Noods

The Noods era of Cartoon Network (internally known as Rebrand 2008/09 or 2008 On-Air Redesign) refers to its eighth branding period, beginning in July 14, 2008 and lasting until May 29, 2010, replacing Fall Is Just Something That Grown-Ups Invented.
==Description from studio==
==History==
In May 2007, Stuart Snyder was appointed Executive/Chief Operating Officer of Turner's Animation, Young Adults & Kids Media division. He set out to revitalize Cartoon Network's reputation and enhance its engagement with audiences. After observing the success of competing networks (Nickelodeon and Disney Channel) that targeted girls aged 9-14, Snyder recognized a gap in offerings for the tween-boy demographic. Consequently, he decided to steer Cartoon Network towards a more general youth audience, expanding its brand appeal specifically towards boys aged 9-14. To transition smoothly, he assembled a strategic content plan, based on the successes of that year, such as the series debut of the comedy Chowder and the premiere of the action/fantasy live-action movie Ben 10: Race Against Time. 
In 2008, the strategic content plan was officially announced, marking the beginning of a phase that included the introduction of new programming franchises. Among these were "Har Har Tharsdays," focusing on comedy animation, and "You Are Here," centered on action and fantasy animation. 
Har Har Tharsdays, which launched on June, featured comedy animation programs such as the premieres of shows like The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack and Total Drama, the latter of which represented a move towards more TV-PG content and gained popularity among the core audience, consistently ranking first in its timeslot on Thursday nights. Because of this, Cartoon Network would acquire the license for future Total Drama seasons, and also other Fresh TV productions such as Stoked and 6teen. You Are Here, launched on October, featured Star Wars: The Clone Wars, which was initially approved under Jim Samples. Snyder anticipated that the show would serve as a strong anchor for the programming block, supported by extensive marketing efforts. The series debuted with remarkable success, setting records for the most-watched series premiere on Cartoon Network. It consistently ranked #1 in its time slot (Fridays at 9:00 PM) among boys aged 2-11, boys aged 6-11, and tween boys aged 9-14.
The first phase also included a Sunday night movie franchise called 'Flicks' and an development program, 'The Cartoonstitute,' aimed at producing 150 pieces of animation in 20 months. However, budget and production constraints led to its early termination. Despite this, several shorts from the initiative were later greenlit as shows by the channel, such as Regular Show and Uncle Grandpa/Secret Mountain Fort Awesome.
On July 14, 2008, Cartoon Network introduced new branding that would be in place until 2009. This branding featured the "Noods," characters designed by Tristan Eston of Kidrobot, which were outlined on a unifying body shape, based on the Munny art toys.
With achieving success with Clone Wars, Cartoon Network began developing a slate of original films with an established IP basis appropriate for their demographic. That fall, they announced projects like Firebreather, Mice Templar, The Vanishers, and The Tiger's Apprentice, but only Firebreather was completed. Additionally, they scheduled a premiere date for Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins, and greenlit production on Ben 10: Alien Swarm, a sequel to Ben 10: Race Against Time. They fitted Cartoon Network's second phase of their strategy, to diversify their lineup to include live-action content.
In 2009, following the 2007-08 Writers' Strike that paused production on their scripted live-action series, Cartoon Network announced a lineup of new "alternative" unscripted reality series under the "CN Real" label during their annual Upfront presentation. These series were set to begin airing in June on Wednesday and Saturday nights. Additionally, Cartoon Network would announce two scripted live-action programs, Prepped (finalized as Tower Prep) and Unnatural History, which were scheduled to air the following year. The introduction of alternative programming was intended to help the network quickly compete with rivals Nickelodeon and Disney Channel, while the scripted live-action content was planned for a later debut. However, its launch sparked backlash from fans and casual viewers alike, many of whom felt the network was straying from its original animated identity.
The following year, Adventure Time premiered in April and was a massive success, ranking #1 among boys aged 2–11, 6–11, and 9–14 across all networks on its debut night. It was the first Cartoon Network Studios production made exclusively for the network since Flapjack in 2008. The show’s popularity, sparked increased interest in animated comedy programming, leading the network to refocus on cartoons.
