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Checkered Past

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Checkered Past'''

Launched
August 28th, 2023
Ended
June 27, 2025
Country of origin
United States
Owner
The Cartoon Network Inc Warner Bros Discovery
Time
5:00pm ET/PT - 7:00pm ET/PT (August 28th, 2023 - December 27th, 2024) 5:00pm ET/PT - 6:00pm ET/PT (December 30th, 2024 - June 27th, 2025)

Checkered Past was an programming block on Adult Swim featuring classic Cartoon Network shows weekdays from the full hour of 6pm. It launched on August 28th, 2023 and ended on June 27, 2025. Every Friday, until March 1, 2024, a marathon would happen for one of the shows. There are schedule changes and updates of Checkered Past once a month.

History[]

On June 7th, 2023, it was officially announced that Adult Swim will gain the 6pm hour on weekdays and will launch a block featuring classic Cartoon Network shows.

On June 28th, it was confirmed that the block will be shown at a trivia screening at the Adult Swim Festival on July 21st.

On October 31st, the block was launched in Latin America on the 24-hour Adult Swim channel.

On November 2023, Cartoon Network president Michael Ouweleen officially confirmed that more classic shows will be added to Checkered Past occasionally if people keep tuning into the block.

On December 1, 2023, Cow and Chicken, I Am Weasel, and Evil Con Carne joined Checkered Past.

On March 4, 2024, the block started airing two shows a day until October 17, 2024.

On May 10, 2024, Samurai Jack joined Checkered Past.

On May 31, 2024, the Friday block was replaced by Toonami Rewind, leaving Checkered Past to run on Monday thru Thursdays.

On June 3, 2024, the block only aired Ed, Edd n Eddy and The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy on Monday thru Thursdays.

On July 8, 2024, the block only aired Dexter's Laboratory and Courage the Cowardly Dog on Monday thru Thursdays.

On July 29, 2024, What a Cartoon! and Johnny Bravo joined Checkered Past and replaced Courage the Cowardly Dog's Monday time slot.

On September 16, 2024, Cartoon Planet joined Checkered Past, replacing What a Cartoon![1]

On October 23, 2024, Andy Merrill was let go from Adult Swim again and returned to Amazon to deliver packages.[2]

On October 31st, 2024, the block began to air Cartoon Network movies, the first movie to join the block on that day being Underfist: Halloween Bash.

On December 30, 2024, the block started only airing Dexter's Laboratory and Courage the Cowardly Dog with the block losing the 6pm hour, due to King of the Hill taking the 6-7 PM slot to make room for the return of Family Guy reruns to Adult Swim, and adding back the Friday time slot on January 3, 2025.

On February 17, 2025, The Cartoon Cartoon Show joined Checkered Past.

The block ended on June 27, 2025, where on the next day the block would be (June 30, 2025), it was replaced with King of the Hill reruns. The block (for now) appears to be staying on Adult Swim Latin America, however.

Programming[]

Shows[]

Below is a list of all of Checkered Past's programming, and below is when it ran/reran on the block.

  • What a Cartoon!
    • July 29th - September 9th, 2024
    • February 20th - 21st, 2025
  • Johnny Bravo
    • July 29th, 2024
    • September 9th, 2024
    • February 20th, 2025
  • Dexter's Laboratory
    • August 28th, 2023 - May 30th, 2024
    • July 8th - September 12th, 2024
    • October 17th, 2024
    • October 30th, 2024
    • November 5th, 2024 - March 3rd, 2025
  • Cow and Chicken
    • December 1st, 2023,
    • December 25th, 2023
    • January 12th - May 3rd, 2024
    • October 17th, 2024
    • October 30th, 2024
    • December 4th, 2024
    • December 19th, 2024
  • I Am Weasel
    • December 1st, 2023
    • December 21st, 2023
    • February 9th, 2024
  • Cartoon Planet
    • September 16th - December 23rd, 2024
    • February 28th - May 9th, 2025
  • Ed, Edd n Eddy
    • August 28th, 2023 - July 4th, 2024
    • September 16th - September 26th, 2024
    • October 17th, 2024
    • October 31st - December 26th, 2024
    • March 4th - June 20th, 2025
  • Courage the Cowardly Dog
    • August 28th, 2023 - April 18th, 2024
    • July 8th - August 29th, 2024
    • October 1st - October 29th, 2024
    • December 4th - December 5th, 2024
    • December 19th - December 24th, 2024
    • December 30th, 2024 - June 27th, 2025
  • The Cartoon Cartoon Show (February 17th - 21st, 2025)
  • Samurai Jack (May 10th - May 30th, 2024)
  • Grim & Evil (October 2nd, 2023)
  • The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy
    • August 28th, 2023 - February 29th, 2024
    • April 22nd - July 4th, 2024
    • August 12th, 2024
    • September 3rd -October 30th, 2024
    • December 3rd -December 5th, 2024
    • December 24th -December 25th, 2024
    • February 20th, 2025
    • June 23rd, 2025 - June 27th, 2025
  • Evil Con Carne
    • December 1st, 2023
    • December 22nd, 2023
    • January 29th - February 19th, 2024
    • December 4th, 2024
    • December 19th, 2024

