184-455: The fifth season of Adventure Time , an American animated television series created by Pendleton Ward , premiered on Cartoon Network on November 12, 2012 and concluded on March 17, 2014, and was produced by Frederator Studios and Cartoon Network Studios . The season follows the adventures of Finn , a human boy, and his best friend and adoptive brother Jake , a dog with magical powers to change shape and size at will. Finn and Jake live in
368-485: A TCA Award , and a Sundance Film Festival Award , among others. Of the many comic book spin-offs based on the series, one received an Eisner Award and two Harvey Awards . The series has also spawned various forms of licensed merchandise , including books, video games and clothing. Adventure Time follows the adventures of a boy named Finn the Human (voiced by Jeremy Shada ), and his best friend and adoptive brother Jake
552-437: A Glitch" and "Food Chain" are each unique, featuring animation courtesy of OReilly and Yuasa, respectively. Finally, the series finale, "Come Along With Me", features an introduction offering viewers a glimpse of future Ooo, 1,000 years after Finn and Jake. This intro features the new characters Shermy and Beth and is sung by the latter (voiced by Willow Smith ). The series regularly features songs and musical numbers. Many of
736-434: A better idea and the ball just starts rolling like that". Because of the busy schedule of writing and coordinating a television series, the writers did not have time to play Dungeons and Dragons , but they still wrote stories they would "want to be playing D&D with". Sometimes, the writers and storyboard artists convened and played writing games. One game that was often used is called exquisite corpse ; one writer starts
920-424: A better sense of what was on Pen's mind", according to Frederator's vice president Eric Homan. Ward and his college friends Patrick McHale and Adam Muto (the former of whom served as a writer, storyboard artist, and creative director for the show during its first few seasons, while the latter served as a storyboard artist and creative director for the show before becoming its showrunner) began developing ideas, all
1104-447: A bunch of atomic bombs at the end of it". Ward later called this version "really silly". He sent the draft to Cartoon Network; they did not like it and wanted something more graphical like the introduction to The Brady Bunch . Inspired by the title sequences of The Simpsons and Pee-wee's Playhouse , Ward developed a new title sequence featuring a panning sweep of the Land of Ooo while
1288-487: A desire for sophisticated (i.e., weird) writing and plain old silliness". Adventure Time has been complimented for its resemblance to cartoons of the past. In an article for the Los Angeles Times , television critic Robert Lloyd compared the series to "the sort of cartoons they made when cartoons themselves were young and delighted in bringing all things to rubbery life". Robert Mclaughlin of Den of Geek expressed
1472-572: A different letter grade ; the season received four C's, twenty B's, and twenty-six A's. In June 2013, the series was nominated for "Best Animated Series" at the 2013 Critics' Choice Television Awards , although it lost to the FX series Archer . At the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards , "Simon & Marcy", was later nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Short-format Animation , and former character designer Andy Ristaino won an Emmy for "Outstanding Individual Achievement In Animation" for his character designs in
1656-523: A great majority of the series' episodes were animated by Korean animation studios, Adventure Time occasionally featured guest animators and directors. For instance, the second-season episode " Guardians of Sunshine " was partly rendered in 3-D to emulate the style of a video game. The fifth-season episode " A Glitch is a Glitch " was written and directed by Irish filmmaker and writer David OReilly and features his distinctive 3-D animation. Animator James Baxter animated select scenes and characters in both
1840-603: A large collection of animated programming, including the libraries of Warner Bros. ( Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies ), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ( Tom and Jerry ), Hanna-Barbera ( The Flintstones , Scooby-Doo , Snorks ), and DC Comics ( Superman , Batman , Wonder Woman , Justice League and Teen Titans ). Turner's ownership of Hanna-Barbera gave the network access to an established animation studio, something its rivals didn't have. Most of these series were removed by 1999 and moved to Boomerang in 2000. Much of Cartoon Network's original programming originates from
2024-421: A male character named Mr. Cream Puff, her exact sexuality, unlike Marceline's, has not been confirmed. As such, reviewers have argued that she is either bisexual, non-binary, queer, lesbian, or a combination of some of the latter, as both live in a world where " sexuality is somewhat fluid ." Much of the series' LGBTQ+ representation was the result of storyboard artist Rebecca Sugar , who soon after joining
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#17330937367392208-903: A massive multiplayer game released on January 14, 2009, and shut down on August 29, 2013. Cartoon Network has produced various films, most of them being television films; the only films from Cartoon Network that had a theatrical release are The Powerpuff Girls Movie (Cartoon Network Studios), Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters (Williams Street), Regular Show: The Movie (Cartoon Network Studios) and Teen Titans Go! To The Movies (Warner Bros. Animation and DC Entertainment ). Cartoon Network registered its official website, CartoonNetwork.com, on January 9, 1996. It officially launched on July 27, 1998. Sam Register served as Cartoon Network Online's senior vice president and creative director from 1997 to 2001, and Rob Sorcher served as executive vice president and head of Cartoon Network Online. In its early years, small studios partnered with
2392-630: A mature audience, in contrast to the all-ages, preteen daytime programming of Cartoon Network. As a result, Adult Swim is treated by Nielsen as a separate channel in its ratings reports (similar to Nickelodeon 's Nick at Nite block) and marketed as such because of its differing target demographics. The block broadcasts both animated and live-action shows (including original programming, reruns of animated sitcoms , and other action and anime series) generally with minimal or no editing for content. As of September 2023, Adult Swim broadcasts daily from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. ET/PT. Initially airing in
2576-480: A menacing but largely misunderstood ice wizard; Marceline the Vampire Queen ( Olivia Olson ), a thousand-year-old vampire and rock music enthusiast; Lumpy Space Princess (Pendleton Ward), a melodramatic and immature princess made out of "lumps"; BMO ( Niki Yang ), a sentient video game console-shaped robot that lives with Finn and Jake; and Flame Princess ( Jessica DiCicco ), a flame elemental and ruler of
2760-522: A mobile app that provides the latest full episodes, a live stream from the East and West coast, games, and the network's schedule. Cartoon Network Books is the book licensor established in 2015. It licenses books based on various Cartoon Network franchises. In 2011, Cartoon Network characters were featured in a four-player mascot brawler fighting game similar to Nintendo 's Super Smash Bros. video game series called Cartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion for
2944-471: A network to house these programs. On February 18, 1992, Turner Broadcasting announced its plans to launch Cartoon Network as an outlet for an animation library. On March 12, 1992, its namesake parent company was founded one month after Turner's plan was announced. On October 1, 1992, the network officially launched as the first 24-hour single-genre cable channel with animation as its main theme. In 1994, Hanna-Barbera's new division Cartoon Network Studios
3128-420: A number of best-of lists. Entertainment Weekly ranked it number 20 (out of 25) in a list of the "Greatest Animated TV Series". Similarly, The A.V. Club , in a non-ranked run-down of the "best animated series ever", called the series "one of the most distinctive cartoons currently on the air". The show has also received limited criticism from reviewers. LeChevallier, in an otherwise largely positive review of
3312-461: A number of cast members, including Maria Bamford and Andy Milonakis . The series finale aired on September 3, 2018 to largely positive reception. On October 23, 2019, Cartoon Network announced that four hour-long specials—collectively titled Adventure Time: Distant Lands —would air on HBO Max . The specials aired between 2020 and 2021. On August 17, 2021, it was announced that a second spin-off, Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake , focusing on
3496-412: A one-hit wonder". Rob Sorcher, the chief content officer at Cartoon Network, was influential in getting the network to take a chance on the show; he recognized the series as "something that felt really indie ... comic book-y [and] new". Cartoon Network asked Ward to submit a sample script for their consideration, but Frederator convinced him to rough out a storyboard instead, as "a board would give
3680-450: A relaunch of Adult Swim's Saturday night anime block. Toonami's current incarnation is similar to that of "Midnight Run", a special version of the block that originally ran on Saturday nights and was the forerunner for Adult Swim. The block is best known for its branding and aesthetic, including its animated host, a robot named TOM, that was later voiced by Steve Blum . The Toonami brand was also used internationally for dedicated networks in
3864-527: A similar sentiment when he wrote that Adventure Time "is the first cartoon in a long time that is pure imagination". He complimented the show for "its non-reliance on continually referencing pop culture". Eric Kohn of IndieWire said the show "represents the progress of [cartoon] medium" in the current decade. A number of reviews have positively compared the series and its creators to other culturally significant works and individuals, respectively. In 2013, Entertainment Weekly reviewer Darren Franich called
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#17330937367394048-406: A solid color in the background. The sequence was finalized immediately before the series aired. The show's eponymous theme song is sung by Ward, accompanied by a ukulele . It is first heard in the pilot episode; in that version, Ward is accompanied by an acoustic guitar. For the version used in the series, Ward sang in a higher register to match the ukulele's range. The theme song's final version
