Cartoonito is a programming block that airs on weekday mornings. It premiered on September 13, 2021, on Cartoon Network, and a dedicated section on the streaming service

HBO Max HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Netw ...

. Cartoonito targets a preschool audience around two to six years old. Cartoonito marks the first dedicated preschool block on Cartoon Network in over fifteen years.

History

Background

In 1996, Cartoon Network created a Sunday morning block of preschool programs. It featured series such as ''Big Bag'', a live-action/puppet television program by the Children's Television Workshop, ''Small World'', and ''Cave Kids''. However, ''Big Bag'' ran until 1998, while ''Small World'' ran until 2002. Once ''Big Bag'' left Cartoon Network's lineup in 2001, ''Baby Looney Tunes'', along with ''

Pecola ''Pecola'' ( ja, ペコラ, ) is a 3D animated children's television series which stars cube-shaped anthropomorphic animals in a place called Cube Town. It is based on a series of children's picture books by Naomi Iwata. It was first aired on T ...

Sitting Ducks ''Sitting Ducks'' is a lithograph created by the poster artist Michael Bedard in 1977. It depicts a literal interpretation of the idiom "sitting duck". Three ducks are relaxing in the sun on white chairs by the poolside, one looks up and no ...

'', and ''

Hamtaro ''Hamtaro'', known in Japan as , is a Japanese manga and storybook series created and illustrated by Ritsuko Kawai about a hamster. The manga was serialized in Shogakukan's "Second Grade" magazine in April 1997; more ''Hamtaro'' stor ...

'', filled that space in 2003. The block moved to weekday mornings afterward. On August 22, 2005, Cartoon Network USA debuted

Tickle-U Cartoonito is a brand name used by Warner Bros. Discovery for a collection of television networks and programming blocks that target preschool-age children. The name combines the "cartoon" with the Spanish suffix "ito", meaning "small". As of ...

, the network's first official attempt at weekday-morning preschool

programming block Block programming is the arrangement of programs on radio or television so that those of a particular genre, theme, or target audience are united. Overview Block programming involves scheduling a series of related shows which are likely to attra ...

. The block aired 2 hours from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. It featured domestic and foreign-imported series targeted at preschool-age children like its competitors

Nick Jr. Nick Jr. (known on-air as the Nick Jr. Channel) is an American pay television channel spun off from Nickelodeon's long-running programming block of the same name. It is run by Paramount Global through its networks division's Kids and Family Gr ...

(on

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) and

Playhouse Disney Playhouse Disney was a brand of programming blocks and international cable and satellite television channels that were owned by the Disney Channels Worldwide unit (now Disney Branded Television) of The Walt Disney Company's Disney–ABC Televi ...

(now

Disney Junior Disney Junior is an American pay television network owned by the Walt Disney Television (part of Disney General Entertainment Content) unit of The Walt Disney Company through Disney Branded Television. Aimed mainly at children two to seven y ...

on Disney Channel). The hosts were two animated CGI characters: a red

butterfly Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group comprise ...

-like creature named Pipoca and a yellow rabbit-like creature named Henderson. Programs on the lineup included ''

Firehouse Tales ''Firehouse Tales'' is an American animated children's television series created by Sidney J. Bailey, produced by Warner Bros. Animation as the only original series for Cartoon Network's now-defunct Tickle-U preschool programming block. The se ...

'' (the only original series), ''Gerald McBoing-Boing'', ''

Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs ''Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs'' is a series of children's books written and drawn by Ian Whybrow and Adrian Reynolds. The series is about a five-year-old boy named Harry, who has a bucket full of six dinosaurs named Taury, Trike, Patsy ...

'' (both from

Teletoon Teletoon (stylized as TELETOON) is a Canadian English-language specialty channel owned by Teletoon Canada, Inc., a subsidiary of Corus Entertainment. Its name is a portmanteau of "television" and "cartoon". The channel primarily broadcasts an ...

