Why Cartoon Network Summer Was the Best Time for Cartoon Network

When it comes to pop culture, 2005 might have been one of the best years of my life. That was the year Avatar: The Last Airbender debuted to the world. Revenge of the Sith would wrap up the Star Wars films for the foreseeable future. And that summer, my eyes and ears were focused solely on Cartoon Network for one reason and one reason alone: Cartoon Network Summer.

Initially running from May 20th, 2005 through Labor Day and set in the middle of what was arguably Cartoon Network’s golden age, Cartoon Network Summer was one of the most exciting things I had ever seen on television. From the summer-themed bumpers to the hype building up to the release of two new shows, this season-long celebration remains one of my fondest childhood memories. As sad as it is to think about how far Cartoon Network has fallen since then, the memories of that summer hold a special place in my heart. And there are a few good reasons why.

CN CITY=Cartoon Network’s Best Era

The reason why Cartoon Network Summer resonated with me so much boils down to the era in which it came out. An era that, looking back, is likely when Cartoon Network was near its absolute peak. And while it would continue to deliver great shows over the decades that follow, no era could match the splendor of CN City.

Debuting in June 2004, CN City was a transitional period for the channel, one in which newer shows started to replace the older ones. The premise behind the rebranding was simply brilliant. Cartoon Network took the cast and characters from all their shows and had them all live in the same city/world. Each show would make up a small part of the greater city, and in between commercial breaks, they would air bumpers showing the characters going about their daily lives. From the Eds scamming everyone they came across to Dexter and Professor Utonium butting heads, anyone could meet anyone. Given how many people look back on this era fondly on social media, it’s safe to say that this was the channel at its peak.  

During this era, CN City would change its appearance based on what the holiday was, with Cartoon Network Summer lasting the longest. It was marketed as one giant party from dawn to dusk, and it was awesome. Of course, that was only part of the channel’s marketing for the summer.

Pleased to Meet you, Juniper Lee…

Another big part of Cartoon Network Summer was going to be the premiere of two brand-new shows. The first of these shows had already been getting promoted for a few months with commercials, but it would officially air less than ten days after the start of the summer brand. Its name was The Life and Times of Juniper Lee.

Set in a world where magic and monsters exist invisible to most humans, Juniper Lee is an eleven-year-old girl who’s recently been made the Te Xuan Ze, AKA the one meant to keep balance between the human and monster worlds. Whereas someone like Aang is able to openly serve as his world’s protector, June has to keep everything a secret, even from her own parents. Needless to say, that makes life hard at times.

The show itself was fairly good, but it wasnt what Cartoon Network wanted to focus its efforts on promoting that summer. Instead, that honor went to the other new show that would be coming out.

…And Camp Lazlo!

Given how Joe Murray had previously created Rocko’s Modern Life, one of the most important cartoons of the 90s, his next creation was going to be a big deal. The fact that Cartoon Network, one of Nickelodeon’s competitors, got him to make a show for them was an even bigger deal. Thus, in the months leading up to its debut in July, Cartoon Network went all out on promoting Camp Lazlo.

There were the usual rounds of bumpers and commercials that would be aired on the channel, but Cartoon Network would end up going bigger. They gave Scoutmaster Lumpus and Slinkman, the two main adult figures on Camp Lazlo, their own summertime block. This block, Lumpus and Slinkman’s Cabin Fever, would run from Memorial Day all through the summer, and would serve as another means to promote the show. In addition, the Cartoon Network website would get in on things by releasing new flash games for their existing shows online. If you beat each game, you would get a merit badge that would tie-in to Camp Lazlo. There was no real goal to it, but it was a fun way to get into the theme of summer.

Long story short, Summer 2005 was a great year for Cartoon Network. While the channel may not be as good as it was even ten years ago, nothing can take away the memories of the good times that we experienced at its peak. And that summer, Cartoon Network felt like it was at its absolute peak.