4232-529: A story on a sheet of paper, and another writer tries to finish it. But while a few episodes (such as the fifth-season episode " Puhoy " and the sixth-season episode " Jake the Brick ") have been generated using this game, Ward has said that "the ideas are usually terrible". Former storyboard artist and creative director Cole Sanchez said episode scripts are either created by expanding the good ideas produced by these writing games, or are based on an idea proposed by
4416-521: A storyboard artist in the hope it can be developed into an episode. After the writers pitched stories, the ideas were compiled onto a two-or-three-page outline that contained "the important beats". The episodes were then passed to storyboard artists (often called "boarders"). While many cartoons are based on script pitches to network executives, Cartoon Network allowed Adventure Time to "build their own teams organically" and communicate using storyboards and animatics . Rob Sorcher said this novel approach
4600-450: A synthesizer note rose slowly until the main theme was played. Ward's draft for this idea was handed to layout animators, who then finalized the timing for the sequence. From there, the sequence evolved; while Ward added "silly character stuff", Patrick McHale focused his attention on the Ice King's shot and gave him a "high school [year]book" smile. The crew also struggled to get the shadows in
4784-488: A temp track, ambient noises can be heard throughout. For instance, the sound of Derek Drymon typing can be heard while Jake is walking through the Ice Kingdom. According to Ward, much of the series' music has similar "hiss and grit" because one of the show's original composers, Casey James Basichis, "lives in a pirate ship he's built inside of an apartment [and] you can hear floorboards squeak and lots of other weird sounds". As
4968-451: A week to "thumbnail" (roughly sketch out) a storyboard and fill in the details complete with action, dialogue, and jokes. The series' showrunner and his creative directors then reviewed the storyboard and made notes. The artists were then given another week to implement the notes and to clean up the episode. Storyboard writing and revising usually took up to a month. Following the writing revisions, voice actors would record their parts for
5152-521: A week. Starting in November 2014, the show began to air new episodes via "bombs", or weeks in which new episodes debuted every day. This change in airing style disrupted the viewing patterns of some fans, as Dave Trumbore of Collider explained: "Back when [the show] was regularly airing in a more traditional schedule, it was a little easier to keep track of the completely insane episodes full of half-explained mythology and lots and lots of non-sequiturs. During
5336-541: Is a preschool programming brand owned by Warner Bros, first launched in 2006 for use in international markets. In February 2021, it was announced that Cartoonito would make its U.S. debut as a block on Cartoon Network and as a content brand on HBO Max ; the Cartoon Network block launched on September 13, 2021. Adult Swim (often stylized as [adult swim] or [as]) is the adult-oriented programming brand of Cartoon Network. The programs featured on Adult Swim are geared toward
5520-403: Is about my father dying". Critics have suggested that the show has grown and matured as it has aged. In a review of season four, for instance, Mike LeChevallier of Slant magazine complimented the show for "growing up" with its characters. He concluded that the series has "strikingly few faults" and awarded the fourth season three-and-a-half stars out of four. The series has been included on
5704-537: Is aimed at preschool -aged children, and evening block Adult Swim targets young adults aged 18 to 34. As of November 2023 , Cartoon Network is available to approximately 66 million pay television households in the United States—down from its peak of 100 million households in 2011. On August 9, 1986, Turner Broadcasting System acquired Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer / United Artists (MGM/UA). On October 18, Turner forcibly sold back MGM. However, Turner kept much of
Adventure Time season 5 - Misplaced Pages Continue
5888-464: Is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery . It is the flagship property of The Cartoon Network, Inc. , a division that also oversees Boomerang , Cartoonito , Discovery Family , Adult Swim , and Toonami . The channel is headquartered at 1050 Techwood Drive NW in Atlanta, Georgia . Founded by Betty Cohen (who was also appointed by Ted Turner as the first president of
6072-458: Is an American fantasy animated television series created by Pendleton Ward and co-produced by Frederator Studios for Cartoon Network . The series follows the adventures of a boy named Finn ( Jeremy Shada ) and his best friend and adoptive brother Jake ( John DiMaggio )—a dog with the power to change size and shape at will. Finn and Jake live in the post-apocalyptic Land of Ooo, where they interact with Princess Bubblegum ( Hynden Walch ),
6256-480: Is produced under the pseudonyms Alive and Kicking, Inc.; Rent Now Productions; and Factual Productions. Williams Street Productions (formerly Ghost Planet Industries) serves as the headquarters and production arm for Adult Swim , located at 1065 Williams Street NW in Atlanta , Georgia . It produces original animated and live-action programs, and is also responsible for programming Toonami as well as former Cartoon Network blocks such as Cartoon Planet , Miguzi , and
6440-536: Is showcased Monday through Thursday, consisting of Cartoon Network original series from the 1990s and 2000s (including Cartoon Cartoons such as Dexter's Laboratory , Ed, Edd n Eddy , Courage the Cowardly Dog and The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy ), while Fridays showcase classic Toonami programming as part of "Toonami Rewind". Additionally, movies are aired every Sunday under the ACME Night banner, which
6624-471: Is sung by Olson; the introduction to Islands (2017) adopts a nautical theme, highlights the principal characters in the miniseries, and is sung by Shada; and the intro to Elements (2017) features imagery reflecting the four primary elements in the Adventure Time universe (that is: fire, ice, slime, and candy) and is sung by Hynden Walch. The introductions to the guest-animated episodes "A Glitch Is
6808-420: Is the best Sci-Fi show on TV right now". He singled out "Simon & Marcy", praising the way in which the episode "deepen[ed] the world [of Ooo] in all kinds of morbidly fascinating ways." Furthermore, he compared the entry to Cormac McCarthy 's book The Road , specifically citing the similarities between the mutant creatures in the episode and the "demented people" in the latter. Kohn ultimately concluded that
6992-493: Is the production arm of the network's Latin American station , founded in 2004. Cartoon Network Games (formerly Cartoon Network Interactive) is the video game developer and publisher of video games based on Cartoon Network shows since 2000. Cartoon Network Enterprises is the network's global licensing and merchandising arm established in 2001. It distributes merchandises of various Cartoon Network brands. Cartoon Network has
7176-483: The Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake spin-off, which were released on Max . Two additional spin-offs, entitled Adventure Time: Side Quests and Adventure Time: Heyo BMO , have also been greenlit by Cartoon Network Studios as of June 2024. Adventure Time was a ratings success for Cartoon Network, with some of its episodes attracting over three million viewers, and despite being aimed primarily at children,
7360-506: The Ice King ( Tom Kenny ), Marceline ( Olivia Olson ), BMO ( Niki Yang ), and others. The series is based on a 2007 short film that aired on Nicktoons . After the short became a viral hit on the Internet, Nickelodeon 's executives passed on its option before Cartoon Network commissioned a full-length series from Fred Seibert and Ward, which was previewed on March 11, 2010. The same year,
7544-549: The Nintendo 3DS . The game was later released for the Xbox 360 , PlayStation 3 and the Wii as Cartoon Network Punch Time Explosion XL . Several video games based on the cartoon series Ben 10 were released by Cartoon Network as well. The Cartoon Network website also features various browser games incorporating characters from various Cartoon Network franchises. One such game was FusionFall ,
Adventure Time season 5 - Misplaced Pages Continue
7728-877: The Saturday Video Entertainment System . Prior to Adult Swim, the company produced Space Ghost Coast to Coast . Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe (formerly Cartoon Network Development Studio Europe until 2012 and Cartoon Network Studios Europe until 2021) is the network's European production arm located in London , England. Cartoon Network Productions is the network's global television production and distribution arm, established on December 5, 1993. It distributes shows, pilots, and movies through various international Cartoon Network channels. Cartoon Network Latin America Original Productions (abbreviated as CN LA), formerly known as Cartoon Network Producciones,
7912-565: The United Kingdom (replacing CNX ), Asia (in December 2012), India (in February 2015), and France (in February 2016). Boomerang is a brand dedicated to classic and theatrical cartoons aimed towards children and families. It was originally a weekend programming block that aired on Cartoon Network from December 8, 1992, until October 3, 2004. On April 1, 2000, Boomerang received a new look and
8096-489: The Warner Bros. animated shorts originally created between the 1920s and the 1960s, but the network edited out scenes depicting discharge of gunfire, alcohol ingestion, cowboys and Indians gags, tobacco, and politically incorrect humor. The unedited versions were kept from both broadcasting and wide release on the video market. Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs (1943), a politically incorrect but critically well-regarded short,
8280-419: The 'directed by' credit." Both Muto and Nate Cash had, in previous episodes, been credited as creative directors, but according to Muto, the series decided to phase the title out in favor of "supervising director". For the first half of the season, both Muto and Cash took turns holding the supervising director credit on different episodes. Starting with "Shh!", however, Elizabeth Ito, a former storyboard artist for
8464-472: The Ancient Sleeping Magi of Life Giving. With "Bad Little Boy", Donald Glover debuted as Marshall Lee, Marceline's male counterpart. In the episode " Puhoy ", Jonathan Frakes voices a grown-up version of Finn, Mandy Siegfriend voices Roselinen, and Wallace Shawn voices an oracle. Levar Burton voices an anthropomorphic bubble in "BMO Lost". Baxter plays the eponymous character in the "James Baxter
