Let's Ride This FAST Car... toon Network Concept (Part 2)

Three channels.

That's all the Cartoon Network brand needs to expand into FAST media.

Three channels.

Why three? Because with nearly 30 years of original programming, you can't put it all in one place. That's why you don't see much of the library on television nowadays. Cartoon Network itself has a limited lineup, and they're hyper-focused on the younger demographics and push more modern shows. They tried to put some of the older CN library on Boomerang, but it was buried in late-night slots. 

Plus, most major TV markets don't have Boomerang on their cable lineup. You'd think they'd try to get wider distribution deals, but I think Time Warner just gave up more than a decade ago.

And yeah, I put the blame on Time Warner. 

Not AT&T and WarnerMedia. Not Warner Bros Discovery. Hell, not even AOL Time Warner. 

I'm putting much of Boomerang's lack of carriage on Time Warner. But I digress.

With the Checkered Past block on Adult Swim, some of the older, bigger shows ended up there. Dexter's Laboratory, Ed, Edd 'n Eddy, Cow and Chicken, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Grim and Evil, Billy and Mandy, and Samurai Jack.

Strangely, no Johnny Bravo. They won't put that one anywhere. Not on Adult Swim, not even on the App. It's just... gone. No Ben 10: Alien Force or Generator Rex either on Adult Swim, even though you'd think those mature takes on action cartoons would fit in that demographic. Weird. 

You also won't see shows with kids fighting adults on the block either. Sorry Powerpuff Girls and Codename: Kids Next Door fans. Plus, those two had been shifting back and forth on Boomerang along with Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Flapjack, and Chowder. Kids shows on an adult-targeted block still feels weird to me some folks would want that, but what do I know? I'm an old man.

I feel that with FAST, you can support and celebrate the legacy of what Cartoon Network Studios brought to the world. From the What A Cartoon shorts to today, there's a wealth of Cartoon Network originals that deserves to be preserved and shown, and creating a trio of FAST networks is the best use of the library.

But how would I translate the library as FAST channels? Simple.

I'd divide the library in half and create an additional outlet just for the original Cartoon Network Studios action series.

Three FAST channels. 

Cartoon Network Classics.

Cartoon Network Tooncast.

Cartoon Network Power Zone.

Cartoon Network Classics: The Powerhouse/CN City-era originals. These are the shows that built the Cartoon Network brand. You know them, you love them. From What A Cartoon to Chowder, this is home of the Cartoon Cartoons. 

Cartoon Network TOONCAST: The Noods/Check It-era originals. The foundation of the current generation of Cartoon Network originals are found right here. The heavily aired shows would remain on Cartoon Network and the official Cartoon Network app, and while a few will air here, the original CNS shows of the last 15 years will make this channel their home. That means no Teen Titans Go, folks. 

Cartoon Network POWER ZONE: The Powerpuff Girls, Samurai Jack, Ben 10, Juniper Lee, Generator Rex, The Secret Saturdays, OK KO, Mao Mao, Infinity Train, and more. This is the home of serious (and not-so-serious) action. All the original (non-DC) action cartoons from Cartoon Network Studios under one zone.  And yes, being the completist that I am, I would try to correct a few wrongs and pay the taxes to put some shows like Megas XLR and Sym-Bionic Titan back in rotation and also include Tower Prep and Level Up, the two action-packed live-action series produced by Cartoon Network Studios. This isn't Cartoon Network. This is the Power Zone.

Those are the three FAST channels that Cartoon Network should consider creating. And the best part of all? They don't have to sacrifice the linear Cartoon Network or Boomerang to do so. These would be aimed more towards older audiences yet younger fans would appreciate them as well. It gives new life to the Cartoon Network brand, embrace the millennial and zoomer audiences who grew up with the channel but not really all that into the Adult Swim brand, and give life to shows that desperately need them.

I know you have a few questions. 

"Why Power Zone and not Toonami?" Power Zone is a more uniform brand for the Cartoon Network original action cartoons. It was the direct predecessor to the Toonami block itself. As for why I used that brand and not Toonami? Simple. Because you'd probably expect to see an all-anime lineup there. You'd want to see something like Dragon Ball Z, Naruto, or One Piece and not something like Generator Rex, The Secret Saturdays, or OK KO there. That's partially "thanks" to the Toonami producers filling up the lineup with anime and barely showing western shows in the latter half of its history on Cartoon Network. Plus, Toonami's an Adult Swim brand now, not Cartoon Network, and there's a big difference. Besides, the anime that made up the golden age of the Toonami block is largely under lock and key at Crunchyroll, and they're not giving them up so easily. You've already seen how difficult it has been getting shows on Adult Swim. Speaking of Adult Swim...

"Where's the Adult Swim FAST channel?" Right now, you can find a pretty solid Adult Swim-branded FAST outlet on the official app. Their layout is a strong example of what could be done with a Cartoon Network FAST/AVOD service. They have nearly every major Adult Swim series, a few third-party acquisitions from the block (mostly from the Toonami side of the channel), and elements that you can't even find on MAX. 

"You made an exception to add live-action action shows to Power Zone. What about the CN Real stuff?" Put 'em on Discovery Family. Really. Put those shows on Discovery Family. Dude What Would Happen, Destroy Build Destroy, BrainRush, and The Othersiders would fit in that channel's reality-based format easily, and the fact reruns haven't been added to that channel still stuns me. Heck, put in the Warner Horizon-produced scripted series Unnatural History and the CN-produced sketch comedy series Incredible Crew to the channel as well. Anything is better than the barrage of cooking competitions and Discovery reruns.  

Cartoon Network needs three FAST outlets to do something of that magnitude because, as I've said earlier, their library is huge.