''Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends'' is an American
animated television series
An animated series, or a cartoon series, is a set of Animation, animated films with a common title, usually related to one another. These episodes typically share the same main heroes, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series ...
created by
Craig McCracken
Craig McCracken (born March 31, 1971) is an American cartoonist, animator, director, writer, and producer known for creating Cartoon Network's ''The Powerpuff Girls'' and ''Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends'', Disney Channel and Disney XD's ''W ...
for
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network (CN) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the Cartoon Network, Inc., a sub-division of the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks division of Warner Bros. Discovery. It launched on ...
. It was produced by
Cartoon Network Studios
Cartoon Network Studios Inc. (abbreviated as CNS or CN Studios) is an American animation studio owned by the Warner Bros. Television Group division of Warner Bros. Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. The studio is the producti ...
as the network's first show animated primarily with
Adobe Flash
Adobe Flash (formerly Macromedia Flash and FutureSplash) is a mostly discontinuedAlthough it is discontinued by Adobe Inc., for the Chinese market it is developed by Zhongcheng and for the international enterprise market it is developed by Ha ...
, which was done both by Cartoon Network Studios in Burbank and in Ireland by
Boulder Media. Set in a world in which
imaginary friend
Imaginary friends (also known as pretend friends, invisible friends or made-up friends) are a psychological and a social phenomenon where a friendship or other interpersonal relationship takes place in the imagination rather than physical reali ...
s coexist with humans, the series centers on Mac, an eight-year-old boy who is pressured by his mother to abandon his imaginary friend Bloo. After the duo discover an orphanage dedicated to housing abandoned imaginary friends, Bloo moves into the home and is kept from adoption as long as Mac visits him every day. The episodes revolve around Mac and Bloo as they interact with other imaginary friends and house staff and live out their day-to-day adventures, often getting caught up in various predicaments.
McCracken conceived the series with his partner
Lauren Faust
Lauren J. Faust (born July 25, 1974) is an American animator, writer, director, and producer. She is known for developing the animated series '' My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic'' and '' DC Super Hero Girls''. Faust has collaborated with her ...
after they adopted two dogs from an
animal shelter
An animal shelter or pound is a place where stray, lost, abandoned or surrendered animals – mostly dogs and cats – are housed. The word "pound" has its origins in the animal pounds of the agricultural communities, where stray livestock w ...
and applied the concept to imaginary friends. The series first premiered on Cartoon Network on August 13, 2004, as a 90-minute
television film
A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a Terrestr ...
. On August 20, it began its normal run of 22-minute episodes on the ''Fridays'' block. The series finished its run on May 3, 2009, with a total of 6 seasons and 79 episodes. McCracken left Cartoon Network shortly after the series ended.
''Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends'' received critical acclaim for its animation, humor, writing, characters, and music. It became one of Cartoon Network's most successful original series and received numerous
industry accolades, including five
Annie Awards
The Annie Awards are accolades which the Los Angeles branch of the International Animated Film Association, ASIFA-Hollywood, has presented each year since 1972 to recognize excellence in animation shown in American cinema and television. Origi ...
and seven
Emmy Awards
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
, winning a total of 12 awards out of 35 nominations. It has since been named by ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' as one of the best Cartoon Network shows and by ''
IGN
''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
'' in their list of best animated series at number 85.
A
spinoff, ''Foster's Funtime for Imaginary Friends'', was announced as having begun development on July 18, 2022, and greenlit to series on June 12, 2024, produced by
Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe with Craig McCracken returning as the creator. The spinoff, aimed at a
preschool
A preschool (sometimes spelled as pre school or pre-school), also known as nursery school, pre-primary school, play school, is an school, educational establishment or learning space offering early childhood education to children before they ...
audience, features a new cast of young imaginary friends, along with Bloo and Madame Foster from the original series.
Premise
''Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends'' is set in a universe in which childhood
imaginary friends take physical form and become real as soon as children imagine them. Once children outgrow them, friends are relocated to the titular
orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution, total institution or group home, devoted to the care of orphans and children who, for various reasons, cannot be cared by their biological families. The parents may be deceased, absent, or abusi ...
, where they stay until other children adopt them. The home is run by the elderly Madame Foster, its lovable, kind founder; her rabbit imaginary friend Mr. Herriman, the strict rule-abider and business manager; and her granddaughter Frankie, who handles day-to-day operations.
