Cartoonito: A Pre-Premiere Review

Last Saturday (September 4) marked 15 years since the debut of Cartoonito, the international preschool brand from Turner/WarnerMedia. Now, less than a week before the U.S. Cartoon Network reintroduces it as their first preschool block since Tickle U, it's time I share some "pre-premiere" thoughts on Cartoonito's new beginning. This article covers everything from opinions on what series they're offering to my predictions on how it'll fare against its competitors.

The Runtime

I feel like this is the biggest point of controversy when it comes to Neo-Cartoonito. In total, the block will take up 44 hours of CN’s 99-hour broadcast week, from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the weekdays and from 6 to 8 a.m. on weekends. 

Many have lamented the fact that now, CN is limited to a 6-hour breather between the 8-hour Cartoonito and Adult Swim blocks. While I agree that this weekday runtime is a tad unnecessary (Nick and Disney’s preschool blocks never lasted that long), there are two easy ways the folks at Warner Bros. GKYAC can balance out the schedule:

• Eliminate 2 hours on the weekdays, so now it’s an 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. block. This is so
• a) the transition from ADULT Swim to preschool content won’t be as drastic,
• b) without repeats, there’d be a continuous stream of new content in case Cartoonito ever decides to counter-program against Nick Jr./Disney Junior, and
• c) older kids can see some of their favorite cartoons while getting ready for school.
• Alternatively, Cartoon Network should expand back to 10 p.m. This fall will see Family Guy and Bob's Burgers leave Adult Swim after 18 and 8 years on the lineup, respectively. While other AS series will likely fill in those gaps, I hope that somewhere down the road, CN reclaims 8 and 9 p.m., becoming 16 hours again like how it was before 2010. Their new ACME Night block already extends their Sunday runtime to 9 p.m., and it would give a chance for more CN original series to shine on weekdays.

The Programming

This is another huge point of criticism for Neo-Cartoonito. Of the ten series premiering the week of September 13, none have the involvement of Cartoon Network. The only one that comes close is Baby Looney Tunes, though its run has long since ended (not to mention Warner Bros. Animation originally produced the show for Kids' WB).

Looking at their future slate, the only series made by CN talent is Jessica's Little Big World, a spin-off of Craig of the Creek. All other series come from outside studios and distributors, and the few original series they have are through WBA.

I've also seen people take issue with Cartoonito's reliance on established brands, but honestly, they need as much attention they can get. Aside from a certain you-know-who (*cough*Caillou*cough*), parents - especially those who've had multiple kids - might be pleased to see some of the faces that entertained their grown-up children return for a new generation.

The Presentation

I’m happy to see Cartoonito use mascots that AREN’T characters from their established series. But you know what makes me even happier? Should they add a new mascot to their roster, it be a great way to introduce more themes of diversity to the Cartoonito curriculum. Nito, Glob, Wedge, and Itty already use they/them pronouns, and Glob (who expresses themself via shapeshifting) represents neurodivergent individuals. Maybe we could get a mascot who represents children with disabilities?

How This Will Affect Cartoonito Internationally

With the way WarnerMedia has invested so much into Neo-Cartoonito, it's clear the future of other Cartoonito feeds rely on U.S. success. There are already plans for a Latin American expansion, a return to Southeast Asia after a 6-year hiatus, and a relaunch of the British channel.

There's also WarnerMedia's merger with Discovery Inc. and how it will affect the combined company's children operations. Cartoon Network's new family approach has spurred rumors regarding the closure of Boomerang and Discovery Kids/Family. Since Cartoonito's programming targets a similar audience to the latter, those rumors may become a reality.

We'll have to wait and see.