I won’t comment too much on the era of live action shows on Cartoon Network; on the one hand you have to innovate and try new things and live action could have a place on Cartoon Network if it had a tighter focus. On the other hand, it is Cartoon Network and to try and make reality shows fit into their image just was not going to happen. All of that being said, there was one live action show I wish I had seen when it aired; Paul Dini’s Tower Prep, a mystery/superhero show.

It was an American/Canadian co-production that ran for a single season and was lauded for being a direction Cartoon Network could have pursued had its live action episodic broadcasts reverberated better with audiences. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be and no home media has been released. Now, onto today’s shows... 

Tower Prep Logo: 

https://logos.fandom.com/wiki/Tower_Prep

Robotomy (2010) ran for a single season and was co-executively produced by Superjail co-creator, Christy Karacas. It has not seen any home media releases. 

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robotomy

Robotomy Logo

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Robotomy_logo.jpeg

The Problem Solverz (2011) ran for two seasons. There have been no home media releases. 

Sources:

https://cartoonnetwork.fandom.com/wiki/The_Problem_Solverz#Home_Media

Problem Solverz Logo

https://logos.fandom.com/wiki/The_Problem_Solverz

Secret Mountain Fort Awesome (2011) ran for two seasons and was also a testing ground for Uncle Grandpa. Neither season has been released on home media.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_Mountain_Fort_Awesome

Secret Mountain Fort Awesome Logo

https://logos.fandom.com/wiki/Secret_Mountain_Fort_Awesome

Ben 10: Omniverse (2012) is the fourth iteration of the Ben 10 franchise and third continuation of the story. The series ran for eight seasons. Five volumes of the series were released, though the episodes contained within do not reflect production seasons. The first three volumes contain two discs of ten episodes, and the fourth and fifth volumes contain five episodes. 

Volume 1 contains S1E1-8 and S2E2-3. 

Volume 2 contains S1E9-10, S2E1 and 4-7, and S3E1-2 and 8.

Volume 3 contains S2E8-10, S3E3-7 and 9, and S4E1.

Volume 4 contains S3E10 and S4E4 and 7-9.

Volume 5 contains S5E1-2 and 6-8.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_10:_Omniverse

Ben 10: Omniverse Logo

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_10:_Omniverse#/media/File:Ben10Omniverse.svg

Uncle Grandpa (2013) ran for five seasons. Two episodic compilations have been released on DVD, Tiger Trails and Good Mornin’. 

Episodes released are as follows:

Season 1 Episode 1 “Belly Brothers”

Season 1 Episode 2 “Tiger Trails”

Season 1 Episode 3 “Space Emperor”

Season 1 Episode 4 “Funny Face”

Season 1 Episode 5 “Moustache Cream”

Season 1 Episode 6 “Nickname”

Season 1 Episode 7 “Driver’s Test”

Season 1 Episode 8 “Uncle Grandpa Sitter”

Season 1 Episode 10 “Uncle Grandpa for a Day”

Season 1 Episode 11 “Afraid of the Dark”

Season 1 Episode 12 “Treasure Map”

Season 1 Episode 13 “Locked Out”

Season 1 Episode 15 “Brain Game” 

Season 1 Episode 16 “Mystery Noise”

Season 1 Episode 17 “Charlie Burgers”

Season 1 Episode 19 “Perfect Kid”

Season 1 Episode 22 “Future Pizza”

Season 1 Episode 25 “Bad Morning”

Season 1 Episode 28 “Bezt Friends”

Season 1 Episode 30 “Hide and Seek”

Season 1 Episode 31 “The History of Wrestling”

Season 1 Episode 33 “Vacation”

Season 1 Episode 34 “Aunt Grandma”

Season 1 Episode 35 “Grounded”

 

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Uncle_Grandpa_episodes

https://www.amazon.com/Cartoon-Network-Uncle-Grandpa-Trails/dp/B00MEXP5YM/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=uncle+grandpa+dvd&qid=1606668592&sr=8-2

https://www.amazon.com/Cartoon-Network-Uncle-Grandpa-Mornin/dp/B00SJFV74G/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=uncle+grandpa+dvd&qid=1606668592&sr=8-5

Uncle Grandpa Logo

https://logos.fandom.com/wiki/Uncle_Grandpa

Next time; Powerpuff Girls, Bears and Steven. 

Archiving Animation with Home Media - Cartoon Network Physical Home Media Releases - Part Eight

The Nickelodeon pilot creation program, Random Cartoons!, was an odd series even for pilot productions. Of the 39 segments created for the series, three full length series came into fruition; Fanboy and Chum-Chum for Nickelodeon, The Bravest Warriors for Frederator Studio’s online distribution channel, Cartoon Hangover, and Adventure Time which was picked up by Cartoon Network as opposed to Nickelodeon. It is the most prominent example of a pilot being produced by one of the big three and finding a home in another. I personally remember the pilot floating around on YouTube for a couple years before the show finally went into production. Just this month, the second episode of the spin-off series, Adventure Time: Distant Lands, premiered on HBO Max - 10 years after the show went into production, and twelve years after the pilot. Onto today’s cartoons. 

