Cartoon Network VS Nickelodeon: Battle of the Channels!
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VOICE OVER: Elise Doucet
WRITTEN BY: Christopher Lozano
Cartoon Network vs. Nickelodeon, which channel defined your childhood? We're going to find out which American television network will come out on top. Both are great, but only one can be the capital of cartoons. MsMojo pits Cartoon Network against Nickelodeon. Which network do you prefer? Let us know in the comments!
Everyone loves cartoons, right? Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re pitting two of the best cartoon channels against each other: Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon.
In this showdown, we’re going to find out which American television network will come out on top.
Ironically, while computer and animation technology have improved, cartoons have seemingly become more and more simplified. While bold and streamlined art and animation have always been a necessity due to the processes of animating a cartoon, Cartoon Network pioneered a new generation’s style of clean character designs and minimalistic but impactful movement. A great example of this is a show like “Samurai Jack,” which featured some of the most elegant battle scenes ever created in Western animation.
Nickelodeon, on the other hand, also featured some great art and animation, but the process on their earlier stuff was classically hand-drawn frame-by-frame animation. Their earlier shows had a lot of detail and depth in their art styles. Take “Ren and Stimpy,” for example. This crazy show had some of the most unique and jarring art in the animation world.
Although both channels had great art and animation, we are giving the very slight edge to Cartoon Network here for pioneering new styles over perfecting old ones.
Winner: Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network: 1 / Nickelodeon: 0
The key to any great story, whether it’s a TV show, movie, or comic, is amazing characters. For a show to stick with us, we must identify, root for, and sometimes root against its protagonists. Cartoon Network has had some great characters. “Samurai Jack” is an enigmatic, nearly silent time-traveling warrior trying to avenge his past. “The Powerpuff Girls” are three under-sized superheroes who battle an evil genius monkey. “Johnny Bravo” is a boisterous greaser with too much swag to handle. And of course, Cartoon Network also had all the great characters from “Star Wars” and “Teen Titans.”
Like Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon also featured some iconic and memorable characters. SpongeBob is the world’s favorite yellow sea square, everyone who saw “Rugrats” probably still shakes their fists at the memory of Angelica Pickles, and we’re all likely still perplexed at Ren and Stimpy. Of course, Nickelodeon had some great live-action characters as well. Who can forget Pete and his older brother Pete? We fondly remember Clarissa explaining it all.
For having a wider range of slightly more iconic cartoon characters, we give the nod here to Nickelodeon.
Winner: Nickelodeon
Cartoon Network: 1/ Nickelodeon: 1
In a battle between the top animated TV stations, we’re now going to look at their best offerings. The best of the best, if you will. Cartoon Network has had some truly great shows. On the top of our list would be favorites such as “Adventure Time,” “Rick and Morty,” “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” “Steven Universe,” and “The Venture Bros.” All these shows have some of the best storytelling and humor you can find on television. “Adventure Time” is a fun, irreverent comedy with a lot of heart. “The Clone Wars” has all the lightsaber action we could ask for. And “The Venture Bros.” is as smart and sophisticated as they come.
Not to be outdone, Nickelodeon has had some classics too. Everyone loves the goofy humor of “SpongeBob SquarePants,” “Ren and Stimpy” stills makes us unsure whether we should laugh or be afraid, an entire generation of kids can hum the theme song to “Rocko’s Modern Life,” and “Invader Zim” was strange and hilarious.
This was a really tough round, but there must be a winner, so we give it to Nickelodeon for having a top tier that is full of unique and timeless classics.
Winner: Nickelodeon
Most people hope to leave some sort of lasting mark or impact on the world, and this is of course true for the makers of cartoons and animation. Both of these stations have made some truly important television. Cartoon Network was a pioneer in mature animation aimed at college kids and adults. Their shows like “Space Ghost Coast to Coast” broke down our understanding of what a cartoon was. Adult Swim brought western animation to a whole different audience. Then there was Toonami. The Japanese anime in this lineup introduced many kids in the West to series like “Dragon Ball Z” and “Attack on Titan.”
Meanwhile, Nickelodeon broke down animation barriers with shows like “Invader Zim.” They also spearheaded diversity with stories like “Avatar: The Last Airbender” and “The Legend of Korra.” These shows had characters that many people weren’t used to seeing, and they treated them seriously.
Even though there is no doubt as to the impact Nickelodeon has had, we give the nod here to Cartoon Network, mainly for introducing us to the world of anime.
Winner: Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network: 2 / Nickelodeon: 2
This has been one of the closest matchups in our versus series. Both networks are tied, and each has its merits. To break the tie, we’re going to look at their late-night programming. Cartoon Network has the legendary Adult Swim. This programming block features an eclectic lineup of great shows, including the talk show parody “Space Ghost Coast to Coast,” everyone’s favorite fast food superhero comedy, “Aqua Teen Hunger Force” and dark, incomparable sci-fi “Rick and Morty.” In addition to these great originals, Adult swim also had discontinued shows like “Futurama.”
Nickelodeon’s late-night lineup is called Nick at Nite, and in the beginning, it was a whole different beast. Airing from late evening to early morning, it mainly featured reruns of classic live-action shows. These included “The Andy Griffith Show,” “The Beverly Hillbillies,” and “Mister Ed.” We don’t know what was stranger to come across late at night, a show about talking fast food or a talking horse. More recently, Nick at Nite has featured shows like “Full House” and “Friends.”
For having a better lineup of original content, we’re handing this round to Cartoon Network.
