25 Years of Cartoon Network

Cartoon Network celebrated is 25th anniversary on October 1, 2017. While they've had a hefty lineup of shows over the past 25 years, the network's best years can be narrowed down to a set of eight years - 1996 - 2004. Let's take a moment to appreciate Cartoon Network's best original programming.

NOTE: This list is of my own opinion.

25. The Life and Times of Juniper Lee (May 30, 2005 – April 9, 2007)

The Life and Times of Juniper Lee was created by former MTV reality star Judd Winick for Cartoon Network. The series centers on the life of a 11 year old 5th Grade girl named Juniper Lee, who lives in Orchid Bay City. It premiered on Cartoon Network on May 30, 2005, and ended its run on April 9, 2007.

24. Space Ghost Coast to Coast (April 15, 1994 – May 31, 2008)

Space Ghost Coast to Coast was created by Mike Lazzo and hosted by the 1960s Hanna-Barbera cartoon character Space Ghost. Though the original 1960s series aired as a standard Hanna-Barbera Saturday-morning superhero cartoon, Space Ghost Coast to Coast was a total reboot of the series intended for adults, now reinterpreted as a surreal spoof talk show and produced using the original artwork. The first two seasons were presented as a serious talk show with subdued jokes, while the later seasons relied more on surrealism, non-sequiturs, and parodies.

Space Ghost Coast to Coast is considered to be the first fully produced Cartoon Network original series. It premiered on April 15, 1994. On September 2, 2001 the series moved from Cartoon Network to the then-newly formed late programming block Adult Swim, where new episodes premiered until April 12, 2004. Two final seasons were released on GameTap from 2006 to 2008. There were a total of 110 episodes, over the course of 11 seasons.

23. Uncle Grandpa (September 2, 2013 – June 30, 2017)

Uncle Grandpa was created by Peter Browngardt for Cartoon Network. The show centers on the magical uncle and grandpa who is the uncle-grandpa and brother-dad of every child and adult in the world. He stops by children's houses every day to see how they are doing. The children he visits have a problem of their own and Uncle Grandpa tries to help them through a series of chaotic and surreal misadventures.

The series premiered on September 2, 2013 and concluded on June 30, 2017 after the series finale "Uncle Grandpa: The High School Years" with 5 seasons and a total of 153 episodes.

A crossover special between Uncle Grandpa and Steven Universe was aired as an episode of the latter series' second season on 2 April 2015. Conceived of by the creator of the latter series, Rebecca Sugar, the episode has Uncle Grandpa teach Steven how to bear a shield from his gemstone. Nearly two million viewed the episode, which received acclaim from critics.

22. Clarence (April 14, 2014 – present)

Clarence is created by Skyler Page for Cartoon Network. The show centers on a young boy named Clarence and his two best friends Jeff and Sumo.

The pilot aired after the 2014 Hall of Game Awards show on February 17, 2014. The series officially premiered on April 14, 2014 and was seen by approximately 2.3 million viewers, outperforming shows in its same demographic in the time slot. The series' pilot was nominated for a Creative Arts Emmy Award. The third season premiered on February 10, 2017 and will be the series' final season.

21. Time Squad (June 8, 2001 – November 26, 2003)

Time Squad was created by Dave Wasson for Cartoon Network. The show centers on the adventures of Otto Osworth, Buck Tuddrussel, and the robot Larry 3000, a trio of hapless "time cops" living in the far distant future who travel back in time attempting to correct the course of history. During their adventures, they run into major historical figures such as Julius Caesar, Abraham Lincoln, Sigmund Freud, Leonardo da Vinci, the Founding Fathers, and Montezuma, who have taken a drastically different course of life than history dictates. The mission of the Time Squad is to guide these figures onto the correct path and ensure the integrity of the future.

The series premiered during Cartoon Network's marathon block "Cartoon Cartoon Summer" on June 8, 2001, and ended after two seasons on November 26, 2003, airing 26 episodes in total (13 episodes in each season).

20. The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack (June 5, 2008 – August 30, 2010)

The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack was created by Thurop Van Orman for Cartoon Network. It stars creator Thurop Van Orman as the voice of Flapjack, a naïve young boy who was raised by a whale named Bubbie and is mentored by a salty sea pirate called Captain K'nuckles. Together the trio spend their days in Stormalong Harbor, where most of the show takes place, whilst on the search for the elusive Candied Island.

It aired for three seasons for a total of 92 episodes, from June 5, 2008, to August 30, 2010. Five shorts from July 27, 2007 to August 24, 2007 were shown as part of Cartoon Network's Wedgies in 2008, and have a shorter length (about five minutes) than a standard episode (about 22 minutes, without commercials).