Photo: YouTube
It’s been 25 years of Cartoon Network mesmerizing us with classic cartoons, which might explain our inability to grow the fuck up into adult men. Since 1992, the network has given us countless top-shelf syndication of classic cartoons, including Pink Panther, Dennis the Menace and G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, along with some quality original programming from 1993 on, including 1994’s Space Ghost from Coast to Coast and 1997’s Johnny Bravo.
Today, we celebrate 25 years of quality programming that kept from us getting too much exercise as children, perhaps challenged our corneas to focus after the sixteenth consecutive hour and kept us from growing up too quickly (or at all).
With that, we give you 12 of our favorite cartoons to hit Cartoon Network over the last 25 years, starting with three of their best original programs, followed by their best-syndicated shows, some dating back as early as the 1940s. If this doesn’t make you want to quit binging on Stranger Things, nothing will. Please enjoy, and thank you Cartoon Network for 25 solid years!
Oh, and while it didn’t make the list, we know that a lot of you love Adventure Time!, The Powerpuff Girls and Ed, Edd n Eddy, and so do we, so please don’t berate us.
Cartoon Network Celebrates 25 Years of Mesmerizing Children With Classic Cartoons
More nostalgia: Ranking The Best Cartoons Of The ’90s
Cartoon Network
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"Space Ghost Coast to Coast"
Though the network launched in 1992, it was in 1993 Cartoon Network started original programming. In 1994, its second original show featuring the hilarious Space Ghost came into being.
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"Johnny Bravo"
In 1997, we got Johnny Bravo, the original Ed Hardy who would likely be outlawed by sexual misconduct today.
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"Dexter's Laboratory"
A creepy little boy who concocts strange experiments in his parents' basement? Sounds like a good prequel for Breaking Bad started in 1996.
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"Tom & Jerry"
Of the earliest syndicated programs, Tom & Jerry arrived in 1992 to the network. Some of its earliest episodes started in 1940, but its popularity spawned remakes like The Tom & Jerry Show, Tom & Jerry Kids and Tom & Jerry Tales, all acquired by Cartoon Network.
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"Animaniacs"
Helloooo Nurse!
While Animaniacs was part of a much larger Warner Bros. network, this portion was brought over to the Cartoon Network in 1998 and continued on until our mothers made us go outside.
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"Yogi Bear"
A talking bear that would later be granted 3D animation int theaters? The '60s cartoon would see a number of renewed ideas on the network, including the roughian show Yogi's Gang, along with Yogi's Space Race and Yogi's Treasure Hunt, all of which were created before Cartoon Network but found their way there.
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"The Jetsons"
Meet the Jetsons, a space age family from the '60s that now looks like Oregon Trail to us. Acquired in 1992 by the network for 20 years of on and off again entertainment, The Jetsons were hip to the living room syndication right after their big screen debut in 1990.
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"The Flintstones"
The Flintstones and Rubbles were the Stone-Age 1960s Hanna-Barbera counterpart to The Jetsons. TV Guide rated the show as the second best in history, which may explain Seth MacFarlene's interest in recreating the bedrock of our cartoon society.
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"Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!"
With about a thousand cartoon and live-action movie renditions, Scooby has solved more crimes than you've probably taken craps.
Cartoon Network acquired the show in 1994 but also hosted several others, including A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, Scooby-Doo & Scrappy-Doo, The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo and Be Cool, Scooby-Doo, all of which include massive amounts of puppies eating table scraps, slobber and red-herring mystery.
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"Looney Tunes"
Looney Tunes, as well as Bugs & Daffy Tonight, were among the earliest syndicated successes for Cartoon Network in 1992. From there, it only got more looney with Tiny Toon Adventures, The Looney Tunes Show and The Bugs & Daffy Show.
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"The Smurfs"
They may be plaguing your local theaters with sequel after sequel, but the original Papa Smurf and Co. from the 1980s with more than 250 episodes made it to Cartoon Network for their first 12 years as a network.
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"The Rocky & Bullwinkle Show"
About as classic as it gets with very little spectacular animation, the blanket title The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle & Friends started up in the late 1950s but was finally brought to syndication with Cartoon Network in the late '90s. Forty years later, kids were still soaking that goofy shit up.
