Boomerang (TV channel)
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Boomerang is the name of at least four TV networks owned by Cartoon Network in the United States. There are also channels in the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Spain, France, Brazil, and some Eastern Europe countries. Boomerang was one of the two actual spin-offs of Cartoon Network, showing classic animated cartoons from the Warner Bros., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and Hanna-Barbera archives. The UK channel has also screened the puppet show Thunderbirds (the U.S. rights of which are owned by G4). Formerly a segment of programming within the Cartoon Network, the channel was launched at the end of the 20th century and introduced to satellite in April 1, 2000.
The United States channel
The United States version of Boomerang initially carried a weekly looping programming format. Notably, Boomerang does not carry product commercials. The only advertising on the channel is for Boomerang or Cartoon Network programming.During its looping format, which lasted through January 17, 2005, program days began at 8 a.m. Eastern time (5 a.m. Pacific time). Monday through Thursdays had been just normal programming days, with a variety of half-hour and hour-long cartoon programs shown. On Fridays, "monthly feature" cartoons were shown for the entire day; one cartoon was featured for each Friday of a given month for 24 hours straight. As of January 22, 2005, this banner became known as "monthly character of the month", and is now shown on weekends 2–4 p.m. eastern. On Saturdays, a calendar year was featured with the cartoons of that year (ranging from approximately 1963 to 1983, one year per week in sequence). Sundays carried the "Boomeraction" theme, with animation featuring action and adventure such as SuperFriends and Jonny Quest. As time goes on Boomerang plays shows from more recent times, such as and The Addams Family Cartoon.
Boomerang has carried both theatrical animated shorts and television series from several libraries, including:
- Warner Brothers
- *Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies (in various packages and formats)
- MGM
- *Tom and Jerry
- *Droopy Dog
- *Screwball Squirrel
- *Barney Bear
- Hanna-Barbera
- *A Pup Named Scooby Doo
- *The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show
- *Banana Splits
- *Dexter's Laboratory
- *The Flintstones
- *The Flintstone Kids
- *Hong Kong Phooey
- *The Huckleberry Hound Show
- *Jabberjaw
- *The Jetsons
- *Jonny Quest
- *Josie and the Pussycats
- *The Magilla Gorilla Show
- *Quick Draw McGraw
- *Scooby-Doo
- *The Perils of Penelope Pitstop
- *The Snorks
- *The Smurfs
- *Top Cat
- *Wacky Races
- *Yogi Bear Show
- Curious Pictures
- *Mike, Lu and Og
- Ruby-Spears
- *Thundarr the Barbarian
- *Heathcliff/Dingbat and the Creeps/Marmaduke
- *Mr. T
- *Karate Kommandos
- *Goldie Gold and Action Jack
- Jay Ward Productions
- *Rocky and Bullwinkle
- Total Television
- *Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales
- *Underdog
- Paramount Pictures
- *Popeye the Sailor
- *Superman
- *Casper and Friends (Properties later sold to Harvey Comics)
- Sandy Frank Entertainment
- *Battle of the Planets
- United Artists
- *Pink Panther
- *The Inspector
- *The Ant and the Aardvark
- *The Blue Racer
- *Tijuana Toads
- *Misterjaw
- United Productions of America
- *Mr. Magoo
- 4Kids
- *''Pokemon - TBA
In 2005, Boomerang began to carry more modern series, including 2 Stupid Dogs, ', ', Justice League, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (2002 series), Baby Looney Tunes, Duck Dodgers, and What's New, Scooby Doo. In 2006, Boomerang began to experiment with reruns of the Cartoon Network original series Dexter's Laboratory, and Mike, Lu & Og. Because of this, many Boomerang fans speculate that Boomerang might (or may have) become a Cartoon Network Too in the US. Further, it was recently announced that the first five "seasons" of the U.S. dubbed Pokemon anime series would air on the network.
Boomerang's former promotional slogan, used until 2005, was one of nostalgia that accurately reflected its programming of the time: Boomerang: It's All Coming Back To You.
The United Kingdom and Ireland channel
There is also a version of Boomerang broadcast in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, launched on May 27, 2000. It is broadcast 24 hours on the Sky Digital, NTL, Telewest Broadband, Homechoice, Top Up TV and Chorus Digital platforms.
The Australian channel
An Australian version of Boomerang was launched in March 2001 as part of the Foxtel Digital launch, with a lineup very similar to that of the UK version. It started previously as a 4-hour block of those T.V. shows when CN introduced 24 hour programming.The Spanish channel
Since 2004, Boomerang has also a Spanish version. It's available on the Digital + digital platform and on the Auna cable platform. It was introduced as a part of Cartoon Network's schedule on weekend afternoons. The station's programming resembles strongly the UK version. It relies heavily in older Warner Brothers, MGM, and Hanna-Barbera cartoons, but it also includes fairly recent programmes featuring older characters, like Baby Looney Tunes and Duck Dodgers. It also features other classic cartoons, like the Japanese Heidi and the Spanish La vuelta al mundo de Willy Fog (Around the World with Willy Fog).Other countries
There is also Boomerang Latin America and Boomerang Brazil, which began their broadcastings in July 2001. In April 3 2006, Boomerang Latin America / Brazil was relaunched as a general children's network, like Disney Channel and Viacom's Nickelodeon, also featuring live-action programming, while retaining its classic cartoons in late night. In practice, the channel changed from a local version of Boomerang USA to a version of POGO, Cartoon Network's sister network in India.
Since 2005, Boomerang is also available via digital cable in the Netherlands and Belgium.
Also since 2005, Boomerang is begin broadcasting in Poland via some Cable TV providers and one of polish digital platform (Cyfrowy Polsat), as channel partially translate.
Since September 1 2005 Boomerang is available in Now TV in Hong Kong and also shown on Cable TV Hong Kong in spring 2006.
In late 2005, Turner Broadcasting made clear that they were considering launching several new channels in the Nordic region (to join their then-current channel Turner Classic Movies, Cartoon Network, and CNN International). One of the planned new channels was Boomerang, for which they applied for a broadcasting license in the Swedish DTT in the autumn 2005.
In March 2006, SkyCABLE started to show Boomerang in the Philippines, but only available in the Platinum Package.
In June 2006, Kabel Deutschland, Kabel BW and Unity Media started to show Boomerang on Pay-TV in Germany.
External links
- [Official Site]
- [Boomerang Latin America]
- [Boomerang Fan Site - Official Site]
- [Schedule for Boomerang and other Turner Europe channels]
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