Mandark
Dexter's Laboratory is an American animated science fiction television series created by Genndy Tartakovsky for Cartoon Network. The series follows Dexter, an enthusiastic boy-genius with a science laboratory in his bedroom, which he keeps secret from his unsuspecting parents. Dexter is at constant odds with his older and more extraverted sister Dee Dee, who regularly accesses the laboratory and inadvertently foils his experiments. Mandark, a nefarious boy-genius classmate who lives next-door to Dexter, attempts to undermine him at every opportunity. Prominently featured in the first and second seasons are other segments focusing on superhero-based characters Monkey, Dexter's pet lab-monkey with a superhero alter ego, and the Justice Friends, a trio of superheroes who share an apartment.
Tartakovsky pitched the series to Fred Seibert's animated shorts showcase What a Cartoon! at Hanna-Barbera, basing it on student films he produced at the California Institute of the Arts. Four pilots aired on Cartoon Network and TNT from 1995 to 1996. The first pilot "Changes" became Cartoon Network's highest-rated What A Cartoon! short, and viewer approval ratings led to a half-hour series, which consisted of two seasons totaling 52 episodes, airing from April 27, 1996, to June 15, 1998. Dexter's Laboratory was the first original series for the channel under the Cartoon Cartoons moniker. On December 10, 1999, a television film titled Dexter's Laboratory: Ego Trip aired as the intended series finale. The third season began airing on November 18, 2001, with a fourth season following in 2002. Due to Tartakovsky's departure, Chris Savino served as showrunner, and Cartoon Network Studios produced the series. The fourth season concluded on November 20, 2003, ending the series.
Dexter's Laboratory became one of Cartoon Network's most successful original series, which helped increase Cartoon Network's ratings in the late 1990s and early 2000s. It received high viewership in the United States on cable television, becoming Cartoon Network's highest-rated original series in 1996 and 1997. Critics lauded its humor, intelligence, and originality, ranking the series as one of the best cartoons in various lists. It was nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming One Hour or Less) from 1995 to 1998 and won three Annie Awards. The series spawned various merchandise, including albums, books, home video releases, toys, and video games.
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