8 Years of Boomerang!

[SpongeBob]

April 1 will be the 8 year anniversary of Boomerang. Nothing like sitting back and watching old cartoons. It's a great channel.

[Totally_Insaney]

Wow, that's great. I love Boomerang. I didn't know it was that old.

[Draft]

...Shouldn't we have waited until April 1st to post an 8th anniversary topic, which will be basically be "They don't show the old cartoons anymore" "Why do they show Gerald McBoing Boing instead of Looney Tunes?"

[Mandouga]

"They don't show the old cartoons anymore"

That of course would be an April Fool's Day joke because of course they still show old cartoons (despite the fact that they also have been showing more recent stuff).

Still, they have been showing the 2000's Gerald McBoing Boing, Krypto the Superdog, and Baby Looney Tunes for over a year now. I'm serious. Age notwithstanding, I really hope the Cartoon Network doesn't decide to turn Boomerang into a Nicktoons Network competitor, but the addition of Johnny Bravo indicates (to me) that they are still kicking around the idea. Boomerang still has a chance, and I truly hope that it doesn't suffer the same fate as its parent network.

[Draft]

Well, they do, but at very early hours, especially compared to when most of the pre-school stuff airs in the early hours

Boomerang will never be a competitor to NN because it is avilable in so few homes and CN won't do much to help it probably. JB doesn't really how much, because it wasn't as much of a success as Dexter or currently airing shows like The Batman

[Deadman]

well its almost 8 years of boomerang. i hope it stays good for many more years.

[TheGLIVEN]

Man, has it really been that long? Whoa...how time flies! :D

[Lavenderpaw]

I thought it was on longer then that,hmm.

[TheVofSteel]

I thought it was on longer then that,hmm.

It was, it originally debuted in 1999 as a block on Cartoon Network.

[Mandouga]

Actually, the block in question was around longer than that. I don't know the exact year it started, but the block had existed even before Toonami premiered (i.e., it existed prior to 1997).

[Uncle_Lina]

Good that the USA boomerang has been keeping to it's roots.
It's gone really bad in the UK with My Spy Family and Bratz taking over.

[Eric B]

The "Boomerang" block may well go all the way back to the beginning. I know it was there when I first got CN in '94, and I think I remember it before then when I used to see CN in someone else's house. (It was one of the things that made me anxious to get it).
I remember the little abstractly drawn kid running and shouting "Boomerang!, Boomerang!, Boomerang!, Boomerang!"

[Silverstar]

Ironically, the "Boomerang Block" would've been a better idea to do on CN now than it was back in '94. Back then the block was kind of redundant since at the time, Cartoon Network itself was 90% retro reruns. It was especially redundant considering that many of the shows featured on the Boom Block were already airing in regular rotation on Cartoon Network at the time. I remember watching it one Saturday and one of the shows they were playing was Shazzan!; great, but at the time I could see Shazzan! any weekday afternoon on the Super Adventures block. One week they showed The Jetsons at a time when Cartoon Network was airing 2 straight hours of The Jetsons every Tuesday night.

[Mandouga]

Well, it wasnt' exactly redundant. See, every week had a theme based on a particular year (1966, 1967, etc.). It had less to do with the shows themselves, and more with the year they originally aired. This actually carried over to the regular channel for a while. It had since gotten replaced with their "character of the month" thing (now called "Boomeroyalty").

[Racattack!Force]

Good that the USA boomerang has been keeping to it's roots.
It's gone really bad in the UK with My Spy Family and Bratz taking over.
I've heard that that Latin America Boomerang has My Parents are Alien, Darcy's Wild Life, and tens of other live action shows. It was revamped into a general kids network. Good thing that ain't happening to US Boomerang. :sweat:

[Silverstar]

Well, it wasnt' exactly redundant. See, every week had a theme based on a particular year (1966, 1967, etc.). It had less to do with the shows themselves, and more with the year they originally aired.

