 | |
| Country | India |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Indian subcontinent (except Maldives and Pakistan) |
| Headquarters | Mumbai,Maharashtra, India |
| Programming | |
| Languages | |
| Picture format | 16:9,4:3 orletterboxed (576iSDTV) (1080i for theHDTV feed) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | |
| Sister channels | SeeList of channels owned by Warner Bros. Discovery India |
| History | |
| Launched | 1 May 1995; 30 years ago (1995-05-01) |
| Links | |
| Website | Cartoon Network India[dead link] (defunct, redirects to network'sYouTube channel.) (archived version) |
| Availability – Available on all majorIndian DTH & cable providers.[2] | |
| Streaming media | |
| Jio TV (India) | Live TV |
| Tata Play (India) | Live TV |
| Toffee (Bangladesh) | Live TV |
Cartoon Network (often abbreviated asCN) is an Indiancable andsatellitetelevision channel operated byWarner Bros. Discovery under its international division. It is the Indian equivalent of theoriginal American network and was launched on 1 May 1995 as the first television channel in India dedicated to children. The channel primarily airsanimated programming inEnglish,Telugu,Kannada,Malayalam,Tamil, andHindi.[3][4][2] CN also operatesPogo TV.
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Cartoon Network was the first dedicated children's television channel in India, which was launched on 1 May 1995, as a dual-channel with Cartoon Network operating from 5:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (later 4:00p.m. in early 1997, followed by 5:30p.m., 8p.m. by 1998, 9:00p.m. from mid-1998 to 2001, and finally 10 p.m.) andTurner Classic Movies (formerlyTNT) taking up the remainder of the daily schedule. On 1 July 2001, Cartoon Network India commenced daily full-day broadcasts.[5]
In early 2004, aseparate feed of the channel dedicated to Pakistani and Bangladeshi viewers was launched.[6]
Cartoon Network India initially only airedHanna-Barbera cartoons such asThe Yogi Bear Show,Top Cat,The Flintstones, andScooby-Doo. The channel quickly started to develop, with them airing MGM cartoons such asTom and Jerry,Droopy, andSpike and Tyke for the first time in 1996, and afterTime Warner's purchase of Turner in 1996, Warner Bros. produced cartoons such asLooney Tunes in 1997. In 1998, Cartoon Network India began airing Cartoon Network originals, such asSpace Ghost Coast to Coast andThe Moxy Show.[citation needed] In its early years, the channel broadcast only in English. At the time, the Indian market was able to understand English without creating language barriers, as the "link language in the subcontinent". Turner's initial strategy for India was all in English, devoid of subtitles and dubbing in national and regional languages, and catered the English-speaking niche, unlike its competitor Star TV. Bob Ross, president of Turner International at the time, was aiming a certain percentage of the English-fluent market, using its vast library assets. After capturing such percentage, there were possible plans to localise the signal to Tamil and Hindi.[7]
On 4 January 1999, the channel started to offer Hindi-dubbed versions of its shows, such asScooby-Doo, Where Are You!,The Flintstones,The Jetsons,Speed Racer,SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron,The Mask: Animated Series,The Addams Family,The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest,Captain Planet,Tom & Jerry Kids and certain other select programs. Initially they air as daily two hours blocks (3 to 5pm on weekdays and 2 to 4pm on weekends). Anshuman Mishra, head of the channel, believed that the step had to be taken in October 1998 in order to reduce the influence of violent cartoons.[8]
On 23 August 1999, the channel received a rebrand, introducing newbumpers, new shows and a new "powerhouse" theme. The new shows for 1999 were its original showsDexter's Laboratory,Cow and Chicken,I Am Weasel,Ed, Edd n Eddy, andJohnny Bravo.[9][10]
The following year, 2000, saw more Cartoon Network originals being introduced, includingThe Powerpuff Girls,Mike, Lu & Og, andCourage the Cowardly Dog.DC Animated Universe series started premiering in 2000s starting withBatman: The Animated Series (2000) followed byThe Adventures of Batman and Robin (2000),The New Batman Adventures (2000),Batman Beyond (2001),Superman: The Animated Series (2001), andJustice League (2002).[11][12][13] On 28 February 2000, a Tamil feed was launched on the network.[14]
