Welcome to the final generation of Cartoon Network's mini guide, there is one more guide after this one so some context is in order for the reason behind the final generation bit.
Context: These were the last Cartoons on Cartoon Network before someone at the Network decided to drop all the cartoons in favor of live action kid sitcoms in 2009, everyone knows how that turned out.
There are 9 entries this time.
1. Life & Times of Juniper Lee - 2005
Half Chinese pre-teen girl with magical powers passed down through her family fighting against various monsters & demons.
Verdict: If the premise sounds familiar then you've probably watched American Dragon & Kim Possible which is what this show is like, a cross between those two Disney Cartoons, which means it's fairly good but compared to those two Juniper Lee seems a little too perfect.
Fact: In fact the comparisons maybe closer than you think when you consider that both this and American Dragon went through Development Hell, ironically both this and Kim Possible were poorly treated for their third seasons.
2. Camp Lazlo - 2005
A group of zoo animals attend a poorly run summer camp. That's it.
Verdict: Nothing special, most of the humor is stale and suits Nickelodeon more than Cartoon Network.
Fact: Funny I should say that as the guy who made this created Rocko's Modern Life.
3. My Gym Partner's a Monkey - 2005
A boy gets transferred to an all animal school due to mistaken identity. (Sounds like the tamest version of Rosario X Vampire)
Verdict: It's got some decent humor but runs on one joke most of the time.
Fact: The voice actress for main character Adam Lyon featured in Offspring's song "Pretty Fly for a White Guy" as vocals.
4. Squirrel Boy - 2006
A boy and his annoying pet squirrel. That's it.
Verdict: Terrible. Someone took one look at Ren & Stimpy and said "Copy that" not realizing what made that cartoon so popular.
Fact: The creator also did adult cartoon Duckman (Another terrible cartoon)
5. Class of 3000 - 2006
Hip-Hop artist Andre 3000 of OutKast re-imagined as a Music Teacher in a school set in Atlanta Georgia.
Verdict: Better attempt at this than what MC Hammer did in the early 90s.
Fact: Said to be the last of Cartoon Network's works before the vigorous changes to the network started when the Network's leader resigned.
6. Chowder - 2007
A young chef made of a mixture of three animals works at a Catering firm.
Verdict: Forgettable in most places, looks like Garfield if he got a job as a chef.
Fact: The creator is a Spongebob refugee who got his inspiration for this series from Dr Suess.
7. Transformers: Animated - 2007
I think everyone knows what Transformers is.
Verdict: Lowest point of the franchise before the CGI series happened. (Why does CGI ruin everything?)
Fact: While being made by Cartoon Network it didn't even show on the channel in Europe and even back home it ended up on the Hub.
8. The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack - 2008
A boy raised by a talking whale find a pirate starting an adventure in a candy filled world.
Verdict: The lousy color scheme and the stupid characters make this one of the worst cartoons ever made by Cartoon Network.
Fact: Pendleton Ward & JG Quintel worked on this show as well later breaking free to save Cartoon Network two years later.
9. The Secret Saturdays - 2008
A family of scientists save the world. That's it.
Verdict: While inspired by Jonny Quest it looks more like a Nickelodeon show, it's not bad but relies far too much on tried and tested gags.
Fact: The final cartoon of Cartoon Network before this.
Bonus: 2009 the Year we shall not speak of ever again.
As mentioned earlier Class of 3000 was the last show under the Network's old leader, his resignation happened due to a marketing campaign involving Adult Swim cartoon Aqua Teen Hunger Force went wrong when the electric light devices placed around the city of Boston were mistaken for bombs.
Under a new leader Cartoon Network's shows started to disappear one by one until all that was left were shows created between the Bomb scare & 2009, Ben 10 & Ed, Edd & Eddy. In 2007 the Network experimented with live action shows creating the hybrid series Out of Jimmy's Head, then in summer 2009 pretty much every cartoon was scrapped in favor of five live action kid sitcoms to rival Nickelodeon & Disney who were still going strong with their own powerhouse sitcoms Hannah Montana & ICarly just to name two of them.
It was a ratings disaster and by the end of that year even Ed, Edd & Eddy finally left the Network leaving just Ben 10 to pick up what remained of Cartoon Network's dignity, tomorrow I shall reveal what happened a year later when two former Flapjack writers made names for themselves.