Yeah, I know, but it wasn't really a big deal for Cartoon Network to highlight shows from 1966 or 1967 when at the time they aired shows from the late 60's every day on the channel. Like I said, it's ironic that the current CN will probably never consider airing a block like this today, but it would actually be a better fit for the network now, since they don't air cartoons from that era on a regular basis anymore. A Boomerang block would be a great fit for present-day CN, and it would be a real treat for those who don't get the Boomerang channel. JMPO.

[Mr Flintstone]

You guys actually think Boomerang is a good classic cartoon network? I don't. There's so many classic cartoons out there that never gets shown on Boomerang. Canada's Retro Toons, Now that's a classic cartoon network.

[Blackstar]

You guys actually think Boomerang is a good classic cartoon network? I don't. There's so many classic cartoons out there that never gets shown on Boomerang. Canada's Retro Toons, Now that's a classic cartoon network.

That it may be, but if you don't live in Canada, you can't see it. Obviously, Boomerang is the best classic cartoon channel to us Americans, because for most of us, it's the only one we have.

Let's keep in mind also that Boomerang can't run shows that they don't own; they can only show whatever programs are available to them in their library. Sure, there are plenty of retro toons that Boom doesn't show or could/would/should show, but most of them would require $$$$$$$$ in order to obtain them, $$$$$$$$ that a commercial free digital channel just doesn't have to throw around.

[Mr Flintstone]

That it may be, but if you don't live in Canada, you can't see it. Obviously, Boomerang is the best classic cartoon channel to us Americans, because for most of us, it's the only one we have.

Let's keep in mind also that Boomerang can only show whatever programs are available to them in their library. Sure, there are plenty of retro toons that Boom doesn't show or could/would/should show, but most of them would require $$$$$$$$ in order to obtain them, money that a commercial free digital channel just doesn't have.

That's why I'm all for Boomerang to get sponsors.

[Blackstar]

That's why I'm all for Boomerang to get sponsors.

That works for me also, just as long as we understand that sponsors would mean ads, and ads would mean less showings of the Shorties, Groovies, Boomerang-A-Longs and the like, as the channel would need those extra minutes to show said ads, and ads would also mean admen deciding what products would best appeal to what age/group dynamic for the most appropriate time of the day and night, and that would lead to Boomerang's higher-ups becoming ratings conscious, which could potentially lead to (gasp!) some original programming that would more assuredly deviate from the "classic" format.

A wider variety of programming for Boomerang is fine, but it would come at a price.

[Mandouga]

Well, anything is possible.

In any event, I actually hope it doesn't become ad supported. That would actually be the kiss of death, putting the channel well on its way to becoming the Nicktoons Network competitor I hope it does not become.

All we can really do is hope for the best. Maybe we'll get non H-B/Warner programming someday, maybe we won't. All we can do is support this channel for what it is, and hope that they don't start compromising themselves, and start taking the easy way out. In other words, we can only hope that this channel maintains its integrity (unlike its parent network...).

[Jeff Harris]

Actually, the block in question was around longer than that. I don't know the exact year it started, but the block had existed even before Toonami premiered (i.e., it existed prior to 1997).It premiered on October 4, 1992 as a Sunday-night only two-hour block on Cartoon Network. By 1994, it became a weekend morning block.

In other words, Boomerang was a part of Cartoon Network at launch, which was three days prior. Needless to say, this year marks the 16th anniversary of Boomerang's creation and the eighth anniversary of Boomerang's launch as a separate network.

[Racattack!Force]

That works for me also, just as long as we understand that sponsors would mean ads, and ads would mean less showings of the Shorties, Groovies, Boomerang-A-Longs and the like, as the channel would need those extra minutes to show said ads, and ads would also mean admen deciding what products would best appeal to what age/group dynamic for the most appropriate time of the day and night, and that would lead to Boomerang's higher-ups becoming ratings conscious, which could potentially lead to (gasp!) some original programming that would more assuredly deviate from the "classic" format.

A wider variety of programming for Boomerang is fine, but it would come at a price.