8648-528: The Cartoon Network website in regions where Max is currently unavailable". Cartoon Network shows with established fan followings, such as Dexter's Laboratory , allowed the network to pursue licensing agreements with companies interested in selling series-related merchandise. For example, agreements with Kraft Foods led to widespread in-store advertising for Cartoon Network-related products. The network also worked on cross-promotion campaigns with both Kraft and Tower Records . In product development and marketing,
8832-800: The Cosmic Owl. In "Up a Tree", Jim Cummings voices the Porcupine, Lenny the Beaver , and the Owl; and Marc Maron appears as the squirrel. Cummings would later reappear in the latter season episode "Candy Streets" playing a different character. In "Jake the Dad", Kristen Schaal lends her voice to Jake Jr. (she would reprise the role in the later episodes "One Last Job" and "Another Five Short Graybles"); Choe Dong-Hyun appears as T.V. and Kim Kil Whan; and Sunny Sandler voices both Charlie and Viola. In "Little Dude", Dana Snyder appears as
9016-483: The Dad , The Suitor , Princess Day , Finn the Human , Frost & Fire , and The Enchiridion which contain episodes from the fifth season. All DVD releases can be purchased on the Cartoon Network Shop , and the individual episodes can be downloaded from both the iTunes Store and Amazon.com . The full season set was released on DVD and Blu-ray on July 14, 2015. Adventure Time Adventure Time
9200-531: The Dog ( John DiMaggio ), who has magical powers to change shape and size at will. Pendleton Ward , the series' creator, describes Finn as a "fiery little kid with strong morals". Jake, on the other hand, is based on Tripper Harrison, Bill Murray 's character in Meatballs . This means that while Jake is somewhat carefree, he will "sit [Finn] down and give him some decent advice if he really needs it". Finn and Jake live in
9384-506: The Fear Feaster, respectively. The series also regularly employs guest voices for new characters. For instance, in the two-parter "Finn the Human" and "Jake the Dog", Ming-Na Wen voiced Farmworld Finn's mother (as she did in the season four cliffhanger "The Lich"), Kumail Nanjiani appeared as Prismo, and Cloris Leachman plays the role of Farmworld Marceline. Additionally, in "Jake the Dog" and "Frost & Fire", M. Emmet Walsh voices
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#17330937367399568-726: The Fire Kingdom. According to series creator Pendleton Ward, the show's style was influenced by his time attending the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) and his experiences working as a writer and storyboard artist on The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack , a series that ran on Cartoon Network from 2008 until 2010. In an interview with Animation World Network , Ward said he strove to combine Adventure Time ' s subversive humor with "beautiful" moments, using Hayao Miyazaki 's film My Neighbor Totoro as inspiration for
9752-1088: The Garden Wall ), J.G. Quintel (a former storyboard artist who went on to create Regular Show and Close Enough ), Pete Browngardt (a former storyboard artist who went on to create Secret Mountain Fort Awesome , Uncle Grandpa , and Looney Tunes Cartoons ), Rebecca Sugar (a former storyboard artist who went on to create Steven Universe ), Ian Jones-Quartey (a former storyboard revisionist and supervisor who went on to create OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes ), Skyler Page (a former storyboard artist who went on to create Clarence ), Julia Pott (a former storyline writer who went on to create Summer Camp Island ), Kent Osborne (the show's former head story writer who went on to create Cat Agent and co-producer of Kiff for Disney Channel ), and Elizabeth Ito (a former storyboard artist and supervising director who created City of Ghosts for Netflix ). Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (often abbreviated as CN )
9936-402: The Garden Wall , and Jack Pendarvis and the newly promoted Muto and were brought on board to pen story outlines. The season was storyboarded and written by Tom Herpich , Moynihan, Cole Sanchez , Sugar, Steve Wolfhard , Skyler Page , Somvilay Xayaphone, Castuera, Michael DeForge, Osborne, OReilly, Ward, Graham Falk , Thomas Wellmann, Luke Pearson , Seo Kim, and Ristaino. "Little Dude" was
10120-579: The Horse". Both Johnny Pemberton and James Adomian appear in the episode "The Suitor", voicing Braco and the demon-possessed Cinnamon Bun, respectively. Series storyboard artist Cole Sanchez voiced the Party God in "Shh!" and "Party's Over, Isla de Señorita"; Riki Lindhome portrayed the female island in the latter episode. The character Tiffany, who had first appeared in a minor role in the first season episode "My Two Favorite People", reappears in "One Last Job". In
10304-410: The Internet. Frederator then pitched an Adventure Time series to Nicktoons Network, which rejected it five times. When Nicktoons' rights to commission a full series expired, Frederator pitched it to other channels. One of the studios that Frederator approached was Cartoon Network, which was interested in producing a full series, but would commit to a deal only if Ward could prove the pilot "wasn't
10488-648: The King of Ooo in "Apple Wedding". Rainn Wilson voices the titular character in "Rattleballs". Roddy Piper plays the part of Don John in "The Red Throne". Lena Dunham appears as Betty in the episode of the same name. In "Lemonhope", actor and musician Creed Bratton voices the character Phlannel Boxingday, and Roiland voices the titular character. Series storyboard artist Ako Castuera voices Canyon in "Billy's Bucket List". Various other characters are voiced by Tom Kenny, Dee Bradley Baker , Maria Bamford , Little, and Kent Osborne. The season debuted on November 12, 2012, with
10672-466: The Lich from destroying all life in the multiverse. On October 12, 2012, it was announced that Cartoon Network had officially renewed Adventure Time for a fifth season. The episode titles were released on November 2, 2012 by Frederator Studios , while the show had just reached the end of its fourth season. Based on production numbers, " Finn the Human " was the first episode that underwent production, and it
10856-507: The SMOs, and Moe Giovanni, respectively. " Sky Witch " features Jill Talley , the wife of Kenny, voicing the eponymous sky witch, Maja. In "The Vault", Isabelle Fuhrman voices Shoko and Paul Scheer voices the Bath Boy Gang Boss. In "Love Games", Katie Crown voices Slime Princess's sister Blargatha, and John Hodgman appears as Elder Plops. Marina Sirtis voices the character Samantha in
11040-580: The U.S. worked on retakes, music scoring , and sound design . Upon being completed, the animation was sent back to the U.S., at which point the production crew inspected it, looking for mistakes in the animation or "things that didn't animate the way [the staff] intended". These problems were then fixed in Korea and the animation was finalized. From story outlining to broadcast, it took between eight and nine months for each episode to be created; because of this, multiple episodes were worked on concurrently. While
11224-429: The Vampire Queen , Lumpy Space Princess, BMO, and Flame Princess. Common storylines revolve around Finn and Jake discovering strange creatures, dealing with the antagonistic but misunderstood Ice King, and battling monsters to help others. Multi-episode storylines for this season include Finn's relationship with and eventual breakup with Flame Princess, Lemongrab's descent into tyranny, and Finn and Jake's attempt to prevent
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#173309373673911408-616: The Vampire Queen). Ward voices several minor characters and Lumpy Space Princess. Former storyboard artist Niki Yang voices the sentient video game console BMO in English, as well as Jake's girlfriend Lady Rainicorn in Korean. Polly Lou Livingston, a friend of Ward's mother Bettie Ward, voices the small elephant Tree Trunks . The Adventure Time cast members recorded their lines together at group recording sessions rather than individually, with
11592-509: The Warner Bros. cartoons. The network could then continue more original productions. Cartoon Network's current original programming includes such shows as The Amazing World of Gumball , Craig of the Creek , and We Baby Bears . The network's original programming is produced at Cartoon Network Studios, while other shows have either been co-produced with or acquired from other studios, including
11776-487: The [television] demo[graphic that Cartoon Network targets] and we won't have completed a thought for them. Consequently, on September 29, 2016, Cartoon Network confirmed that the series would conclude after its tenth season. The final episode of the series is a special, titled "Come Along with Me"; the special was written and storyboarded by Tom Herpich , Steve Wolfhard , Seo Kim, Somvilay Xayaphone, Hanna K. Nyström, Aleks Sennwald, and Sam Alden, and Graham Falk . The story
11960-419: The affiliated Warner Bros. Animation . In the past, Cartoon Network has also produced and aired live-action and animated hybrid programming. Over the years, Cartoon Network has aired various Looney Tunes , Merrie Melodies , Tom and Jerry , and Droopy shorts in constant rotation, dating back to the network's launch in 1992 until 2017. In its early days, Cartoon Network benefited from having access to
12144-444: The aim of recording natural-sounding dialogue. Hynden Walch has described these group recordings as akin to "doing a play reading—a really, really out there play". The series regularly employed guest actors for minor and recurring characters, and crew members cast people with whom they were interested in working. For instance, in a panel, Muto and Kent Osborne said the Adventure Time crew often sought out actors who had had roles in
12328-535: The backstory of the Ice King and the exploration of his condition in the third-season episode " Holly Jolly Secrets ", the fourth-season episode " I Remember You ", and the fifth-season episode " Simon & Marcy ", noting that his origin is "psychologically plausible". Grossman praised the way the series was able to tackle the issues of mental illness , saying: "It's very affecting. My dad has been going through having Alzheimer's , and he's forgotten so much about who he used to be. And I look at him and think this cartoon
