Cartoon Network

'Unnatural History' Where: Cartoon Network When: 8 p.m. Sunday Rating: TV-PG-V (may be unsuitable for young children, with an advisory for violence)

Seth Green slumps on a bench seat in a 1970s Winnebago that's parked inside of Stoopid Buddy Stoodios in Burbank. A nasty case of strep throat has him feeling low. But the fact that "Robot Chicken," the off-color stop-motion animated series Green created with Matthew Senreich was renewed for a seventh season, perks him up a bit. "We thought it was the same generation as us who grew up watching the same TV shows and eating the same cereal," says...

It's logged more than 1 billion views on YouTube and is a genuine Internet sensation, even though all the characters are bickering, crudely animated fruits. But will TV audiences find "Annoying Orange" as appealing? Cartoon Network is about to find out Monday with its latest series, adapted from the enormously popular three-minute animated Web clips about a talking citrus with a high-pitched voice and a grating penchant for laughing at his own jokes. Annoyed critics have trashed "Orange" for humor that might not pass muster on a grade-school playground: Imagine"South Park"set in a kitchen, minus the ripped-from-the-headlines outrageousness.

Let us consider Nick Cannon, who is never long out of sight but busy out of sight as well. He may currently be seen as a version of himself on Kevin Hart's BET reality-show parody, "The Real Husbands of Hollywood," and when it's in season, as the host of NBC's "America's Got Talent. " He co-hosted ABC's "Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade" special in December; a revival of his MTV improv-games series "Wild N Out" is currently in production; and simply by virtue of being married to Mariah Carey and the father of their twins, he remains more or less constantly in the public eye. Now Cannon has created "The Incredible Crew" - not for Nickelodeon this time but Cartoon Network - a single-camera sketch comedy already in progress.

In "How to Train Your Dragon," the 2010 film from DreamWorks Animation, a skinny viking teen named Hiccup discovers that dragons can be taught and tamed, a lot like dogs, except that these dogs are 30 feet across and breathe fire. By the end of the film, vikings and dragons, who began the movie trying to brain each other, are best pals. As with so many other stories of star-crossed, interspecies pairings, from "The Adventures of Milo and Otis" to "Avatar," one wonders just where this relationship will go. That question is answered in the new animated series "Dragons: Riders of Berk," which is being produced by DreamWorks Animation for Cartoon Network.

Cartoon Network has signed a worldwide licensing deal with Mattel Inc. to produce action figures, puzzles and other toys tied to its children's TV shows. Cartoon Network Enterprises, the consumer products division of the cable TV network, said the multiyear agreement covered original programming for the 6- to 11-year-old age group and the rights to produce Cartoon Network-branded products. It also gives El Segundo-based Mattel a first-look option on newly created original series and programming.

Cartoon Network is plenty popular with school-age children. Now it's coming for the babies. Starting at 9 this morning, the Atlanta-based network begins a two-hour morning block of cartoons for preschoolers, even children under a year old. Other children's networks already create programs for children that young, and Cartoon Network's new "Tickle U" block is aimed at improving the network's ratings on weekday mornings, when it falls behind rivals such as Nickelodeon and Disney Channel.

Admit it. There have been times you've wanted to spend a Saturday just watching cartoons but haven't, because you're not 8 anymore. Well, go to it Saturday. No need to feel guilty or embarrassed--as long as you're watching Cartoon Network's marathon "The 50 Greatest Cartoons of All Time."

SUDDENLY Wednesday there was an unexpected front-runner in the competition for the 57th annual nighttime Emmy Awards. The ceremonies are still a month away but the Cartoon Network already has walked off with six. The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced winners in three areas -- what it calls juried categories. There are no nominations or voting by the membership in these, unlike other categories; instead, peer-group juries simply pick as many winners as they deem warranted.

The Cattanooga Cats (Cartoon Network, Sunday at 8 a.m.) is a series of short cartoons hosted by actors dressed up as a feline rock group. They include "Around the World in 79 Days," in which Phineas Fogg Jr. and two teenagers try to beat the old record of 80 days. For ages 5 and up.

