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[via press release]

Cartoon Network Announces Programming Highlights for 2003
Three New Series to Premiere; Favorites Samurai Jack, Ed, Edd n Eddy, The Powerpuff Girls and Dexter’s Laboratory Return with All-New Episodes

Cartoon Network’s 2003 schedule is loaded with new series, special programming stunts and all-new episodes of Cartoon Network’s original animated series.  Scheduled for 2003 are three new series, new episodes of returning series, numerous acquisitions that will provide more than 400 new half-hours of programming, and a schedule filled with innovative programming events.  The new series scheduled for 2003 debuts are:

• Duck Dodgers, a new animated action/comedy in which Daffy Duck and Porky Pig suit up in the 24^th ½ century to protect the planet Earth from enemies like Marvin the Martian. The all-new Duck Dodgers half-hour animated series from Warner Bros. Animation premieres in July 2003, anchoring Cartoon Network’s revamped Saturday morning Looney Tunes block.
• Teen Titans chronicles the adventures of five teen superheroes each with special powers, led by Robin The Boy Wonder.   This group unites to form a defensive force to protect the Earth from a new generation of villains.  An eclectic group, their powers complement each other so that when they band together, they become a superb fighting force.  Their personalities, on the other hand, often clash as they learn to work as a team while dealing with the trials and tribulations of being teenagers.  Teen Titans debuts on Cartoon Network in August 2003.
• LowBrow is the story of a 20-something slacker who finds an 80-foot-tall giant robot from an alternate universe in a local dump.  Rather than calling the authorities, gearhead Coop decides to soup it up and see what it can do.  Coop, who loves fast cars, punk rock, video games and wrestling, attracts a batch of intergalactic bad guys when he takes his new toy out for a spin.  Kiva, an ace pilot and chief architect of the robot, has been sent back in time to locate the lost robot.  Jamie, his wisecracking, cynical pal, joins Coop and Kiva on high-flying intergalactic adventures.   LowBrow will debut in December 2003.

Cartoon Network’s original series, which range in tone from the comedic escapades of Ed, Edd n Eddy to the epic adventures of Samurai Jack, make up the bulk of Cartoon Network’s programming schedule, particularly in prime time.  This year, every series currently in production returns with all-new episodes.  Among the returning series slated to return with new episodes in 2003 are:

• Samurai Jack: This Emmy-nominated epic from creator Genndy Tartakovsky about the quest of a lonely samurai to defeat an evil wizard, returns with 20 new episodes beginning in May 2003.
• Justice League: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and the rest of the world’s best superheroes returns with 26 new episodes, starting in October.
• Codename: Kids Next Door: Cartoon Network’s most recent breakout hit, Codename: Kids Next Door, returns in October with ten new episodes in which the five junior super spies face off against villains like the Delightful Children from Down the Lane, Knightbrace and Grandma Stuffum.
• The Powerpuff Girls: The world’s favorite pint-sized superheroes return to save Townsville with four new episodes in September, plus an hour-long holiday special.
• Ed, Edd n Eddy: These three boys who share the same first name and same knack for getting into trouble return with five new episodes airing in November.
• Dexter’s Laboratory: Boy genius Dexter returns in April with seven new episodes highlighting fantastic inventions and sibling rivalry.
• Grim & Evil: Ten new episodes of the macabre-yet-hilarious series kick off (appropriately) on Friday, June 13.
• Whatever Happened to Robot Jones?: The travails of a robot struggling through adolescence at a suburban junior high continue with 13 new half-hour episodes, beginning in September.
• Time Squad: The historical (and hysterical) story of time-traveling history enforcement officers, returns in March with five new episodes starring luminaries like George Washington, Billy the Kid and Shakespeare.

Also making its Cartoon Network debut on March 28 at 8 p.m. (ET, PT) is What’s New Scooby-Doo?, a series from Warner Bros. Animation that puts Scooby and the gang in a series of all-new comic mysteries.  Everyone’s favorite Great Dane and his intrepid cohorts – Shaggy, Velma, Daphne and Fred – stumble upon a new batch of creature-related mysteries in this prime time series. Traveling to exotic locales, the gang finds themselves knee-deep in a whole new slew of capers, cases and creepy crime scenes.  Now they are aided by an arsenal of Internet-age gizmos and gadgets — from laptop computers and PDAs to mobile communicators.

Other key programming acquisitions include new episodes of animé smash hits Dragonball Z and Dragon Ball; a number of animé titles that have never been seen on U.S television, such as Rurouni Kenshin, SD Gundam and .hack//SIGN; additional episodes of action/adventure series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and Transformers: Armada; more episodes of the sweet Japanese series Hamtaro, which centers on the adventures of a group of pet hamsters; and Kids’ WB! hit series Yu-Gi-Oh!, Jackie Chan Adventures and X-Men: Evolution.