12512-413: The bombs have fallen and magic has come back into the world". Before the series was fully developed, Ward intended the Land of Ooo to simply be "magical". After the production of the episode "Business Time", in which an iceberg containing reanimated businessmen floats to the surface of a lake, the show became explicitly post-apocalyptic; Ward said the production crew "just ran with it". Ward later described
12696-514: The boundaries of the PG rating, noting in an interview with Art of the Title that he "never really even thought about the rating ... we don't like stuff that's overly gross. We like cute stuff and nice things". Ward intended the show's world to have a coherent physical logic, and although magic exists in the story, the show's writers tried to create an internal consistency in the characters' interactions with
12880-435: The cast members—including Shada, Kenny, and Olson—sing their characters' songs. Characters often express their emotions in song; examples of this include Marceline's song "I'm Just Your Problem" (from season three's " What Was Missing ") and Finn's "All Gummed Up Inside" (from season three's " Incendium "). While the series' background music is composed by Basichis and Kiefer, the songs sung by characters are often written by
13064-503: The channel's flagship block, featuring premieres of Cartoon Network original series that fell under the Cartoon Cartoons branding; from 2003 to 2007, the block was renamed "Fridays" after Cartoon Network began to phase out the Cartoon Cartoons branding. The Toonami block, which originally ran from 1997 to 2008, primarily carried action-oriented series aimed towards an older youth and teen audience, including imported anime series; it
13248-432: The debut was on January 1, 2021. " Adventure Time makes me wish I were a kid again, just so I could grow up to be as awesome as the kids who are currently watching Adventure Time will be". The show has received universal acclaim from critics. The A.V. Club reviewer Zack Handlen called it "a terrific show [that] fits beautifully in that gray area between kid and adult entertainment in a way that manages to satisfy both
13432-461: The entire season an "A", noting that " Adventure Time has somehow managed to stay on fire for its fifth season's double-wide 52-episode run." Guendelsberger praised the show's aforementioned creativity and experimentation, and also wrote that "the writing staff has also taken the less-obvious X-Files approach: expanding the length of the stories they're able to tell by linking monster-of-the-week episodes into longer arcs." The A.V. Club later named
13616-465: The episode "Puhoy", making it the series' first Emmy win. The episode " Be More " was later nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Short-format Animation at the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2014. On July 31, 2014, it was announced that series art director, Nick Jennings, had won an Emmy for "Outstanding Individual Achievement In Animation" for his work on the episode "Wizards Only, Fools". Warner Home Video released multiple DVD volumes, such as Jake
13800-433: The episode "The Pit". In "James", Andy Merrill appears as the titular character. In the episode "Root Beer Guy", series' outline writer Jack Pendarvis lends his voice to the character of the same name, and Anne Heche voices the character's wife, Cherry Cream Soda. In addition, Make a Wish Foundation arranged for a 14-year-old named Christopher to be the voice of a background character in "Root Beer Guy". Andy Daly voices
13984-400: The episodes "A Glitch is a Glitch" and " James Baxter the Horse ," respectively. Furthermore, this was the last year of Adventure Time to feature Sugar and Page as they both left before the season ended to create their own shows. (Sugar with Steven Universe ; Page with Clarence ). It was also the final season to feature Ward as the showrunner . The first episode of the fifth season was
14168-423: The episodes "Shh!" and "Root Beer Guy". The former was dedicated to Armen Mirzaian who was a storyboard artist for earlier episodes in the series. Mirzaian died in a car accident on February 21, 2013 at the age of 35. Regular storyboarder Castuera had to take off two storyboard rotations due to an art show, and so her partner, Moynihan, worked with German cartoonist Wellmann on "The Suitor" and " Wizards Only, Fools ";
14352-694: The episodes and an animatic would be compiled to reduce the running time to the necessary 11 minutes. Specialized artists then created prop, character, and background designs. According to Rynda, most of this pre-production was done in Photoshop . While the episodes' design and coloring was done at Cartoon Network Studios in Burbank, California , the actual animation was handled in South Korea by either Rough Draft Korea or Saerom Animation . Animating an episode often took between three and five months. The animation
14536-607: The evening hours, Adult Swim's sign-on was moved to 7 p.m. ET/PT on weekdays and Saturdays on May 1, 2023. This expansion led to an increase in the 18-34 demographic, making Cartoon Network 6th place in ad-supported networks during prime time during the month after. Due to the immediate ratings boost, the network announced a second expansion on June 7 with the block sign-on initially scheduled for 6 p.m. ET/PT on August 28 (later expanded further to 5 p.m. as confirmed on August 8). The 5 and 6 p.m. weekday hours feature vault programming from both Cartoon Network and Adult Swim: Checkered Past
14720-525: The exception of "A Glitch is a Glitch") featured story input by Ward. The voice actors for the season include: Jeremy Shada (Finn the Human), John DiMaggio (Jake the Dog), Tom Kenny (The Ice King), Hynden Walch (Princess Bubblegum), and Olivia Olson (Marceline the Vampire Queen). Ward himself provides the voice for several minor characters, including Lumpy Space Princess. Former storyboard artist Niki Yang voices
14904-590: The fact that Cartoon Network is "unsure of what direction to pursue". He noted that "while some of [ Adventure Time ' s] episodes work well, others [are] simply confusing". The newspaper Metro cited the show's frightening situations, occasional adult themes, and use of innuendo as reasons why parents might not want their young children watching it. Several former crew members who worked on Adventure Time have gone on to create their own series, including Patrick McHale (a former storyline writer, storyboard artist, and creative director who went on to create Over
15088-479: The fifth-season episode " James Baxter the Horse " as well as the eighth-season episode "Horse & Ball". The sixth-season episode " Food Chain " was written, storyboarded, and directed by Japanese anime director Masaaki Yuasa , and animated entirely by Yuasa's studio Science SARU . Another sixth-season episode, " Water Park Prank ", features Flash animation by David Ferguson. The stop-motion episode " Bad Jubies ", directed by Kirsten Lepore , aired near
15272-477: The film and television library made before May 1986 (including some of the UA library) and formed Turner Entertainment Co. On October 8, 1988, its cable channel Turner Network Television (TNT) was launched and gained an audience with its extensive film library. In 1991, Turner also purchased the library of animation studio Hanna-Barbera . Ted Turner selected Betty Cohen (then-Senior Vice President of TNT) to devise
15456-512: The film studio subsidiary, released The Powerpuff Girls Movie in 2002. Kevin Sandler considered it likely that this film would find its way to HBO or Cinemax , two television network subsidiaries which regularly broadcast feature films. Sandler also viewed book tie-ins through Warner Books as likely, since it was the only area of marketing not covered yet by 2001. Cartoon Network also licensed its original series out for food promotions. Nestlé
15640-503: The finale" before production ended. In an interview with TV Guide , Muto explained that the show's writers used many of the episodes preceding the finale to conclude minor character story arcs "so we wouldn't have to cram too much in at the very end here." This allowed the finale itself to be "less dense" by simply "hitting the big [beats] and then finding vignettes for all the characters ... so we could get snapshots of where they could end up." According to Pendarvis, storyline writing for
15824-435: The first entry in the series to have been storyboarded by prop and character designer DeForge. He wrote on his official Tumblr that, "Cole and Adam Muto basically held my hand through the whole process, and were both incredibly patient with me." Starting with "Love Games", Ristaino was promoted from lead character designer to storyboard artist. Guest artist Falk, creator of the animated series Untalkative Bunny , storyboarded
16008-476: The first half of the season was referred to as season 5.1, and the second half was referred to as 5.2. This season's episodes were produced in a process similar to those of the previous seasons. Each episode was outlined in two-to-three pages that contained the necessary plot information. These outlines were then handed to storyboard artists, who created full storyboards. Design and coloring were done at Cartoon Network Studios in Burbank, California , and animation
16192-443: The first season of Adventure Time ), Merriwether Williams (who served as head story editor for the show's first and second seasons), and Nick Jennings (who became the series' long-serving art director). Drymon, in particular, played a key role at this time, ensuring that both Cartoon Network and the show's production crew were on the same creative page. Thurop Van Orman , the creator of The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack ,
16376-452: The first season, he was voiced by Vincenzo Rauso. However, in "One Last Job", he was voiced by Collin Dean . Comedian Melissa Villaseñor appears as Ann the pharmacist in "Candy Streets". Duncan Trussell appears as Ron James in "Wizards Only, Fools" and "Betty". Dan Mintz appears as T.V. in "Jake Suit". Aziz Ansari , Paul F. Tompkins , and Chuck McCann appear in " Be More ", as DMO, one of
16560-411: The first season. He assembled a team made up largely of "younger, inexperienced people", many of whom he discovered on the Internet. Many of these individuals had backgrounds in indie comics , and Ward has called them "really smart, smartypants people" who were responsible for inserting more idiosyncratic and spiritual ideas into the series. For the show's first four and a half seasons, Ward served as
16744-404: The forefront of the series' plot. During the last seasons of Adventure Time , there was talk at Cartoon Network about concluding the series. Olivia Olson , who provided the voice of Marceline, said that since this discussion wore on for a while and "the ending of the show was getting stretched and stretched and stretched". Chief content officer Rob Sorcher told the Los Angeles Times of
