Cartoon Network unveiled its lineup for 2005-2006 during today’s Upfront presentation to advertising executives and the media in New York. The cabler says it will air more than 400 new half-hours, including five new shows, fresh episodes of returning original series, new acquisitions and an original programming block for very young viewers.
In development is an untitled primetime series created by Outkast’s Andre 3000 Benjamin and Tommy Lynch (a.k.a. Lil Romeo). The half-hour comedy promises a uniquely Southern sensibility as the central character returns to his hometown of Atlanta and gets caught up by a diverse collection of kid outcasts who swirl in and out of his life. The music-infused show is produced by the Tom Lynch Co., Andre Benjamin’s production shingle, Moxie Turtle, and Cartoon Network.
Krypto the Superdog will premiere on Cartoon Network on weekdays beginning Monday, April 4, at 9 a.m. (ET/PT). The Superman spin-off chronicles the adventures of Metropolis’ canine caped crusader from the planet Krypton. Krypto jettisons to Earth after orbiting countless years in space as a test-pilot aboard a malfunctioning rocket ship built by Superman’s father. Having landed, the super pup finds companionship in a young boy named Kevin Whitney and together they combat threats to the safety and well-being of the people and animals of Metropolis.
From cartoonist and former The Real World: San Francisco cast member Judd Winick comes The Life and Times of Juniper Lee, premiering Sunday, June 5, on Cartoon Network. In addition to her everyday pre-teen escapades, Juniper is responsible for maintaining the equilibrium between the world of magic and humanity, a burden passed down through generations in her family.
Camp Lazlo is a new 30-minute animated comedy scheduled to debut in July during Fridays, Cartoon Network’s signature weekend franchise. From the mind of Joe Murray, creator of Rocko’s Modern Life, the show centers on Lazlo, a monkey who wreaks good-natured havoc on Camp Kidney and its uptight head counselor, a moose named Scoutmaster Lumpus. Adding to the fun is Patsy Smiles, cute mongoose who threatens to steal Lazlo’s heart.
Coming in November is IGPX (The Immortal Grand Prix), produced by Cartoon Network and Production I.G., the famed Japanese animation studio responsible for Ghost in the Shell and the anime sequences in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill. The year is 2048 and the “IGPX” has become such a popular sport that an entire city was built for the racing industry. There, a crew of amateur pilots known as Team Satomi finds itself vaulted into the sport’s highest level, where they must overcome impossible odds to beat the world’s most skilled and ruthless pilots.
There’s more monkey business on tap in My Gym Partner is a Monkey. Through an administrative mix-up, 12-year-old Adam Lyon becomes the only human student at Charles Darwin Middle School, where the animal inhabitants of the local zoo and aquarium send their kids. As he struggles to fit in a survive the unusual middle school, Adam meets Jake Spider Monkey and the wacky fun begins. The half-hour series from creators Julie McNally Cahill and Tim Cahill will debut in early 2006.
The new preschool programming block, Tickle U, will air weekdays from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. (ET/PT). Aimed at kids 2-5, the franchise will feature newly developed and acquired series hosted by Marty, an adult with a big heart and a kid’s unlimited imagination. From his bright and slightly askew workshop (where he can build and fix anything), Marty will inspire kids to sing along, play and laugh with him and his characters.
In addition to the new original series and acquisitions, Cartoon Network will launch a national healthy lifestyles initiative titled GET ANIMATED. Targeted to kids 6-14, the on-air, online, print and off-channel campaign will tap the network’s roster of original cartoon characters to communicate positive lifestyle messages through multiple PSAs starting Monday, Feb. 21.
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