The Cartoon Network Renaissance of the 2010s

How's it going, Everybody! I think most of you guys should know that I am a full-on Cartoon Network boy! It has defined the childhood in many ways. While most kids were on their Game Boys or Nintendo DS' playing Pokemon, I was the kid that was into edgy cartoons. Yes, I did watch the Disney and Nickelodeon ones too, but what I'm going to talk about specifically are the dark days of Cartoon Network and their resurgence of the past decade(2010s). 

In the the late 90s 2000s, Cartoon Network released every hit cartoon each passing year. Just to name a few, there was Dexter's Laboratory, Ben 10, Samurai Jack, Ed, Chowder, Edd n Eddy, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Johnny Bravo, Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack, Codename: Kids Next Door and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. It seemed as thought that CN wasn't going to slow down but Warner Bros. thought that Disney and Nickelodeon were a big competition due to how well they were doing with their shows, specifically Live-Action. 

And what did CN/WB did? Well, they decided to experiment by having their own live-action shows.... yeah. I mean, come on, guys! YOU ARE Cartoon Network! Not Hybrid Network! Really surprised that didn't change that name. CN released Level Up, Destroy build Destroy and Dude, What would happen? This was also due to how well MTV was doing with their content with Beavis & Butthead and other reality shows. So, yeah. Cartoon Network was trying to be MTV for kids, and it didn't work. As a result, the beloved network suffered a BIG ratings drop because of it, and Cartoon Network was doomed to die.

In April 2010, however, a little-known animated show called Adventure Time was released and it was widely acclaimed due to its animation, music and thought-provoking themes. Who knew that a cartoon about a boy and a magical dog would save an entire network?! Good thing that Nickelodeon passed on the pilot. This started a new wave of cartoons including "The Amazing World of Gumball", We Bare Bears, Clarence, O.K. K.O.! Let's Be Heroes and Steven Universe, the latter became another big hit due to its music, animation, visuals and LGBT themes which is rare in a cartoon, becoming the first to have a central lesbian relationship. TAKE NOTES, DISNEY. Craig of the Creek also had LGBT representation. 

With Cartoon Network now being entirely focused on cartoons again, many have not looked back at the live-action shows, but the classic toons that came before it. While Cartoon Network will never have the same edgy cartoons that we grew up with, it's nice that the network is shifting their animation course by being LGBT focused. 

And so, Cartoon Network saw the success of Mtv, Disney and Nickelodeon with their hybrid format and experimented with their own live-action content and failed, which caused a significant drop in the Nielsen ratings and have learned from their mistakes and have shifted back to cartoons. 

Thanks for reading, and don't forget to comment below your thoughts.