Ben 10: Ultimate Alien (2010) ran for three seasons and is the second sequel and third series of the Ben 10 franchise. The entire series was released on five volume episode compilations on DVD. 

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_10:_Ultimate_Alien

Ben 10: Ultimate Alien Logo

https://cartoonnetwork.fandom.com/wiki/Ben_10:_Ultimate_Alien

Generator Rex (2010) ran for three seasons. Only a single volume episode compilation of the first nine episodes has been released on DVD. No other home media has been released. 

Sources:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Generator-Rex-Volume-1-DVD/14700758

Generator Rex Logo

https://logos.fandom.com/wiki/Generator_Rex

Adventure Time (2010) ran for 10 seasons of 283 episodes. The show saw many episode compilations released on DVD, all 10 seasons released on individual (Seasons 1-7) and combined (8-10) season sets on DVD, as well as a single package complete series on DVD. Oddly, while BluRay releases of the entire series exist in other territories, only seasons 1-6 were released in North America. 

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Adventure_Time_episodes#Home_media

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086X86XR3/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_x_vDPWFbKHMH38M

Adventure Time Logo:

https://logos.fandom.com/wiki/Adventure_Time

Regular Show (2010) ran for 8 seasons of 261 episodes and a movie. The Regular Show Movie saw release on DVD. The first and second seasons were packaged together and released on BluRay. The first, second and third seasons were released on DVD. In addition, there were seven episode compilations that cover the first six seasons. Of the episodes from season four, five and six, the following have been released: 

Season 4 Episode 4/5 “Terror Tales of the Park II”

Season 4 Episode 9 “Guy’s Night”

Season 4 Episode 10 "One Pull Up"

Season 4 Episode 13 "T.G.I. Tuesday"

Season 4 Episode 16 "Sandwich of Death"

Season 4 Episode 18 "Do or Diaper"

Season 4 Episode 20 “Caveman”

Season 4 Episode 22 "A Bunch of Full Grown Geese"

Season 4 Episode 23 "Fool Me Twice"

Season 4 Episode 25 "Picking Up Margaret" 

Season 4 Episode 28 “Skips’ Stress”

Season 4 Episode 31 "Meteor Moves"

Season 4 Episode 32 "Family BBQ" 

Season 4 Episode 34 “Country Club”

Season 4 Episode 37 “Last Meal”

Season 4 Episode 40 "Steak Me Amadeus"

Season 5 Episode 1 "Laundry Woes"  

Season 5 Episode 4 "Every Meat Burritos"

Season 5 Episode 5 "Wall Buddy"

Season 5 Episode 7 "Survival Skills"

Season 5 Episode 10 "Tants"

Season 5 Episode 11 "Bank Shot"

Season 5 Episode 15 "The Heart of a Stuntman"

Season 5 Episode 16 "New Year's Kiss"

Season 5 Episode 17 "Dodge This"

Season 5 Episode 18 "Portable Toilet"

Season 5 Episode 20 "Rigby in the Sky With Burrito"

Season 5 Episode 21 "Journey to the Bottom of the Crash Pit"

Season 5 Episode 22 "Saving Time"

Season 5 Episode 26 "Return of Mordecai and the Rigbys"

Season 5 Episode 27 "Bad Portrait"

Season 5 Episode 30 "Play Date"

Season 5 Episode 34 "Paint Job"

Season 5 Episode 40 "Real Date"

Season 6 Episode 1 “Maxin’ and Relaxin’”

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regular_Show#Home_media

https://regularshow.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_DVD_Releases

Regular Show Logo

https://logos.fandom.com/wiki/Regular_Show

Sym-Bionic Titan (2010) ran for a single season of 20 episodes. Unfortunately, it has never seen a home media release and ends on a cliffhanger. Though series’ creator, Genndy Tartakovsky’s other cliffhanger series, Samurai Jack, saw a fifth season finale released years after its hiatus. 

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sym-Bionic_Titan

Sym-Bionic Titan Logo

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sym-Bionic_Titan#/media/File:Sym-Bionic_Titan_logo.svg

Next time: Even more Ben 10, some Problem Solverz, and an Uncle Grandpa. 

Archiving Animation with Home Media - Cartoon Network Physical Home Media Releases - Part Seven

As mentioned this past Monday, with the changing of Presidents of the network comes great change. Unfortunately, there is one blight in [adult swim]/Cartoon Network’s history that cannot be ignored as it’s impacts would have long standing ripples on the company and the industry at large. As a part of a guerilla marketing push for the Aqua Teen Hunger Force movie, LED boards were hung in unique places across ten cities in the US. Unfortunately, these LED boards led to confusion in Boston as being potentially dangerous and explosive in nature. This caused the city to shut down for a good portion of the day while bomb squads were sent out to dispose of the boards. These events would lead to then President Jim Samples to resign and as with most executive changes, most productions that were started with the previous creatives were shelved or wrapped up. 