Because his mother believes he is too old for imaginary friends, eight-year-old Mac is pressured by her to abandon his imaginary friend, Bloo. When Mac takes Bloo to Foster's after seeing a television advertisement, they discover that if Bloo were to live there, he would be available to be adopted by another child. Mac then bargains with Frankie, Herriman, and Madame Foster until they agree to guard Bloo from adoption so long as Mac continues to visit the center daily. Mac continues to visit the home every day after school to experience the escapades of the mischievous Bloo and the array of eccentric, colorful characters inhabiting Foster's and the obstacles with which they are challenged.
Characters
Main
* Mac (voiced by
Sean Marquette) – A bright and imaginative eight-year-old boy who is Bloo's creator and best friend. Mac visits Foster's every day.
He is very attached to Bloo and his biggest fear is never seeing him again.
Mac is often the voice of reason among his friends when they are making decisions. Mac becomes extremely
hyperactive when he eats sugar. He also is attracted to Frankie.
* Bloo (voiced by
Keith Ferguson) – Mac's imaginary best friend. Bloo is a blue, supple, domed cylinder not unlike a
bollard
A bollard is a sturdy, short, vertical post. The term originally referred to a post on a ship or quay used principally for mooring boats. In modern usage, it also refers to posts installed to control road traffic and posts designed to pre ...
with two eyes. He is often self-centered and egotistical, with a knack for getting in trouble.
Despite all this, Bloo apologizes for his actions. He loves
paddle balls and claims to be the best at them, despite not making the ball hit the paddle.
* Wilt (voiced by
Phil LaMarr
Phil LaMarr is an American actor and comedian. He was one of the original featured cast members on the sketch comedy television series '' Mad TV'', where he stayed for five seasons. His voice acting roles in animated series include the Sam B of ' ...
) – A very tall, friendly and incredibly nice imaginary friend with only a right arm and a crooked left eye-stalk. His overtly passive demeanor is often taken advantage of by the other imaginary friends.
He is a
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
player and fan, and is the former imaginary friend of Jordan Michaels (a parody of
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player, who is currently a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Ass ...
). Wilt's left arm got crushed during a basketball game where he saved Jordan from getting hurt, and a ball hit the back of his left eye after the final point was scored that cost them the game, permanently leaving the eye-stalk crooked. Fearing the latter would be disappointed by how they lost, he left Jordan. Three decades later, Wilt goes on a search to re-encounter him, learning he felt guilty over his imaginary friend's injuries and was grateful to have been saved.
* Eduardo (voiced by
Tom Kenny
Thomas James Kenny (born July 13, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He has been voicing SpongeBob SquarePants (character), the titular character in ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' and associated media since its debut in 1999. Kenny has voice ...
) – A Latin American monster created by a young girl, Nina Valerosa, to protect her in a dangerous neighborhood.
Eduardo is big, hairy and purple, and has horns, a snout, a pointy demon-like tail, and large teeth. Despite his large size, overwhelming strength, and menacing appearance, Eduardo is docile, timid and scared of almost anything.
However, he can be ferocious if angered or when danger befalls his friends.
* Coco (voiced by
Candi Milo
Candyce Anne Rose Milo (born January 9, 1961) Timestamps: (00:27:12-00:27:45) Milo states that she is "firmly 51". (00:06:40-00:06:47) Milo states that she was born in Palm Springs. (00:16:23-00:16:25) She says her birthday is in January. (00:48 ...
) – A chicken-like friend with a palm tree-like head who can only say or write her name. She has the ability to lay colorful, plastic eggs containing a plethora of objects, at will.
Other characters usually understand her when she speaks. Despite her appearance and behavior, she can demonstrate intelligence and kindness. Her creator is unknown, as she was found on a South Pacific island by two scientists named Adam and Douglas.
* Francis "Frankie" Foster (voiced by
Grey DeLisle
Grey DeLisle (; born Erin Grey Van Oosbree; August 24, 1973), sometimes credited as Grey Griffin, is an American voice actress and singer-songwriter. DeLisle is known for various roles in animated productions and video games. On September 27, ...
) – Madame Foster's 22-year-old redheaded granddaughter who is referred to as "Miss Frances" by Mr. Herriman. Frankie is the caregiver at Foster's and helps keep everything in order.
She is usually very friendly, easygoing, hard-working, caring, and sweet, but occasionally loses her patience with Bloo and Mr. Herriman. According to her driver's license, she was born on July 25, 1984.
* Mr. Herriman (voiced by
Tom Kane
Tom Kane (born 1962) is an American former voice actor. He is known for his work in animation and video games, most notably the ''Star Wars'' franchise.