Movies[]

Schedules[]

In sums, there are 90 for 2023, 231 for 2024, and 128 for 2025, making it 449 total Checkered past airings, and 768 hours of this block.

  • 319 of these were 2 hours until Family Guy (638 hours)
  • 130 of these were 1 hour (130 hours)

Trivia[]

  • The block was originally going to be at 6pm, but it was changed to 5pm instead.
  • This became the case with 5-6pm on weekdays (back to 1 hour only) on December 30, 2024 when Family Guy returned to Adult Swim, resulting in King of the Hill taking away half of the airtime (the 6pm hour).
  • It is the first programming block to focus on classic programming since the 2012 revival of Cartoon Planet.
  • The block's symbol is a modified version of the Cartoon Network "skull" logo seen at the end of every Adult Swim original starting in 2001, until 2012.
  • According to Cartoon Network president, Michael Ouweleen, he confirmed that the popularity of Cartoon Network's 30th anniversary inspired the block itself.
  • Before launch, Dexter's Laboratory was originally supposed to retain its TV-G rating and Ed, Edd n Eddy was going to be re-rated to TV-G, but they were both changed to TV-PG for demographics and advertising purposes.
  • The reason for this block being on Adult Swim is that advertisers will not be surprised of airing old shows that are viewed by older audiences and has advertisements that are not targeted to that demographic.
  • Checkered Past is the first of several things:
    • The first time Evil Con Carne had been on (the following):
      • American cable TV since it left Cartoon Planet on March 2013.
      • TV bumpers since Cartoon Network's 20th Anniversary in 2012.
      • Television promos since The Cartoon Cartoon Show in 2005.
    • The first time Cow and Chicken had been on cable TV in the United States since it left Boomerang on June 2014 (unless its one time airing on the network on April 2023 as part of Warner Bros' 100th Anniversary counts).
    • The first time What a Cartoon! had been on cable TV in the U.S. since it aired on Boomerang for a limited time in 2007
    • The first time Ed, Edd n Eddy's Boo Haw Haw and Underfist: Halloween Bash had aired on American cable television since they last aired on Boomerang on October 2017.
    • The first time Ed, Edd n Eddy's Hanky Panky Hullabaloo was broadcasted on cable TV in the U.S. since it aired on Boomerang for only one time on February 2014.
    • The first time The Cartoon Cartoon Show (1998-2002 shorts) has aired on American cable TV since November 29th, 2002.
      • However, to this day, for the airings of multiple shorts on February 17 - 19, 2025 & February 21, 2025, the Cartoon Cartoon Show intro did not play (in which the last time it played was 2002).
    • The first time the Cartoon Network Ripple logo (1999-2016) appeared after several episodes primarily in 2023 since 2016 (if you also include the final time the audio was used accidentally for Ben 10 (2016 TV series), which was in Latin America after S1 E22, "Recipe For Disaster."
    • The first time Cartoon Planet had been on American cable TV since its 2012 revival (and/or 1998).
    • The first time to make Adult Swim sign on at 5:00pm on August 28, 2023. OVerall, the Mainline Adult Swim continued signing on at 7:00p weekdays and 5:00p Saturdays (if ACME Night is included for Sundays most of the time for a movie) until December 27/28, 2024
    • Currently, the main Adult Swim signs on at 6:00p weeknights, and 5:00p on weekends (after ACME Night was cancelled) since December 30, 2024 because AS reacquired Family Guy to make room for its reruns (since September 18, 2021 when they lost their rights to it). However, on June 30, the Main adult swim will sign on at 5:00p every single day, expanding to 13 hours of regular programming as opposed to 12 during Q1-2 of 2025, and 11 from 2023 to December 27, 2024.
    • This is overall, a 5-6 hour increase for Adult Swim airtime (5p-6a, 13 hours) from its starting point. Adult Swim's airtime has a history of airtime changes (below):
      • Starting Time: 10pm-5am: September 2, 2001-October 4, 2003
      • On October 5, 2003 - March 27, 2005, Adult Swim was 11p-5a
      • On March 28, 2005, Adult Swim gained 1 more hour, (11pm-6:00am)
      • On October 2, 2005, Adult Swim regained the 10 p.m. hour on Sundays, but it still started at 11 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays, and Saturdays.
      • On December 29, 2008, Adult Swim moved its start time to 10 p.m. ET every night (with King of the Hill reruns in 2009)
      • On December 27, 2010, Adult Swim moved its start time from 10p-9pm (9 hours). Cartoon Network however, regained the 9pm hour from: November 11, 2013 - December 19, 2013
      • On March 31, 2014, Adult Swim's start time moved up to 8:00 pm (10 hours, 8p-6a)
      • When Cartoon Network regained the 8pm hour, Adult Swim was 9 hours (9p-6a) from 2015-2016, 2018-2022. Then, until May 1, 2023, Adult Swim ran for 10 hours (8p-6a).
      • Finally, from May 1, 2023 - August 27, 2023, Adult Swim ran for 11 hours (7p-6a), until Checkered Past debuted, making Cartoon Network lose the 5-6pm hours and Adult Swim run for 13 hours to this day (5:00p-6:00a), along with ACME Night moving to Adult Swim until December 29, 2024.