Same here, as long as 90%-95% of the programming is still classic cartoons weekly/daily. :shrug:

[Eric B]

Yeah, I know, but it wasn't really a big deal for Cartoon Network to highlight shows from 1966 or 1967 when at the time they aired shows from the late 60's every day on the channel. Like I said, it's ironic that the current CN will probably never consider airing a block like this today, but it would actually be a better fit for the network now, since they don't air cartoons from that era on a regular basis anymore. A Boomerang block would be a great fit for present-day CN, and it would be a real treat for those who don't get the Boomerang channel. JMPO.
Well, one of my ideas has been that they should rename Bomerang into "Cartoon Network", and then restore the Boomerang block. The current Cartoon Network would be renamed something else, perhaps a new "Kids WB", since it no longer is just cartoons anymore.

[Ace Goodheart]

It premiered on October 4, 1992 as a Sunday-night only two-hour block on Cartoon Network. By 1994, it became a weekend morning block.

In other words, Boomerang was a part of Cartoon Network at launch, which was three days prior. Needless to say, this year marks the 16th anniversary of Boomerang's creation and the eighth anniversary of Boomerang's launch as a separate network.

Correct. The block (in name) shows up on old, early '90's Cartoon Network schedules. Some of my recordings of "G-Force" from Cartoon Network back in 1995 also have promos for the Boomerang block (unfortunately I don't have the means to upload, much less rip them as I don't have the hardware and/or capable PC). I believe it was around the late '90's, perhaps in 1999 that the block was "re-launched" with the toy-oriented bumpers and wrap-arounds that STILL are being utilized on the channel proper to this day (of course the yearly bumpers and wrap-around are long gone after the channel's yearly format was dropped). It beats out Cartoon Network's "Powerhouse" format from July 1997 to the 2004 "CN" re-launch, and CN's original "Checkerboard" format from 1992-1997 as the longest-running format and wrap-around on a Turner network.

Oh and Jeff, going by my newly acquired VHS recordings of "G-Force", it appears that both "G-Force" and "James Bond Jr." premiered on the week of January 2nd, 1995, not during the summer of '95 as mentioned on the "Toonami Timeline". "G-Force" definitely premiered on Monday, January 2, 1995 and promos heralding the premiere of both were ran in the first weeks of that January.

Also, the trio of Streamline Pictures anime movies (Robot Carnival, Vampire Hunter D and Twilight of the Cockaroaches, Lensman NOT included) did indeed air in July 1995 as what I recalled was titled "1995 Summer Anime Festival", but they had first aired on CN in the early morning hours of Sunday, January 29, 1995 in what is today's ASA Saturdays timeslot. The event was called "Night of the Vampire Robots":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_x7l_7O8Pg

Just suggesting some stuff to you. January 1995 was almost as an important month as March 1997 was for anime on CN. :)

[Toonfan2000]

Well, anything is possible.

In any event, I actually hope it doesn't become ad supported. That would actually be the kiss of death, putting the channel well on its way to becoming the Nicktoons Network competitor I hope it does not become.

Oh God, I hope it doesn't become an NN competitor either. We already lost Toon Disney, then NN, and I hope we don't lose Boomerang (the first two were "retirement homes" for old cartoons that the parent companies no longer wanted to air on its flagship outlets; though even in TD's early days a lot of the shows concurrently aired on the pre-Zoog Disney Channel; Boom still serves as CN's retirement home, and I hope it will do so for a long time to come.)

[Blackstar]

Well, one of my ideas has been that they should rename Bomerang into "Cartoon Network", and then restore the Boomerang block. The current Cartoon Network would be renamed something else, perhaps a new "Kids WB", since it no longer is just cartoons anymore.

Not to steer this thread off-topic, but the live action "invasion" of Cartoon Network is (so far) somewhat of an exaggeration. The only live action on CN currently are the wraparounds for Fried Dynamite, 1 live action/animation hybrid series (the infamous Out of Jimmy's Head), 1 throwback series from the former Fox Kids (Goosebumps, which has recently gone on hiatus), and the occasional live action movie. Even with the live action crud, CN is still about 90% animation, which isn't great, mind you, but that hardly qualifies as an infestation.

