Programming
Despite the channel's name, Nicktoons is not exclusively limited to airing Nicktoons. The channel has engaged in channel drift throughout its existence, increasingly adding action-oriented programming never seen on Nickelodeon and even live-action programming in recent years. The network is also known for being a channel for burning off animated series that failed on Nickelodeon, along with fulfilling contractual obligations involving programming from Nickelodeon's foreign networks that would likely attract low ratings on the main Nickelodeon network. Unlike its general competitors (Boomerang from Cartoon Network and the now-defunct Toon Disney), Nicktoons has never placed significant emphasis on archival programming.
Current programming seen on Nicktoons include Nickelodeon's flagship series, along with SpongeBob SquarePants, The Fairly OddParents, The Penguins of Madagascar, Fanboy and Chum Chum, Planet Sheen, T.U.F.F. Puppy, The Legend of Korra, Robot and Monster, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Animated series that have never aired on Nickelodeon and are exclusive to Nicktoons include Dragon Ball Z Kai, Dragon Ball GT, Voltron Force, Wild Grinders, and NFL Rush Zone: Guardians of the Core (a production between Nickelodeon, Curious Pictures, and the National Football League). And the newest to premiere on the network "Huntik", by series creator "Iginio Straffi". Kappa Mikey was the first Nicktoon to be produced exclusively for this network. The channel also airs a series of animated shorts produced under the name Random! Cartoons.
Nicktoons also airs some live-action programming such as The Troop, Power Rangers Samurai, Power Rangers Dino Thunder, and Supah Ninjas. Since March 2011, Nicktoons airs a daily three-hour morning program block called the "Nicktoons Comedy Breakfast", running daily from 7-9:30 a.m. ET; the block currently consists of double-episode airings of current Nickelodeon live-action series The Troop, Power Rangers Samurai, and Power Rangers Ninja Storm.
Between 12:00 pm and 2:00 am ET, Nicktoons utilizes a network generic closing credit format (similar to that used by Nickelodeon, TeenNick and most of the other MTV Networks channels) to allow promotion of its programming and includes traditional commercial advertising during breaks within each program; at other times, the current program's regular production closing credits are shown at the end of a program, while commercial breaks exclusively consist of promos for Nicktoons and Nickelodeon programming, along with three-minute clips of Nicktoon series under the banner "Rockin' Nicktoons Moments", with no traditional advertising.
In summer 2010, Nicktoons began airing multi-hour marathon blocks of shows such as Rugrats, The Ren & Stimpy Show, CatDog, and Rocko's Modern Life in the overnight weeknight hours. These marathons were discontinued a year later when The '90s Are All That block launched on sister network TeenNick.
Read more about this topic: Nicktoons (United States)
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