16928-468: The former record label subsidiary of the corporate parent (which was spun off from Time Warner in 2004), distributed cassette tapes and CDs with Cartoon Network-related music. These products were also available through the Warner Bros. Studio Store . DC Comics, the comic book subsidiary, published a series featuring the Powerpuff Girls, indicating it could handle other CN-related characters. Warner Bros.,
17112-421: The gender-swapped Fionna and Cake characters, was ordered by HBO Max. On June 12, 2024, it was revealed that two additional spin-offs, entitled Adventure Time: Side Quests and Adventure Time: Heyo BMO , had also been greenlit by Cartoon Network Studios. Each Adventure Time episode is about eleven minutes in length; pairs of episodes are often telecast in order to fill a half-hour program time slot. Before
17296-440: The last few seasons, however, [when] the episodes started to arrive in more of a scattershot fashion scheduled around multi-part specials [it became easier to miss] the random airings of certain episodes". The series' initial run concluded in 2018, after the airing of its tenth season. Reruns have aired on Boomerang and Adult Swim . Upon its debut, Adventure Time was a ratings success for Cartoon Network. In March 2013, it
17480-462: The late-night hours, it has since expanded into prime time , moving its start time to 10 p.m. in 2009, 9 p.m. in 2010, and 8 p.m. in March 2014. The 8 p.m. hour has frequently been returned to Cartoon Network for special programming events and premieres, typically during the fall-to-early-winter period. Due to Cartoon Network's viewership shifting almost exclusively towards teenagers and young adults in
17664-403: The latter. Ward has also named Home Movies and Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist as influences, largely because both shows are "relaxing" and feature "conversational dialogue that feels natural [and is neither] over the top [nor] cartoony and shrill". The series can trace its origin to a seven-minute, stand-alone animated short film of the same name (this short was later identified as
17848-457: The marathon (one of them part of the Censored Eleven list of Merrie Melodies and Looney Tunes cartoons effectively shelved from distribution) that had become controversial for using ethnic and national stereotypes , albeit broadcasting them past midnight to ensure few children were watching, with introductions concerning their historic value as representatives of another time. Cartoonito
18032-488: The middle of the show's seventh season . Finally, Alex and Lindsay Small-Butera, noted for their web series Baman Piderman , contributed animation to the eighth-season episode "Beyond the Grotto" and the ninth-season episode " Ketchup ". The series' voice actors include Jeremy Shada (Finn the Human), John DiMaggio (Jake the Dog), Tom Kenny (The Ice King), Hynden Walch (Princess Bubblegum), and Olivia Olson (Marceline
18216-460: The most engaged and there is a meaningful potential for growth". Gizmodo reported that this shutdown not only removes "an archive of clips" and "free access to series" but also the website "hosted years of beloved flash games relating to its shows. While many have been erased over the years through various site redesigns–and archived elsewhere for nostalgic fans–at least some of the current archives are still accessible via international versions of
18400-425: The network has benefited from its relation to corporate parent Time Warner (later WarnerMedia, now Warner Bros. Discovery ), allowing for mutually beneficial relationships with various subsidiary companies. Time Warner Cable , the former cable television subsidiary of the corporate parent (which was spun off from Time Warner in 2009), distributes Cartoon Network as part of its packages. Turner Broadcasting System,
18584-1052: The network to produce exclusive "Web Premiere Toons", short cartoons made specifically for CartoonNetwork.com. More about animation was included in the "Department of Cartoons", which featured storyboards, episode guides, backgrounds, sound and video files, model sheets, production notes, and other information about shows on the network. In January 1999, the Department of Cartoons showcased the "MGM Golden Age Collection", most of which had not been published or even seen in more than 50 years. Cartoon Network launched Cartoon Orbit , an online gaming network characterized by digital trading cards called "cToons", in October 2000. The game officially ended on October 16, 2006. In October 2000, CartoonNetwork.com outdid its rival Nickelodeon's website in terms of unique users, scoring 2.12 million compared to Nick.com's 1.95 million. In July 2007, Nielsen ratings data showed visitors spent an average of 77 minutes on
18768-421: The network was hesitant to bring in guest directors. Eventually, the network relented, and he was finally approved to appear in the fifth season. British animator James Baxter guest animated the horse featured in the episode " James Baxter the Horse ". For the first half of the season, the writers room was largely composed of Ward, Kent Osborne , and Pat McHale . McHale eventually left the series to create Over
18952-431: The network's decision to end the series, saying: Adventure Time was playing less and less on Cartoon Network, yet we were moving towards a large volume of episodes. And I really began thinking "[The end] can't come quickly as a sudden company decision, it needs to be a conversation over a period of time." And it did also strike me that if we don't wind this up soon, we're going to have a generation of fans graduate through
19136-402: The network's in-house studio, Cartoon Network Studios. Beginning as a division of Hanna-Barbera, this studio would produce some of the network's earliest original series, including Dexter's Laboratory , Cow and Chicken , I Am Weasel , Johnny Bravo , and The Powerpuff Girls . Cartoon Cartoons was once the branding for Cartoon Network's original animated television series , but it
19320-414: The network), the channel was launched on October 1, 1992, and primarily broadcasts animated television series , mostly children's programming, ranging from action to animated comedy. It currently runs from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET / PT daily, though the sign-off time varies with holidays and special programming. Cartoon Network primarily targets children aged 6 to 12, while its early morning block Cartoonito
19504-428: The official debut of the first season, Cartoon Network aired both "Business Time" and " Evicted! " on March 11 and 18, respectively, advertising these showings as "previews" of the series-to-come. The show officially debuted with "Slumber Party Panic" on April 5, 2010. During the latter part of its run, the show began to experiment with the miniseries format. The first of these was Stakes (2015), which aired during
19688-422: The only other episodes of the season to garner over 3 million viewers, and they were watched by 3.19, 3.077, and 3.009 million viewers, respectively. On March 29, 2013, it was reported that the show averaged roughly 2 to 3 million viewers per episode. The season concluded with "Billy's Bucket List" on March 17, 2014. The episode was viewed by 2.335 million viewers, marking a slight decrease in viewers when compared to
19872-496: The original Nicktoons short. This tactic proved successful, and in September 2008, Cartoon Network approved a first season, which was produced by Cartoon Network Studios . "The Enchiridion!" was the first episode to enter into production. Ward and his production team began storyboarding episodes and writing plot outlines, but Cartoon Network was still concerned about the direction of the new series. McHale later recalled that during
20056-665: The pitch of an episode titled "Brothers in Insomnia" (which, for various reasons, was scrapped) the room was filled with executives from Cartoon Network. The pitch went well, but the production staff was soon inundated with questions about the stylistic nature of the series. Around this time, Cartoon Network paused the production of the show in an attempt to resolve these creative issues. A number of writers and animators were let go, and in their place, Cartoon Network management hired three veteran animators who had worked on SpongeBob SquarePants : Derek Drymon (who served as executive producer for
20240-499: The plots from the season openers, "All the Little People", and "Shh!" as examples, and applauded the fact that the series was willing to explore different styles of animation, such as in the installment "A Glitch is a Glitch". Rich Goldstein of The Daily Beast argued that the emotional depth of the series increased during this season, highlighting "Simon & Marcy" as an example. Emily Guendelsberger of The A.V. Club later awarded
20424-709: The post-apocalyptic Land of Ooo, where they interact with the other main characters of the show: Princess Bubblegum , The Ice King , Marceline the Vampire Queen , Lumpy Space Princess, BMO, and Flame Princess. This season comprises 52 episodes, making it twice the length of any of the show's previous seasons. The episodes were storyboarded and written by Tom Herpich , Jesse Moynihan , Cole Sanchez , Rebecca Sugar , Steve Wolfhard , Skyler Page , Somvilay Xayaphone, Ako Castuera , Michael DeForge , Kent Osborne , David OReilly , Ward, Graham Falk , Thomas Wellmann, Luke Pearson , Seo Kim, and Andy Ristaino . The season also featured OReilly and James Baxter as guest animators in
20608-461: The post-apocalyptic Land of Ooo, which was ravaged by a cataclysmic event known as the "Mushroom War", a nuclear war that destroyed civilization a thousand years before the series' events. Throughout the series, Finn and Jake interact with major characters, including Princess Bubblegum ( Hynden Walch ), the sovereign of the Candy Kingdom and a sentient piece of gum ; the Ice King ( Tom Kenny ),
20792-576: The preschool block Cartoonito , and the new Sunday-evening block ACME Night–which primarily carries family films and library content, as well as other original series, specials, and television films from Warner Bros. Animation, as well as some programming from Adult Swim. They were introduced as part of an effort by new head Tom Ascheim to broaden Cartoon Network's demographic reach. ACME Night moved to Adult Swim on September 3, 2023, due to Adult Swim moving its daily sign-on time to 5 p.m. ET/PT. Cartoon Network has, during its history, broadcast most of
20976-413: The previous year. The program was viewed by 1.661 million children aged 2–11, which marked a 110 percent increase from the previous year's figures. It was watched by 837,000 children aged 9–14, a 239 percent increase on the previous year's figures. Between the second and sixth seasons, the show's ratings continued to grow; the second-season premiere was watched by 2.001 million viewers,
