SB-02: Boomerang 1.0 | Step 3: Pick Up 3rd Party Classics Too

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It took a while to get to this point, but I know that Boomerang has the potential to become a great network. It will represent itself as a premiere outlet for classic animation, not just a "retro" or "old-school" network. As a part of the Warner Cartoon Group family, Boomerang is the network that entertains as well as educates the viewers about an era of animation that is all but forgotten by today's audiences.

Blockbuilding is a vital part of Scratchbuilding, but Boomerang wouldn't be block-specific per se. Yes, there will be blocks and such, but the shows and shorts should be prominent. Eliminate the wind-up toy versions of characters and showcase the animated stars in the idents the way they are. They are the face of Boomerang. Elements like No Pants Mondays and the Star of the Month would be eliminated, and the programming would be strictly older cartoons. No newer versions of older theatrical characters. Nothing made or syndicated prior to 1997 would air on the network, and the lineup gets shaken up every 13 weeks. Oh, and there will be commercial breaks. The one thing that prevents Boomerang from many cable systems is a lack of commercial revenue, and that'd be one thing I'd remedy right away. Also, it couldn't help that it would bring in another string of ad revenue to the company. Boomerang is the Classic Cartoon Network, and that's the attitude they should take. Here's what I'd do (all times E/P):

AFTERNOONS

Super Adventures:

Remember when Cartoon Network used to air action programming every afternoon starting at 4 PM? Well, those days are, sadly, gone, but the spirit that helped create a network is not forgotten. Starting at 3 PM, Boomerang would present a three-hour block of old-school retro action cartoons. Action shows and shorts will save weekday afternoons from the monotony of the same old boring cartoons repeated day after day after day. Action rules the afternoon on Boomerang.

The Six O'Clock Brew

One episode of Scooby-Doo followed by a different show a month for one hour every weekday beginning at, when else, 6 PM. What's the other show? Quick hint: It's not another Scooby-Doo series. It could be a comedy. It could be an adventure series. It could be a collection of classic theatrical shorts. Whatever it is, it'll follow the first dog of Boomerang.

Super Chunk:

Boomerang's weekly mini-marathon is now called Super Chunk. Every Saturday at 4 PM, Super Chunk presents a weekly three-hour marathon of a different show or character every single week. One week, Super Chunk could air a block of The Flintstones while the next week, nothing but Tom and Jerry. Another week could have Porky Pig while the week after that could have Super Friends. No show or franchise would be repeated within a six-month period at a time.

PRIME TIME

Boomerang Prime Time:

The primetime block of Boomerang lasts from 7 PM to 11 PM every weeknight. The Acme Hour, Boomerang's premiere shorts showcase, starts the night followed by an hour of the first families of animation, The Flintstones and The Jetsons. The Bugs Bunny Show, featuring Warner Bros' world-famous superstar, settles in at 9 PM followed by fellow Oscar-winners Tom and Jerry. The final hour is comprised of Rocky and Bullwinkle at 10 and Animaniacs at 10:30 PM (and yes, Animaniacs makes the 10-year mandate). As you can see, weeknights are dominated by comedy, which is Boomerang's greatest strength, something you have to accentuate with the network.

Time-O-Vision:

Remember when Boomerang was a retro block of shows? Well, Boomerang: The Block has been revamped into a weekly three-hour block of Saturday morning favorites from the early days of television to the early 90s. Every Saturday night starting at 7 PM, Boomerang takes you back to your childhood with tidbits, factoids, and retro commercials from the eras when you feel Saturday mornings ruled. It's really all coming back to you now, isn't it?

Boomoddities

Every Saturday night at 10 PM, Boomerang presents a four-hour block of, well, the freaks of Boomerang. Those shows and shorts that were made to entertain and are fun, not to mention a little bit odd. Talking cars and one that only spoke with a horn. Small creatures that aren't Smurfs. Suburban dogs living in a mansion. Street smart angels and prospecting ghosts. Magical demonic hellraisers. Crime-fighting fish. A guy with a pointy hairdo who loves to play the triangle. These are the Boomoddities. Not quite superstars, but loved nonetheless.