Career
Kane began his voice acting career in 1977 when he was just 14 years old. Some of his ...
) – A gray and white elderly
anthropomorphic
Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics to ...
lop ear rabbit friend imagined by Madame Foster who speaks with an English accent. He wears a tailcoat, white gloves, a top hat, and a
monocle
A monocle is a type of corrective lens used to correct or enhance the visual perception in only one eye. It consists of a circular lens placed in front of the eye and held in place by the eye socket itself. Often, to avoid losing the monoc ...
. He presents himself as head of business affairs
of the house and later as President of the house, and is extremely strict about rules and the maintenance of order in the home.
He frequently punishes Bloo for his various misdemeanors and scolds Frankie for her perceived laziness, despite all her hard work.
* Madame Foster (voiced by Candi Milo) – The caring founder of Foster's and grandmother of Frankie.
She is the creator of Mr. Herriman. Despite being elderly, Madame Foster has childlike boundless energy and occasionally becomes hyperactive and mischievous.
Other recurring characters include Terrence (voiced by
Tara Strong
Tara Lyn Strong (; born February 12, 1973) is a Canadian and American actress. She is known for her voice work in animation, websites, and video games. Strong's voice roles include animated series such as '' The Powerpuff Girls'', '' The Fair ...
), Mac's older brother who constantly bullies him; Duchess (also voiced by Grey DeLisle), a friend with a
Cubist-looking face
and a pompous, narcissistic personality; Cheese (also voiced by Candi Milo), a dim-witted and childish yellow friend who first appeared in season two; and Goo (also voiced by Grey DeLisle), a talkative young girl who is highly imaginative and constantly creates new friends, first appearing in season three.
Episodes
Production
The series was created by
Craig McCracken
Craig McCracken (born March 31, 1971) is an American cartoonist, animator, director, writer, and producer known for creating Cartoon Network's ''The Powerpuff Girls'' and ''Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends'', Disney Channel and Disney XD's ''W ...
, who had also created ''
The Powerpuff Girls'' for
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network (CN) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the Cartoon Network, Inc., a sub-division of the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks division of Warner Bros. Discovery. It launched on ...
. McCracken developed the idea for the series after adopting two dogs from an
animal shelter
An animal shelter or pound is a place where stray, lost, abandoned or surrendered animals – mostly dogs and cats – are housed. The word "pound" has its origins in the animal pounds of the agricultural communities, where stray livestock w ...
with his then-fiancée
Lauren Faust
Lauren J. Faust (born July 25, 1974) is an American animator, writer, director, and producer. She is known for developing the animated series '' My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic'' and '' DC Super Hero Girls''. Faust has collaborated with her ...
and Mike Moon; he adapted the concept of
pet adoption
Pet adoption is the process of transferring responsibility for a pet. Common sources for adoptable pets are animal shelters, rescue groups, or other pet owners. Some organizations give adopters ownership of the pet, while others use a guardi ...
to that of
imaginary friends.
The show has an art style which is meant to evoke, according to McCracken, "that period of late 60's
psychedelia
Psychedelia usually refers to a Aesthetics, style or aesthetic that is resembled in the psychedelic subculture of the 1960s and the psychedelic experience produced by certain psychoactive substances. This includes psychedelic art, psychedelic ...
when
Victorian stylings were coming into trippy poster designs". McCracken wanted ''Foster's'' to be similar to ''
The Muppet Show
''The Muppet Show'' is a variety sketch comedy television series created by Jim Henson and starring the Muppets. It is presented as a variety show, featuring recurring sketches and musical numbers interspersed with ongoing plot-lines with ru ...
'', which he believed was a "fun, character driven show that the whole family could enjoy".
Animation for the show was done using a process involving
Adobe
Adobe (from arabic: الطوب Attub ; ) is a building material made from earth and organic materials. is Spanish for mudbrick. In some English-speaking regions of Spanish heritage, such as the Southwestern United States, the term is use ...
software
Illustrator
An illustrator is an artist who specializes in enhancing writing or elucidating concepts by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text or idea. The illustration may be intended to clarify complicate ...
,
Flash and
After Effects.
McCracken directed, executive produced and story edited the series. Most of the episodes were produced at the
Cartoon Network Studios
Cartoon Network Studios Inc. (abbreviated as CNS or CN Studios) is an American animation studio owned by the Warner Bros. Television Group division of Warner Bros. Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. The studio is the producti ...
in
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank had a Census-estimated population of 102,755 as of 2023. The city was ...
