Toonami premiered on March 17, 1997.

Yeah, you probably saying to yourself, "Duh, Jeff, I knew that! What's your point?" Well, there is a point to what I'm saying. When Toonami premiered, it blended two basic elements. An even ratio of classic North American and Japanese action-animation and current productions, in the case of 1997, The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest. This formula basically introduced the world to this phenomenon we call Toonami. Over time, however, things changed. Some would call what the folks in charge of the block did over the span of a little over four years an evolution. I'll be the first to admit that there have been great changes to the block such as the creation of TOM, new shows appearing on the block on a yearly basis, and a more powerful persona in general. But over time, the three elements sort of became one element that, whether the good folks at Williams Street either don't know or hasn't realized, has become the norm and alienating a large group of viewers.

Instead of being a block with an even ratio of classic North American and Japanese products and current productions, Toonami has become a block with an anime majority and one or two North American products in the mix. No classic North American shows exist on the Toonami block anymore (sure, Superman is a classic, but it's not a retro classic ala Thundercats), and the majority of anime shows are coming from one studio. Now call me crazy, but in my opinion, something's kind of wrong with that equation.

For the first time, I'm analyzing what exactly isn't on the block and what is on the block, not to mention what could be done to remedy the problem. Afterall, you want to keep people's attention. Give the people what they want. Don't just stand there. Read on!