In 2001,Sheep in the Big City,Time Squad, andSamurai Jack premiered in India.[15] On 1 July 2001, Cartoon Network became a 24-hour channel.[5]
In September 2001, theToonami block was introduced that primarily consists of Japanese anime and occasionally American action animation likeDragon Ball Z,Cardcaptors,Transformers: Robots in Disguise, andSuperman: The Animated Series.[16] ANight Shift block was introduced in November 2001 to target teens and adults. The programming includedBirdman and the Galaxy Trio,The Brak Show,Galtar and the Golden Lance, andHarvey Birdman, Attorney at Law.[17]
In 2002, Cartoon Network signed deal withMattel to airBarbie films starting withBarbie as Rapunzel, which premiered on 4 November 2002.[18]
On 27 January 2003,Tiny TV, a preschool programming block, was launched. This block was later moved to sister channelPogo TV.[19] The channel also started acquiring local series and films in 2003 starting withThe Adventures of Tenali Raman.[20] Other acquisitions include series likeThe Adventures of Chhota Birbal,Akbar and Birbal,Jungle Tales and television films likeVikram and Betaal.[21][22][23]Pokémon series was launched on 26 May 2003.[24]
The anime seriesBeyblade was also launched on 3 June 2005,[25] which enjoyed a No. 1 or No. 2 position in the kids genre, along withPokémon.[26][27]
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On 1 October 2005, the bumpers were replaced with 3D animations of the 'CN (Cartoon Network) City' that all the Cartoon Network toon characters lived in. Show-specific bumpers were replaced with 3D animations of a well-known scene from the particular show (e.g., aDexter's Laboratory bumper would feature Dexter's house, aPowerpuff Girls bumper would feature most likely the PPG household, and so forth). The retro checkerboard logo was replaced with the new 'CN' city-style logo.
The Life and Times of Juniper Lee premiered on CN India on 11 September 2005.[28]
Cartoon Network continued to air new episodes and seasons fromBeyblade,Pokémon, and their movies, which continued to rank No. 1 and No. 2 in the kids' genre.[29]Half Ticket Express a preschool block was launched which aired series likeDragon Tales,Franklin, andThe Koala Brothers.[30] Another programming blockThoda Meow Thoda Bow featuringTom and Jerry,Scooby-Doo, andThe Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries was launched onChildren's Day.[31]
On 12 April 2005, Cartoon Network airedDragon Ball GT[32] and a television special withAamir Khan to promoteMangal Pandey: The Rising. In this interview style special Khan is interviewed byJohnny Bravo.[33][34]
Camp Lazlo was launched on 12 February 2006.[35]
On 10 October 2006, Cartoon Network began to air a new series,Ben 10.[36]
Cartoon Network launched an action series titledGransazers on the action block Toonami in January 2007 and laterJustirisers on 7 March 2007, and the singerShankar Mahadevan sang its title track in Hindi.[37] The series after airing all episodes was replaced bySazer X on 3 July 2007 in whichShaan sung the title track.[38] TheBoomerang programming block was launched in August 2007 which aired classic properties likeTom & Jerry,Scooby-Doo,Popeye,[39] andJackie Chan Adventures.[40]
On 6 December 2008, Cartoon Network India, along with the other Asia Pacific feeds, featured an updated graphics package which was titled the "New Wave Era". It had the 'CN' logo tilted slightly diagonally, as opposed to the previous look of the "City Era".[citation needed]
A few days later, on 11 December 2008, Cartoon Network began to air the next series in theBen 10 franchise,Ben 10: Alien Force.[41] It also aired newBen 10 movies.[42][43]
On 28 June 2009, an episode titledJohnny Goes to Bollywood was aired exclusively in India. The special was produced by Famous House of Animation in Mumbai.[44]
Other notable series acquired by Cartoon Network India wereThe Adventures of Tintin[45] (2001),Spider-Man: The New Animated Series[46] (2003),Archie's Weird Mysteries[47] (2004),Jumanji[47] (2004),Transformers: Armada[47] (2004), andThe Spectacular Spider-Man[48] (2009).