Winner: Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network: 3 / Nickelodeon: 2
Though Nickelodeon takes the cake when it comes to characters and best shows, Cartoon Network takes the prize for art and animation, cultural impact, and late-night programming. This makes Cartoon Network the winner of this showdown!
In this showdown, we’re going to find out which American television network will come out on top.
Round 1: Art and Animation
Ironically, while computer and animation technology have improved, cartoons have seemingly become more and more simplified. While bold and streamlined art and animation have always been a necessity due to the processes of animating a cartoon, Cartoon Network pioneered a new generation’s style of clean character designs and minimalistic but impactful movement. A great example of this is a show like “Samurai Jack,” which featured some of the most elegant battle scenes ever created in Western animation.
Nickelodeon, on the other hand, also featured some great art and animation, but the process on their earlier stuff was classically hand-drawn frame-by-frame animation. Their earlier shows had a lot of detail and depth in their art styles. Take “Ren and Stimpy,” for example. This crazy show had some of the most unique and jarring art in the animation world.
Although both channels had great art and animation, we are giving the very slight edge to Cartoon Network here for pioneering new styles over perfecting old ones.
Winner: Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network: 1 / Nickelodeon: 0
Round 2: Characters
The key to any great story, whether it’s a TV show, movie, or comic, is amazing characters. For a show to stick with us, we must identify, root for, and sometimes root against its protagonists. Cartoon Network has had some great characters. “Samurai Jack” is an enigmatic, nearly silent time-traveling warrior trying to avenge his past. “The Powerpuff Girls” are three under-sized superheroes who battle an evil genius monkey. “Johnny Bravo” is a boisterous greaser with too much swag to handle. And of course, Cartoon Network also had all the great characters from “Star Wars” and “Teen Titans.”
Like Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon also featured some iconic and memorable characters. SpongeBob is the world’s favorite yellow sea square, everyone who saw “Rugrats” probably still shakes their fists at the memory of Angelica Pickles, and we’re all likely still perplexed at Ren and Stimpy. Of course, Nickelodeon had some great live-action characters as well. Who can forget Pete and his older brother Pete? We fondly remember Clarissa explaining it all.
For having a wider range of slightly more iconic cartoon characters, we give the nod here to Nickelodeon.
Winner: Nickelodeon
Cartoon Network: 1/ Nickelodeon: 1
Round 3: Best Shows
In a battle between the top animated TV stations, we’re now going to look at their best offerings. The best of the best, if you will. Cartoon Network has had some truly great shows. On the top of our list would be favorites such as “Adventure Time,” “Rick and Morty,” “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” “Steven Universe,” and “The Venture Bros.” All these shows have some of the best storytelling and humor you can find on television. “Adventure Time” is a fun, irreverent comedy with a lot of heart. “The Clone Wars” has all the lightsaber action we could ask for. And “The Venture Bros.” is as smart and sophisticated as they come.
Not to be outdone, Nickelodeon has had some classics too. Everyone loves the goofy humor of “SpongeBob SquarePants,” “Ren and Stimpy” stills makes us unsure whether we should laugh or be afraid, an entire generation of kids can hum the theme song to “Rocko’s Modern Life,” and “Invader Zim” was strange and hilarious.
This was a really tough round, but there must be a winner, so we give it to Nickelodeon for having a top tier that is full of unique and timeless classics.
Winner: Nickelodeon
Round 4: Cultural Impact
Most people hope to leave some sort of lasting mark or impact on the world, and this is of course true for the makers of cartoons and animation. Both of these stations have made some truly important television. Cartoon Network was a pioneer in mature animation aimed at college kids and adults. Their shows like “Space Ghost Coast to Coast” broke down our understanding of what a cartoon was. Adult Swim brought western animation to a whole different audience. Then there was Toonami. The Japanese anime in this lineup introduced many kids in the West to series like “Dragon Ball Z” and “Attack on Titan.”
Meanwhile, Nickelodeon broke down animation barriers with shows like “Invader Zim.” They also spearheaded diversity with stories like “Avatar: The Last Airbender” and “The Legend of Korra.” These shows had characters that many people weren’t used to seeing, and they treated them seriously.
Even though there is no doubt as to the impact Nickelodeon has had, we give the nod here to Cartoon Network, mainly for introducing us to the world of anime.
Winner: Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network: 2 / Nickelodeon: 2
Round 5: Late Night Programming
This has been one of the closest matchups in our versus series. Both networks are tied, and each has its merits. To break the tie, we’re going to look at their late-night programming. Cartoon Network has the legendary Adult Swim. This programming block features an eclectic lineup of great shows, including the talk show parody “Space Ghost Coast to Coast,” everyone’s favorite fast food superhero comedy, “Aqua Teen Hunger Force” and dark, incomparable sci-fi “Rick and Morty.” In addition to these great originals, Adult swim also had discontinued shows like “Futurama.”
Nickelodeon’s late-night lineup is called Nick at Nite, and in the beginning, it was a whole different beast. Airing from late evening to early morning, it mainly featured reruns of classic live-action shows. These included “The Andy Griffith Show,” “The Beverly Hillbillies,” and “Mister Ed.” We don’t know what was stranger to come across late at night, a show about talking fast food or a talking horse. More recently, Nick at Nite has featured shows like “Full House” and “Friends.”
For having a better lineup of original content, we’re handing this round to Cartoon Network.
Winner: Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network: 3 / Nickelodeon: 2
Though Nickelodeon takes the cake when it comes to characters and best shows, Cartoon Network takes the prize for art and animation, cultural impact, and late-night programming. This makes Cartoon Network the winner of this showdown!
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