, while the rest were produced at
Boulder Media Limited in
Dublin
Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
, Ireland.
The theme song was composed by
James L. Venable, who had originally collaborated with McCracken on ''The Powerpuff Girls''.
Craig described the music as "
psychedelic ragtime
Ragtime, also spelled rag-time or rag time, is a musical style that had its peak from the 1890s to 1910s. Its cardinal trait is its Syncopation, syncopated or "ragged" rhythm. Ragtime was popularized during the early 20th century by composers ...
".
Additional music was composed by Venable and
Jennifer Kes Remington.
[Credits from the show.]
Collette Sunderman was the casting and recording director for the show.
Sean Marquette was cast as Mac, and
Keith Ferguson was cast as Bloo. ''The Powerpuff Girls'' voice actors
Tom Kane
Tom Kane (born 1962) is an American former voice actor. He is known for his work in animation and video games, most notably the ''Star Wars'' franchise.
Career
Kane began his voice acting career in 1977 when he was just 14 years old. Some of his ...
,
Tom Kenny
Thomas James Kenny (born July 13, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He has been voicing SpongeBob SquarePants (character), the titular character in ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' and associated media since its debut in 1999. Kenny has voice ...
and
Tara Strong
Tara Lyn Strong (; born February 12, 1973) is a Canadian and American actress. She is known for her voice work in animation, websites, and video games. Strong's voice roles include animated series such as '' The Powerpuff Girls'', '' The Fair ...
were cast in ''Foster's'' as Mr. Herriman, Eduardo and Terrence, respectively.
Grey DeLisle
Grey DeLisle (; born Erin Grey Van Oosbree; August 24, 1973), sometimes credited as Grey Griffin, is an American voice actress and singer-songwriter. DeLisle is known for various roles in animated productions and video games. On September 27, ...
was cast as Frankie Foster,
Phil LaMarr
Phil LaMarr is an American actor and comedian. He was one of the original featured cast members on the sketch comedy television series '' Mad TV'', where he stayed for five seasons. His voice acting roles in animated series include the Sam B of ' ...
was cast as Wilt, and
Candi Milo
Candyce Anne Rose Milo (born January 9, 1961) Timestamps: (00:27:12-00:27:45) Milo states that she is "firmly 51". (00:06:40-00:06:47) Milo states that she was born in Palm Springs. (00:16:23-00:16:25) She says her birthday is in January. (00:48 ...
was cast as Coco and Madame Foster. From season two onwards, Milo also lent her voice to Cheese. DeLisle also voiced Goo after the character's debut in season three.
''Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends'' premiered on August 13, 2004, as a 90-minute
special titled "
House of Bloo's". The series' run began on August 20 on its normal timeslot of Fridays at 7:00 PM.
The special was Cartoon Network's highest-rated premiere at the time.
18 shorts were produced from 2006 to 2007. In addition to the premiere episode, two other specials were produced: "
Good Wilt Hunting", which premiered on November 23, 2006, and "
Destination: Imagination", which premiered on November 27, 2008.
The final episode, titled "Goodbye to Bloo", aired on May 3, 2009, preceded by a 6-hour marathon of other episodes from the series. McCracken expressed a certain sadness at the series' end, but stated that he was "crazy proud of the work" that he and the production team had done "on Foster's and the fact that it worked just the way
heywanted it to". During its original run, ''Foster's'' was one of Cartoon Network's highest-rated shows.
The show proved to be popular among both younger and older audiences.
Reception
Critical response
''Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends'' received critical acclaim and became one of Cartoon Network's most successful original series. Anita Gates of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' praised the series' premiere -hour episode and stated that the series would promise to be an "admirable tale of loyalty and adventure-based learning with a contagious sense of fun".
Mike Pinsky, in a review on ''
DVD Verdict
DVD Verdict was a judicial-themed website for DVD reviews. The site was founded in 1999. The editor-in-chief was Michael Stailey, who owned the website between 2004 and 2016, and the site employed a large editorial staff of critics, whose revie ...
'', praised the art design and the characterizations, particularly singling out Cheese as possibly "the quintessence of Foster's surreal charm" in his Season 2 review. David Cornelius of ''
DVD Talk
DVD Talk is a home video news and review website launched in 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman.
History
Kleinman founded the site in January 1999 in Beaverton, Oregon. Besides news and reviews, it features information on hidden DVD features known as ...
'' called the series "one of the best shows of any kind
hen
Hen commonly refers to a female animal: a female chicken, other gallinaceous bird, any type of bird in general, or a lobster. It is also a slang term for a woman.