Cartoon Network started the third series in theBen 10 franchise,Ben 10: Ultimate Alien on 10 October 2010.[49] Cartoon Network launchedRoll No. 21 in November 2010, multiple season and TV movies were launched after the success of first season.[50][51] The newBeyblade series,Beyblade: Metal Fusion started airing from 11 October 2010.[52]
On 1 October 2011, Cartoon Network introduced its new branding and logo. Designed by Brand New School, it makes heavy use of the black and white checkerboard motif, as well as CMYK color variations and patterns. The slogan "It's a Fun Thing!" was also introduced. The second seasonBeyblade: Metal Masters started airing from 22 October 2011.[53]
As the slogan suggests, comedy programs began to occupy most of the timeslots. While initiallyTom and Jerry made up most of the time slots, later whenOggy and the Cockroaches was started on the Indian feed in July 2012,[54] In 2012 Cartoon network added a Telugu audio track. CN began to air it hours together each day, which even continued until 2014. In January 2015, Cartoon Network India lost the rights toOggy and the Cockroaches Seasons 1 to 3, but continued to air Season 4.
CN started the fourth series in the hitBen 10 franchise,Ben 10: Omniverse on 26 November 2012.[55]
Starting from the new era, "It's a Fun Thing", CN began to air shows without providing any information through airings on the channel, like on-air promos and bumpers.ThunderCats,Beyblade Metal Masters,Beyblade Metal Fury, andScooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated were started with no information about air date and timings on the channel, and information present only on TV schedules.
Animated shows likeGreen Lantern: The Animated Series,DreamWorks Dragons,Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated,The Looney Tunes Show, andThunderCats aired, but for some reason all of these shows aired only the first seasons, and the second seasons haven't been aired yet. In 2013, The third seasonBeyblade: Metal Fury started airing from 27 October 2013.[56] Cartoon Network acquired the rights ofKrrish franchise's animated film seriesKid Krrish. The first movieKid Krrish on 2 October 2013.[57] The film was followed by three additional moviesKid Krrish: Mission Bhutan (premiered on 19 July 2014),Kid Krrish: Mystery in Mongolia (premiered on 27 September 2014), andKid Krrish: Shakalaka Africa (premiered on 25 April 2015).[58][59]
A television filmChakra: The Invincible based on the character created byStan Lee aired on 30 November 2013.[60]
CN moved the hit seriesPokémon to its sister channel, in 2011, having aired until the eleventh season, but later brought it back on CN in 2014, starting from the fourteenth season ofPokémon Black andWhite.[61][non-primary source needed][62]
In the summer of 2015, new shows likeUncle Grandpa,Beyblade: Shogun Steel,Clarence, and new episodes ofBen 10: Omniverse started to air. In May 2015, Cartoon Network India celebrated its 20th birthday with specials of various shows including specials from the classicThe Flintstones. Starting June 2015, it started to air new promos for each new episode of weekly-once shows likeSteven Universe,Ben 10: Omniverse, andUncle Grandpa.[63][64]
Cartoon Network celebrated the 20th Anniversary of its Indian feed throughout May 2015. A programming blockHappy Birthday Cartoon Network which aired ongoing series likeHorrid Henry andOggy and the Cockroaches as well as classic series likeThe Flintstones,The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, andCourage the Cowardly Dog.[65]
In December 2015, Cartoon Network aired two specials for the promotion of Hindi filmDilwale. The first specialKris Aur Shahrukh Khan Ki Dilwale Bollywood Class aired on 19 December whileOggy Ki Birthday Party aired on 25 December.[66]
The Powerpuff Girls reboot series premiered on 9 April 2016 in India and other Asian Pacific countries while theBen 10 reboot premiered on 8 October 2016.[67]
