Being a kid in the ’90s and early 2000s meant experiencing the golden age of Cartoon Network. The channel’s Cartoon Cartoon Fridays was a staple of Friday night for a generation of kids and delivered hit original series that even decades later remain some of the most iconic. Unfortunately, those nostalgic cartoons have become harder and harder to revisit in recent years, but all 78 episodes of a Cartoon Network classic show are now finally streaming free.
Tubi is an underdog in the competitive streaming market, but fans of classic cartoons will definitely want to pay attention after a catalog of Cartoon Network classics arrived on the platform this month. Among them was Dexter’s Laboratory, the animated show about the titular boy genius who conducts crazy experiments in his secret, high-tech bedroom laboratory, which joined Tubi’s free streaming lineup on March 1st. All four seasons and 78 episodes of the iconic Genndy Tartakovsky-created Cartoon Network show, which originally aired from 1996 until 2003, are now once again available, but it’s unclear just how long they’ll be on Tubi.
When it comes to discussions about the best Cartoon Network shows of all time, Dexter’s Laboratory is a no-brainer for a top spot on the list. The series, which holds a high 85% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes across its four seasons, helped define the network’s golden age and establish the brand’s reputation for high-quality, creator-driven animation with its smart, witty, and visually distinct style. While Dexter’s Laboratory was a ‘90s staple, it’s a series that still holds up today and still appeals to viewers of all ages.
Dexter’s Laboratory is an incredibly fun show packed with absurd scenarios, memorable characters, and fast-paced humor. The series’ imaginative, high-energy, and chaotic nature is largely driven by the hilarious rivalry between the brilliant but arrogant Dexter, his energetic sister Dee Dee, and his rival Mandark, which provided a perfect formula for comedy and action. The show also did a great job of balancing silly slapstick humor for kids with witty dialogue and pop-culture references for adults, giving it a great cross-generational appeal, and its iconic 1950s-inspired animation style helped set it apart from other cartoons of the era. The series unsurprisingly quickly became a cornerstone of ’90s Cartoon Network and managed to secure a lasting, nostalgic appeal, with episodes like “Last But Not Beast” and “Dexter’s Rival” among some of the best examples of Cartoon Network’s classic era.
Outside of the 16 Cartoon Network classic shows that arrived on Tubi on March 1st, with more on the way, the free streamer has a strong lineup of fresh titles this March. Tubi viewers now have the option to watch everything from Marcel the Shell with Shoes to A24’s I Saw the TV Glow. Other new streaming titles include The Bob’s Burgers Movie, A League of Their Own, and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.
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