History Of Toonami Part 2 The Golden Years

Hello and welcome back to the History of Toonami part 2. Today we’ll be picking up rite from where we left off last week.

Between the time of the year 2000 to 2003 the creators would expand upon T.O.M.’s universe by introducing TIEs (Total Immersion Events) used to both promote Cartoon Network related events and add more original content to the programming. They would consists of mini episodes that would air each week beginning in September of 2000 and would further the development of Toonami. The first one The Intruder would both introduce T.O.M.’s companion AI S.A.R.A. and further T.O.M. to T.O.M. 2.0 who would be voiced by Steven Blum from this iteration forward.

The next TIE would be called Lockdown and began in September of 2001.  It would help launch Cartoon Network’s first MORPG and also set a record-breaking number of page views and ratings. This TIE focused on T.O.M. fighting to save the ship from an attack by a giant trash compactor gone haywire.

click here for playlist of all the episodes

The third TIE event would be called Trapped in Hyperspace and took place in September of 2002. During this TIE  a computer virus takes over the ship setting it on a crash course with earth. During this time S.A.R.A. is down and T.O.M. has to plug into the ship’s database to save her.

The final TIE event that occurred in September of 2003 did not go along with the usual plot. This time instead of an adventure involving T.O.M. they used it to air a mini series called Immortal Grand Prix. It was an anime mini series created and launched by the Producers of the Toonami as a way to pilot their series they dreamed of making into their own anime series. The rating went well and made it’s American debut in 2005 on Toonami is a full series. The original mini series would become a stand alone based on the universe.

On April 17th 2004 Toonami would be moved to Saturday evenings. This was because of some of the more violent and adult themed animes beginning to be aired on it.  It would run this way all the way up to March 16th 2007. On March 17th Toonami celebrated it’s milestone achievement, 10 years in the business.  It was celebrated with a revamping of the universe introducing a new (and less well received) T.O.M. and companions in an all new location. 

On Saturday September 20, 2008, Cartoon Network ended Toonami. Employees who worked on the block moved to other parts of the channel. Toonami Jetstream (The online anime streaming site) remained with the Toonami name until January 30, 2009. At the end of Toonami's final airing, the host, T.O.M. ended the block with a brief, final monologue, backed by the song "Cascade" by Tycho as shown in this video.

Join us next week when we talk about how Toonami would come to rise gain from it’s ashes.