'Dexter's Laboratory' Turns 20 Today! What You Didn't Know About Cartoon Network's First Original Series…
On your marks… get set… let’s all feel old! Dexter’s Laboratory turns 20 today. That’s right, the first episode premiered twenty years ago today April 29, 1996.
The series, created by Genndy Tartakovsky, was the first original show for Cartoon Network. It started as a series of animated shorts on the 1995 showcase What a Cartoon!, but was so popular it eventually became its own series. Airing for four seasons and 78 episodes, Dexter’s Laboratory helped pave the way for the network’s transition from rerunning old cartoons to creating some of its beloved shows like Powerpuff Girls, Johnny Bravo, Regular Show and Adventure Time.
Notable Dexter’s Laboratory writers include Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane, Fairly Odd Parents creator Butch Hartman, and Powerpuff Girls creator Craig McCracken.
Two segments of the show have been banned — “Dial M for Monkey” aired during the first season in 1996 and features the Silver Spooner, a Silver Surfer parody. That character was later perceived as an offensive stereotype of gay men, and a Hulk parody, Krunk, was shown getting drunk and vomiting. The episode was removed from DVD releases.
“Rude Removal” was produced in 1997, but didn’t see the light of day until January 2013. The heavily bleeped episode was deemed too offensive for Cartoon Network, so AdultSwim.com released it via YouTube.
There are no talks of a reboot… yet, but maybe it’s time? What do you think: would you like to see more Dexter’s Laboratory?
And if you’re a fan of all things Cartoon Network, check out Yahoo TV’s interview with the creators of Rick and Morty at Comic-Con 2015…
Tell us what you think! Hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram or leave your comments below. And check out our host, Khail Anonymous, on Twitter.
