Class of 3000

Class of 3000 is an American comedy animated television series on Cartoon Network that is created, executive produced by and stars André 3000 of the hip-hop group OutKast as superstar and music teacher Sunny Bridges, set at Atlanta, Georgia's Westley School of Performing Arts. Mr. Bridges is a jazz and blues artist who occasionally lectures in Atlanta's Little Five Points neighborhood. The series made its world premiere (previously advertised as a live premiere with performances by Chris Brown) on November 3, 2006 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT with a one-hour special and came to Cartoon Network UK on May 28, 2007. The show was co-created and developed by Veteran Producer Thomas W. Lynch (South of Nowhere, The Secret World of Alex Mack, and The Journey of Allen Strange, The Jersey, Romeo!, and Kids Inc.) & Patric M. Verrone. Sunny has 7 musical prodigies that each play different instruments. 
The show has been cancelled since December 2007 and is no longer being broadcasted in reruns. The exact reason for the show's cancellation is unknown, but fans speculate that the lawsuit that took place in December 2008 (2007; it was a full year before information about the lawsuit was released to the public) might have had something to do with it. While the lawsuit may have contributed to it, the show also had budgetary issues, which were likely due to acquiring different animators for new music videos every episode. There was also behind-the-scenes-drama such as the Writer's Strike of 2007, when the writers of many shows demanded higher pay for their line of work. The resignation of Samples might have also caused this show's demise due to then new president, Stuart Snyder, starting the company anew and starting the live action blocks. Although the show is available on iTunes and Google Play, Season 2's final five episodes are strangely not available and can only be accessed through unconventional means. As of August 5, 2022, all of the episodes to Class of 3000 have been found in English and can be accessed on the Internet Archive in various video qualities. 
Class of 3000 was the last Cartoon Network series to be premiered under the then Cartoon Network President, Jim Samples (although the last show that Samples greenlighted and later originally aired is season 1 of The Secret Saturdays aired from October 3, 2008 to August 1, 2009 one to two years after his February 9, 2007 resignation as the network's president). 
==Main Characters==
=== Sunny Bridges ===
The hometown hero of Li'l D, Sunny is a musical genius who left Georgia to become a recording artist. Over the years and under the employment of his money-grubbing manager, he lost his passion for music and returned to his old neighborhood. He intended to go into permanent retirement; however, Li'l D convinces him to become the new music teacher at Westley School for the Performing Arts. Sunny is devoted to his students, but he is forced to keep a low profile, or "lay low", as he puts it, in order to avoid media attention. While teaching the first year music class, Sunny has also interacted with many of the staff at the school, including Ms. Leela Lopez, whom teaches the first year dance class. Sunny is known to have a crush on Leela Lopez. Being a music teacher, he can play many instruments; however, his favorite is the saxophone. He has also mentioned that he owns over 65,000 shirts. His shoe closet was also mentioned to be able to be seen from space. Sunny's character is loosely based on Jazz Saxophonist Sonny Rollins, both in his appearance and personality, and strongly based on the show's creator & voice actor, André 3000. It has been said by 3000 that Sonny Rollins was also a bit of the inspiration for Sunny's character too because Rollins would play under bridges and be "at the top of his game", but then stopped playing for a while. So, "hence the name, Sunny Bridges".
=== Li'l D ===
Li'l D proclaims himself as the unofficial leader of the Westley School's music class, whether they like it or not. He is bright, talented, confident to a fault, and is incredibly tenacious when it comes to music. Through sheer determination (as well as breaking and entering), he manages to recruit Sunny Bridges as the class's new music teacher. Although Li'l D considers himself remarkably streetwise, his overconfidence often leads him into trouble. He is considered the shortest member of the class (despite being taller than Kim and Eddie if not for his hair). Li'l D has never met his father, although he doesn't seem bothered by it. When he's about to go on an adventure or if he thinks that a plan was agreed upon (whether or not it actually was) it usually results in a heap of trouble for he and his friends. It never fails, he uses the catchphrase, "then it's settled." On occasion, he will say "Let's crank this thang up!" His main instrument is the drum. For the show's small fanbase, fans state throughout the years that Lil'D and Madison seem to like each other unknown to both of them. Lil D is voiced by Christian comedian Sylvia "Small Fire" Holloway.