After the coffee. Before seeing if I can become an NFL replacement by this Sunday. The Skinny: The bad officiating wasn't the only thing wrong with ESPN's "Monday Night Football" game between the Packers and Seahawks. The game ran for well over three hours. Tuesday's headlines include a profile of producer Randall Emmett, a new co-host at "Today" and a review of CBS' new drama "Vegas. " Daily Dose: From boffo to toldja? My co-worker Ben Fritz reports that Penske Media, owner of Hollywood blog Deadline, is making a serious play for Variety . The price tag for the venerable trade paper is in the neighborhood of $30 million, which is far less than what current owner Reed Elsevier was initially seeking.

In "How to Train Your Dragon," the 2010 film from DreamWorks Animation, a skinny viking teen named Hiccup discovers that dragons can be taught and tamed, a lot like dogs, except that these dogs are 30 feet across and breathe fire. By the end of the film, vikings and dragons, who began the movie trying to brain each other, are best pals. As with so many other stories of star-crossed, interspecies pairings, from "The Adventures of Milo and Otis" to "Avatar," one wonders just where this relationship will go. That question is answered in the new animated series "Dragons: Riders of Berk," which is being produced by DreamWorks Animation for Cartoon Network.

First it was the penguins of "Madagascar" and then the animal warriors of "Kung Fu Panda" on Nickelodeon, now it's the cast of DreamWorks' "How to Train Your Dragon" on Cartoon Network. "Dragons: Riders of Berk," which premieres Tuesday, is the latest small-screen incarnation of a successful animated film to retain both the personality and production value of its progenitor. But unlike its predecessors, it plays more like sequel than spinoff. (Although a cinematic sequel is also in the works.)

PBS came out as the big winner at the 39th annual Daytime Entertainment Creative Arts Emmys on Sunday night with 13 wins, including Emmys for children's series ("The Electric Company"), writing in a children's series ("Sesame Street") and preschool children's series (also "Sesame Street"). Nickelodeon was in second place with 10 wins. ABC was tops among the major networks with 8 wins. Oprah's fledgling cable channel OWN even managed to grab one Emmy for special class series for "Super Soul Sunday.

It's logged more than 1 billion views on YouTube and is a genuine Internet sensation, even though all the characters are bickering, crudely animated fruits. But will TV audiences find "Annoying Orange" as appealing? Cartoon Network is about to find out Monday with its latest series, adapted from the enormously popular three-minute animated Web clips about a talking citrus with a high-pitched voice and a grating penchant for laughing at his own jokes. Annoyed critics have trashed "Orange" for humor that might not pass muster on a grade-school playground: Imagine"South Park"set in a kitchen, minus the ripped-from-the-headlines outrageousness.

  Dish Networks landed the first punch in its fight against broadcasters ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC over whether its new ad-skipping feature called AutoHop is legal.  Wednesday, a federal court judge in New York granted Dish Network's request for a temporary restraining order preventing Fox and other networks from trying to advance their claims against the satellite television provider in lawsuits that were separately filed last week in...

The world can be divided into people who have been waiting for Chris Elliott to get another television series and those who have not. The second group may in turn be separated into those who don't know who he is, those who know but do not care, and those whom he makes so uncomfortable they would prefer he just stay away. Ready or not, here he is: The subject of your rejoicing, or wailing, is "Eagleheart," premiering Thursday at midnight on Adult Swim, the mature nighttime component of Cartoon Network.

SERIES Martha Speaks: The animated kids' show about a dog that can talk is back for another season (9 a.m. KVCR; 3 p.m. KLCS). Gossip Girl: The comedy troupe Upright Citizen's Brigade takes an interest in Dan's (Penn Badgley) book in this new episode of the drama (8 p.m. KTLA). Love Lust: The pop culture-themed series explores the allure of lingerie (8 p.m. Sundance). Basketball Wives: The docu-soap about hoop stars' better halves returns with new episodes (8 p.m. VH1)

The interactive Flying Ninjago thrill ride debuting in 2012 at Legoland Germany will send riders spinning through air on the wings of a dragon. Set to debut on March 30, the new ride is expected to be one of the first Sky Fly towers built by German-based Gerstlauer. PHOTOS: Flying Ninjago ride at Legoland Germany Sky Fly lifts riders 70 feet in the air aboard single-seat gondolas at the end of a cantilevered arm rotating around a central tower. Concept art released by Legoland Deutschland shows a seated boy piloting a scaly green dragon while holding handles that control the pitch of the creature's wings.