In the mid-90s, the Cartoon Network experienced something of “new genesis” in terms of programming. Rather than airing classic MGM, Hanna-Barbera and Looney Tunes shows, the network instead began investing in original animated programming. Originally known as Cartoon Cartoons, the experiment was a success and allowed the network to usher in a line-up of quality programming that are still fondly remembered today. One of the best was Dexter’s Laboratory.
Created by Genndy Tartakovsky, Dexter’s Laboratory chronicles the misadventures of Dexter, boy genius, whose experiments—most of which include robots or creatures of some kind—often go awry thanks to his annoying older sister, Dee Dee. A destructive and often hyperactive element in Dexter’s life, Dee Dee serves the primary foil in his effort to revolutionize the world of science with his experiments. Dexter’s parents, meanwhile, are completely oblivious to both his work and his massive laboratory, which is located in Dexter’s bedroom.
Premiering in 1996, the series was brutally funny not to mention very creative, almost visionary, in the way it continually kept things fresh. You’d think the premise would only allow for one note jokes, but Tartakovsky and his crew managed to stretch out this simple gag into a slew of hilarious shorts featuring Dexter trying to outwit Dee Dee at every turn. Some of the most fantastic scenarios include Dexter trying to transform himself into a superhero with one of his machines, as well as Dexter’s attempts to create his own action figure (when he finds out his friends won’t play with him unless he has one of his own). One of my personal favorite stories is the series’ spoof of Speed Racer.
Dexter’s Laboratory was filled with self aware gags, and small, self-contained shorts that featured a wonderful voice cast including Kathie Soucie, Jeff Bennett, Tom Kenny and Christine Cavanaugh. What really helped make Dexter’s Laboratory such a fun series was the variety in its episodes as Tartakovsky introduced a slew of separate recurring shorts. Among these was “Dial M for Monkey,” a short about Dexter’s pet monkey who, due to a lab accident, was secretly transformed into a costumed superhero tasked with saving the Earth on many occasions. Another short was “The Justice Friends,” an animated sitcom about three Marvel-inspired superheroes learning to live together in an apartment and deal with everyday life. Some of these segments would even cross over on occasion, whenever the writers wanted to mix things up for the audience, to the general sense of madness that Dexter’s Laboratory thrived on.
The series ended in 1999, despite critical acclaim and many awards, as Tartakovsky went on to create the equally popular Samurai Jack. In 2001, however, Cartoon Network revived the series (sans Tartakovsky and some of the original cast*), but its reception was weak—due in part to noticeably unfunny, forced and often times obnoxious jokes. When the series did officially end in 2003, it carried with it a legacy** as the launch pad for many well-known writers like Butch Hartman, Craig McCracken and Seth McFarlane… not to mention it left behind a slew of merchandise, fast food promos, comic books and video games. The show thrived in syndication for years and is now available in its complete form on Hulu Plus and iTunes. Thankfully, after almost two decades, the series has barely aged and remains one of the funniest and most innovative series Cartoon Network Studios ever produced.
*Interesting side note, by this time the original Dexter voice actor, Christine Cavanaugh, had retired so the role went to Candi Milo. Cavanaugh unfortunately passed away in 2014, leaving behind a legendary career filled with many iconic animated characters, including Dexter.
**The series is also noted for having two banned episodes, one of which featured excessive swearing by Dee Dee, that was never aired despite the swears being censored.