  • Malcom and Melvin is the first show/short on Checkered Past to be re-rated to TV-14, which was due to its mature nature as it was produced and directed by adult animator Ralph Bakshi.
  • From August to September 2023, episodes that were produced in 4:3 were shown stretched to widescreen on the block.
    • In The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy's case, while the first 5 seasons were produced in 4:3, the 6th season was produced in 16:9 (which was cropped in 4:3 during its original broadcast), thus they show the first five of season 6’s episodes between 4:3 fullscreen and episodes 6-11 were shown on a 16:9 widescreen format.
  • During its broadcast on the block from July 29-September 2, 2024, What a Cartoon! shorts had the opening intro to Cow and Chicken: No Smoking and the Cartoon Cartoons theme song during the title cards at the same time. On September 9, the original What a Cartoon! theme came back.
    • On February 20 & 21, 2025, The same theme songs from July 29-September 2, 2024 played for all the shorts except for Courage the Cowardly Dog and The Chicken from Outer Space & Yuckie Duck: Short Orders, which got the full theme of What a Cartoon!
    • On the block, only Episodes 1-5 of the stand alone series of I Am Weasel have aired, while Episodes 6-9 did not aired for some reason.
  • Despite airing Season 6 of The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy in widescreen, Checkered Past decided to air Underfist: Halloween Bash cropped to fullscreen rather than showing it entirely in 16:9.
  • During their broadcasts on Checkered Past, What a Cartoon! and Underfist: Halloween Bash had a warning message that said: "This video may potentially trigger seizures for people with photosensitive epilepsy".
  • Despite the fact that it never got to be on the block, there was a bumper that referenced the Dexter's Laboratory TV movie, Ego Trip.
    • However, the movie at least on the block itself in Latin America/Brazil on April 2024.
  • Because Ed, Edd n Eddy, Dexter's Lab, and Billy & Mandy got removed from (the US portion of) Max, ways to watch said programs above are:
    • Buying the shows on Prime Video and Apple TV (as for Ed, Edd n Eddy, only Season 3 is on Prime Video itself), Physical Media/DVDs (As for Billy and Mandy, only Season 1 was released on DVD in the U.S., while the rest of the series available only on digital purchases. Not to mention, the Season 1 DVD itself is also out of print), and/or Checkered Past.
      • Evil Con Carne was never meant to be on Max from the start, but it was re-released on iTunes along with Cow and Chicken on August 16th, 2018.
      • I Am Weasel (stand alone series) and What a Cartoon! are on Max in Latin America/Brazil.}}

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    1. ↑ https://x.com/amerrill2/status/1828390261388447879
    2. ↑ https://x.com/amerrill2/status/1849129827166474386
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