Treehouse TV Treehouse TV is a Canadian English-language specialty channel for preschoolers aged 2 to 5 that was launched in 1997. Its name comes from YTV's former preschool block, " The Treehouse". The channel is owned by YTV Canada, Inc., a subsidiary of ...

), and British series such as '' Gordon the Garden Gnome'', ''

Little Robots ''Little Robots'' is a British stop-motion animated children's television series, produced by Cosgrove Hall Films for Create TV & Film and broadcast on CBeebies (the BBC's children's channel). The series was based on the eponymous book by Mi ...

'', ''

Peppa Pig ''Peppa Pig'' is a British preschool animated television series by Astley Baker Davies. The show follows Peppa, an anthropomorphic female piglet, and her family, as well as her peers portrayed as other animals. The show first aired on 31 Ma ...

'' and ''Yoko! Jakamoko! Toto!'', some of which were re-dubbed for American audiences. The block came under criticized by the CCFC, for its marketing strategies. Tickle-U closed on January 6, 2006, some of its programmings still aired on Cartoon Network until 2007 and as part of the schedule of the British variation of Cartoonito.

Launch

On June 14, 2021, new idents of the block appeared on videos (which includes ''

Esme & Roy ''Esme & Roy'' is an animated children's television series created by Dustin Ferrer and Amy Steinberg. The series is produced by Canada-based animation studio Nelvana and ''Sesame Street'' creator Sesame Workshop, in association with Corus Ente ...

'', ''Mush-Mush & the Mushables'', '' Care Bears: Unlock the Magic'', and '' Love Monster'') on Cartoonito's

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

channel, and a newsletter was announced, with a new banner and avatar on the Cartoonito YouTube Channel in July. A trailer for the block was released on July 29, 2021. On August 16, 2021, the launch date was announced for September 13, 2021; ''

Baby Looney Tunes ''Baby Looney Tunes'' is an American animated television series depicting toddler versions of ''Looney Tunes'' characters. It was produced by Warner Bros. Animation. The series focused on real world problems and morals that children may relate ...

'' would be the first show to air on the block. The television block initially ran for 8 hours (6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET/ PT) on weekdays and 2 hours (6:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. ET/PT) on weekends. On November 16, 2021, the weekday schedule decreased to seven hours (ending at 1:00 p.m. ET/PT). It later dropped another hour (ending at 12:00 p.m. ET/PT) on December 20, 2021. The block ceased airing on weekends on January 29, 2022, while the weekday schedule dropped yet another hour (ending at 11:00 a.m. ET/PT), reducing Cartoonito to a total of five hours as of January 31, 2022. In June 2022, the schedule lost another hour (ending at 10:00 a.m. ET/PT) but reverted on September 5. However, October 3 marked the first time the start-up changed. Instead of the usual 6 a.m. time slot, Cartoonito would begin at 7 a.m. after a regular Cartoon Network program, retaining its four hours.

Programming

Cartoonito features co-productions and acquired programming, in addition to original series exclusive to the program block on Cartoon Network. Currently, Cartoonito's lineup includes '' Sesame Street: Mecha Builders,'' ''

Bugs Bunny Builders ''Bugs Bunny Builders'' is an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation, based on the characters from ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies''. The series aired on July 25, 2022 on Cartoon Network on their Cartooni ...

'', '' Batwheels'', ''

Cocomelon ''Cocomelon'' (stylized as CoComelon) is an American YouTube channel and streaming media show acquired by the British company Moonbug Entertainment and maintained by the American company Treasure Studio. Cocomelon specializes in 3D animation ...

'', and '' Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go''; with ''

Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000) ...

'' exclusive to HBO Max.

Related services

International

Since its inception, Cartoonito has rolled out across European territories through various nations and regional feeds. Following its global reintroduction in 2021, the brand has expanded to regions such as Latin America, Africa, and several Asia-Pacific countries.

References

External links

* {{KidsTVBlocksUS Cartoonito 2021 establishments in the United States Cartoon Network programming blocks Preschool education television networks Television programming blocks in the United States Television networks in the United States Cartoon Network Warner Bros. Discovery networks Companies based in Atlanta