Since its debut in 1992, Cartoon Network has been host to a wide variety of animated shows. From the likes of The Powerpuff Girls to modern series like Craig of the Creek, the network has triumphed in its prolific history of entertaining kids and kids at heart.
But for every Ed, Edd n Eddy or Steven Universe they put out, there's bound to be a program or 10 that have slipped through the public consciousness.
If you remember any of these long-lost shows, you may just be among the most elite of Cartoon Network viewers.
Believe it or not, Space Ghost Coast to Coast was the very first original show ever fully produced by Cartoon Network. However, its more kid-friendly spin-off, Cartoon Planet, has rarely been heard of since its time on the air.
The show isn't too dissimilar from Space Ghost, as it still features the title character, Zorak, and Brak riffing off of one other with snarky deliveries and laser blasts to the face (OK, that's mainly just Zorak taking those).
But while Coast to Coast followed a talk show format, Cartoon Planet was more of a sketch comedy. Classic Hanna-Barbera cartoons would also play in between the trio's skits.
9. I Am Weasel
A weasel with a big brain is paired with a dimwitted baboon. Cue shenanigans!
This series actually started life as a segment of Cow And Chicken, which was essentially Cartoon Network's answer to Nickelodeon's Ren and Stimpy.
I Am Weasel is not as absurdly zany as the aforementioned shows, but it does provide its own flavor of antics through the random adventures the duo embark on.
8. Grim & Evil
“But wait,” you may be shouting at your computer, “I thought The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy was quite popular!”
And … well, it is! But Billy & Mandy wasn’t actually the debut of the title characters.
The show actually started out as Grim & Evil, and originally shared the spotlight with another show, produced by the same crew, known as Evil Con Carne.
Eventually, however, the team decided it would be easier to just work on one show — Billy & Mandy taking home the win. With that in motion, the characters from Evil Con Carne would also make their way into Billy & Mandy episodes.
7. Megas XLR
Poor, poor Megas XLR. Despite the promising concept of teenage slackers manning a giant robot mech to save the Earth, this show didn’t even last a full year on the air.
Being a parody of mecha anime, a revival could receive much higher ratings in this modern era where we now proudly binge Japanese media.
6. Dude, What Would Happen?
Dude, what would happen if you had a network for cartoons air live-action programs instead of cartoons?
You get a messy selection of forgettable shows.
Dude, What Would Happen was one of those. It stars a pair of teens doing random stuff for the sake of figuring out the answers to questions no one asked.
It’s as one-note as it sounds, and that's most likely why no one noticed when it went away.
5. Whatever Happened to Robot Jones?
No cartoon title has ever been as ironic as this one, as Robot Jones is never really talked about in the annals of Cartoon Network shows. Which is weird, because you'd think a show about a robot trying to fit in as a student in elementary school would have sparked many a youth's curiosity.
Amusingly, there are two versions of the show—it originally had the title character’s voice as text-to-speech, but later re-runs would feature a child actor’s voice instead.
4. Class of 3000
A musical animated series created by none other than André 3000, of Outkast and other musical fame, Class of 3000 had style, fluidity, and a tune you can sing along to.
Unfortunately, multiple issues ended up preventing the series from getting any more time on the screen come 2007. This came from a deadly combination of budget constraints, low ratings, André 3000 missing deadlines, and Cartoon Network manager Jim Samples resigning over the mismanagement that was the 2007 Boston Mooninite Panic.
3. Mixels
Believe it or not, this series was co-produced by The LEGO Group. While LEGO had a fair amount of presence on Cartoon Network via Ninjago and Legends of Chima, Mixels wasn't animated with CGI.
Instead, Mixels was made with Toon Boom and didn’t really look like it could be associated with LEGO.
This show aired around the same time as Teen Titans Go was getting started. Given the monster hit TTG ended up being, it's not surprising Mixels was overshadowed and relegated to Cartoon Network lore.
2. Out of Jimmy’s Head
A few years prior to the live-action push in 2009, Cartoon Network aired a direct-to-TV movie consisting of a mixture of live-action and animated elements: Re-Animated.
Out of Jimmy’s Head continued the story Re-Animated established, following the exploits of a kid who possesses a cartoonist’s brain—ergo he sees cartoon characters in real life while no one else does.
It’s a shame the premise never really took off beyond this series. Modern technologies could have done this concept justice.
1. The Moxy Show
Predating Space Ghost Coast to Coast by four months, The Moxy Show was similar to Cartoon Planet with classic cartoons occupying some of the runtime.
However, the series is known for its CGI character, Moxy, as it was the first of its kind.
It also failed to get any sort of significant audience, as the show never went into replay nor did the pilot for a 1995 follow-up, The Moxy & Flea Show, attract enough viewers to warrant more episodes.
The entire series, as a result, is considered to be lost media.
Written by Ryan Silberman.
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