Star Wars, Batman Headline Cartoon Network Upfront

• Apr 3, 2008 04:51 PM ET
• by TV Guide News

With a quartet of Clone Troopers as his escort, George Lucas made a grandiose entrance to the Cartoon Network upfront Thursday morning in Manhattan. Lucas was on hand to plug Star Wars: The Clone Wars, a feature film/animated series combo coming later this year. (As previously announced, the movie premieres August 15, followed by the series on Cartoon, then TNT, in the fall. No date for the TV premiere was made.) It was the key announcement for the network, which is also premiering the Ben 10 relaunch Alien Force, and finally confirmed the rumored series Batman: The Brave and the Bold, which teams the Caped Crusader with a variety of DC Comics superheroes.

Calling Star Wars "the greatest brand in entertainment history," Turner Animation COO Stuart Snyder said he personally courted Lucasfilm when he heard about the project (which went into production before a network had signed on), and "after watching five minutes they had me." For his part, Lucas calls the project " Star Wars starring an 11-year-old girl" - that is, feisty Ahsoka, padawan apprentice to Anakin Skywalker. In a short clip, Ahsoka appears to be a central player in the story. Also seen: an acrobatic 'saber-wielding Yoda, Anakin, Obi-Wan Kenobi, R2-D2, and the evil multi-limbed General Grievous. Lucas calls the show "truly family entertainment" that will appeal to viewers "8 to 80."

Ben 10: Alien Force premieres April 18. Later this year it will be part of a Friday-night action/adventure bloc that includes The Clone Wars. Also on that slate is The Secret Saturdays, about a family of "world-saving adventure scientists," and the new Batman series, whose guest stars include Green Arrow, Blue Beetle, Green Lantern and Aquaman. No clip was shown, but Rob Sorcher, Cartoon Net's chief content officer, says The Brave and the Bold will be "equal doses of comedy and high stakes."

Comedy series Chowder was picked up for more episodes and will be paired with new addition The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack, a surreal series about... well, even after watching the clips that was hard to tell. - Rich Sands