[Toonfan2000]

1 throwback series from the former Kids' WB (Goosebumps, which has recently gone on hiatus)

Goosebumps was on Fox, not The WB.

[Blackstar]

Goosebumps was on Fox, not The WB.

Fixed. And now it's on hiatus, like I said.

[Mugen]

Fixed. And now it's on hiatus, like I said.

Well, for one week only at least.

[Blackstar]

Only a week? Dagnabbit! I thought it be for longer. Anyways, that's just 2 live action shows (the other being Out of Jimmy's Head, which, in it's defense, at least has animation in it), and Goosebumps is all reruns, so it's not as if live action has taken over CN.

[Racattack!Force]

CN is still about 90% animation, which isn't great, mind you, but that hardly qualifies as an infestation.
Actually, 110 out of 112 of Carton Network's weekly programming this week is animated. Those 2 hours of live action are out of Jimmy's Head episodes. :sweat: More than 98% of weekly programming is usually animated. :shrug:

[Mandouga]

I don't mean to sound indignant, but even 1% live-action is 1% too much.

Anyway, enough is enough. Now we need to get back on topic.

Going back to expanding it's lineup, technically they have shown non library programming before. I recalled they showed "Battle of the Planets" (the Sandy Frank version of Gatchaman) once, as well as "Harveytoons" (Casper, Baby Huey, Herman and Catnip, etc), as well as (the Region 1 DVD version of) Garfield and Friends as well as the current syndicated version of Dennis the Menace (even though they were just for a short time). So again, anything is possible.

[Mugen]

Actually, 110 out of 112 of Carton Network's weekly programming this week is animated. Those 2 hours of live action are out of Jimmy's Head episodes. :sweat: More than 98% of weekly programming is usually animated. :shrug:

Well, even Out of Jimmy's Head has some animation in it, so its not fully live-action.

[Gmfox8@cox.net]

Does Anybody remember the schedule of Boomerang from day 1

[Eric B]

It premiered on October 4, 1992 as a Sunday-night only two-hour block on Cartoon Network. By 1994, it became a weekend morning block. Yeah, that's what I remember; this is what was on the morning I first got my own cable box!

[Eric B]

Not to steer this thread off-topic, but the live action "invasion" of Cartoon Network is (so far) somewhat of an exaggeration. The only live action on CN currently are the wraparounds for Fried Dynamite, 1 live action/animation hybrid series (the infamous Out of Jimmy's Head), 1 throwback series from the former Fox Kids (Goosebumps, which has recently gone on hiatus), and the occasional live action movie. Even with the live action crud, CN is still about 90% animation, which isn't great, mind you, but that hardly qualifies as an infestation.
Still, because of both these out of place live action shows, as well as the "too new" shows appearing on Boomerang, it would seem better if they renamed CN something else, and renamed Boomerang to CN, with a "Boomerang" block. Then, it would be like the classic CN we are discussing. Also, people miss the classic period of CN, and even all of te new cartoons on it today make one long for the good old days. Then they would be free to add all the live action programs and movies (and kiddish new cartoons) to the "new shows" network, and to add newer shows to the "classic" network, without compromising the nominal format.

[Blackstar]

Still, because of both these out of place live action shows, as well as the "too new" shows appearing on Boomerang, it would seem better if they renamed CN something else, and renamed Boomerang to CN, with a "Boomerang" block. Then, it would be like the classic CN we are discussing. Also, people miss the classic period of CN, and even all of the new cartoons on it today make one long for the good old days. Then they would be free to add all the live action programs and movies (and kiddish new cartoons) to the "new shows" network, and to add newer shows to the "classic" network, without compromising the nominal format.

I hear ya, man, and I totally agree. Given the choice, I'd prefer it if live action stay the heck off of CN, but clearly that's not what the higher-ups intend to right now, despite their still consistently finishing 3rd after Nick and Disney in the ratings.