Since 2016, CN India started showing the programmes in 16:9 aspect ratio, however Cartoon Network is still natively in 4:3.[65]
In August 2017, Cartoon Network also aired some classic shows during weekend nights on a block calledGet Tooned with Toonami, but was abruptly discontinued in October in favour ofDragon Ball Super.[65]
On 10 June 2017, Cartoon Network premieredCraig of the Creek.[68]
On 1 September 2017, theBang Zoom dub ofDragon Ball Super[11] started airing weekends on Cartoon Network at a later time slot without any promotion. It was previously aired onToonami until it became a classic cartoon channel. In mid December 2017, Cartoon Network quietly started airingDragon Ball Z movies on Sunday nights.[69]
Dragon Ball Super replacedDragon Ball Z[11]'s late night time slot from 1 January 2018 onwards.[69]
In September 2018, Cartoon Network India started to premiere new shows such asUnikitty,[70]OK K.O! Let's Be Heroes,[71]Ben 10 Challenge,[70] andRunning Man.[72]
The channel celebrated 20th anniversary ofThe Powerpuff Girls and announced a special "The Pow-fect Girls" (a list featuring 20 extraordinary women).[73]
In July 2019, the channel premieredMr. Magoo at 5PM (IST) every weekday.[74][non-primary source needed]
Cartoon Network India brought back theTom and Jerry franchise in 2019 withTom and Jerry Tales andThe Tom and Jerry Show (2014). It was previously moved toPogo TV.[75]
Other notable television series launched in 2010s wereHorrid Henry (9 April 2012),Teen Titans Go! (23 March 2015), andMighty Magiswords (6 May 2017).[76][77][78][79]
In April 2020, Cartoon Network India removed its English Audio Feed and acquired theZeeQ television seriesBandbudh Aur Budbak.[80][81] The fourth season ofThe Tom and Jerry Show was premiered on 14 November 2020 with a new voiceover commentary.[82][83]
On 22 February 2021,Super Shiro, a spin-off series ofCrayon Shin-chan, made its debut in India on Cartoon Network.[84] In March 2021, CN also startedNate Is Late.[85][non-primary source needed] The channel created their own animated series titledDabangg, based on thefilm series, on 31 May 2021.[86][87] On 27 June 2021, the channel premiered its first original CGI animated series,Ekans: Ek Se Badhkar Snake.[88]
The channel celebrated theInternational Cat Day, with back-to-back episodes ofThe Tom and Jerry Show broadcast on 8 August 2021, using theCat-Toon Network moniker, which was also used by the American network to celebrate April Fools' Day.[89][90] The third season ofGrizzy & the Lemmings titledGrizzy & the Lemmings: World Tour was also started from 9 August 2021. A three seven-minute special episode ofLamput premiered on 14 August 2021. On 22 August 2021, theBen 10,010 movie came on the channel in the form ofBen 10 Special.[91]
In November 2021, Cartoon Network aired theHarry Potter film series.[92] Cartoon Network also began airingTaffy on 24 January 2022.[93]
For celebrating the 82nd anniversary ofTom and Jerry, the channel decides to airTom and Jerry Tales from 7 to 11 February at 10:30 AM IST onwards. However, it was continued until late April 2022 at a different timing with the other series ofTom and Jerry likeThe Tom and Jerry Show (1975),The Tom and Jerry Show (2014), and its 1940–1975 theatrical shorts.[94] The network also started newer series ofTom and Jerry likeTom and Jerry in New York from 18 March 2022.[95]
On 30 March 2022, Cartoon Network India began using the "Redraw Your World" branding and graphics, like its US andAsian counterparts. With the rebrand, Cartoon Network also announced the launch of the Cartoonito block on the channel.[96]
On 22 May 2022, Cartoon Network India aired theDragon Ball Super marathon,Dragon Ball Super Sunday.[97][98]
The new season ofTeen Titans Go! was premiered on the channel on 26 June 2022 in the form of a marathon,Teen Titans Go! Super Sunday.[99] In July 2022, the channel launched a new programming blockMorning Laughter Club at 7:00 AM IST onwards. It mainly broadcast shows likeThe Tom and Jerry Show,Lamput,Maca & Roni andTaffy.[100]