Hen, HEN or Hens may also refer to:
Places Norway
*Hen, Buskerud, a village in R ...
on television, a winner for viewers of any age" and "a wildly inventive mix of creative wonder, comic genius, and well-crafted chaos". In a Season 2 review, also on ''DVD Talk'', Cornelius called the show "flat-out perfect". Joly Herman of
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media (CSM) is an American nonprofit organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children. , an advocacy group focused on appropriate technology and media for children, was less enthusiastic about the show, rating it 2 stars out of 5. Herman praised the creativity and diversity of the characters and the show's premise, but criticized the storyline and writing, which presented "confusing messages" for young children.
The series was named the 85th best animated series of all time in a list of the top 100 animated series by ''
IGN
''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
'', which called it very funny and endearing.
''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' named the show the sixth best Cartoon Network show in their top 10 list, praising its "catchy magical-realist setting" and the characters "you genuinely learned to care about".
Awards
''Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends'' received many industry accolades. The series received 12 awards out of a total of 35 nominations. At the
Annie Awards
The Annie Awards are accolades which the Los Angeles branch of the International Animated Film Association, ASIFA-Hollywood, has presented each year since 1972 to recognize excellence in animation shown in American cinema and television. Origi ...
, the show received a total of 20 nominations from 2004 to 2009, and won 5, including Best Animated Television Production in 2007. At the
Emmy Awards
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
, the show received nine nominations, and won seven awards, including five Outstanding Individual Achievements in Animation and one Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or More) award. At the 2005 Pulcinella Awards, ''Foster's'' received the award for Best TV Series for All Audiences and Bloo was named "Best Character of the Year." At the
22nd TCA Awards, the show received a nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Children's Programming. At the 2007
Ottawa International Animation Festival
The Ottawa International Animation Festival is an annual animated film and media festival that takes place in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The OIAF was founded in 1975, with the first festival held from August 10 to 15 in 1976. Initially organized b ...
, the series won Best Television Animation for Children.
Merchandising and media
Video games
There are 2 video games based on ''Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends''. The first has the same name as the show and was developed by Collision Studios and
published
Publishing is the activities of making information, literature, music, software, and other content, physical or digital, available to the public for sale or free of charge. Traditionally, the term publishing refers to the creation and distribu ...
by
Crave Entertainment
Crave Entertainment (aka Crave Games) was an American video game publisher founded in 1997 by Nima Taghavi. Its headquarters was in Newport Beach, California. It was acquired by Handleman Company in 2005 in a deal valued up to $95,000,000 but w ...
for the
Game Boy Advance
The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console, manufactured by Nintendo, which was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, and to international markets that June. It was later released in mainland China in 2004, under the name iQue Game Boy Advanc ...
. It was released on October 17, 2006. In the game, players control Mac or Bloo while collecting items to complete objectives.
Jack Devries of ''
IGN
''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
'' rated it a 5 1/2 out of 10, stating that it "falls short" and is "skippable".
The second game, titled ''Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends: Imagination Invaders'', was developed by
Sensory Sweep and published by
Midway on November 12, 2007, for the
Nintendo DS
The is a foldable handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens worki ...
. In the game, the player controls Bloo, who performs tasks and completes quests while fighting against "Space Nut Boogies".
Devries rated it 4 out of 10, calling it "terrible to play" and "completely worthless".
Characters from the show also appear on the games ''
Cartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion'' and ''
FusionFall''.
On May 15, 2006,
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network (CN) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the Cartoon Network, Inc., a sub-division of the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks division of Warner Bros. Discovery. It launched on ...
introduced an online game, ''Big Fat Awesome House Party'', which allowed players to create an online friend to join Bloo and the others in a one-year game online, earning points that would give them gifts, cards and other online "merchandise" for their albums. A player's friend, made from one of over 900,000 possible characters, could wind up in a future episode of ''Foster's''.
Over 13 million users were registered to play the game after its launch in May 2006. Because of its success and popularity, Cartoon Network announced in May 2007 that the game would continue for six more months, into November of that year.
Promotions and products
From 2006 to 2008, Cartoon Network made a ''Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends'' float as part of the
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade in New York City presented by the American-based department store chain Macy's. The Parade first took place in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States ...
. The float was fashioned as a replica of the home.
