Class of 3000
Class of 3000 is an American animated musical television series created by André 3000 (best known as a member of the hip hop duo Outkast) for Cartoon Network. The series follows superstar and music teacher Sunny Bridges (voiced by 3000), who teaches a group of students at Atlanta, Georgia's Westley School of Performing Arts.[1] Bridges is a jazz and blues artist who occasionally lectures in Atlanta's Little Five Points residential area. As such, both OutKast and Cartoon Network are based in Atlanta. 28 episodes were produced.[2]
| Class of 3000 | |
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| Genre | Musical show Comedy |
| Created by | André 3000 Thomas W. Lynch |
| Developed by | Patric M. Verrone |
| Directed by |
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| Voices of |
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| Theme music composer | André "3000" Benjamin |
| Opening theme | "Class of 3000", written by André "3000" Benjamin and Kevin Kendrick |
| Composers |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 28 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producers |
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| Running time | 22 minutes |
| Production companies | |
| Distributor | Warner Bros. Television Distribution |
| Release | |
| Original network | Cartoon Network |
| Original release | November 3, 2006 – May 25, 2008 |
| External links | |
| Website | |
Class of 3000 was produced by Tom Lynch Company, Moxie Turtle, and Cartoon Network Studios. It is also the final Cartoon Network original series to premiere when Jim Samples was Cartoon Network’s manager, as he later resigned following the 2007 Boston bomb scare.
Characters
Episodes
Series overview
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | ||||
| 1 | 13 | November 3, 2006 | April 20, 2007 | ||
| 2 | 15 | June 7, 2007 | May 25, 2008 | ||
Season 1 (2006–07)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Written by | Storyboarded by | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | 1–2 | "Home" | Patric M. Verrone Thomas W. Lynch and André Benjamin (story) | Mike Bell, Don Dougherty, Kirk Hanson, Doug McCarthy, Sebastian Montes and Rossen Varbanov | November 3, 2006 | 101–102 |
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Lil' D's heart is broken and his faith is shaken when his musical idol, Sunny Bridges, and his music teacher both go missing on the same day. Joined by his music fellow student music prodigies, Li'l D decides to have a benefit concert to raise money for a new music teacher, but is unable to sell tickets. Lil' D runs into Sunny, who has quit the music business and returned to Atlanta to lay low. Lil'D and his incredulous classmates set out to convince Sunny to play at their benefit concert. Sunny rejects this proposition, but when he hears the kids play, he realizes that though he may want out of the music business, he doesn't want out of the music. He helps the kids with their concert and then agrees to become their music teacher. Songs: "Life Without Music" and "Throwdown" | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | "Peanuts! Get Yer Peanuts" | Richard NC Portofino | Kirk Hanson and Chuck Klein | November 10, 2006 | 103 |
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Sunny's first lesson teaches the kids to be musically and artistically free. When Principal Luna gives Sunny an overwhelming number of teacherly duties, including being responsible for the annual Peanut Pageant, Sunny instructs his students to use their newfound "artistic freedom" to do a production that's so free that it's a free-for-all. Song: "Oh, Peanuts" | ||||||
| 4 | 4 | "Funky Monkey" | Ed Lee | Dave Schwartz and Scooter Tidwell | November 17, 2006 | 105 |
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The Class of 3000 tries to get involved with the upperclassmen's upcoming production of "The Kong and I," but the smug higher-level students give them demeaning jobs. Li'l D, tasked with shooting gorilla footage for the actor playing Kong, heads to the zoo and discovers a gigantic ape named Momo with a talent for playing the drums. The director wants Momo to play Kong, so Li'l D leverages his connection with the gorilla to gain a starring role in the show. But when Momo seems depressed by his captivity, Li'l D must make a choice between stealing the spotlight and helping his new friend. Song: "Banana Zoo" | ||||||
| 5 | 5 | "The Hunt for Red Blobtober" | Michael J. Prescott | Doug McCarthy and Rossen Varbanov | November 24, 2006 | 106 |
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At a flea market, the Westley kids discover Sunny's senior yearbook from his time at Westley, which has a treasure map drawn on a loose page. A series of coincidences leads the group to believe that Sunny is a pirate, and they follow the map to discover the supposed riches (and meet some of their teacher's old bandmates along the way). When the "treasure" turns out to be a monstrous blob monster Sunny and his senior year band accidentally created from a mixture of Sloppy Joe meat and toxic waste, the kids learn that you can't run away from your mistakes, and use classic funk to banish the blobby beast. Song: "Fight the Blob" | ||||||
| 6 | 6 | "Eddie's Money" | Vince Cheung and Ben Montanio | Kirk Hanson and Dan Haskett | December 1, 2006 | 107 |