On 24 October 2022, the channel premieredDigimon Adventure.[101]
On 15 January 2023, the channel premieredMechamato,[102] and relaunched Digimon Adventures on 19 February in the form of Digimon AdventuresSuper Sunday.[103]
The channel premieredDragon Ball Z Kai on 16 April 2023 in five languages including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam.[104]
From 23 April 2023, the channel began airingDragon Ball movies on Sundays in the form ofDragon Ball Z Blockbuster, starting withDragon Ball Z: Cooler's Revenge in five languages including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam.[105][106] And premieredDragon Ball Z Kai: The Final Chapters in August 2023.[107]
In August 2023, Cartoon Network announced that it would air the popularshōnen animeMy Hero Academia on the channel.[108][109] The channel premiered the series on 10 September 2023 in five languages including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam.[110][111][112]
On 16 September 2023, on the occasion of the84th Batman Day, the channel airedBatman: The Animated Series at 6:30PM (Indian Standard Time).[113][114][112]
In October 2023, the channel premieredBen 10-Generator Rex: Heroes United for the first time in the form ofBen 10.10.10 Special on 10 October.[115] And on 21 October 2023, the channel along with its sister channelPogo premiered first ever localized version ofTom and Jerry animated by two Animation Studios based inIndia andSingapore.[116][117]
The channel premiered theMy Hero Academia movies on 3 December 2023 in the form ofMy Hero Academia Blockbuster.[118][119]
In January 2024, the "Big Block Anime" (a programming block) was introduced on 21 January, featuring a lineup primarily consisting of anime animations such asDragon Ball Super,Dragon Ball Z Kai, andMy Hero Academia.[120] Additionally, the channel premieredWe Baby Bears on 29 January.[121]
On 5 May 2024, the channel premieredOne Piece.[122][123][124]
The channel premieredDragon Ball Z: Bardock – The Father of Goku on 1 September 2024, andDragon Ball on 1 October 2024.[125][126]
In October 2024, the channel announced that it will be bringingDragon Ball Z's eighteenth animated feature film,Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods, to India.[127][128]
Cartoon Network reintroducedOne Piece to Indian audiences after 18 years, beginning with Season 1. This time, the channel aired the original Japanese version of the series, instead of the4Kids adaptation that had previously been broadcast in 2006. Due to this shift to the Japanese version, the series had been redubbed in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu as well as receiving new dubbed versions in Kannada, and Malayalam to cater to a linguistically diverse audience across India. The premiere was scheduled for Sunday, December 8, 2024, at 1 PM IST.[129][130]
In December 2024, the channel announced that it would airOne Piece's first non-canon film,One Piece: The Movie, on 5 January 2025 in India.[131][better source needed]
During the same period, the channel announced that it would airBionic Max on 23 December.[131][better source needed][132]
Zee TV launched a Cartoon Network programming block on 14 August 2002, replacingNickelodeon's programming block. The block featured programs likeScooby-Doo,The Mask: Animated Series,The Powerpuff Girls,Dexter's Laboratory,Pinky and the Brain,Samurai Jack,The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest,The Flintstones,The Jetsons,Tom & Jerry Kids,Superman: The Animated Series,Captain Planet,Ed, Edd n Eddy,The Road Runner Show,Courage the Cowardly Dog,Sheep in the Big City,Mike, Lu & Og,Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries, andBatman: The Animated Series. It aired programs twice in a day.[133]
On 8 July 2006,DD National introduced a Cartoon Network block named "Cartoon Network ki Duniya" which aired programs likeCodename: Kids Next Door,M.A.D. (from sister channelPogo), andGalli Galli Sim Sim.[134][135]
