All 13 Original Cartoon Network Shows of the 1990s, Ranked

Founded in 1992, Cartoon Network started as a platform for Turner Broadcasting to air the numerous cartoons they had acquired, including the acclaimed series by Hanan-Barbera. New series were quickly produced, and the channel grew in popularity, becoming equal to Disney and Nickelodeon in producing high-quality animated shows. In the 2010s, Cartoon Network saw a second boom with the release of acclaimed shows like Adventure Time and Regular Show.

Of course, this legacy wouldn’t have been achieved if not for the original lineup of shows that debuted from 1992 to 1999. While a few of these original programs have been forgotten over time, others are still fondly remembered for establishing the tone and feel of future Cartoon Network shows.

13

‘The Moxy Show’ (1993–1995)

Directed by George Evelyn, Tim Boxell, and Greg Harrison

Moxy (Bobcat Goldthwait) is an anthropomorphic dog who wants to star in a cartoon show. While he waits for his dream to come true, he and his friend Flea (Penn Jillette and Chris Rock) host a show where they play old Warner Bros and Hanna-Barbera cartoons. Sometimes some really weird things happen, like getting abducted by space monkeys.

The Moxy Show is the first show to air on Cartoon Network, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a lot of information about it due to it never receiving a home media release. There really isn’t much to say about the program though: outside of getting some recognizable names to voice the characters, the show is light on story, and Moxy only exists to be a framing device for the shots. However, the show was one of the earliest uses of motion capture, which allowed the show to be animated in real-time.

12

‘Big Bag’ (1996–1998)

Created by Joey Mazzarino and Selena Nelson

Chelli (Joey Mazzarino) is a Muppet dog who works at a general store with his friends, a sentient bag named Bag (Rickey Boyd), and a human woman named Molly (Selena Nelson). The three of them got up to various adventures in which they would learn valuable life lessons. Interspaced with their adventures were a variety of animated segments.

Big Bag is Cartoon Network’s first live-action series and one of the few shows on the network targeted at preschoolers. The show was made in partnership with the Children’s Television Workshop—now called Sesame Workshop—and featured puppets made by The Jim Henson Company. Sadly, while the show had some charm to it, it couldn’t keep the audience’s attention and was canceled after two seasons.

11

‘Mike, Lu, & Og’ (1999–2001)

Created by Charles Swenson, Mikhail Shindel, and Mikhail Aldashin

Mike Mazinsky (Nika Futterman) is a young girl from Manhattan who is sent to an island in the Pacific Ocean as part of her school’s foreign exchange student program. She makes friends with two siblings: Lu (Nancy Cartwright), a self-proclaimed island princess, and Og (Dee Bradley Baker), a soft-spoken child genius. The three get up to small adventures on the island and are happy to share their respective cultures.

Mike, Lu, & Og was sandwiched between more wacky and creative shows, leading to it becoming one of Cartoon Network’s more forgotten programs. Still, the show managed to carve out its own identity thanks to its laid-back style, enjoyable characters, and colorful art style. Plus, the message about exchanging cultures is well-meaning and encourages viewers to look into customs that might be foreign to them, even if some of the island stereotypes wouldn’t hold up by today’s standards.

10

‘The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest’ (1996–1997)

Created by Doug Wildey

Jonny Quest (D Roth and Quinton Flynn) is a young boy who travels the world with his father, Dr. Benton Quest (George Segal and John de Lancie), his adopted brother Haji (Michael Benyear and Rob Paulsen), his sister Jessie (Jesse Douglas and Jennifer Hale), dog Bandit (Frank Welker), and bodyguard Race Bannon (Robert Patrick, Granville Van Dusen, and Robert Foxworth). They go to exotic locations in order to investigate mysterious activities. This often leads them to clash with evil organizations, such as Dr. Quest’s arch nemesis, Dr. Zin (Clyde Kusatsu).

The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest was an attempt to re-brand Jonny Quest for an older audience by making the characters older and focusing more on action. Unfortunately, the show didn’t last long due to poor toy sales, and its second season was a separate Jonny Quest show with a different production team, resulting in a disjointed narrative and shift in tone. Still, it has managed to gain a cult following from those who grew up with it.

