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[via press release – original release date uncertain]

Cartoon Network to Rev Up New Series Megas XLR on Saturday, May 1

Custom Car Culture, Giant Robots Collide on New Action/Adventure Series

A breed of reptilian aliens from the future is bearing down on New Jersey, seeking to destroy an 80-foot robot and everything else they encounter in Cartoon Network’s new comedic action/adventure cartoon, Megas XLR.  Meanwhile, the show’s hero, Coop, would rather scarf down a couple of convenience store hot dogs and cruise the mall.  Despite his desire to be left out of the interstellar commotion, Coop gets pulled in to a struggle that may determine the fate of the human race.  Megas XLR will premiere on Cartoon Network on Saturday, May 1, at 9 p.m. (ET, PT).

Megas XLR was created by George Krstic and Jody Schaeffer.  The series is in production on 26 episodes at Cartoon Network Studios in Burbank, Calif.

Coop is a 20-something gearhead who grew up on a steady diet of video games, professional wrestling and custom cars.  One day, while scavenging through the local dump, he discovered an 80-foot-tall robot.  Naturally, he took it home and started to tweak it.  As a result, Megas (Mecha Earth Guard Attack System) is one incredibly powerful robot with some idiosyncratic touches: time travel, dimensional shift, a head made from a ’70s muscle car and lots of chrome. Coop’s best friend, Jamie, helps him understand the enormous mischief-making power of possessing a giant robot.

While Coop is busy cruising around the Garden State in a giant robot, he attracts the attention of the Glorft, a race of evil reptilian aliens from the future who have turned their sights on conquering Earth.  They detect Megas’ presence in the past and head back to eliminate it – and Coop.

Kiva, the original designer and pilot of Megas, also travels back from the future to retrieve her creation.  When she arrives, she finds that Megas has been so customized that Coop is the only one who can operate it.  Realizing she needs his help, Kiva must make sure that Coop focuses on the mission at hand – saving the Earth – and treats Megas as a serious weapon, not an overgrown toy.  Coop means well and has natural ability as a pilot, but he has a short attention span.

George Krstic and Jody Schaeffer are co-creators and executive producers of Megas XLR.  Krstic, who was born in Ohio, and Schaeffer, a New Jersey native, both attended the prestigious School of Visual Arts in New York.  They worked together on the critically acclaimed, Emmy-nominated series MTV Downtown.

“George and I came up with the idea when we were playing video games.  We said ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if we made a cartoon about a guy that used his video-game experience to pilot a giant robot?’’’ said Schaeffer.  “Basically, we were validating our own lack of a life.”

“Megas XLR has a unique look.  We took aspects of animé and traditional Western-style animation and storytelling and crammed them together,” said Krstic.   “So the show has a unique look to it, and it’s a look people can plug into very quickly.”

Cartoon Network, currently seen in 86.2 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 showcases unique original ventures such as Codename: Kids Next Door, The Powerpuff Girls, Dexter’s Laboratory, Samurai Jack, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Ed, Edd n Eddy and other Cartoon Cartoons.  Cartoon Network also features Adult Swim, a late night block of animation for grown-ups.  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., a 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.