Pogo was launched on January 1, 2004, as a companion channel of Cartoon Network. Broadcasting primarily animated andlive action programming. From 2021, it airs only original Indian animation shows becoming WarnerMedia's only for Indian children's channel.[136] But from 2022, the channel again started international shows likeMr. Bean: The Animated Series,Yo-kai Watch,Grizzy and the Lemmings etc. The channel broadcasts inHindi,Tamil,Telugu,Kannada,Malayalam,Marathi.[137]
Cartoon Network HD+ (CN HD+) is a high-definition television channel launched on 15 April 2018. Operating as an ad-free platform, it initially debuted in India, it later expanded its reach to prominent operators in neighbouring countries. Notably, the channel offers content in four languages, includingHindi,Tamil, andTelugu, alongsideEnglish.[138]
Toonami, initially launched as a programming block in 2001, later transitioned into a channel on 26 February 2015, becoming a sister channel to Cartoon Network and Pogo. With a primary focus on showcasing mature animation content, it was based animation/anime genre, dedicated to catering to audiences seeking more mature-themed programming.[139]
In July 2017, the channel underwent a significant revamp, transitioning into classic animation channel before ceasing operations completely at the end of 15 May 2018.[140]
On 24 June 2016, Turner India signed a distribution deal withViacom 18'sOTT appVoot. Through this strategic tie-up Voot can stream Turner's properties from Cartoon Network andPogo TV likeThe Powerpuff Girls,Ben 10,Dexter's Laboratory,Roll No. 21,Samurai Jack,Johnny Bravo, andM.A.D in their Kids section.[141]
On 29 August 2017,Turner International India signed a deal withAmazon Prime Video India. Through this deal Amazon can stream Cartoon Network shows likeBen 10,Ben 10: Alien Force,Ben 10: Ultimate Alien,Ben 10: Omniverse,Johnny Bravo,The Powerpuff Girls,Kumbh Karan,Roll No. 21, andDexter's Laboratory in their Kids and Family section.[142]
In 2023,Warner Bros. Discovery India signed a deal withJioCinema. Through this deal JioCinema can stream Cartoon Network,Warner Bros. andHBO content on their OTT.[143][144]
In 2014, Cartoon Network partnered withTata Sky to launch an active service calledCN+. The service is available every day for about one to two hours. It aired select episodes from hit programmes such asBen 10 (and related series),Beyblade: Metal Fusion (and related series), Cartoon Network Original Shows likeThe Amazing World of Gumball,League of Super Evil,Tom and Jerry (and related series),Ed, Edd n Eddy, and movies fromBen 10 andPokémon among others.[145]
In 2024, Warner Bros. Discovery partnered withPrime Video to launchCN Rewind, a digital channel available as an add-on service exclusively in India. The channel features a curated collection of classic Cartoon Network shows, offering Indian audiences access to a wide range of iconic animated series. These include timeless favorites such as The Powerpuff Girls, Tom & Jerry, Scooby-Doo, Johnny Bravo, Looney Tunes, Dexter's Laboratory, Samurai Jack, Ed, Edd n Eddy, and many others, catering to fans of all ages.[146][147][148][149]
The channel broadcasts in India as well as several neighbouring countries.[3]
The channel used to broadcast in Pakistan till 2004 when the authorities issued an order regarding the ban of several channels because they were airing programmes in Hindi as they were dubbed in India.[150] Aseparate feed of the channel dedicated to Pakistani and Bangladeshi viewers was launched in 2004.[6]
In 2018 the separateHD feed of the channel was launched, that started broadcasting along with the main feed.[151]
Division ofWarner Bros. Discovery | |
| Channels & blocks (U.S.) | |
| International |
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| Cartoonito | |
| Studios & Streaming | |
| Albums | |
| Defunct | |
| See also |
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