2003 will also include a number of high-profile programming events, including the following:

• Cartoon Network’s Greatest Musical Moments, Friday, March 7, 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. (ET, PT):  Music and cartoons have been dance partners since the very beginning.  This special compiles the top musical moments from Cartoon Network’s vast library, from the earliest Warner Bros. cartoons like “I Love to Singa” through the modern age, like “Lab-retto” from Dexter’s Laboratory.  Also sure to be included are: “One Froggy Evening,” starring Michigan J. Frog, Tom & Jerry’s “Cat Concerto,” Bugs Bunny in “What’s Opera, Doc?”.
• April Fool’s Day Monkey Marathon, Tuesday, April 1, 8 a.m.-11 p.m. (ET, PT):  Critics who say that a monkey can make better decisions than a cable programming executive will be vindicated this April Fool’s Day when Cartoon Network brings in an actual chimpanzee to pick cartoons for a 15-hour marathon.  When you’ve got a monkey in charge, you never know what to expect, but don’t be surprised if Grape Ape, Mojo Jojo, and Gleek get a lot of airtime.
• The First Mom of Cartoon Network Mother’s Day Marathon, Sunday, May 11, 12-7 p.m. (ET, PT): This seven-hour marathon is dedicated to that modern Stone Age mom, Wilma.  Beginning with a flashback to the first time Wilma and Fred met, the seven-hour marathon progresses through the ups-and-downs of marriage, pregnancy, and the birth of their daughter, Pebbles.  It culminates with a 2-hour Cartoon Network premiere of “Holly-Rock-A-Bye Baby,” in which an adult Pebbles gives birth to twins, making Wilma, a grand mother, a grandmother.
• The Powerpuff Girls Movie Weekend, Friday, May 23-Monday, May 27:  Cartoon Network celebrates the television debut of the first feature film based on a Cartoon Cartoon series, The Powerpuff Girls Movie.  Townsville’s being overrun by bad people so Professor Utonium heads to his lab and invents three perfect little girls with incredible powers.  But Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup have a lot to learn about being superheroes.  To celebrate this television premiere, Cartoon Network showcases The Powerpuff Girls Movie at 8 p.m. for four consecutive nights, Friday, May 23-Monday, May 27.
• Cartoon Network Bloopers, Friday, June 6, 8 p.m. (ET, PT): What happens when Johnny Bravo flubs a line? Or when that anvil does not fall the right way? Cartoon Network takes a look at the wacky outtakes from the animation world in this world premiere special airing Friday, June 6.
• Christmas in July, Friday, July 25: It’s a long time until Christmas Day, but Cartoon Network celebrates with a five-hour prime time marathon of classic holiday specials on July 25 from 7 p.m.-12 midnight (ET, PT).   Heading down the chimney five months early will be Johnny Bravo, Scooby-Doo, The Smurfs and, of course, The Grinch.
• Code of the Samurai, Monday, July 28-Thursday, July 31: This five-day event will feature classic episodes of Emmy-nominated series Samurai Jack and an all-new game each day that continues the action online.  As Jack battles Aku and seeks a portal back to his home, players will be able to log on to CartoonNetwork.com to help the lonely samurai continue his quest.
• Don’t Go Back to School Day!, Monday, September 1:  It’s easy to forget about school when you’ve got all summer off.  But then Labor Day comes and it’s time to get your lunchbox and head back.  Cartoon Network presents a compelling case for truancy with an all-day marathon of the best Cartoon Cartoon series that deal with the travails of academia, including Dexter’s Laboratory, Whatever Happened to Robot Jones?, Cow & Chicken and The Powerpuff Girls.
• Friday Night Fights, every Friday in September: Let’s get ready to rumble! Cartoon Network pits its top stars against each other in the brawl to settle it all.  Which trio will triumph: The Powerpuff Girls or Ed, Edd and Eddy?  Can Cow & Chicken whip Tom & Jerry?  Viewers will vote online and by telephone to decide the winner of the prime time rumble.  Weekly winners advance to the next round until only one cartoon is left standing.
• Shocktober, weekdays in October: At 8 p.m. each night Monday-Friday in October, Cartoon Network digs into the creepiest corner of its animation vaults and pulls out its scariest cartoons.  Among Schocktober’s highlights will be a Halloween special edition of the macabre hit Grim & Evil, and famous frights from Scooby-Doo and Courage the Cowardly Dog.
• The Iron Giant Marathon, Friday, November 29, beginning at 8 a.m. (ET, PT): Cartoon Network kicks off a new holiday tradition with a 24-hour marathon dedicated to The Iron Giant on the day after Thanksgiving, Friday, November 29.   This animated feature tells the tale of Hogarth Hughes, a young boy who lives in a small town in Maine during the Cold War.  When a 50-foot robot comes crashing into this sleepy town, Hogarth catches up with him and quickly develops a friendship with the misunderstood Iron Giant.
• Holiday Programming: Once again, Cartoon Network presents more holiday programming than any other television outlet.  Cartoon Network spikes its prime time schedule with beloved classics starring The Grinch, Yogi Bear, Fred Flintstone and Johnny Bravo, starting on Monday, December 1.  The season comes to a crescendo of holiday joy with the 24-hour Christmas Party that begins on Christmas Eve, Wednesday, December 24.

