We Bare Bears
TV News & Program Updates

“We Bare Bears” Premieres Today on Cartoon Network

Cartoon Network’s newest animated series premieres July 27 (and airs weekdays at 6:30pm ET/ 5:30pm CT), and my kids can Bear-ly contain their excitement. We Bare Bears, is about a trio of Bay-area bears: Ice Bear, Panda and Grizzly who — despite their obvious difference of breed — are brothers. The series is a charming, pop-culture laden series that I really enjoyed. It’s cute for kids, but awesome for adults because while the bears are sweet and good, they’re also pretty self- and socially aware. Ice Bear (voiced by Demetri Martin) is a bear of few words who refers to […]

Animation

Here’s a look at the new Powerpuff Girls

Cartoon Network just released a first look at character artwork featuring Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup from the all-new series The Powerpuff Girls, a reimagined version of the favorite ’90s series, which was created by Craig McCracken and won two Emmy Awards. The new Powerpuff Girls is slated for a 2016 global launch, and is executive produced by Nick Jennings (Adventure Time) and Bob Boyle, creator of Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! Providing the voices in the series will be Amanda Leighton as Blossom, Kristen Li as Bubbles and Natalie Palamides as Buttercup (all pictured below). Tom Kenny will be reprising his role from the original series as […]

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Animation

Catch The Music of Pokemon At The Symphony!

If you grew up watching Pokemon cartoons on Cartoon Network or enjoyed playing the computer or card games that were perhaps the best Japanese monster import since Godzilla, there’s a new Poke-phenomenon guaranteed to cater to your grown-up tastes. Now you can experience Pokemon at…the symphony! The beloved midi-files of the 16-bit video game and the tunes from the CN show are getting a lift into elegant and dramatic scores played by the world’s finest symphonies. After performing the work to sold out audiences in Washington, D.C. and Pittsburgh, the producers have turned Pokemon: Symphonic Evolutions into a tour that will […]

Animation

Adventure Time miniseries, Powerpuff Girls reboot among Cartoon Network’s upfront slate

Cartoon Network released its programming slate for the 2015-16 upfront season, and among the highlights are an Adventure Time miniseries and a reboot of The Powerpuff Girls. In the special Adventure Time miniseries, Finn and Jake face a new threat to Ooo when Princess Bubblegum’s experiment unleashes ghosts from Marceline’s past. There was no indication yet when this will air. The Powerpuff Girls is slated for a 2016 launch, and is a reboot of one of Cartoon Network’s most enduring series, which debuted in 1998, centering on “three sugar-coated superheroes — Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup — whose mission in life alternates between going to school, fighting crime, winning […]

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Awards Shows

Winners of Cartoon Network’s Fourth Annual Hall of Game Awards

This past Saturday, Cartoon Network held its annual Hall of Game event — the fourth one — in a ceremony recorded for airing Monday, Feb. 17, at 7pm ET/PT on the network. NFL quarterbacks Colin Kaepernick (San Francisco 49ers) and Cam Newton (Carolina Panthers) co-hosted the awards, for which more than 100 million online votes were gathered and counted to determine the best in various sports categories (list of winners as announced by Cartoon Network is below). Highlights of the evening included the Seattle Seahawks’ Richard Sherman presenting the 2013 SI Kids Sportskid of the Year award to 14-year-old Jack […]

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Action

“Beware the Batman” offers new take on the Dark Knight

With a popular, long-running character such as Batman, it’s always possible to reinvent and reinterpret him in various ways — from a campy crusader to a grim protector; from a straight-up hero to a conflicted, nuanced avenger; and everything in between. Several of these variations seem to have been combined in the new animated series Beware the Batman, premiering July 13 on Cartoon Network as part of its Saturday morning “DC Nation” block. Given its time slot and apparent aim toward a more youthful audience, Beware the Batman does not get overly bleak and scary, at least from what I’ve […]

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7 Questions With...

“7 Questions” With … Ashley Eckstein of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”

Many actors can consider themselves part of the Star Wars universe, but it’s doubtful many enjoy it as much as Ashley Eckstein. The Star Wars: The Clone Wars actress, who is in her fifth season giving voice to Anakin Skywalker’s feisty Padawan Ahsoka Tano, says she’s a lifelong fan of George Lucas’ seminal space saga, and her job on the Cartoon Network series is one she considers a privilege and a great responsibility. She’s parlayed her relationship with Lucasfilm into a clothing company aimed specifically at the underserved female sci fi fan. Her Universe has licenses for Star Wars, Star […]

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Animation

Ashley Eckstein talks “Clone Wars,” Ahsoka’s journey to fan acceptance

The rough journey Ahsoka Tano has taken as a Padawan learner may pale in comparison to the road she’s traveled to fan acceptance. “I know that a lot of people did not like her in the movie and then in Season 1,” says Ashley Eckstein, who has given voice to the Star Wars: The Clone Wars character since her first appearance in the 2008 feature film, and in now five seasons on Cartoon Network. “She was very snippy, she was very sassy, kind of a know-it-all. But I think now she’s comfortable in her own skin. She’s learned so much from Anakin, […]

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Animation

Cartoon Network brings “Black Dynamite” animated series to Adult Swim

Cartoon Network’s late-night Adult Swim block goes into lulls where it seems to bide its time between cool new ‘toons, over-hyped one-season wonders and new seasons of its stately franchises (still waiting on Season 5 of One of the Best Things on TV, The Venture Brothers), often filling the gap with live-action Dadaist crap by some guy who knows the Tim & Eric Awesome Show yayhoos. I’m not sure what category Black Dynamite, the animated adaptation of Scott Sanders, Michael Jai White and Byron Minns’ over-the-top 2009 blaxploitation-spoofing feature film, will fit into just yet — other than it is […]