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Sunny tries to teach the class how to play and sing the blues, but Eddie can't figure out how, as he's never wanted for or desired anything in his life due to his riches. His lack of appreciation for material things only becomes clearer when his parents throw him a massive birthday party that he tires of almost immediately. Sunny gifts him with a compass that he claims will send him to the greatest present of all, and Eddie and Li'l D embark on a quest through Atlanta to find it--and discover how to appreciate what you have. Meanwhile, the other kids try to trick Eddie's staff into believing the birthday boy is still at the mansion so the festivities can continue. Song: "Richer Shade of Blue" | ||||||
| 7 | 7 | "The Devil and Li'l D" | Meghan McCarthy | Mike Bell and Dave Schwartz | December 15, 2006 | 104 |
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At a career fair, some strange, snake-like men try to get Sunny to sign a recording contract with Soul Stack Records; he declines, but Li'l D jumps at the chance. After meeting "Big D" (who is suspiciously Satanic), Li'l D joins Soul Stack and slowly loses his artistic integrity and sense of self as he becomes a pitchman for "Extreme Ham," hawking the product rather than actually making music. When his friends help him realize just how far he's fallen, he begs Sunny for help in voiding the contract. A series of challenges against Big D fails, and Sunny decides to sacrifice himself to save Li'l D's own soul...but the star has a trick up his sleeve that will get them both out of the deal. Song: "All We Want is Your Soul" | ||||||
| 8 | 8 | "Brotha from the Third Rock" | David Wyatt | Lenord Robinson and Dave Schwartz | January 26, 2007 | 108 |
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Philly Phil's efforts to convince the kids that alien life exists send him on a mission into space. Returning almost immediately to Earth, he is captured and taken to Roswell, Georgia where he is mistaken by the government for an alien. Sunny and the kids take it upon themselves to save Philly Phil from his captors. Song: "UFO Ninja" | ||||||
| 9 | 9 | "Westley Side Story" | Ed Lee | Sebastian Montes and Scooter Tidwell | February 2, 2007 | 109 |
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Kim and Kam have to face their sibling rivalry, while Sunny encounters his rival from Eastley, who has his own class who are basically evil twins of Sunny's. Song: "Kim Kam Jam" | ||||||
| 10 | 10 | "Love Is in the Hair...Net" | Meghan McCarthy | Kevin Altieri and Dave Schwartz | February 9, 2007 | 110 |
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Madison's hair is exceptionally frizzy, which she announces is a sign that love is in the air. She is correct: Sunny and Miss Lopez have crushes on each other, while Principal Luna becomes smitten with Petunia Squattenchowder, the new lunch lady. Luna asks Sunny for help in writing a song to declare his feelings, but when Madison discovers a draft, she mistakenly believes that the music teacher loves Miss Squattenchowder. Her attempts to set the pair up on a date creates an increasingly complicated love quadrangle that eventually involves a dance battle, kitchen utensils, and a bomb hidden inside a giant meatball. Song: "Luna Love" | ||||||
| 11 | 11 | "Am I Blue?" | Alison Taylor | Sebastian Montes and Lenord Robinson | February 16, 2007 | 111 |
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Preparing for a nerve-wracking all-school performance, Philly Phil's latest invention goes haywire and turns the kids (except Eddie) blue. After they perform well and become big hits, they attribute their stardom to their blue color and not their talent. Avoiding practice in favor of being 'stars', trouble sets in when the color fades and Philly Phil's machine breaks down after the Westley kids have learned their lesson. Song: "Crayon" | ||||||
| 12 | 12 | "Prank Yankers" | Maiya Williams | Dan Haskett and Cindy Morrow | February 23, 2007 | 112 |
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Tamika gets suspended after she gets framed for a prank her popular friends did. So, she gets her revenge by making them get caught in another prank. Song: "Cool Kitty" | ||||||
| 13 | 13 | "Mini Mentors" | Vince Cheung and Ben Montanio | Cindy Morrow and Dave Schwartz | April 20, 2007 | 113 |
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Sunny encounters a mad scientist named Dr. Nefario who tries to destroy him, while he also sets up a concert dedicated to his old mentor, who he believes has no faith in him, after their original Student-Teacher relation. Song: "My Mentor" | ||||||
Season 2 (2007–08)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Written by | Storyboarded by | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 1 | "Too Cool for School" | John Tchernev | Cindy Morrow and Dan Haskett | June 7, 2007 | 201 |
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After an exciting field trip, the kids talk about how much more exciting school is with Sunny around. The trip is followed by an extremely boring science lecture, and Kim makes an assumption--if a celebrity like Sunny made music more fun, than surely other stars could improve the remaining subjects at the school. The scheme works, and Westley becomes the latest trend, with celebrities taking over every class. It's fun at first, but the student body soon discovers that the stars 5don't really care about them. To make matters worse, the real teachers are all fired, and Sunny quits to join his fellow educators. Kim realizes that it's up to her to fix her mistake and bring things back to normal. Song: "On the Farm" Note: This episode was dedicated to Myrna 'Peach' Crenshaw, a collaborator of Outkast, who died of breast cancer two months before the episode aired. | ||||||
| 15 | 2 | "Nothin' to It but to Do It" | Meghan McCarthy | Ken Boyer and Bob McKnight | June 14, 2007 | 202 |