However, I'm not part of the "old=good, new=bad" school of thinking. The current shows on CN may not be perfect, but it's not completely unwatchable. Some shows like Foster's and Chowder are actually pretty enjoyable, if the old-schoolers would just give them a chance instead of immediately writing them off as being 'bad' just because they weren't made 30 years ago. And Out of Jimmy's Head, bad as it is (although it seems to be getting a little better in it's current 2nd season), does have animation in it as a regular feature of the show, so therefore, it's airing on CARTOON Network is (somewhat) justified, to me, at least.

If CN had a whole slew of live action programs looming over the horizon, then yes, I would think that a name change should definitely happen; Turner/Time Warner could change the name of CN to KN (Kids Network) and revise the logo by changing the C into a K and making the tiles red and white or something like that, and then they could easily rename Boomerang as Cartoon Network and bring the CN logo (honestly, I don't understand all the hate that the revised 'CN' logo receives. I kind of like it from a designer's standpoint, myself) over there, but it's not really necessary for them to do so presently, as CN only has 2 live action series at the moment, 1 of which isn't even new.

[Toonfan2000]

(honestly, I don't understand all the hate that the revised 'CN' logo receives. I kind of like it from a designer's standpoint, myself)

The only reason anyone hates the "CN" logo is because it's not the old one.

Also, I used to be part of the "old=good, new=bad" school of thinking until I decided to give some current cartoons a chance. Some of them are actually pretty decent.

Now I think the "this cartoon sucks because I don't have any nostalgic attachment to it" viewpoint is very ignorant.

[ltnut]

To me Boomerang is still better than any other cartoon oriented network on US TV, but it isn't as good as it had been in the past, mainly because of the creeping in of some newer shows and the dropping of Looney Tunes. I understand why the post-48 LTs aren't available, although I still believe that CN/Boomerang should get off their backsides and make a deal with WB to get them back. As for pre-48 LTs, they already own them and there is no excuse for their not showing them.

[Racattack!Force]

Well, even Out of Jimmy's Head has some animation in it, so its not fully live-action.

Okay, make that 99% animation, 1% live-action.

[ROBOTRON]

To me Boomerang is still better than any other cartoon oriented network on US TV, but it isn't as good as it had been in the past, mainly because of the creeping in of some newer shows and the dropping of Looney Tunes. I understand why the post-48 LTs aren't available, although I still believe that CN/Boomerang should get off their backsides and make a deal with WB to get them back. As for pre-48 LTs, they already own them and there is no excuse for their not showing them.

AGREED.

Its blasphemy not making an effort to get them back, but instead sending older CN toons that were full of FAIL to Boomerang (with the exception of JLU and The Batman related shows). As much as I like JLU and The Batman, they still don't belong on Boomerang yet.

[Jeff Harris]

Oh and Jeff, going by my newly acquired VHS recordings of "G-Force", it appears that both "G-Force" and "James Bond Jr." premiered on the week of January 2nd, 1995, not during the summer of '95 as mentioned on the "Toonami Timeline". "G-Force" definitely premiered on Monday, January 2, 1995 and promos heralding the premiere of both were ran in the first weeks of that January.

Also, the trio of Streamline Pictures anime movies (Robot Carnival, Vampire Hunter D and Twilight of the Cockaroaches, Lensman NOT included) did indeed air in July 1995 as what I recalled was titled "1995 Summer Anime Festival", but they had first aired on CN in the early morning hours of Sunday, January 29, 1995 in what is today's ASA Saturdays timeslot. The event was called "Night of the Vampire Robots":

Just suggesting some stuff to you. January 1995 was almost as an important month as March 1997 was for anime on CN. :)Wow. Thanks!

Everything before May 1995 (with the exception of the two simulcasted events [the actual channel launch special, which I still have most of on VHS, and that Ghost Planet Awards Show, which premiered the first World Premiere Toon, The Powerpuff Girls in Meet Fuzzy Lumpkins]) wasn't seen by me. Neither has anything past April 20, 2007, the day I said goodbye to cable.

Did you say "cockaroaches?"

[Ace Goodheart]

Woops, "cockroaches". That "a" always gets to me.