Sunday Night

The best of the best. A celebration of the animated medium is presented every Sunday night beginning at 6 PM. An animated movie kicks off the night followed by three critically-acclaimed shorts from the golden age of animation. The night continues with four historical projects like Toonheads, The Popeye Show, Termite Terrace (which celebrates the legacy of Leon Schlesinger Studios and the artists, writers, designers, and actors behind those award-winning shorts), and The Tex and Bob Show (which combines The Tex Avery Show and The Bob Clampett Show into a half-hour anthology about two of animation's greatest creators) followed by Boomerang Presents, a Cartoon Alley-type show that showcases a different element of classic cartoons like the work of a studio, an artist, a character, or a franchise. The best night on television for classic animation fans is Sundays.

LATE NIGHT

The Boom!:

A retooling of Boomerang's action franchise Boomeraction takes a cue from the early years of Cartoon Network's premiere action block Toonami. Hosted by Moltar, this collection of classic action properties from yesteryear from Space Ghost and Jonny Quest to Astro Boy and Gigantor to ThunderCats and Voltron to G-Force and Silverhawks and everything inbetween. The Boom! takes the helm of Boomerang Mondays through Thursdays for three hours starting at 11 PM and Saturday afternoons from Noon to 4 PM.

Fridays at The Boom!:

Instead of being dedicated to just action programming, The Boom! gives you a monthly showcase of a different theme Fridays from 11 PM to 2 AM. Here's a sampling of monthly themes:

- A Month of Firsts: New year means a new beginning. To celebrate the first month of the new year, The Boom! will present the first episodes and appearances of Boomerang's shining stars.

- Toonapalooza: The Boom! brings you the best musical cartoons and animated performances from the likes of Josie and the Pussycats, The Impossibles, Jabberjaw, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kids, and various music-themed shorts.

- 70s Super Explosion: Get your platform shoes, afro picks, and leisure suits ready and boogie down to the cartoons of the 1970s, the era that gave us shows like Hong Kong Phooey, Dynomutt, Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels, Inch High Private Eye, Where's Huddles?, Wait Til Your Father Gets Home, Clue Club, and others.

- A Month of Fools: April 1 marks Boomerang's birthday, so, as a gift, The Boom! gives you a month of fools. Comedic fools. Villianous fools. Don't be a fool and miss it.

- Swords and Lasers: The worlds of science-fiction and fantasy collide in The Boom! in this monthly spotlight of action and adventure-themed shows and shorts.

- The Bunny: The Boom! has mad respect for the iconic legend Bugs Bunny, so, in honor of June Bugs, The Boom! presents a night full of specifically-themed shorts under one common thread: The Hunted, The Agitated, The Traveller, and The Legend. Yep, a theme within a theme. We can do that at The Boom!

That's the first six months of Fridays at The Boom! for you.

Boomerang International Showcase:

Sunday nights conclude with a three-hour showcase of international animation. The best animation to come out of Canada, Europe, Asia, South America, and even independent animators in the US will be presented every week.

The Remainder

The remainder of the Boomerang lineup is free-flowing. Aside from the 9 AM and 2 PM airings of The Acme Hour, Boomerang is not bound by rigid scheduling. No back-to-back airings of a single show (i.e. one episode of "Scooby-Doo" won't follow another episode of "Scooby-Doo."). Mornings and afternoons are filled with classic shows, theatrical anthologies like Acme Hour and The Zoo, and a bright energy not seen anywhere else. Hey, when you showcase the best animation on the planet, you'll be full of energy too.

One more thing.

Boomerang won't be run strictly for high ratings. When you worry about ratings, it's no longer a network but created ONLY for ad money, and that's no way to run a network. There has to be individuals not blinded by the almighty dollar, but rather a love for the medium. That's why I feel Boomerang's home base should be in Los Angeles.

It's time to rebuild Boomerang. It's time to look at Boomerang not as a recepticle for older programs and shows that failed on Cartoon Network, but rather embrace the original concept of the network. It's time for Boomerang to become the Classic Cartoon Network. Classy. Kitschy. Cool.