9

‘I Am Weasel’ (1997–2000)

Created by David Feiss

I.M. Weasel (Michael Dorn) is a well-spoken and famous weasel loved the world over for his kind and heroic attitude. Meanwhile, I. R. Baboon (Charlie Adler) is jealous of Weasel’s success and frequently tries to one-up him, though his stupidity makes him his own worst enemy. Despite this, the two are best friends, mainly because Weasel’s good samaritan nature means that he can’t abandon Baboon.

Beginning life as a segment on one of the best Cartoon Cartoons, Cow and Chicken, I Am Weasel has a similar level of surreal off-the-wall visuals and humor that comes from contrasting personalities. Each episode offered a mix of absurdist situations and pop culture references, and as the show went on, Weasel and Baboon teamed up more often, allowing the two to work as partners, resulting in even more laughs. Later seasons also brought in the antagonistic Red Guy (Charlie Adler), who proved to be just as entertaining here as in Cow & Chicken.

8

‘What A Cartoon!’ (1995–1997)

Created by Fred Seibert

Created by then Hanna-Barbera president Fred Seibert, What a Cartoon! was an ambitious project meant to harken back to the theatrical shorts of the Golden Age of Animation. Forty-eight cartoons were produced to, as Seibert said, “succeed or fail,” and thus help the company come up with ideas for original shows. This also gave near full creative control to the team behind each short, resulting in varying different animation styles, writing, and music.

What a Cartoon! succeeded in its goal. Five shorts would go on to become beloved shows for Cartoon Network: Dexter’s Laboratory, The Powerpuff Girls, Johnny Bravo, Cow and Chicken, and Courage the Cowardly Dog. Another short, Larry & Steve, would later evolve into Family Guy.

7

‘Johnny Bravo’ (1997–2004)

Created by Van Partible

Johnny (Jeff Bennett) is a shade-wearing man with more muscles than brains. Each day, Johnny gets up to some new misadventure in his pursuit of love, though his egotism tends to get him a slap more than a kiss. This does little to break Johnny’s ego, and he’s always eager to try again while running into celebrities like Adam West, Donny Osmund, and “Weird Al” Yankovic.

Johnny Bravo is an example of a show that knew how to blend multiple sources of humor. These included pop culture references, making episodes that parody well-known stories like Green Eggs & Ham, and copious amounts of slapstick. Johnny also remains one of the most recognized and beloved Cartoon Network characters thanks to his quick quips, larger-than-life personality, and Jeff Bennett’s fantastic performance.

6

‘Cow and Chicken’ (1997–1999)

Created by David Feiss

Somehow, two human parents become parents to a cynical Chicken (Charlie Adler) and an ecstatic Cow (Charlie Adler). The two get up to many misadventures in their day-to-day lives, in which they are often pestered by the Red Guy, a big-butted devil who bothers the siblings for fun. Naturally, high levels of cartoon shenanigans occur.

Cow & Chicken is by far the best show that copied the absurd, disturbing, and gross humor of The Ren & Stimpy Show. Its surreal, often nonsensical plots are peppered with slapstick comedy and strange visual gags that toe the line of what would be considered acceptable for kids, which makes the jokes even funnier. Adler’s work on the show more than earns him the title of man of a thousand voices, as he manages to inject personality into all three of the main characters, and several side characters, while ensuring they sound nothing alike.

5

‘Space Ghost Coast to Coast’ (1994–2008)

Created by Mike Lazzo

Space Ghost (George Lowe) was once a renowned superhero but has since retired and started his own talk show. Assisting him are two of his former villains: Zorak (C. Martin Croker), who leads the show’s band, and Moltar (C. Martin Croker), who serves as its director and producer. Though Space Ghost secures some big-name celebrities for his show, things tend to devolve into pure insanity.

Space Ghost Coast to Coast was the first series produced by Cartoon Network, using stock footage from the iconic Hanna-Barbera series, Space Ghost. The show is in a league of its own when it comes to surreal humor, as Space Ghost will randomly shift from one ramble to another while his guests can do nothing but stare in confusion. Its success led to other shows with limited animation and impossibly weird humor, including The Brak Show and Aqua Teen Hunger Force.