On Thanksgiving Day, 2006, characters from the show performed
the Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
' "
With a Little Help from My Friends". In 2007, the characters performed "You're My Best Friend" by Queen. In 2008, the characters' performance of
Harry Nilsson
Harry Edward Nilsson III (June 15, 1941 – January 15, 1994), sometimes credited as Nilsson, was an American singer-songwriter who reached the peak of his success in the early 1970s. His work is characterized by pioneering vocal overdub experi ...
's theme song to ''
The Courtship of Eddie's Father'' later reused for ''
Rob & Big'' was interrupted by
Rick Astley
Richard Paul Astley (born 6 February 1966) is an English singer, radio DJ and podcaster. He gained fame through his association with the production trio Stock Aitken Waterman, releasing the 1987 album ''Whenever You Need Somebody'', which sol ...
singing "
Never Gonna Give You Up
"Never Gonna Give You Up" is a pop song by English singer Rick Astley, released on 27 July 1987. The song is widely regarded as Astley's most popular, as well as his List of signature songs, signature song, and it is often played at the end o ...
", reproducing the Internet phenomenon of
Rickrolling.
In 2006, the network promoted the show with billboards that read "I pooted" and "I'm a hot toe picker" (as said by Cheese and Bloo, respectively) in about 25 cities within the United States, one being placed next to Interstate 40/85 through
Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro (; ) is a city in Guilford County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 299,035; it was estimated to be 307,381 in 2024. It is the List of municipalitie ...
. Some time later, one of the "I pooted" billboards (along
U.S. Route 29
U.S. Route 29 or U.S. Highway 29 (US 29) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs for from Pensacola, Florida, to Ellicott City, Maryland, just west of Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland, in the Eastern United Stat ...
) was taken down due to concerns by the
North Carolina A&T State University
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (also known as North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina A&T, N.C. A&T, or simply A&T) is a public university, public, Historically black colleges and universities, historicall ...
. One of their associates, who claimed the advertisement did not represent their purpose and mission, said that "some people didn't understand if this was something in connection with the university." Both parties came to an agreement, and the billboard was replaced with one that read "Shiny, shiny. Pretty, pretty", a line from the cartoon ''
My Gym Partner's a Monkey
''My Gym Partner's a Monkey'' is an American animated television series created by Tim Cahill (producer), Tim Cahill and Julie McNally Cahill for Cartoon Network. It aired from December 26, 2005, to November 27, 2008, ending with a total of fou ...
''.
In March 2006, toys of characters from the show were featured in
Burger King
Burger King Corporation (BK, stylized in all caps) is an American multinational chain store, chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. Headquartered in Miami-Dade County, Florida, the company was founded in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacks ...
's Kids Meals.
In December 2007, Cartoon Network and
Hot Topic
Hot Topic, Inc. is an American fast-fashion company specializing in counterculture-related clothing and accessories, as well as licensed music. The stores are aimed towards an audience interested in rock music and video gaming, and most of the ...
retail stores in the United States set up a boutique for a product line based on the series, with over 693 locations featuring products such as clothing, accessories and
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...
releases by
Warner Home Video
Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment, Inc. (doing business as Warner Bros. Home Entertainment; formerly known as Warner Home Video and WCI Home Video and sometimes credited as Warner Home Entertainment) is the American home video distribution ...
.
Home media
The episodes from the series are available for digital purchase on
iTunes
iTunes is a media player, media library, and mobile device management (MDM) utility developed by Apple. It is used to purchase, play, download and organize digital multimedia on personal computers running the macOS and Windows operating s ...
and
Amazon Video
Amazon Prime Video, known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming television service owned by Amazon. The service primarily distributes films and television series produced or co-produced by ...
, with the exception of
the Christmas special. The show's second season was available on
Netflix
Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
until March 2015. All 6 seasons were added to Hulu in May 2015 until its removal from the service on October 1, 2022. The show was available to watch on
HBO Max
Max (known in other countries as, and soon to be reverted globally to HBO Max) is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. It is a proprietary unit of Warner Bros. Discovery Streaming on behalf of Home Box Of ...
from May 2020 until it was removed in May 2023.
Notes
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends
2000s American animated television series
2000s American children's comedy television series
2000s American comedy-drama television series
2000s American sitcoms
2004 American animated television series debuts
2009 American television series endings
American animated sitcoms
American children's animated adventure television series
American children's animated comedy television series
American children's animated drama television series
American children's animated fantasy television series
American children's television sitcoms
American flash animated television series
Animated television series about birds
Animated television series about children
Animated television series about orphans
Television series by Cartoon Network Studios
American English-language television shows
Television series created by Craig McCracken
Works about imaginary friends
Cartoon Network sitcoms