[[quoteright:167:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cartoonstitute_logo.png]]
What ''was'' supposed to be the spiritual successor to Cartoon Network's ''WesternAnimation/WhatACartoonShow'', ''Cartoonstitute'' was intended to be a showcase for new animators to show off their skills, and an alternate way for Creator/CartoonNetwork to develop new material that had potential for a full series greenlight without the use of focus-testing or any major executive interference. The project was headed by Creator/CraigMcCracken (''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'' & ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends'') and Creator/RobRenzetti (''WesternAnimation/MyLifeAsATeenageRobot''), and received its name from Creator/LaurenFaust. A total of 39 shorts were meant to be produced, but due to a number of financial issues, as well as an increase in focus on acquisitions and live-action productions, only 14 were completed. The finished pieces were leaked online in late 2009. They would then receive a legitimate yet brief showing on the network's online video service the following year, before quietly being removed. Website/TheOtherWiki has more details on the full situation.

Despite its cancellation, ''Cartoonstitute'' did achieve its goal, as new shows were born from the group of completed pilots. In August 2009, Cartoon Network announced that they had greenlit 12 quarter-hours of J.G. Quintel's ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'' to be produced. ''Regular Show'' would run for 261 episodes over the course of eight seasons from September 2010 to January 2017, becoming a major pillar for the channel alongside Pendleton Ward's ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'', with both series being credited for the reversal of Cartoon Network's [[NetworkDecay then-decline]]. In April 2010, a spin-off of the ''Uncle Grandpa'' short was announced, entitled ''WesternAnimation/SecretMountainFortAwesome''. While that series saw cancellation after a single season, the network tried again by developing the short proper into a [[WesternAnimation/UncleGrandpa series of the same name]]; ''Uncle Grandpa'' would run for 153 episodes over the course of five seasons from September 2013 to June 2017.

While the ''Cartoonstitute'' project did meet its end, the idea of using methods beyond focus groups to gauge the potential of future content remained. Starting in the mid-2010s, Cartoon Network would begin to regularly upload various pilot episodes online, with popular ones such as ''WesternAnimation/OKKOLetsBeHeroes'' and ''WesternAnimation/InfinityTrain'' receiving series orders as a result of audience reaction and engagement.

On April 15, 2021, [[https://www.animationmagazine.net/tv/cartoon-network-debuts-cartoon-cartoons-shorts-program/ Cartoon Network announced that they will be attempting another shot at a new animated anthology series titled, ''Cartoon Cartoons'']] (Named after the network's [[Creator/CartoonCartoons original brand name for its animated shows]]).

Compare ''WesternAnimation/RandomCartoons'', Creator/{{Nickelodeon}}'s own attempt at a successor to a previous animated anthology series (in their case, ''WesternAnimation/OhYeahCartoons'').

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!!''Cartoonstitute'' had the following shorts:

* ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfHOfX8mnUI YES]]'' by David P. Smith
* ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TKV4vbe04U Meddlen Meadows]]'' by Chris Reccardi
* ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ek5VaDTpcE Danger Planet]]'' by Derek Drymon
* ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2mO-uvAWP0 Stockboys of the Apocalypse]]'' by Derek Drymon
* ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jftxRV3oISE Baloobaloob's Fun Park]]'' by Creator/AaronSpringer
* ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKxphNr361U Spleenstab]]'' by Mike Kim
* ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tapHUBa_HU The Borneos]]'' by Chris Staples
* ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FM2eH0bYnQ Le Door]]'' by Matt Danner
* ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4U8H8AhESI Maruined]]'' by Creator/GenndyTartakovsky
* ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PoKWKqFE_M 3 Dog Band]]'' by Paul Rudish
* ''WesternAnimation/JoeyToTheWorld'' by Craig Kellman
* ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'' by J.G. Quintel [[note]]This was the first show to be greenlit from this series. The original short was later expanded and aired as the season two episode "First Day".[[/note]]
* ''WesternAnimation/UncleGrandpa'' by Pete Browngardt [[note]]The only other show to result from the "Cartoonstitute". Was first retooled into ''WesternAnimation/SecretMountainFortAwesome'', before that series flopped and the original idea was greenlit as its own show.[[/note]]
* ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlvIB4jGpLo The Awesome Chronicles of Manny and Khan]]'' by Josh Liebeman & Joey Giardina

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!!''Cartoonstitute'' contains examples of:
* AfterTheEnd: ''Stockboys of the Apocalypse'' has a teenage boy fall into a time machine and sent decades into the future, where the world is a nuclear wasteland.
* ChubbyChaser: In ''3 Dog Band'', Sly hits on an elephant and a hippo and enjoys it when they start crushing him with their behinds.
* DarkerAndEdgier: ''Cartoonstitute'' was the network's first experimentation with the TV-PG rating, resulting in a few shorts having some risque content. The "worst" offender of this is ''Joey to the World'', which would be a '''much''' better fit on Creator/AdultSwim than it ever would be on the main channel, due to a large amount of blatant sex and drug references.
* DesertedIsland: ''Maruined'' revolves around two kids and a strange animal trapped on a tropical island.
* DigitalDestruction: Cartoon Network uploaded ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3UtG6jXSMo Danger Planet]]'' in HD on their official [=YouTube=] channel, but the colors are way too bright and there are glitches, such as severe ghosting showing the Danger Planet arcade machine frozen in midair when it falls at the beginning.
* FunnyAnimal: ''3 Dog Band'', featuring [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin 3 dogs]].
* GroinAttack: In ''Manny and Khan'', in an attempt to get the ball in the "lava", Manny pulls out a giant magnet. This summons several bear traps instead. One of them latches onto Manny's groin off-screen and screams in pain.
* LaughTrack: Used on ''Joey to the World''.
* TheMusical: ''3 Dog Band'' is a about a musical trio, and the short ends with them playing at a nightclub.
* OddCouple: ''The Awesome Chronicles of Manny and Khan''
* ThePollyanna: ''YES'' is about a family of these trying to spread goodwill all over the world.
* {{Retraux}}: ''3 Dog Band'' looks more like something Creator/CartoonNetwork would have aired at the TurnOfTheMillennium.
* StrangeMindsThinkAlike: In ''YES'', when the family tries out poetry, the mom comes up with a poem about how weird it is that she has ten toes and only one nose. The dad came up with the exact same poem.
* UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist: The children in ''Maruined.'' Arguably the titular character in ''Joey to the World.''
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