Boys, let’s give 'em a show they'll never forget! Anything goes!"

On the heels of success with their late night talk show hit, Space Ghost: Coast to Coast, the geniuses at Cartoon Network moved forward and introduced Cartoon Planet.  Our favorite legendary superhero, Space Ghost, recruited his arch nemesis Zorak and the then-little known Brak, to help him host a variety program.  Originally an hour-long, each episode included cartoons from the Turner film library, which included old theatrical shorts, Hanna-Barbera action shorts, and even some of the original 1960s Space Ghost episodes.  New shorts were included as well, featuring Popeye, Looney Tunes, and the more recently introduced 2 Stupid Dogs. 

In between the cartoon shorts, Cartoon Planet featured ‘filler’ material, created by using old animation from Space Ghost and Dino Boy cartoons.  Some of the most memorable Cartoon Planet moments were born of the limited movement the characters had as a result.  Dialogue and situations had to be created around the lack of movement, giving us bumper-bits like “Brak’s Cartoon Planet Monday Ratings Report,” “Zorak’s Horror Scopes, random poetry readings and sing-alongs, opening the “mailbag,” even cooking lessons and messages from Mr. Blinky, Space Ghost’s imaginary friend.  Unpredictability at its finest!

Soon, the filler overtook the cartoon shorts in popularity, and the original intent to find use for this vaulted ‘stuff’ was dropped.  Focusing entirely on the sketches and interactions between the hosting characters, Cartoon Planet switched from an hour-long daily show to a once-a-week half-hour program.  Each episode was henceforth titled, brilliantly, with names like “Forbidden Socks,” “The Mantis from Atlantis” and “The Night the Lights Went Out on Cartoon Planet.” 

The popular program went on to become a Cartoon Network classic and inspired CD compilations like Modern Music for Swinging Superheroes, Space Ghost’s Musical Bar-B-Que and Space Ghost’s Surf & Turf.  With re-runs popping up from time to time, it’s guaranteed to bring new generations smiles once more.