Summary
- Adult Swim has been gradually taking up more airtime on Cartoon Network, with recent events suggesting that it may eventually dominate the entire day’s schedule.
- Adult Swim’s success with older demographics and its recent increase in ratings have positioned it as a key player for Warner Bros. Discovery, which is looking to target the older generation to combat the decline of cable TV.
- Cartoon Network’s relevance is at risk, as linear ratings continue to decline and original series migrate to streaming platforms. With Adult Swim dominating 13 hours of the day, Cartoon Network’s future is uncertain.
Those of us who grew up in the 2000s hold Cartoon Network in a special place in our hearts. Courage the Cowardly Dog, The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, The Powerpuff Girls, and Ed Edd n Eddy were just some of the titles that defined the decade for the network. When the day was over, kids could count on that familiar signoff welcoming them to Adult Swim.
Cartoon Network and Adult Swim have enjoyed a shared channel space for more than 20 years. For the most part, each has stuck to their own half of the day. But recent events suggest that may not be the case for much longer. In 2023 alone, Adult Swim has taken three additional hours of Cartoon Network’s time. Throw early-morning preschool block Cartoonito in the mix, and suddenly, Cartoon Network takes up less than half the schedule.
What does this mean for the future? Everyone knows cable TV is dying a slow death, and Warner Bros. Discovery is putting much of its hopes on the older generation and their love of Adult Swim. So, could the late-night block’s start time be pushed back even more? As in, taking the entire day? Let’s see what might happen.
A Brief History
Adult Swim first graced our screens in the late night hours of September 2, 2001. It wasted no time making a name for itself, with Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Space Ghost Coast to Coast, and Home Movies among the first original series in those early days. The network also built itself up by acquiring more established series, like Futurama, Family Guy, and King of the Hill.
For the first few years, Adult Swim occupied very little space on Cartoon Network’s schedule. It began at either 10 or 11 p.m. and would end sometime in the early morning hours before settling on 5 or 6 a.m. Also, it did not air every day. However, the late-night arrival and surrealist nature of the early shows made the network stand out against other “adult” TV channels.
The mid-2000s delivered continued success with hits like Robot Chicken, Squidbillies, The Boondocks, and Metalocalypse, with Robot Chicken becoming the net’s longest-running show. Eventually, that growing success led the block to expand to seven days a week by 2007. That also promised stability; viewers could tune into Adult Swim every night from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
As the years passed, Adult Swim was no longer satisfied with just eight hours. In 2010, Cartoon Network gave up the 9 p.m. hour for the first time, giving the adult block more than one-third of its schedule. Adult Swim kept going, launching one of their most successful programming blocks in 2012 with the revival of Cartoon Network’s Toonami. 2013 gave us the network’s undeniable biggest hit with the debut of Rick and Morty. With all these changes, you know what that means, right? More Adult Swim. By 2014, the formerly late-night block began its night at 8 p.m.
For many years, this seemed like the norm. Occasionally, Cartoon Network would take back the 8 p.m. hour for various event programming and specials. But otherwise, the block was undisturbed.
Modern Times
Fast-forward to 2023. Cartoon Network has now given up its early morning hours to preschool block Cartoonito. Where else could you watch Cocomelon right after Bob’s Burgers? Linear ratings have continued to plummet with the streaming boom, and Cartoon Network is no exception. Besides the immortal Teen Titans Go!, there are very few originals left on CN, with most migrating to Max. However, Adult Swim continues to thrive among the older demographic.
In May 2023, Adult Swim moved back to 7 p.m. That decision led to an almost immediate ratings rise for that hour. So they didn’t stop. August 2023 brought us Checkered Past, an Adult Swim block featuring several of the “classic CN” shows mentioned above. The kicker? Checked Past launches Adult Swim every weeknight at 5 p.m. For the first time, Adult Swim takes up more than half the day. Add in Cartoonito, and Cartoon Network itself is lucky to get 8 or 9 hours per day.
So we need to ask ourselves? How much longer will Cartoon Network stay relevant? Kids today rarely watch linear TV when there are countless streaming apps at their fingertips. Aside from Teen Titans Go! and a small handful of others, there’s next-to-no original CN series left. Adult Swim holds 13 hours of the day and consistently dominates ratings.
From a business standpoint, giving AS the entire day to air nostalgic and older-generation-aimed programming makes sense. The naysayers who think AS will never become a 24-hour block should remember one thing. In April 2023, AS began at 8 p.m. Just four months later, it signs on at 5 p.m. Cable is dying, and Warner Bros. Discovery has a chance to salvage Cartoon Network while there’s still time. The question is, will they do it? Soon, tuning in to Adult Swim at noon may be a reality.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
