Cartoon Cartoon Fridays | |
---|---|
Launched: | June 11, 1999 |
Improved: | October 3, 2003 |
Defunct: | February 23, 2007 |
Cartoon Cartoon Fridays (abbreviated as CCF) is a former Cartoon Network programming block that aired on Friday evenings to showcase the channel's original programming, known collectively as Cartoon Cartoons. The block premiered on June 11, 1999, in the United States and aired as Cartoon Network's Friday-night primetime block until its final broadcast on May 16, 2003.
Early airings featured a live-action format influenced by cartoon characters and parody. An off-screen announcer role was performed by Harry Shearer (1999-2000), Tom Clark (2000-2002), and Doug Preis (2002-2003). On June 9, 2000, Cartoon Cartoon Fridays was revamped to introduce new segments featuring Cartoon Cartoons characters hosting the block. Original animation for Cartoon Cartoon Fridays was commenced by Primal Screen, which had provided bumpers, interstitials, and promotional material for Cartoon Network during its "Powerhouse" era from 1998 to 2004.
Cartoon Cartoon Fridays was temporarily replaced by the Summer Fridays block from May to September 2003. It was replaced with the live-action Fridays block featuring Tommy Snider, Nzinga Blake, and later Tara Sands, which ran from October 3, 2003, to February 23, 2007.
History[]
Production[]
Cartoon Cartoon Fridays: You with Us? - Announcer
In 1999, Cartoon Network intended to expand its cable audience to compete with other networks by showcasing a weekly lineup of its own original programming. The network focused on highlighting its Cartoon Cartoons brand of original series, which included The What a Cartoon! Show, Dexter's Laboratory, Johnny Bravo, Cow and Chicken, The Powerpuff Girls, and Ed, Edd n Eddy. On June 11, 1999, one day after debuting I Am Weasel, its newest Cartoon Cartoon, Cartoon Network premiered a new programming block titled Cartoon Cartoon Fridays, a three-and-a-half hour lineup exclusively featuring its Cartoon Cartoons narrated by Harry Shearer. The block aired weekly every Friday night from 7:30 PM to 11:00 PM until November 12, 1999, when the block was expanded into a four-hour time slot beginning at 7:00 PM Eastern Time. During its first year on-air, programming was bookended by interstitials consisting of live-action television parodies with a Cartoon Network influence.
On June 9, 2000, Cartoon Cartoon Fridays debuted a new format to coincide with its inaugural Big Pick, a premiere event featuring new Cartoon Cartoons pilots that viewers could vote on to become full-fledged series. The new format introduced colorful, oversized ribbons on a white background with segments being hosted by characters from different Cartoon Cartoons original series. Eustace from Courage the Cowardly Dog was the first host in this format, and new hosts would take over every Friday. Other hosts include Bubbles (The Powerpuff Girls), the Mayor (The Powerpuff Girls), I. M. Weasel (I Am Weasel), Edd (Ed, Edd n Eddy), and Johnny Bravo (Johnny Bravo). Each week's host would be responsible for announcing the block's schedule, highlighting new episodes, and interacting with other cartoon characters on the animated set. Harry Shearer was replaced as announcer by Tom Clark, who did voiceovers for the block's segments and promotional spots until being succeeded by Doug Preis in 2002.
Writers for the series include Chris Kelly, Steve Cone, and Steve Patrick. The Cartoon Cartoon Fridays theme song was written by Michael Kohler in the key of F Major. Original animations were done by Primal Screen, the company that animated many of Cartoon Network's interstitials, bumpers, and other works from 1998 to 2004. Cartoon Cartoon Fridays was produced by Christina Augustinos, Billy Cone, Steve Patrick, and Chris Kelly.
Promotions[]
In June 1999, Cartoon Network began promoting its Cartoon Cartoons lineup with an advertising campaign to draw in viewership for its new Friday-night block Cartoon Cartoon Fridays, which was targeted toward viewers aged 6 to 11.[1] Marketing included brand partnerships with General Mills, Hasbro, and Pepperidge Farm as well as an on-air sweepstakes and an 11-market live touring event.[1] Advertisements appeared on television, radio, online, in movie theaters, at Six Flags theme parks, and billboards among other media with the tagline "You with us?".[1]
In mid-2000, Cartoon Network promoted its original programming by launching the Cartoon Cartoon Fridays Tour 2000, a live event that ran for 10 weeks across 13 cities.[2] Active during weekdays in the lead-up to its Friday-night block, the tour cost a reported $25 million and reached a collective audience 16.2 million.[2] It was sponsored by Coca-Cola's Hi-C and was created in partnership with Adelphia, AT&T]], Cablevision, Charter Broadcasting, Comcast, Cox Cable, MediaOne, and Time Warner Cable.[2] Launched as part of a three-part Cartoon Network marketing campaign occurring at different parts of the year, Cartoon Cartoon Friday Tour 2000 ended on September 1, 2000.[3]
Online[]
In October 2000, Cartoon Network launched Cartoon Orbit, an online electronic trading card game in which users would buy, sell, and trade cToons, which were virtual stickers of animated characters and objects from Cartoon Network's library of animation. Though many cToons were available at the game's online marketplace (the "cMart"), some were only made available by entering special codes, which could be found on select advertising partners' products. Special one-day codes were featured during the broadcast of "Cartoon Cartoon Fridays", and the cToons rewarded for entering these codes would often feature a Cartoon Cartoon character in the "Cartoon Cartoon Fridays" logo. Many of these cToons have been archived at the Massive Cartoon Orbit Archival Project.[4]
End[]
From May 23, 2003, to September 26, 2003, Cartoon Cartoon Fridays was temporarily replaced with the Summer Fridays block, which replaced the cartoon hosting segments with musical interludes over the block's logo. On October 3, 2003, Summer Fridays was succeeded by the live-action Fridays block featuring Tommy Snider and Nzinga Blake. As part of the channel's 2004 relaunch, the Cartoon Cartoons branding was discontinued for new original series. On the Fridays block, host Nzinga Blake was replaced by Tara Sands beginning in January 2005. The final airing of Fridays aired on February 23, 2007.