Today’s animated series are at the beginning of the next President’s, Stuart Snyder’s, tenure with Turner. 

Chowder (2007) ran for three seasons. Two volumes covering the first season’s first ten episodes were released on DVD. However, no other home media has been released. 

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chowder_(TV_series)#Home_media

Chowder Logo

https://logos.fandom.com/wiki/Chowder

Transformers: Animated (2007) ran for three seasons and is the eighth story universe of the franchise. The entire series has been released on DVD both as season sets and as a series collection. 

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transformers:_Animated#North_America

Transformers: Animated Logo

https://logos.fandom.com/wiki/Transformers:_Animated

Ben 10: Alien Force (2008) ran for three seasons. It is the second series based on the Ben 10 franchise. All three seasons have been released in episodic volumes on DVD. A live action movie based on the series has also been released on DVD. 

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_10:_Alien_Force

Ben 10: Alien Force Logo

https://ben10.fandom.com/wiki/Ben_10:_Alien_Force/Gallery?file=Ben10AlienForceLogo.png

The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack (2008) ran for three seasons. Unfortunately, only a single volume of the first five episodes from the first season has been released on DVD. No other home media has been released. 

Sources:

https://flapjack.fandom.com/wiki/The_Marvelous_Misadventures_of_Flapjack

The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack Logo

https://logos.fandom.com/wiki/The_Marvelous_Misadventures_of_Flapjack

The Secret Saturdays (2008) ran for two seasons. Two individual volumes containing the first ten episodes from season one have been released on DVD. No other home media has been released. 

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_Saturdays#Merchandise

https://www.amazon.com/Cartoon-Network-Secret-Saturdays-One/dp/B0021R4ID0

https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Saturdays-Vol-2/dp/B002G1WPJ0

The Secret Saturdays Logo

https://logos.fandom.com/wiki/The_Secret_Saturdays

Next time; Even more Ben 10, a Regular Show and some Adventure Time. 

Archiving Animation with Home Media - Cartoon Network Physical Home Media Releases - Part Six

Definitely a topic for further elaboration and research in the future, but every five years or so there seems to be a show that hosts a pantheon of staff that would go on to make significant waves in the industry. Some examples would be; in the 80’s, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, in the early 90’s, Rocko’s Modern Life, and in the late aughts, Chowder. After all, everyone needs a start somewhere, and put enough creative people in a room yearning to learn, grow and evolve and you end up with something special. Onto today’s toons...

Sunday Pants (2005) ran for a single season, but only aired half the episodes produced. A pseudo-sequel to the anthology What A Cartoon!, the show consisted of many 2-3 minute pilots. Due to the nature of the program and it’s many rights holders, it has never seen any home media releases. 

Sources:

https://lostmediawiki.com/Sunday_Pants_(partially_lost_Cartoon_Network_animated_short_series;_2005)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunday_Pants#cite_note-Perlmutter-1

Sunday Pants Logo

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunday_Pants#/media/File:Sunday_Pants.jpg

My Gym Partner's a Monkey (2005) ran for four seasons. While there are screener copies for Emmy Judges floating around on second hand websites, there have not been any large scale home media releases. 

Sources

https://www.ebay.com/i/114438112583?chn=ps&mkevt=1&mkcid=28

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Gym_Partner%27s_a_Monkey

My Gym Partner’s a Monkey Logo

https://logos.fandom.com/wiki/My_Gym_Partner%27s_a_Monkey

Ben 10 (2005) the original series ran for four seasons and started a media empire. All four seasons of the original show have been released on DVD. Three films were produced during this era, the 2D animated, Secret of the Omnitrix, the live-action Race Against Time, and the CGI sequel to Secret of the Omnitrix, Destroy All Aliens. All three films have been released on DVD, though of varying degrees of availability as the first film was a Wal*Mart exclusive. 

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_10_(2005_TV_series)

https://ben10.fandom.com/wiki/Ben_10

Ben 10 Logo

https://logos.fandom.com/wiki/Ben_10

Squirrel Boy (2006) ran for two seasons. Unfortunately, neither season has been released on any form of Home Media. 

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squirrel_Boy

Squirrel Boy Logo

https://logos.fandom.com/wiki/Squirrel_Boy

Class of 3000 (2006) ran for two seasons. While the first season saw a CD released of the original soundtrack, neither season has had any home media releases. 

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Class_of_3000

Class of 3000 Logo

https://logos.fandom.com/wiki/Class_of_3000

Next time: More Ben 10, secret agents and a Flapjack.