Also, going by old usenet posts, "Speed Racer" debuted on CN sometime between late February-April 1996. I recall reading a post where someone mentioned that CN would be running a "Speed Racer" marathon, which kicked off the series' premiere. Going by circa-'96 programming schedules, "G-Force" had been mostly relegated to late nights and weekends by the time Speed debuted. Oh the possibilities..........Tatsunoko's two biggest animes paired up on weekday afternoons..........

[Blackstar]

Woops, "cockroaches". That "a" always gets to me.

Also, going by old usenet posts, "Speed Racer" debuted on CN sometime between late February-April 1996. I recall reading a post where someone mentioned that CN would be running a "Speed Racer" marathon, which kicked off the series' premiere. Going by circa-'96 programming schedules, "G-Force" had been mostly relegated to late nights and weekends by the time Speed debuted. Oh the possibilities..........Tatsunoko's two biggest animes paired up on weekday afternoons..........

Speaking of Speed Racer, how much do want to bet that if the upcoming live action movie does well, that Boomerang will start airing the original episodes of Speed Racer, (this is assuming that Turner/Time Warner still owns the original series, of course).

[John Dorian]

Turner/Time Warner doesn't even own Speed Racer anymore.

[Blackstar]

Turner/Time Warner doesn't even own Speed Racer anymore.

I figured as much. Too bad for them, though. A Speed Racer marathon on Boomerang would have been a nice tie-in to the live action movie.

[Ace Goodheart]

Nope, Turner/Time Warner lost the broadcasting rights to "Speed Racer" back around 2000 or so, around the time when all classic programming was moved to Boomerang and the shows that weren't either remained in limbo for the next couple of years, were shelved ("The Moxy Show", "Don Coyote", "Young Robin Hood") or were left to have their broadcasting rights expire ("G-Force", "Speed Racer"). But yeah, I too was hoping for a "Speed Racer" cash-in marathon on Boomerang, but it would've been announced by now. Boom did the same deal when the first "Fantastic Four" movie came out, by marathoning the 1967 series.

[ROBOTRON]

Man...it would be great to see the GRX, Flash and Monster Car episodes again.

[stargirl]

Turner/Time Warner doesn't even own Speed Racer anymore.

So who owns it now?

[ROBOTRON]

So who owns it now?

Planetwide Media? Speedracer Enterprises?

I found an article:

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS48534+17-Feb-2008+BW20080217

It used to be Trans-Lux when I was a kid, but I don't think they exist anymore.

But after a quick glance over of this article, it still isn't clear to me who owns it now.:sweat:

[Jeff Harris]

So who owns (the original Speed Racer) now?Depends on who you believe. Speed Racer Enterprises claims that they own the series. DiC Entertainment claims that when they produced Speed Racer X, they also bought rights to the original series and the, ugh, Fred Wolf version. I'll have to double my research within hours to confirm what I know.

UPDATE: While looking around, I found an article about the lawsuit between Speed Racer Enterprises and DiC. Apparently, SRE sold off the property to DiC. DiC also bought the rights to all the series. SRE felt they were robbed. DiC said it was seller's remorse. Thus, the lawsuit. Can't find the decision, but apparently, this is what I came up with:

Speed Racer Enterprises owns the characters lock, stock, and barrel in North America, including merchandising and licensing deals involving the characters. They're going to get a lot of loot from the upcoming movie and the new series.

DiC owns the original Speed Racer (dubbed Speed Racer Classic (http://www.dicentertainment.com/shows/index.php?show=108&category=Action) by the company) and the aborted Speed Racer X series.

[Ace Goodheart]

Oh man, DiC. Talk about being in bad hands. I don't like/trust DiC.

"Speed Racer Enterprises" was the company and copyright that came up at the end of all SR reruns in the last 15 years or so (MTV, Cartoon Network, SPEED Channel). Around the early '90's they freshened up the opening theme song a bit and replaced the old monochrome, Trans-Lux "Speed Racer" logo (along with their copyright) with the new/current "Speed Racer" logo. I believe these new prints debuted with MTV's rerun of SR in 1992-1993..........y'know, I'm still surprised that MTV actually ran SR.