21160-492: The production crew "became more aware of what we're really saying by excluding [LGBTQ] characters" from children's TV—a situation which felt "more and more dire" to her. She thus began working hard to put "LGBTQIA characters in G-rated content" in the years to follow. Zeroing in on the relationship between Marceline and Bubblegum, Sugar tried to foster their relationship. In a March 2021 Vanity Fair interview, Sugar said that she
21344-412: The public was revived. On November 20, 2015, the label Spacelab9 released a limited-edition 12" LP featuring many of Marceline's songs, followed by a 38-song series soundtrack in October 2016. The show is set in the fictional "Land of Ooo", in a post-apocalyptic future about a thousand years after a nuclear holocaust called the "Great Mushroom War". According to Ward, the show takes place "after
21528-444: The recurring role as Peppermint Butler, also reprises his role as Abracadaniel in "Wizards Only, Fools" and "Play Date". Maurice LaMarche reprises his role as Grand Master Wizard in both "Wizards Only, Fools" and "Betty". Musical parody artist "Weird Al" Yankovic reprises his role as Banana Man in "We Fixed a Truck". Noah Nelson reprises his role as Kee-Oth the demon in the two-parter "Play Date" and "The Pit", having first appeared in
21712-453: The role of Fionna, and Roz Ryan reappearing as Cake. Keith David once again voices the Flame King in "Vault of Bones", "Earth & Water", and " The Red Throne ". Davey Johnson reappears as the goblin king Xergiok in "The Great Bird Man"; he also voices the titular character in the episode "Davey". "Davey" also features Randy Liedtke as a candy person named Randy. Steve Little , who plays
21896-404: The season four finale " The Lich " which was viewed by 2.589 million viewers. Eric Kohn of IndieWire praised the beginning of the season for being "irreverent and narratively engaging". He called it "the ideal testament to animation's glorious pliability in an [ sic ] commercial arena otherwise defined by restrictions." Kohn felt that the show's exploration of "sad subtext"—such as
22080-445: The season have been released. The complete season set was released on DVD and Blu-ray on July 14, 2015. The season follows the adventures of Finn the Human , a human boy, and his best friend Jake , a dog with magical powers to change shape and grow and shrink at will. Finn and Jake live in the post-apocalyptic Land of Ooo, wherein they interact with the other major characters, including Princess Bubblegum , The Ice King , Marceline
22264-476: The season with the episode "The Thin Yellow Line", for a total of 26 episodes. This new episode count for the season was cemented by the release of the complete seventh season DVD on July 18, 2017, which included episodes "Bonnie & Neddy" through "The Thin Yellow Line". As such, the episode and season number sequence is accordingly changed, as follows: For its first six seasons, episodes regularly aired once
22448-512: The seasons have been released on DVD, and the first six have been released domestically on Blu-ray . A box set containing the entire series was released on DVD on April 30, 2019. On March 30, 2013, the first season of Adventure Time was made available on the Netflix Instant Watch service for online streaming; the second season was made available on March 30, 2014. Both seasons were removed from Netflix on March 30, 2015. The series
22632-515: The sentient video game console BMO in English, as well as Jake's girlfriend Lady Rainicorn in Korean. Polly Lou Livingston , a friend of Pendleton Ward's mother, Bettie Ward, plays the voice of the small elephant Tree Trunks. Justin Roiland provides the voice of the Earl of Lemongrab. Jessica DiCicco voices Flame Princess, Finn's former romantic interest. The season's first few episodes also feature The Lich,
22816-549: The series "a hybrid sci-fi/fantasy/horror/musical/fairy tale, with echoes of Calvin and Hobbes , Hayao Miyazaki, Final Fantasy , Richard Linklater , Where the Wild Things Are , and the music video you made with your high school garage band". Emily Nussbaum of The New Yorker praised Adventure Time ' s unique approach to emotion, humor, and philosophy by likening it to " World of Warcraft as recapped by Carl Jung ". Zack Handlen of The A.V. Club concluded that
23000-423: The series after storyboarding the episode "Simon & Marcy" to focus her attention on her own Cartoon Network series, Steven Universe . The episode "All Your Fault" was the last regular episode of the season to feature a "directed by" credit. The subsequent episode, "Little Dude", only credited Muto as "supervising director" and Nick Jennings as "art director". Muto later explained that, "No one currently gets
23184-409: The series ended in mid-November 2016, with the last storyline meeting held on November 21. A tweet by Osborne revealed that the series' final script was pitched to storyboarders, with Alden and Nyström in attendance, on November 28. This episode was then pitched to the show's producers during the third week of December 2016. Voice recording for the episode ended on January 31, 2017, as confirmed by
23368-479: The series on a limited basis. Ward—a self-professed fan of ambivalent emotions , such as feeling "happy and scared at the same time"—has called the show a "dark comedy". He has also cited the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons —of which many of the show's writers are devotees—as an inspiration for the show. In the United States, the series is rated TV-PG ; Ward said he never wanted to push
23552-569: The series premiered on Cartoon Network on April 5, and it ended its eight-year run on September 3, 2018. The series drew inspiration from a variety of sources, including the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons and video games. It was produced using hand-drawn animation; action and dialogue for episodes are decided by storyboarding artists based on rough outlines. Because each episode took roughly eight to nine months to complete, multiple episodes were worked on concurrently. The cast members recorded their lines in group recordings, and
23736-733: The series principal antagonist. The Lich is portrayed by Ron Perlman . The Adventure Time cast records their lines together as opposed to doing it individually. This is to capture more natural sounding dialogue among the characters. Hynden Walch has described these group session as akin to "doing a play reading—a really, really out there play." Several voices actors and actresses reprise their characters in this season. Emo Philips reprises his fourth season character Cuber in both "Five More Short Graybles" and "Another Five Short Graybles". Andy Milonakis reprises his role as N.E.P.T.R. in "Mystery Dungeon". "Bad Little Boy" features Neil Patrick Harris returning as Prince Gumball, Madeleine Martin reprising
23920-510: The series regularly employed guest actors for minor and recurring characters. Each episode runs for about eleven minutes; pairs of episodes are often telecast to fill half-hour program slots. Cartoon Network announced on September 29, 2016, that the series would conclude in 2018, after the airing of its tenth season. The series finale aired on September 3, 2018, which was followed by the Adventure Time: Distant Lands specials and
24104-469: The series runs a different intro sequence that mirrors the original, with the major exception that all the characters are gender-bent , and the theme is sung by former storyboard revisionist Natasha Allegri . Likewise, the intro to the series' three miniseries are each unique: the introduction to the Marceline-centric Stakes (2015) places most of the emphasis on Marceline, and the theme song
24288-427: The series the 27th best television series of 2014, noting that, "The end of the super-sized season five saw a string of conceptually ambitious episodes that blew the world of Ooo wide open, deepening the stories of Lemongrab, Lumpy Space Princess' doomed romance, and Ice King's past as Simon Petrikov." The site selected "Lemonhope" as the stand-out from the season's end. Each episode was also graded by The A.V. Club with
24472-417: The series' "willingness to contemplate [the themes of the episode] while sticking to its unique combination of silliness and haunting beauty routinely transforms the show into a wondrous genre experiment." Oliver Sava of The A.V. Club wrote that the season was "experimental" in that the series' writers and storyboard artists "continue to experiment with what they can do in 10 minutes". He specifically cited
24656-514: The series' first two seasons. Following this, several other region-1 compilation DVDs have been released, including: It Came from the Nightosphere (2012), Jake vs. Me-Mow (2012), Fionna and Cake (2013), Jake the Dad (2013), The Suitor (2014), Princess Day (2014), Adventure Time and Friends (2014), Finn the Human (2014), Frost & Fire (2015), The Enchiridion (2015), Stakes (2016), Card Wars (2016), and Islands (2017). All of
24840-478: The series' mysterious Mushroom War and the relationship between Marceline and the Ice King—and the characters' abilities to "deny the bad vibes their surrounding world invites" via "cheery songs and vibrant artwork" were some of the series strongest points. He was particularly pleased with the season opener, calling it an "interesting creative challenge". Kohn later published an article explaining why "'Adventure Time'
25024-476: The series' principal and recurring characters. Ward once noted that the details behind the Mushroom War and the series' dark mythology form "a story worth telling", but he also felt the show would be better off if the show "dance[d] around how heavy the back-history of Ooo is". After the September 2011 episode " What Was Missing " hinted at romantic subtext between Marceline and Bubblegum, fans began to "ship"
25208-410: The setting as "candyland on the surface and dark underneath", noting he had never intended the Mushroom War and the post-apocalyptic elements to be "hit over the head in the show". He limited it to "cars buried underground in the background [and other elements that do not] raise any eyebrows". Ward has said the series' post-apocalyptic elements were influenced by the 1979 film Mad Max . Kenny called
25392-418: The shot featuring Marceline correct. After the panning sweep, the sequence cuts to the theme song, which plays while shots of Finn and Jake adventuring are shown. For this part of the sequence, Ward was inspired by the "simple" aspects of the introduction to the 2007 comedy film Superbad . When the theme mentions "Jake the Dog" and "Finn the Human", the characters' names are displayed next to their heads, with