=== Tamika Jones ===
Voluptuous and aggressive, Tamika makes it her business to keep the other students in line, giving her the title of "Toughest Girl in School". She is also extremely stubborn; the slightest misstep is grounds for a threatening fist. "Prove it or move it" is her failed trademark phrase; funny enough, Tamika is not sure what course of action to take when someone chooses "prove it". Despite her sharp tongue and threatening disposition, Tamika shares a close bond with her classmates and will protect them as often as she bullies/teases them. Eddie is known to have a huge crush on her. Her main instrument is the harp, but she can also play the guitar (as shown throughout the show and the Funkbox game). In the episode, Tamika and the Beast, she shows a soft and sensitive side. Tamika is voiced by Crystal Scales who is known for voicing Libby Folfax in Jimmy Neutron. 
=== Kim Chin ===
She is Kam's twin sister and his polar opposite. Born in Columbus, Ohio, and of Cantonese descent, Kim sometimes feels that fashion is of more concern than music, and loves to follow fashion trends. She is very energetic, sometimes to the point of mischief, sleeps with a stuffed rabbit named Mr. Snuggles due to her fear of the dark, and loves to torment her more old-fashioned sibling, Kam. Generally though, she has the better common sense and is extremely creative. She was born in Columbus Ohio. Kim can be described as brash, impulsive, and rebellious. Her main instrument is the xylophone but she is known to operate turn tables and play other percussion instruments. In the rare Class of 3000 press kit, Kim and Kam have immigrant parents and can speak Mandarin. Kim is voiced by Janice Kawaye who is known for voicing Jenny Wakeman from My Life as a Teenage Robot and Ami from Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi.
=== Kam Chin ===
He is Kim's twin brother and her polar opposite. Born in Columbus, Ohio and of Cantonese descent, he generally projects an air of refinement and class -- or so he would like to think. He is the most mature of the Westley kids (and often the most ignored). Kam tends to be interested in many dull things such as high-grade bread. He is very eager about learning to the point that if Sunny is late to class, his brain is "hurting from not learning". Kam had an irrational fear of hang gliding into a flock of angry mallards, but overcame it by facing his demons in Westley Side Story: the same episode in which it was mentioned. He has had heartburn, head lice, and a caterpillar once laid eggs in his ear canal. His head lice is explained by him going to the same barbershop that Philly Phil goes to. He has also been bitten on the head by a mountain goat. He does not have any sweat glands (and doesn't take showers because of this) and he goes insane whenever he is too hot, as shown in Study Buddies, due to not sweating like everyone else. His main instrument is the piano, but the keyboard is a close second. Like the rest of his classmates, they can play a few instruments in their instrument genre. For example, in Love Is in the Hair...Net, he plays the accordion! Like Kim, he is also voiced by Janice Kawaye.
=== Philly Phil ===
Brilliant and imaginative, the only known teen and oldest of the group at 13 tends to stand out for his unusual fashion sense. He can invent useful devices on the spot, although they often malfunction. Though Li'l D and the other students do not fully understand Phil's many eccentricities, they are willing to accept him as one of their own. Philly Phil has an appetite for any type of food, particularly sweets such as chocolate. His height doesn't seem to be consistent from episode to episode (he was about as tall as Principal Luna in The Hunt for Red Blobtober and only a few inches taller than Madison in Funky Monkey). On Eddie's Money, he is shown to have a decent singing voice when singing a blues song and "Happy Birthday/You Look Like A Monkey" with Kim and Madison to the Eddie piñata. His main instrument is the double bass, but he has also played the bass guitar. On Free Philly, it is revealed that he is very weak and needs the help of technology. He is voiced by Phil LaMarr who has also voiced the titular character of Samurai Jack, Wilt from Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Hermes Conrad from Futurama, and Static of Static Shock.
=== Edward "Eddie" Phillip James Lawrence III ===
The richest kid in the school, being the heir to the Lawrence fortune (according to the first episode, his father is the head of the Earth division of "Coca Cola"). A cultured aristocrat, he has something of a high-and-mighty attitude concerning the other students, naively believing that all problems can be solved with money. However, he is not above using his wealth to help his friends. He is not completely spoiled, either. When Philly Phil's machine tells him he should never have a job because his dad is rich, Eddie says, "But I want to have a job!" In Peanuts Get Yer Peanuts, there was a short gag at the beginning of the episode with Eddie having 10 fingers. This is a joke in the animation industry because it's a lot easier to draw cartoon characters with 4 fingers because it's easier to animate. Eddie's explanation for his 10 fingers is that it is due to his wealth. He is in love with Tamika, as suggested in Home and Westley Side Story and confirmed by Tamika in Love is in the Hair...Net. Eddie has spoken of having Swiss ancestry. His instrument is the clarinet. He also plays many horns and woodwinds such as the Trombone seen in The Devil and Lil'D. He is voiced by Tom Kenny, a very famous voice actor who has done a plethora of voices, including the titular character of SpongeBob SquarePants.
