was only aired once, but that’s not true; heck, it aired twice the weekend it premiered. But it hasn’t been seen since the network stopped playing it.
Night of the Living Doo is a spoof of The New Scooby-Doo Movies—that’s the Scooby series that featured celebrity guest stars. This has to be one of the only pieces of Scooby media that Warner Home Video hasn’t made available for purchase. Fun fact: One of the special’s co-writers, Casper Kelly, went on to produce content for Adult Swim, including the viral sensation “Too Many Cooks.”
Speaking of Adult Swim…
7) It introduced [adult swim]
It may still share channel space with Cartoon Network, but Adult Swim has been recognized by Nielsen as a separate network since 2005. Not bad for something that started out as a three-hour block in September ’01.
Adult Swim was the natural outgrowth of Space Ghost Coast to Coast. Its earliest original series were either spinoffs of Space Ghost, or riffs on Hanna-Barbera properties: The Brak Show; Aqua Teen Hunger Force; Sealab 2021; and Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law.
The block also introduced American audiences to Cowboy Bebop, and reintroduced UPN’s Home Movies. Nothing has yet to reintroduce UPN.
6) It featured The Big Game XXIX: Bugs Vs. Daffy
I’m mainly including this to highlight the work done by the network’s on-air department. This group was primarily tasked with creating show promos, but they also produced stuff like the Groovies and the Shorties, as well as JBVO. Starting in 1998, the on-air department produced a series of straight-faced Super Bowl spoofs, which culminated with this matchup. In 2002, The Big Game was dropped and The 1st 13th Annual Fancy Anvil Awards was produced instead.
5) It featured the second annual Big Pick
It was also the final Big Pick, but that’s beside the point. The winner, Codename: Kids Next Door, was revealed during the annual Cartoon Cartoon Weekend—remember those? Codename: Kids Next Door became a series the following year. The runner-up, Whatever Happened to… Robot Jones?, also became a series—um, remember it?
4) It featured the Toonami music video special
On this night, a generation of budding anime fans became budding Daft Punk fans.
You know what’s crazy? This special aired on August 31. The aforementioned Cartoon Cartoon Weekend happened on August 24-26, and Adult Swim premiered on September 2.
3) It had the best season of Space Ghost Coast to Coast
I’m including this because Adult Swim was still considered part of Cartoon Network at the time. There were only five new episodes of Space Ghost Coast to Coast in 2001, and each of them might be this influential series’ best episode. “Ah yes, my documentary.”
2) It had the best episode of ToonHeads
When websites create lists of the best Cartoon Network shows from the 90’s, anthology series like The Tex Avery Show and Oh Canada are rarely mentioned. But my favorite show at the time was ToonHeads. It actually premiered alongside the network in 1992, and was successfully refreshed in the late 90’s. The episode I’m highlighting is “The Wartime Cartoons,” which featured WWII-era shorts like “Blitz Wolf” and “Herr Meets Hare.” This is the sorta stuff I wish Cartoon Network still made time for.
1) It had the best June Bugs (Bugs Bunny) marathon
During Cartoon Network’s first decade on the air, June Bugs weekend was my favorite time of the year. The 2001 edition was the most comprehensive June Bugs to date, even if it was missing twelve shorts. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, Google it; the initial plan to air every classic Bugs Bunny cartoon resulted in the biggest controversy in the history of the network. But hey, it isn’t every day that Cartoon Network is written about in The New York Times.
10) It introduced Samurai Jack and Justice League
Two classic action series premiered this year: Samurai Jack, Genndy Tartakovsky’s second show for the network; and Justice League, the first Cartoon Network series produced by Warner Bros. Animation.
9) It introduced Time Squad and Grim & Evil
These two “Cartoon Cartoons” weren’t big hits, but they’re worth mentioning. Time Squad was the first new series produced at Cartoon Network Studios. Grim & Evil consisted of The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy—the winner of the first-ever Big Pick—and Evil Con Carne. Both segments became half-hour series in 2003.
8) It introduced two since-disowned Hanna-Barbera spoofs
I’m referring to The Flintstones: On the Rocks and Night of the Living Doo, both of which have been buried.
True to its title, The Flintstones: On the Rocks starts with Fred and Wilma Flintstone seeking marriage counseling. Many websites say this sour special was only aired once, but that’s not true; heck, it aired twice the weekend it premiered. But it hasn’t been seen since the network stopped playing it.
Night of the Living Doo is a spoof of The New Scooby-Doo Movies—that’s the Scooby series that featured celebrity guest stars. This has to be one of the only pieces of Scooby media that Warner Home Video hasn’t made available for purchase. Fun fact: One of the special’s co-writers, Casper Kelly, went on to produce content for Adult Swim, including the viral sensation “Too Many Cooks.”
Speaking of Adult Swim…
7) It introduced [adult swim]
It may still share channel space with Cartoon Network, but Adult Swim has been recognized by Nielsen as a separate network since 2005. Not bad for something that started out as a three-hour block in September ’01.
Adult Swim was the natural outgrowth of Space Ghost Coast to Coast. Its earliest original series were either spinoffs of Space Ghost, or riffs on Hanna-Barbera properties: The Brak Show; Aqua Teen Hunger Force; Sealab 2021; and Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law.
The block also introduced American audiences to Cowboy Bebop, and reintroduced UPN’s Home Movies. Nothing has yet to reintroduce UPN.
6) It featured The Big Game XXIX: Bugs Vs. Daffy
I’m mainly including this to highlight the work done by the network’s on-air department. This group was primarily tasked with creating show promos, but they also produced stuff like the Groovies and the Shorties, as well as JBVO. Starting in 1998, the on-air department produced a series of straight-faced Super Bowl spoofs, which culminated with this matchup. In 2002, The Big Game was dropped and The 1st 13th Annual Fancy Anvil Awards was produced instead.
5) It featured the second annual Big Pick
It was also the final Big Pick, but that’s beside the point. The winner, Codename: Kids Next Door, was revealed during the annual Cartoon Cartoon Weekend—remember those? Codename: Kids Next Door became a series the following year. The runner-up, Whatever Happened to… Robot Jones?, also became a series—um, remember it?
4) It featured the Toonami music video special
On this night, a generation of budding anime fans became budding Daft Punk fans.
You know what’s crazy? This special aired on August 31. The aforementioned Cartoon Cartoon Weekend happened on August 24-26, and Adult Swim premiered on September 2.
3) It had the best season of Space Ghost Coast to Coast
I’m including this because Adult Swim was still considered part of Cartoon Network at the time. There were only five new episodes of Space Ghost Coast to Coast in 2001, and each of them might be this influential series’ best episode. “Ah yes, my documentary.”
2) It had the best episode of ToonHeads
When websites create lists of the best Cartoon Network shows from the 90’s, anthology series like The Tex Avery Show and Oh Canada are rarely mentioned. But my favorite show at the time was ToonHeads. It actually premiered alongside the network in 1992, and was successfully refreshed in the late 90’s. The episode I’m highlighting is “The Wartime Cartoons,” which featured WWII-era shorts like “Blitz Wolf” and “Herr Meets Hare.” This is the sorta stuff I wish Cartoon Network still made time for.
1) It had the best June Bugs (Bugs Bunny) marathon
During Cartoon Network’s first decade on the air, June Bugs weekend was my favorite time of the year. The 2001 edition was the most comprehensive June Bugs to date, even if it was missing twelve shorts. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, Google it; the initial plan to air every classic Bugs Bunny cartoon resulted in the biggest controversy in the history of the network. But hey, it isn’t every day that Cartoon Network is written about in The New York Times.