===Programming===
At this point, most of Cartoon Network's established series have either been cancelled or ended, leaving Chowder, The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack and Ben 10: Alien Force as the sole survivors. 2009 saw no new original cartoons premiering and instead a new block of reality shows entitled CN Real launched in June of that year. Of all the block's shows, only one - Survive This would be an acquired program as opposed to being an original show produced by Cartoon Network and only two - Dude, What Would Happen and Destroy Build Destroy would make it past 2009. The block lasted until Cartoon Network rebranded to the CHECK it era on May 29, 2010. A shorter lived block of sports shows also aired on Cartoon Network during this period - CN AMPT, consisting of the SlamBall sporting event and later two other reality shows - 10 Count and Re:Evolution of Sports - aired from July-August and again from October-November 2009. More series above the TV-Y7 rating would start to make a regular presence on the schedule, after the success of Total Drama.
Cartoon Network introduced new permanent flagship programming franchises for the first time since 2004's Miguzi and Fridays. These included Har Har Tharsdays, You Are Here, and Flicks. Har Har Tharsdays showcased new episodes of the network's animated comedy series, You Are Here focused on new episodes of action programs, and Flicks featured blockbuster family-friendly films.
==On-air identity==
The main concept of Noods revolves around blank figures with rounded body shapes that act as canvases for blobs. These blobs can contain 'DNAs' of colors and patterns of specific characters from Cartoon Network programs. When a character is connected with a DNA blob, it transforms into a Nood version of that character, complete with any necessary individual body parts to complete the design. There was also color bars that can absorb or connect a Nood the same way as the blobs.
The Noods featured characters from different Cartoon Network shows interacting with each other, similar to the style used in Powerhouse's "The Best Place for Cartoons" interstitials and City. The Noods do not speak, but the Cartoon Network on-air team wrote the content while Capacity did the animation.
There were different styles of bumpers, including: playing with color bars, running in a color wheel like a hamster wheel and stopping at a specific color, transforming into characters from blobs, and having Noods grouped by character type or show doing an audience wave. Other activities included throwing DNA blobs like balls, engaging in tug-of-war, and one Nood pulling a lever while others stood by a color bar that absorbed their design. There were also bumpers that was outside of the blank space, where Noods in a specific character are in a live-action setting.
The Menu bumps featured a changing lens focus on a still Nood character, in a design of a certain character from the show being promoted, with also 'New' and 'Movie' thought bubbles if needed. Each bump included a color bar showcasing the character's color DNA. During this era, most on-air promotions prominently featured Noods in various contexts. For example, "Har Har Tharsdays" showcased a laughing Nood, "You Are Here" highlighted a sleek gold Nood, and "Action Flicks" presented a Nick Fury-esque Nood. Special events also included Noods, such as It's The Special Holiday Cartoon Network Holiday Specials, which featured miniature Noods engaging in their own holiday traditions. A notable example was in Inauguration Day 2009 where Menu bumps featured a Nood figure who was designed to resemble Barack Obama. There was also special Nood bumps for Winter and Halloween.
The Nood figures represented the connection between the network and its content. This initiative also highlighted Cartoon Network's roots as an Atlanta-based company, linking it to the city's renowned underground street art scene. From January 2009 to January 2010, the primetime lineup featured bumpers of several people painting a billboard canvas featuring various shows as well as a Nood figure based on each show.
Afternoon slots later featured bumps from a rebrand pitch by Eyeball NYC that used the format of Noods, as well as the color bar design element. But instead of blobs, the figures transform in papercraft.
===Hey Ho Let's Go!===
The Hey Ho Let's Go! era of Cartoon Network (shortened as Let's Go!; alternately known as Prefuse) refers to its ninth branding period, beginning in November 30, 2009 and lasting until May 28, 2010, running concurrently with Noods, as it's still in the sixth phase of the network.
There are two sets of bumpers from this era. The first, inspired by the Ramones' "Blitzkrieg Bop," features characters breaking out of TV screens in a colorful, static-filled environment, with a small Nood (in a static pattern) image appearing at the end of each bumper. This set began on November 30, 2009, and was fully introduced on January 19, 2010, replacing the prior "billboard" bumpers.
From February 8 to May 28, 2010, a second set showcased live-action footage of Nood dolls being covered in confetti, ink, and paint, with menu bumps updated to similar graphics featuring striped patterns and color gradients.
These bumpers primarily aired after 7:00 PM, while Nood bumpers aired during the daytime hours. The design reflects punk rock and minimalist styles, targeting boys aged 9-14, and is reminiscent of Adult Swim bumpers.
==Transition==
Since the Noods redesign was intended to be temporary, Cartoon Network planned to create a permanent new logo and on-air branding that would represent the network’s development over the past two years. However, they also aimed to incorporate visual elements from the previous 20 years of their brand identity. This rebranding would launch on May 28, 2010, coinciding with the network's Memorial Day programming, with the CHECK it era.
Category:Eras