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TOONAMI WAS MOVING AWAY TO ITS "EDGY" ALL-AGES APPEAL TO A MORE CHILD-FRIENDLY FORM, AND MANY NEW LIVE-ACTION SHOWS HAVE SINCE CANCELED AND REMOVED FROM THE CHANNEL'S LINEUP TOONAMI WILL NOT RETURN IN 2015 AND TOONAMI +1 A SPINOFF CHANNEL NEVER LAUNCHES!!
The Toonami blob-like mascots are largely forgettable and seem to serve no actual relation to the channel deal with it!!!
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Toonami UK has had its critics ever since day one after it was relaunched from the previous CNX format. The biggest criticisms has come from viewers who wanted more action-animation aimed towards older audiences which had all but disappeared.
Toonami UK has had its critics ever since day one after it was relaunched from the previous CNX format. The biggest criticisms has come from viewers who wanted more action-animation aimed towards older audiences which had all but disappeared.


In March 2006, criticism about Toonami increased after the network relaunched itself from an action-animation network into a general entertainment outlet airing [[soap opera|teen soaps]], live-action [[sitcom]]s, and other non-animated programming. Many of these programmes have since been put into hiatus with no new live-action episodes being purchased.{{Citation needed|date=June 2007}}
In March 2006, criticism about Toonami increased after the network relaunched itself from an action-animation network into a general entertainment outlet airing [[soap opera|teen soaps]], live-action [[sitcom]]s, and other non-animated programming. Many of these programs have since been put into hiatus with no new episodes being purchased.{{Citation needed|date=June 2007}}


== Destination Friday ==
== Destination Friday ==

Revision as of 13:50, 17 August 2013

This article is about a British television channel. For Toonami in the United States, see Toonami.
Toonami
Ownership
OwnerTurner Broadcasting System Europe (Time Warner)

Toonami was a British children's television channel which ran from 8 September 2003 to 24 May 2007.

Channel 5 purchased a Toonami branded block from Turner in 2007 but this information is out of date and Channel 5 no longer has the licence.[1]

History

Toonami was a programming block on the Cartoon Network, until October 2002 when it became a key component of CNX, a new channel launched by Cartoon Network UK, the first Cartoon Network derivative to launch outside North America. CNX also broadcast martial arts films and dramas like The Shield and Birds of Prey at night. The network catered towards a young male audience. A year later, CNX was relaunched as Toonami and now targeted a younger audience.[citation needed]

Toonami UK, throughout its existence, also aired cartoons based on DC Comics properties on the channel, such as Justice League Unlimited and the first two seasons of Batman Beyond (aired as Batman of the Future). Contractual disputes with Warner TV distribution prevented the channel from showing the third and final season of Batman Beyond and the whole of Superman: The Animated Series, forcing the channel to recycle through the first two seasons of Batman Beyond as a result.[citation needed] This theory is corroborated by the fact that not a single episode of the myriad Super Friends shows (which were something of a mainstay on the US Cartoon Network channels) have ever been broadcast on a Turner UK channel. In 2004, Toonami got rid of Tom and Sara and adopted a new look, featuring spinning and sliding red and black squares in different forms on a light blue background.

From March 6, 2006, Toonami UK changed its focus from action cartoons to entertainment in general, as the channel moved to Sky 602 and began airing live-action shows such as Backyard Science, Parker Lewis Can't Lose, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper and Life with Derek, Blue Water High. Also, the channel's graphics were redesigned, with the black, white and red logos replaced by a new blue background logo and giggling, blob-like mascots that are used in the channel's break bumpers, promos and idents which contrasted heavily with the original themes of the channel.

Toonami and Cartoon Network Too merged into one channel on May 24, 2007, with the pre-school programming slot Cartoonito taking The original version of CN Too's channel slot as a separate channel.[2]

Criticisms

Toonami UK has had its critics ever since day one after it was relaunched from the previous CNX format. The biggest criticisms has come from viewers who wanted more action-animation aimed towards older audiences which had all but disappeared.

In March 2006, criticism about Toonami increased after the network relaunched itself from an action-animation network into a general entertainment outlet airing teen soaps, live-action sitcoms, and other non-animated programming. Many of these programs have since been put into hiatus with no new episodes being purchased.[citation needed]

Destination Friday

For a short period of time, Toonami UK aired a special programming block on Fridays called "Destination Friday", which ran from 4pm to 9pm. Near the end of its run, Toonami UK's newer shows had only aired once or twice a week, such as One Piece, Code Lyoko and Pokémon Chronicles. Code Lyoko which was later aired across seven days. "Destination Friday" initially repeated the week's episodes for viewers who either want to see them again or missed them the first time round. Between 5:30pm and 7pm, a feature-length animated movie has also been shown.

A selection of several Batman animated movies were shown, such as Batman & Mr. Freeze: Sub-Zero, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm and Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. The UK premieres of the Dragon Ball, and Dragon Ball Z and Dragonball GT movies taken this slot throughout the summer months.

Shows that aired on Toonami UK

Technical faults and interruptions

On 27 July 2006 in the UK, Toonami, along with the other channels, TCM, Boomerang, Cartoon Network, Boomerang +1 and Cartoon Network Too suffered a major technical fault due to a power cut in Soho, London. This was due to the energy supplier EDF cutting power from different parts of Soho one at a time for four hours, purposely, due to the inability as the 2006 European heat wave had hit Turner Broadcasting System Europe.

The power cut caused a mix up of channels (i.e. Cartoon Network being broadcast on Boomerang and Toonami, with Boomerang being broadcast on Cartoon Network Too). Boomerang +1 was off air for some time, while TCM, reverted between TCM France and other programming during the times it was able to provide a service. TCM 2 didn't have a power cut because of its downtimes of timesharing. Most advertising was suspended and several of the channel websites were offline also.

However, those who could still receive the channels had a backup transmission played out, making people curious into why the incorrect programmes were played out when compared to the EPG Cartoon Network Too and Boomerang were showing episodes of The Flintstones. These backups where played out with a scrolling message which said "We apologise for the disruption to this service. This is due to technical difficulties. We will resume normal programming as soon as possible" in multiple languages.

Whilst most channels returned to the air relatively quickly, it took longer for Cartoon Network Too to resume programming and it was also joked on various animation based forums by Toonami UK viewers, many of whom have made note of their disdain for the direction in which Turner took the Brand in the UK, that the backup transmission was more entertaining, purely on the basis that there's no live action aired during the black out.

The idents on Toonami which aired between shows during the black-out displayed the message "Sorry! Toonami is broken, we'll be right back as soon as we fix it.". These idents have since been re-used in disclaimers warning viewers not to try stunts on various shows at home.[citation needed]

Closure

On 3 May 2007, Turner UK announced that Cartoon Network Too will go 24 hours and launch Cartoonito as a standalone channel on 24 May. It was also confirmed that Toonami would close down immediately on the same day. On 24 May at 3am, The original version of Cartoon Network Too was finally closed down with Cartoonito launching in its slot. On the same day CN Too moved into Toonami's slot, it also broadcasted 24 hours a day at this point. Even though Toonami has closed, the official Toonami website was still running. The "sign in" feature was taken off the site and now into the CN Too logo. Before Toonami ceased transmission, a message warns viewers about the merge with the CN Too channel. The message was 'Breaking News: Toonami becomes the bigger and better Cartoon Network Too on 24 May (Sky 602, Virgin 705, Tiscali 326)'. The website has now closed.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Licence Details For Toonami". Ofcom. Retrieved 2013-07-11.
  2. ^ C21Media:
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