=== Madison Spaghettini Papadopoulos ===
She is cheerful, upbeat and extremely ditzy as is evidenced from her perpetually vacant smile, and has a bit of a Southern drawl like Eddie; however, her flower-child appearance belies the perceptive mind behind it. She is always happy or thrilled no matter what happens, even if she gets hurt. Madison has a huge imagination and usually can't concentrate on what's really supposed to be done. She loves the company of many animals and small creatures. She claims to get frizzy hair when love is in the air. In the pilot episode she mentions that she has a grandmother who is of Colombian descent. Although, she may come off as airheaded, she typically is smarter than her classmates may think. After all, she was the one who inspired Lil D to ask Sunny to become their music teacher after he retired from performing! Her main instrument is violin, she also plays the cello. She is voiced by Jennifer Hale.
== Secondary Characters ==
*Principal Luna: has a tendency to over-use the word "fantastic" and is always trying to make all the characters do their best. He is voiced by Jeff Bennett.
*Cheddar Man: Also known as Charles, he is one of Sunny's friends. He specializes in selling cheeses, fixing helicopters, doing teeth, and being a Con Artist. He's something of a shady character and is often seen selling contraband goods and services out of his car, like "Mr. Bristle" action figures they are really used toothbrushes, and bootleg movies which he shoots and in which he plays every part.
*Petunia Squattenchowder: The new lunch lady at Westley's known for serving the grossest lunches ever. Principal Luna has a crush on her but she has a developed crush on Sunny also. Then she falls in love with Luna after a fight with Sunny. She also owns the missing 37th spatula from Principal Luna's collection.
*Leela Lopez: Another teacher at Westley. She has a crush on Sunny while Sunny has love interest in her. Leela teaches the Westley modern dance class, but unfortunately always has no luck in teaching her unskillful students.
== Songs ==
=== Season 1 ===
*Life Without Music (Home) Life Without Music Video
*Throwdown (Home) Throwdown Music Video
*Oh, Peanut (Peanuts! Get Yer Peanuts)
*We Want Your Soul (The Devil and Li'l D)
*A Richer Shade of Blue (Eddie's Money)
*Fight the Blob (The Hunt for Red Blobtober)
*Banana Zoo (Funky Monkey)
*U.F.O. Ninja (Brotha From the Third Rock)
*Kim Kam Jam (Westley Side Story)
*Luna Love (Love Is in the Hair...Net)
*Crayon (Am I Blue?)
*Cool Kitty (Prank Yankers)
*My Mentors (Mini Mentors)
=== Season 2 ===
*Farm Song (Too Cool for School)
*Clean Up (Nothin' To it But To Do It)
*Philly Phil (Free Philly) (music video)
*Drum Off (Tamika and the Beast)
*Rapunzel (Safety Last)
*Study Buddies (Study Buddies)
*Do Your Pose (The Cure)
*Turn of the Century (Big Robot on Campus)
*Beauty and the Beat (Take a Hike!)
*In Search Of (You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yeti)
*Teacher of the Year (Vote Sunny)
*Treasure (Kam Inc) 
*Two to Tango (Two to Tango)
=== Season 1 CD Track ===
The first season CD featuring songs from the show was released July 3, 2007.
#Class of 3000 Theme Song
#Life Without Music (Home)
#Throwdown (Home)
#Oh, Peanuts (Peanuts! Get Yer Peanuts)
#We Want Your Soul (The Devil and Li'l D)
#Banana Zoo (Funky Monkey)
#A Richer Shade of Blue (Eddie's Money)
#Fight the Blob (The Hunt for Red Blobtober)
#U.F.O. Ninja (Brotha From the Third Rock)
#Kim Kam Jam (Westley Side Story)
#Luna Love (Love Is in the Hair. ..Net)
#The Crayon Song (Am I Blue?)
#My Mentor (Mini Mentors)
#Cool Kitty (Prank Yankers)
==Lawsuit==
In December 2007, the Boston Herald reported that Timothy McGee, a former art student, filed a lawsuit against the creators of the television show for plagiarism, breach of contract and misappropriation of trade secrets. He alleged that in 1997 he proposed a similar show to Michael Lazzo, who at the time served as a vice president of operations for Cartoon Network. McGee intended that "The Music Factory of the '90s," as the program would be called, feature Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds as its host. 