Hosts[]
During CCF's 2000-2001 season, the following Cartoon Cartoon characters took turns hosting the show:
- Eustace (Courage the Cowardly Dog)
- Johnny Bravo (Johnny Bravo)
- I. M. Weasel (I Am Weasel) (Special Occasions Only)
- Edd (Ed, Edd n Eddy)
- Dexter (Dexter's Laboratory)
- Bubbles (The Powerpuff Girls)
- The Mayor and Ms. Bellum (The Powerpuff Girls)
- Sheep (Sheep in the Big City) (March 2, 2001 Only)
CCF was revamped again on June 8, 2001, and the bridging format featured newly-animated segments starring the Cartoon Cartoon characters. These segments were repeated until late summer of 2002. The revamp also introduced the following hosts, alongside the others:
- Mojo Jojo (featuring Blossom and Courage) (The Powerpuff Girls and Courage the Cowardly Dog)
- Dexter (Dexter's Laboratory) (Updated Segments Starting December 14, 2001)
- Ed and Eddy (Ed, Edd n Eddy)
- Eustace and Muriel (Courage the Cowardly Dog)
- Larry, Otto, and Tuddrussel (Time Squad)
Voice cast[]
- Charlie Adler (Chicken, Cow, The Red Guy, I.R. Baboon)
- Michael Dorn (I.M. Weasel)
- Arthur Anderson (Eustace)
- Jeff Glen Bennett (Johnny Bravo, Dad, Ace, Li’l auturo)
- Brenda Vaccaro (Bunny Bravo)
- Christine Cavanaugh (Dexter)
- Kat Cressida (Dee Dee)
- Allison Moore (Dee Dee)
- Kath Soucie (Mom, Nadine Stillwater)
- Eddie Deezen (Mandark)
- Matt Hill (Ed)
- Roger L. Jackson (Mojo Jojo)
- Cathy Cavadini (Blossom)
- Tom Kane (Him, Professor Utonium, Valhallen, Mr. Herriman)
- Tom Kenny (Mayor of Townsville, Lenny Baxter, Jake Spidermonkey, Eduardo)
- Jennifer Martin (Sara Bellum)
- Jim Cummings (Fuzzy Lumpkins)
- Kevin Michael Richardson (The Boogie Man)
- Candi Milo (Dexter, Coco, Madame Foster)
- Tony Sampson (Eddy)
- Tara Strong (Bubbles)
- Samuel Vincent (Edd)
- Janyse Jaud (Lee Kanker)
- Marty Grabstein (Courage)
- Thea White (Muriel)
- Lionel G. Wilson (Eustace)
- Greg Eagles (Grim)
- Grey DeLisle (Mandy, Ingrid Giraffe, Lupe Toucan, Frankie)
- Richard Horvitz (Billy)
- Pamela Segall Adlon (Otto Osworth)
- Mark Hamill (Larry 3000)
- Rob Paulsen (Buck Tuddrussel, Major Glory)
- E.G. Daily (Buttercup)
- Peter Kelamis (Rolf)
- Frank Welker (The Infraggable Krunk, Boskov)
- Phil LaMarr (Hector Con Carne, Bull Sharkowski, Wilt)
- Kevin Seal (Sheep)
- Nika Frost (Mike, Adam Lyon)
- Ben Diskin (Numbuh 1, Numbuh 2)
- Lauren Tom (Numbuh 3)
- Dee Bradley Baker (Numbuh 4)
- Cree Summer (Numbuh 5)
- Rick Gomez (Windsor Gorilla, Slips Python)
- Keith Ferguson (Bloo)
- Sean Marquette (Mac)
Episodes[]
- Main article: List of Cartoon Cartoon Fridays episodes
Segments, elements, and events[]
- .com Pick (2000-2001)
- Big Pick (2000-2001)
- Cartoon Cartoon Summer (2000-2001)
- Cartoon Cartoon Weekend (1997-2002)
- Character squares (1999-2003)
- Orbit codes (2000-2003)
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Stanley, T. L. (November 8, 1999). "Marketers of the Next Generation; Unique On-Air Promos and Off-Air Partnerships Have Made Cartoon Network a Destination". Brandweek. Adweek. Volume 40, issue 42, page 28. ISSN 1064-4318.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Finnigan, David (March 12, 2001). "Thank Ed for Fridays". Brandweek. Adweek. Volume 42, issue 11, page R12. ISSN 1064-4318.
- ↑ Forkan, Jim (July 3, 2000). "Cartoon Net Goes Bonkers with Promos". Multichannel News. Volume 21, issue 27, page 15. ISSN 0276-8593.
- ↑ "Massive Cartoon Orbit Archival Project". MCOAP.Toonarific.com. Retrieved 2023-04-27.