4

‘Dexter’s Laboratory’ (1996–2003)

Created by Genndy Tartakovsky

Dexter (Christine Cavanaugh and Candi Milo) is a child genius who constructed a secret laboratory in his room where he creates all sorts of inventions. Despite his brilliant intellect, he is unable to keep his older sister, Dee Dee (Allison Moore and Kat Cressida), from entering the lab and causing disruptions. He also has to deal with his rival, Mandark (Eddie Deezen), another boy genius with a crush on Dee Dee who wishes to prove his superiority by destroying Dexter’s lab.

Dexter’s Laboratory was the first of Cartoon Network’s Cartoon Cartoons and the first series by acclaimed animator Genndy Tartakovsky. Its humor comes from its impeccable comedic timing, expressive animation, and contrast between Dexter and Dee Dee’s personalities. The plots for each episode were also varied and creative, from Dexter slowing down time so he wouldn’t miss his school bus to an episode that was written by a child who won a contest.

3

‘Courage the Cowardly Dog’ (1999–2002)

Created by John R. Dilworth

Courage (Marty Grabstein), is an anxiety-ridden dog living in Nowhere, Kansas with elderly couple Muriel (Thea White) and Eustace (Lionel Wilson and Arthur Anderson). While Muriel loves Courage dearly, Eustace thinks he is a “stupid dog,” and never misses a chance to torment him, especially with his scary mask. Despite living in the middle of Nowhere, the house is frequently targeted by supernatural events, forcing Courage to face his fears to save his loved ones.

Courage the Cowardly Dog is among Cartoon Network’s darkest shows. Beyond its creepy atmosphere and disturbing visuals, the show also tackled mature themes, such as domestic abuse and the cycle of hate, through clever metaphors and visual cues, leading to many emotionally charged episodes. Courage himself is perhaps one of Cartoon Network’s best protagonists: despite his fears, he always does what he can to save his family, and rather than resorting to violence, he defeats the monsters by outsmarting them.

2

‘The Powerpuff Girls’ (1998–2005)

Created by Craig McCracken

While trying to create the perfect little girls using sugar, spice, and everything nice, Professor Utonium (Tom Kane) accidentally added Chemical X to the mix. The result was three superpowered girls named Blossom (Cathy Cavadini), Bubbles (Tara Strong), and Buttercup (E. G. Daily), whom the Professor adopted. When not going to school, the girls use their powers to protect the city of Townsville from a plethora of dangers, including kaiju, supervillains, and natural disasters.

The Powerpuff Girls is a hilarious spoof of the superhero genre where the heroes are little kids and many of its best villains act like ordinary citizens when not committing evil. The adorable design of the girls is masterfully contrasted with over-the-top violent battles and witty jokes that feel more aimed at adults. Still, the show never took itself too seriously, which helped audiences fall in love with its wide cast of memorable characters, including the childish mayor (Tom Kenny) and his competent but faceless assistant, Miss Sara Bellum (Jennifer Martin).

1

‘Ed, Edd n Eddy’ (1999–2009)

Created by Danny Antonucci

In an unassuming cul-de-sac live the Edds, consisting of Ed (Matt Hill), a lovable idiot, Edd (Sam Vincent) – also known as Double D – a germaphobic inventor, and Eddy (Tony Sampson), the short-tempered leader. Every day, the trio attempt to swindle the other kids in their neighborhood so they can buy jawbreakers. However, their plans always backfire because of ill fortune, Eddy’s ego, or interference from the dreaded Kanker Sisters.

Ed, Edd n Eddy is the longest-running original Cartoon Network series, and remains one of their most original in terms of art style and humor. The best way to describe the show is oddball: the humor was a mixture of gross-out images and slapstick straight out of The Three Stooges. The camaraderie between the Edds is what really made it click, thanks to their varying but hilarious personalities, talented voice actors, and how well they played off one another to create a believable trio of dysfunctional friends.

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