25576-462: The show "in a 'Ghostshrimp World ' ". Ghostshrimp designed major locations, including Finn and Jake's home, the Candy Kingdom, and the Ice Kingdom. The position of lead character designer was given to Phil Rynda, who held this role for two and a half seasons. The show's lead production crew (which included Ward and McHale) was initially hesitant to bring him on board, but they were soon convinced by director Larry Leichliter , who assured them Rynda
25760-486: The show has developed a following among teenagers and adults. Adventure Time has received universal acclaim from critics, with much praise for its originality and worldbuilding . The show won eight Primetime Emmy Awards , a Peabody Award , three Annie Awards , two British Academy Children's Awards , a Motion Picture Sound Editors Award , and a Kerrang! Award . The series has also been nominated for three Critics' Choice Television Awards , two Annecy Festival Awards ,
25944-431: The show in season one, returned to the series and was also credited as supervising director in place of Muto. " Bad Little Boy ", the season's eleventh episode, however, still had a "directed by" credit. This is due to the fact that the episode was produced before "Little Dude", but aired out of order. "A Glitch Is a Glitch" also featured a "directed by" credit, but this is due to the fact that the episode's director, OReilly,
26128-578: The show progressed, Basichis's friend Tim Kiefer joined the show as an additional composer. The two now work together on its music. The show's title sequence and theme song have stayed mostly consistent throughout its run, with seven exceptions. During the episodes featuring Fionna Campbell and Cake the Cat ( viz. season three 's " Fionna and Cake ", season five's " Bad Little Boy ", season six's "The Prince Who Wanted Everything", season eight's "Five Short Tables", and season nine 's "Fionna and Cake and Fionna")
26312-563: The show was "basically what would happen if you asked a bunch of 12-year-olds to make a cartoon, only it's the best possible version of that, like if all the 12-year-olds were super geniuses and some of them were Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and the Marx Brothers ". Adventure Time ' s willingness to explore dark, sad, and complex issues has received praise. Kohn applauded the fact that the show "toys with an incredibly sad subtext". Novelist Lev Grossman , in an interview with NPR , praised
26496-403: The show's pilot post facto ). Produced by Frederator Studios , the short was created by Ward almost entirely by himself, and its production concluded in early 2006. It was first broadcast on Nicktoons Network on January 11, 2007, and was re-broadcast as part of Frederator's anthology show Random! Cartoons on December 7, 2008. After its initial release, the video became a viral hit on
26680-448: The show's seventh season. The following miniseries, Islands (2017) aired as part of the eighth season. The third and final miniseries, Elements (2017), aired during the show's ninth season. The show's seventh season was originally intended to comprise 39 episodes, ranging from "Bonnie & Neddy" to "Reboot". However, when it came time to upload the season onto streaming sites like CartoonNetwork.com, Cartoon Network chose to end
26864-579: The showrunner. In an interview with Rolling Stone , he said he had stepped down from this role sometime during the fifth season . As a naturally introverted person, he found interacting with and directing people every day to be exhausting. After Ward resigned from the post, Adam Muto became the showrunner. Until late 2014, Ward continued to work on the cartoon as a storyboard artist and storyline writer. After November 2014, he stopped regularly contributing to episode outlines, but still looked over stories, provided occasional input, and continued to storyboard for
27048-461: The site, surpassing the previous record of 71 minutes set in 2004, and the site ranked 26th in terms of time spent for all US domains. On August 8, 2024, CartoonNetwork.com officially shut down and now redirects to the Cartoon Network channel hub of the streaming service Max . Regarding the closure of the network's website, a Cartoon Network spokesperson stating "we are focusing on the Cartoon Network shows and social media where we find consumers are
27232-419: The storyboard artists. And while it is a general rarity, the show also occasionally refers to popular music . Early during the show's run, Frederator, Seibert's production company, occasionally uploaded demos and full versions of songs sung by the characters to their official website, and when the production crew set up a series Tumblr account, this tradition of publishing demos and full versions of songs to
27416-561: The studio has produced many Cartoon Network series, shows such as Big Bag , Ed, Edd n Eddy , Mike, Lu & Og , Courage the Cowardly Dog , Sheep in the Big City , Codename: Kids Next Door , The Secret Saturdays , and Sunday Pants were all produced without its involvement. Cartoon Network Studios has also produced shows for Adult Swim (alongside sister company Williams Street ), Max, and Cartoonito. Live-action programming, initially for Cartoon Network but now exclusively for Adult Swim,
27600-521: The subsidiary overseeing various Warner Bros. Discovery-owned networks, helped cross-promote Cartoon Network shows and at times arranged for swapping certain shows between the networks. For example, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends , one of CN's original shows, was at times seen at Kids' WB (which was discontinued on May 24, 2008), while Xiaolin Showdown and ¡Mucha Lucha! , two of Kids' WB's original shows, were seen at Cartoon Network. In each case,
27784-401: The swap intended to cultivate a shared audience for the two networks. Time Inc. , the former subsidiary overseeing the magazines of the corporate parent, ensured favorable coverage of Cartoon Network and advertising space across its publications. Printed advertisements for CN shows could appear in magazines such as Time , Entertainment Weekly and Sports Illustrated Kids until Time Inc.
27968-503: The television programs Star Trek: The Next Generation and The Office to play various supporting or background characters. When Ward was developing the series' title sequences, the rough draft version consisted of quick shots and vignettes that were "just sort of crazy [and] nonsensical", which alluded to the show's theme of quirky adventures. These drafts included "the characters ... just punching random ghosts and monsters, jumping through anything and everything [and] there were
28152-420: The third season for Slant magazine, wrote that "the short-form format leaves some emotional substance to be desired", and that this was inevitable for a series with such short episodes. The independent cartoon scholar and critic David Perlmutter, who otherwise applauded the show's voice acting and its ability to surpass its source material, argued that the show's vacillation between high and low comedy epitomizes
28336-603: The third-season episode "Dad's Dungeon". Osborne reprises his recurring role as Finn and Jake's dad, Joshua, in the episode "The Pit". Ron Lynch returns to the series in "Apple Wedding", voicing Mr. Pig. Jeff Bennett reprises his role as Choose Goose in the episode "Blade of Grass", and also voices an alternate-universe version of the character named Choose Bruce in the episode "Finn the Human." Miguel Ferrer reprises his role as Death, and Steve Agee returns as Ash in "Betty". Both Lou Ferrigno , Andy Samberg , and Mark Hamill return in "Billy's Bucket List" as Billy, Party Pat, and
28520-503: The third-season premiere by 2.686 million, the fourth-season premiere by 2.655 million, the fifth-season premiere by 3.435 million, and the sixth-season premiere by 3.321 million. The show's seventh-season opener took a substantial ratings tumble, being watched by only 1.07 million viewers. Likewise, the eighth-, ninth-, and tenth-season premieres were watched by only 1.13, 0.71, and 0.77 million viewers, respectively. The series finale, "Come Along with Me",
28704-407: The two co-operated on their storyboards via Skype and Google+ Hangout . Pearson was paired with Xayaphone for both the episodes "Candy Streets" and " Frost & Fire "; however, this pairing was only temporary, and Xayaphone boarded the rest of the season with Kim. This season was the last to feature Page and Sugar. Page left after completing "Davey" to create his own series Clarence . Sugar left
28888-500: The two, referring to the pairing as "Bubbline". Some reviewers also discussed the possible relationship, with Kjerstin Johnson of Bitch magazine expressing hope that that show's "queer cartoon subtext" would turn into "a queer cartoon subplot". Eventually, Bubblegum and Marceline's relationship was confirmed in the series finale, " Come Along With Me ", which also featured the two characters kissing. While Bubblegum seems to have dated
29072-424: The two-part episode "Finn the Human"/"Jake the Dog". Together, both episodes were watched by 3.435 million viewers. This marked a drastic increase of almost one million viewers when compared to the previous season premiere, as well as the previous season finale. The season opener was also the most-watched episode of the season. Aside from the season opener, "Jake the Dad", "Bad Little Boy", and "Frost & Fire" were
29256-403: The two-parter episode " Finn the Human" / "Jake the Dog ," both of which aired on November 12, 2012. 3.435 million viewers viewed the episode; this marked a dramatic increase from the previous season 's premiere and finale. The season ended with " Billy's Bucket List ," which was viewed by 2.335 million viewers. The season was met with largely positive critical reception. In June 2013, the series
29440-425: The way the elements are worked into the plot "very fill-in-the-blanks", and DiMaggio said, "it's been obvious the Land of Ooo has some issues". The series has a canonical mythology —or, an overarching plot and backstory—that is expanded upon in various episodes. This mythology mainly involves the nature of the Mushroom War, the origin of the series' principal antagonist the Lich, and the backstories of several of
29624-409: The while concentrating on "keep[ing] the good things about the original short [while also] improv[ing] on" them. The group's first product was a rough storyboard featuring Finn and Princess Bubblegum going on a spaghetti-supper date. Cartoon Network was not happy with this story, and so Ward, McHale, and Muto created a storyboard for the episode " The Enchiridion! ", an attempt to emulate the style of
