Dexter’s Laboratory

Dexter’s Laboratory is a comedic science fiction animated TV show for children, created by Genndy Tartakovsky for Cartoon Network. The show centers on Dexter, a young genius who has a hidden lab full of his inventions. He is frequently at odds with his sister Dee Dee, who always manages to sneak in despite his efforts to keep her out, and his nemesis and neighbor, Mandark. The first two seasons also feature extra segments: “Dial M for Monkey,” about Dexter’s pet monkey who becomes a superhero, and “The Justice Friends,” which follows three superheroes living together in an apartment.

Tartakovsky initially presented the series to Hanna-Barbera’s World Premiere Toons, drawing inspiration from student films he made at the California Institute of the Arts. Four shorts were produced and aired on Cartoon Network in 1995 and 1996, leading to positive viewer feedback that prompted the network to commission a 13-episode first season, debuting on April 28, 1996. By 1999, a total of 52 episodes and a TV movie had been created, after which Tartakovsky departed to focus on other projects like Samurai Jack and Star Wars: Clone Wars. In 2001, Cartoon Network revived the show with a new production team at Cartoon Network Studios, producing an additional 26 episodes before the series concluded on November 20, 2003.