2006–2007: Launch and early years The channel was announced in November 2005 as part of a bid to increase Turner's penetration in the British kids' TV market, countering the increase in
CBeebies' ratings and the upcoming launch of the new
CITV channel, by targeting the four-to-nine audience. The launch of Too enabled the main Cartoon Network channel to focus on new programming. Negotiations with pay-TV companies were already underway in January 2006, eyeing for a launch in the fourth quarter of the year. Meanwhile, a brandable look had been created for the channel, as well as a marketing campaign. The campaign had a ranking of the ten favourite celebrity fathers from a survey conducted by 3,000 British mothers, which was won by
Gordon Ramsay. Other celebrities in the list included
Jonathan Ross,
Jamie Oliver and
Bob Geldof. Future Prime Minister and then-chancellor
Gordon Brown finished the list in tenth place. On 24 April 2006, Cartoon Network Too was launched on
Sky on channel 622. It also became available on
SCTV Digital when that service launched in 2006, along with
Cartoon Network and
Boomerang. The channel aired from 3:00AM to 7:00PM and originally timeshared with
TCM 2, from
TCM. During its early months, Cartoon Network Too mainly broadcast older shows from Cartoon Network's library, such as ''
Dexter's Laboratory, The Powerpuff Girls, Johnny Bravo, Wacky Races, and Cow and Chicken, alongside then-currently-running shows on the network including Ed, Edd n Eddy, The Cramp Twins, and Courage the Cowardly Dog''. After this period, the channel transitioned to a "Modern-Classics" format, airing many then-currently-running Cartoon Network shows alongside programmes airing on
Boomerang, and occasional older programming.
Introduction of Cartoonito block On 4 September 2006, the
Cartoonito programming block was launched, which aired on nine of Cartoon Network Too's programming hours from 6:00AM until 3:00PM. Cartoon Network Too's airtime remained 3:00AM to 7:00PM, however the actual programming from Cartoon Network Too only aired in the mornings from 3:00AM until 6:00AM and then in the afternoons from 3:00PM until 7:00PM, as the remaining hours contained Cartoonito's programming.
2007–2012: Relaunch and merger with Toonami On 2 May 2007, Turner announced that Cartoon Network Too would be expanded to a full 24-hour slot beginning on 24 May and merge with
Toonami, taking its slot. This would allow the channel to begin broadcasting on
Virgin Media in addition to Sky, as well as to allow a standalone
Cartoonito channel to launch in the channel's original slot on Sky. To prepare for the merger, viewers were given three weeks of notice. On 23 May 2007 at 7:00PM, the original version of Cartoon Network Too closed. Then, in the early hours of 24 May 2007, at 3:00AM,
Toonami shut down permanently and Cartoon Network Too was moved into its slot, while the standalone Cartoonito channel launched in Cartoon Network Too's original time-shared-with-TCM2 slot. In June 2007, Cartoon Network Too became available on
Top Up TV Anytime, which is a video-on-demand service. However, in June 2009, it was removed, but Cartoon Network continues to be accessible on Top Up TV Anytime. In June 2010, Cartoon Network Too was removed from
SCTV Digital as a result of that service going into administration.
2012–2014: Relaunch as an action-focused channel In May 2012, Cartoon Network Too's logo was changed in line with the already updated main logo of Cartoon Network, and transitioned its programming to a more male-focused audience, with a heavier focus on action-adventure programming such as
Ben 10: Alien Force and
Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The channel also began to be verbally referred to as CN TOO. During overnight hours, usually from 12:00AM until 6:00AM, it aired some of Cartoon Network's lesser-known original and acquired programming (including
Skatoony).
2014: Closure On 1 April 2014, Cartoon Network Too was shut down, the final programme on Cartoon Network Too was the
Skatoony episode "Halloween", followed by promos of what was airing on Cartoon Network, then a bumper following into a clip of Cartoon Network's promotional content from 2007, which was shown incomplete as Cartoon Network +1 was relaunched into Cartoon Network Too's channel space. ==Notes==