However, U.S. District Judge Douglas Woodlock dismissed the case in Boston, finding that “the general feel and themes of the two works are so different that no ordinary observer would consider them substantially similar.” Additionally, the mood and tone of the series are very different,” the 35-page decision states. “‘Class of 3000’ is a children’s cartoon that is fast-paced, ‘whimsical,’ and laden with traditional cartoon slapstick comedy. By contrast, Music Factory is aimed at an adult audience, serious in tone, not comedic, and uses more slang. Moreover, ‘Class of 3000’ is full of fantasy and magic (for example, Sunny lives in a magical forest with a bear who drives a convertible and a boombox-toting rabbit), whereas Music Factory is grounded in reality.”
Any “Music Factory” ideas that “Class of 3000” copied are not protected, the judge found. “For example, an animated television show that incorporates music, musicians, or original songs is not copyrightable,” he wrote. “Nor is it, in any event, original: as McGee explains in his treatment, his cartoon format is itself based on ‘Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids’, which also incorporated music and an original song into an animated series.”
== Appearances in other media ==
Sunny Bridges appeared in the end credits of the Codename: Kids Next Door/The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy crossover special, The Grim Adventures of the KND.
Sunny made a cameo in the OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes episode and series finale, Thank You for Watching the Show.
== Home media ==
Both seasons are available to watch on iTunes.
Two DVD releases of the show were made: A single volume DVD from the UK and a Season 1 DVD set from Australia.
The two part special, Home, was released on Cartoon Network's Black History Month YouTube livestream on the official Cartoon Network YouTube channel on February 2024.
== Trivia ==
* The series, along with Squirrel Boy, are the only Cartoon Network shows to premiere during the Yes! era.
*This show was meant to air on Adult Swim during original production, but the more the crew developed the show, it became a prime time Cartoon Network series. 
*Lil D is voiced by Small Fire (formerly Small Fry), Christian Comedian and Andre 3000's childhood friend who used to play neighborhood basketball with him in high school. Originally casting Lil D with a prepubescent boy voice, Andre decided he wanted a female role since their voices stay consistent. Fire had the dialect that Andre was looking for, so he called her up one day and asked if she could do the voice. The rest is history! 
== Gallery ==
File:Class of 3000 Season 1 Apple TV.png|Volume 1 Apple TV cover
File:Classof3000Season2iTunescover.jpg|Season 2 iTunes cover
File:Class of 3000 Season 2 Apple TV.png|Volume 2 Apple TV cover
File:Classof3000Season1DVDAustralia.jpeg|Season 1 DVD release from Australia
File:Classof3000Season1iTunescover.jpg|Season 1 iTunes cover
File:Classof3000premiereNovember3rd2006.jpeg|Class of 3000's premiere on November 3rd, 2006.
File:Classof3000WestleySideStorypremiere.jpeg|The premiere of the episode, Westley Side Story, on February 2nd, 2007
File:Classof3000figurines.jpeg|Figurines
File:SunnyBridgesOKKO.jpg|Sunny Bridges in the OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes series finale episode, Thank You for Watching the Show
File:Classof3000December1st2006airing.jpeg|An airing of the episode, Eddie's Money, on December 1st, 2006
File:Classof3000December5th2006airing.jpeg|An airing of the episode, Funky Monkey, on December 5th, 2006
File:Classof3000December15th2006episodepremiere.jpeg|The premiere of the episode, The Devil and Lil'D, on December 15th, 2006
File:Lil'D20thAnniversaryposter.jpeg|Lil'D in Cartoon Network's 20th Anniversary poster
File:ClassOf3000Logo Yes Icon.PNG|The Class of 3000 logo's Now/Then icon from the Yes! era
File:Classof3000August31st2007episodepremiere.jpeg|The premiere of The Cure on August 31st, 2007
File:Classof3000UKDVD.jpeg|UK DVD
File:Classof3000November30th2007specialpremiere.jpeg|The premiere of the Class of 3000 Christmas Special on November 30th, 2007
File:Screen Shot 2015-08-17 at 7.48.11 AM.png|Sunny Bridges' Now/Then icon from the Yes! era
File:Classof3000promotionalDVDpackage.jpeg|Promotional DVD package
File:Classof3000PromotionalDVDpackagebackcover.jpeg|promotional DVD back package
File:Classof3000Lunchbox.jpeg|Class of 3000 lunchbox
File:Classof3000Season1DVDAustraliabackcover.jpeg|Season 1 DVD from Australia back cover
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