Cartoon Network, currently seen in 82.1 million U.S. homes and 145 countries around the world, is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.’s 24-hour, ad-supported cable service offering the best in animated entertainment.  Drawing from the world’s largest cartoon library, Cartoon Network also showcases unique original ventures such as The Powerpuff Girls, Dexter’s Laboratory, Samurai Jack, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Ed, Edd n Eddy and other Cartoon Cartoons.  Since its launch in 1992, Cartoon Network has remained one of ad-supported cable’s highest-rated networks. Cartoon Network’s Web site is located at http://CartoonNetwork.com (AOL Keyword: Cartoon Network).

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., an AOL Time Warner company, is a major producer of news and entertainment product around the world and the leading provider of programming for the basic cable industry.

[via press release]

Cartoon Network Announces New Programming Initiatives For 2003

Cartoon Network announced several major programming initiatives for 2003 today at a press conference in New York.  Speakers at the event included Cartoon Network executive vice president and general manager Jim Samples, senior vice president and creative director Michael Ouweleen, senior vice president of original animation Linda Simensky and senior vice president of original animation Sam Register.

Major announcements included:

New Series:

• Duck Dodgers, a new series starring Daffy Duck as an inept space hero, is produced by Warner Bros. Animation and will premiere in July 2003.
• Teen Titans, an action-adventure series about a group of teen-age superheroes led by Robin The Boy Wonder, will premiere in August 2003.
• LowBrow, an action-comedy series in which a 20-something slacker with a customized 80-foot robot from the future must defend all of humanity from evil aliens, debuts in December 2003.

All New Episodes of Top-Rated Originals:

• 20 new half-hour episodes of Samurai Jack, starting in May.
• 26 new half-hour episodes of Justice League beginning in October.
• 19 episodes of Codename: Kids Next Door.
• 4 new episodes of The Powerpuff Girls, starting in September, plus an all-new one-hour holiday special.
• 5 new episodes of Ed, Edd n Eddy begin in November.
• 11 new episodes of Dexter’s Laboratory, beginning in April.
• 5 new episodes of Time Squad, debuting in March.
• 10 new episodes of Grim & Evil, debuting in June.
• 11 new half-hour episodes of Whatever Happened to Robot Jones? debut, starting in September.

Acquisitions:

• What’s New Scooby-Doo?, a 21^st century update of the classic comedy-mystery series starring the crime-solving Great Dane and pals Shaggy, Velma, Daphne and Fred.  What’s New Scooby-Doo?, debuts on March 28.
• 15 new episodes of Dragonball Z, starting on March 17, 2003.  Dragonball Z airs exclusively on Toonami, Cartoon Network’s action-adventure franchise.
• Cartoon Network presents the U.S. television debut of Rorouni Kenshin.  95 episodes of the Japanese series will premiere on Toonami, beginning in March 2003.
• 52 new episodes of Dragon Ball, to air on Toonami this year.
• 26 episdoes of SD Gundam.
• 13 new episodes of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.
• 26 new episodes of Transformers: Armada.
• 26 episode of .hack//SIGN.
• 12 episodes of Kikaider.
• 26 episodes of Blue Gender.
• 52 additional episodes of Hamtaro.
• 13 new episodes of Big O.
• 50 episodes of Yu-Gi-Oh!.
• 52 episodes of Jackie Chan Adventures.
• 43 episodes of X-Men: Evolution.
• 100 episodes of Pokémon.

Adult Swim:

• Aqua Teen Hunger Force has been given the greenlight for 26 new episodes, which will begin airing in 2003.
• 13 new episodes of The Brak Show have been ordered and will air in 2003.
• 13 new episodes of Sealab 2021 will debut in 2003.
• 26 episodes of animé series Trigun will debut starting in March.
• New episodes of Harvey Birdman, Attorney-at-Law will debut starting in April 2003.
• 13 brand new half-hour episodes of Home Movies, created for Cartoon Network, will debut in Fall 2003.

News releases detailing the above projects are available upon request.

Cartoon Network currently seen in 82.1 million U.S. homes and 145 countries around the world, is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.’s 24-hour, ad-supported cable service offering the best in animated entertainment.  Drawing from the world’s largest cartoon library, Cartoon Network also showcases unique original ventures such as The Powerpuff Girls, Dexter’s Laboratory, Samurai Jack, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Ed, Edd n Eddy and other Cartoon Cartoons.  Since its launch in 1992, Cartoon Network has remained one of ad-supported cable’s highest-rated networks. Cartoon Network’s Web site is located at http://CartoonNetwork.com (AOL Keyword: Cartoon Network).

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., an AOL Time Warner company, is a major producer of news and entertainment product around the world and the leading provider of programming for the basic cable industry.