29808-431: The world. In an interview with The A.V. Club , Ward said the show's writing process usually began with the writers telling each other what they had done the previous week to find something humorous to build on. He also said, "A lot of the time, if we're really stuck, we'll start saying everything that comes to our mind, which is usually the worst stuff, and then someone else will think that's terrible but it'll give him
29992-469: Was a guest animator and director for the series. In an interview with Rolling Stone , Ward revealed that he stepped down as series showrunner sometime during this season in favor of Muto. He explained that, as a naturally introverted person, he found it extremely exhausting having to deal with people every day. With that being said, Ward remained working on the series as a storyboard artist and storyline writer, and every single fifth-season episode (with
30176-467: Was also hired to guide Ward and his staff for the first two seasons. The storyboard for "Prisoners of Love" assuaged many of the fears some Cartoon Network executives had expressed. As production for season one progressed, more artists were brought on board. Dan "Ghostshrimp" Bandit , a freelance illustrator who had also written and storyboarded on Flapjack , was hired as the show's lead background designer; Ward told him to create background art that set
30360-452: Was also the first episode aired. The season contains 52 episodes, twice the normal number of episodes per season. Both Frederator and storyboard artist Jesse Moynihan explained that originally, a four-part special was supposed to divide the season in half, but that the special was pushed off, and later cancelled. However, some elements of the planned special were later used in the show's sixth season's episode " Something Big ". In production,
30544-416: Was developed by Herpich, Wolfhard, Ashly Burch , showrunner Adam Muto , head writer Kent Osborne , Jack Pendarvis , Julia Pott , and series creator Pendleton Ward . Former head background designer Ghostshrimp returned after having officially left the series during the fourth season . According to Osborne, Cartoon Network provided the writers with "an opportunity to spend a lot of time thinking about
30728-578: Was encouraged by the "creative team to put their own life experiences into the character of Marceline," but when this led to a "romantic storyline between Marceline and Princess Bubblegum", Cartoon Network executives intervened. This moment led Sugar and the rest of the show's team to see the limit of what they could accomplish, in terms of representation. The writers initially responded to this roadblock by working queer themes into episodes as subtext to avoid controversy or network censorship, but later episodes would openly expand on these themes, bringing them to
30912-542: Was first introduced in September 2021 during Cartoon Network's pivot toward family audiences. Toonami (a portmanteau of "cartoon" and " tsunami ", suggesting a "tidal wave" of animated cartoons) is a brand used for action-oriented programming blocks and television channels worldwide. The original program block launched on Cartoon Network in the United States on March 17, 1997, and primarily aired both American cartoons and Japanese anime. The block ended its original run on September 20, 2008, before being revived on May 26, 2012, as
31096-508: Was founded and started production on What a Cartoon! . This show debuted in 1995, offering original animated shorts. In 1996, Cartoon Network aired two preschool programs: Big Bag , a live-action/puppet television program with animated short series produced by Children's Television Workshop , and Small World , which featured animated series aimed at preschoolers imported from foreign countries. Turner Broadcasting System merged with Time Warner , which consolidated/reverted ownership of all
31280-479: Was granted a licensing agreement that resulted in a Wonder Ball chocolate candy tie-in with Cartoon Network characters and logos beginning in 2003. A new Wonder Ball promotion began in 2004 with characters from Ed, Edd n Eddy and exclusive Wonderball prizes and cToons on the Cartoon Orbit website. Since its inception, Cartoon Network and its sister channels have set up various national and regional feeds. Since
31464-468: Was hand-drawn on paper, which was then digitally composited and painted with digital ink and paint . Executive producer Fred Seibert compared the show's animation style to that of Felix the Cat and various Max Fleischer cartoons, but said its world was equally inspired by "the world of videogames [ sic ]". While the episodes were being handled in South Korea, the production crew in
31648-462: Was handled overseas in South Korea by Rough Draft Korea and Saerom Animation . Although almost all of the episodes are hand-animated, the fifteenth episode, "A Glitch Is a Glitch", was created by guest animator David OReilly in his signature 3-D animation. According to Adam Muto , OReilly was brought on board after Ward expressed an interest in letting him helm an episode. Initially, the producers had wanted OReilly to appear in earlier seasons, but
31832-450: Was later re-launched under the auspices of Adult Swim in 2012. 2009 saw the introduction of CN Real, a block that featured live-action reality television series aimed towards a youth audience. In 2011, the channel introduced DC Nation, a block that would be focused on series adapted from DC Comics properties. In September 2021, Cartoon Network introduced two new blocks oriented towards preschool and family viewing respectively, including
32016-559: Was made available for streaming via Hulu on May 1, 2015. While in the United States, HBO Max becomes the primary platform to watch Adventure Time: Distant Lands , there are debuts of "BMO", the first special of the spin-off series, in different countries and regions in respective Cartoon Network channels worldwide, on different dates mainly in 2020; such as October 24 ( Turkey ), October 25 ( France ), November 21 (the United Kingdom ), December 12 ( Germany , Australia , and Taiwan ), and December 27 ( Russia ). In South Korea ,
32200-537: Was nominated for "Best Animated Series" at the 2013 Critics' Choice Television Awards , although it did not win. Both " Simon & Marcy " and " Be More " were nominated for Primetime Emmy Awards for Short-Format Animation at the 65th and 66th Primetime Emmy Awards respectively. Former character designer Andy Ristaino and series' art director Nick Jennings both won Emmys for "Outstanding Individual Achievement In Animation" in 2013 and 2014, respectively. In addition, several compilation DVDs that contained episodes from
32384-627: Was notably omitted entirely, while The Scarlet Pumpernickel (1950) and Feed the Kitty (1952), both well-regarded, had their finales heavily edited due to violence. There was media attention in June 2001 over a network decision concerning further omissions from broadcast. Cartoon Network formerly scheduled a 49-hour-long marathon annually known as June Bugs , promising to broadcast every Bugs Bunny animated short in chronological order. The network originally intended to include 12 shorts for its 2001 airing of
32568-406: Was originally supposed to be a temporary version . Ward said, "I recorded the lyrics for the opening title in the animatics room where we have this little crummy microphone just so that we could add it to the titles and submit it to the network. Later, we tried re-recording it and I didn't like it ... I only liked the temp one!" Because the series' finalized theme song was originally recorded as
32752-439: Was reported that the show averaged roughly 2 to 3 million viewers an episode. According to a 2012 report by Nielsen , the show consistently ranked first in its time slot among boys aged 2–14. The show premiered on April 5, 2010, and was watched by 2.5 million viewers. The episode was a ratings success. According to a press release by Cartoon Network, the episode's time slot saw triple-digit percentage increases from
32936-506: Was sanctioned because the company was dealing with "primarily visual people", and that by using storyboards the writers and artists could learn and grow "by actually doing the work". The storyboard artists generally worked on an episode in pairs, independent from other storyboarders, which, according to freelance writer David Perlmutter in his book America Toons In , countered creative ennui and prevented episodes from being "alike in either content or tone". The storyboard artists were given
33120-469: Was seldom used by the network by 2003. The name was eventually discontinued in 2008. Additionally, several of the Cartoon Network's original series have been produced by studios other than the network's own in-house studio. Notable examples are Ed, Edd n Eddy , Courage the Cowardly Dog , and Codename: Kids Next Door . The name was resurrected by the network in 2021 for a new animated shorts program. From 1999 to 2003, Cartoon Cartoon Fridays served as
33304-555: Was spun off from Time Warner on June 9, 2014. AOL , a now-former sibling company to Time Warner covering Internet services, helped promote Cartoon Network shows online by offering exclusive content for certain animated series, online sweepstakes and display advertising for CN. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment , the home video subsidiary, distributes VHS tapes, DVDs and Blu-ray discs featuring Cartoon Network shows. Select Warner Bros. Family Entertainment VHS releases came with bonus cartoons from Cartoon Network. Rhino Entertainment ,
33488-445: Was spun off into its own cable channel. In 2017, an online Boomerang video-on-demand service was launched, which includes classic series along with new episodes of original series like Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? , New Looney Tunes , and The Tom and Jerry Show . Cartoon Network Studios originated as a division of Hanna-Barbera in 1994 to produce original programs for the network; it eventually became its own entity in 1999. While
33672-457: Was talented and could draw in a variety of styles. With the producers satisfied, Rynda quickly began designing characters that were simple but still fell in line with "Pen's natural aesthetic". Around this time, Rynda and McHale began drafting artistic guidelines for the show, so that its animation style would always be somewhat consistent. With many of the lead production roles filled, Ward turned his attention to choosing storyboard artists for
33856-418: Was viewed by 0.92 million viewers and scored a 0.25 Nielsen rating in the 18- to 49-year-old demographic, which means the episode was seen by 0.25 percent of all individuals aged 18 to 49 years old who were watching television at the time of the episode's airing. On September 27, 2011, Cartoon Network released the region 1 DVD My Two Favorite People , which features a selection of twelve episodes from
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