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When Sunny is forced to go on a bonding retreat with the rest of the school staff, he strikes a deal with Li'l D: if the kids do his chores, he'll let them use his recording studio. A cocky Li'l D throws away the directions Sunny gives him regarding the tasks, and pairs the other students up to handle the seemingly simple list: feeding the fish, watering the plants, and washing clothes. But Sunny's gigantic house is far from normal, and the lack of instructions soon has Tamika and Madison battling a horde of angry aquatic life, Eddie and Kam fending off sentient plants, and Philly Phil and Kim being attacked by living laundry. Meanwhile, the supposedly restful retreat is hampered by Principal Luna, so Sunny develops a scheme to get him out of the way and earn himself and the other teachers some real relaxation. Song: "Clean Up" | ||||||
| 16 | 3 | "Free Philly" | Ed Lee | Kevin Altieri and Julian Chaney | June 21, 2007 | 203 |
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After costing his class the chance at winning various awards during Field Day, Philly Phil feels disheartened that he can't be as "normal" as his classmates. At the urging of one of his inventions, Philly Phil leaves for a science institution, much to the dismay of everyone else. Song: "Philly Phil Come Home" Note: The title is a parody of Free Willy. | ||||||
| 17 | 4 | "Tamika and the Beast" | Dave Polsky | Cindy Morrow and Dan Haskett | June 28, 2007 | 204 |
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"The Beast", an eighth grader who's the stuff of the legends, causes a stir when he charms Tamika and is suspected of vandalizing the school. Song: "Drum Off" Note: The title is the parody of Beauty and the Beast. | ||||||
| 18 | 5 | "Safety Last" | Ed Lee | Ken Boyer and Bob McKnight | July 5, 2007 | 205 |
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Eddie is to star in a Rapunzel play with Tamika, but after the Westley auditorim collapses, his parents are concerned with his safety and make major changes to the script. Song: "Rapunzel" | ||||||
| 19 | 6 | "Study Buddies" | John Tchernev | Julian Chaney and Sebastian Montes | July 12, 2007 | 206 |
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When Li'l D is forbidden to go on a field trip for failing an exam, he and Sunny become study buddies. Song: "Study Buddies" | ||||||
| 20 | 7 | "The Cure" | Meghan McCarthy | Dan Haskett, Jeff Mednikow and Cindy Morrow | August 31, 2007 | 207 |
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Sunny catches a cold on the day before he's supposed to model at Kim's fashion show to save the rain forest, so the kids try to cure him. While Sunny is out, Principal Luna looks to get the opportunity to steal the spotlight from him. Song: "Do your Pose" | ||||||
| 21–22 | 8–9 | "The Class of 3000 Christmas Special" | Meghan McCarthy | Kevin Altieri, Kyle Baker, Barry Caldwell, Dan Haskett, Sebastian Montes and Scooter Tidwell | November 30, 2007 | 208–209 |
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Li'l D tries to get off of Santa's naughty list just in time for Christmas. Songs: "Gimmie Toys!", "Santa's in Trouble", and "Christmas Is Being Here Together" | ||||||
| 23 | 10 | "Big Robot on Campus" | Dave Polsky | Ken Boyer, Bob McKnight and Jeff Mednikow | December 14, 2007 | 210 |
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Philly Phil invents a robot named B.R.O.C (Big Robot on Campus) to help him be popular, but it gets a little out of hand. Song: "Turn of the Century" | ||||||
| 24 | 11 | "Take a Hike!" | David Wyatt | Kevin Altieri and Julian Chaney | December 14, 2007 | 211 |
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Madison and Tamika get separated from the class during a camping trip. Song: "Beauty and the Beat" | ||||||
| 25 | 12 | "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yeti" | Martin Pope | Dan Haskett and Cindy Morrow | May 25, 2008 | 212 |
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A local news station is offering a $500 reward for a picture of a Yeti rumored to be residing in Atlanta. Li'l D quickly discovers the creature is at Sunny's house. However, he makes him promise not to expose him because he had saved his life once. But when Li'l D notices the Yeti is beginning to take advantage of Sunny to the point of his being exhausted, he pulls off a scheme with the other kids to get rid of the creature without breaking his promise to Sunny. Song: "In Search of" | ||||||
| 26 | 13 | "Vote Sunny" | Randi Barnes | Ken Boyer, Jerome Eisenberg and Robert McKnight | May 25, 2008 | 213 |
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The students intensely campaign Sunny to get him Nominated for Atlanta's Teacher of the Year. However, only one can go with him to the awards dinner. So he organizes a "musical septathlon" to determine who goes with him. However, the end result is a tie and Sunny and the kids decide no one will go with him. How will the kids live with it!? Song: "Teacher of the Year" | ||||||
| 27 | 14 | "Kam Inc." | Ed Lee and Dave Polsky | Kevin Altieri, Julian Chaney and Scott Shaw | May 25, 2008 | 214 |
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Kam and Eddie gain a rivalry over a girl named Zelda, so they created their own company (selling cases with their face on them). But it goes out of hand. Song: "Treasure" | ||||||
| 28 | 15 | "Two to Tango" | Dan Fiebel and Rich Rinaldi | Dan Haskett, Jeff Mednikow and Cindy Morrow | May 25, 2008 | 215 |
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When Sunny and Lopez fight after their respective classes pull multiple pranks on each other, things go wrong and this has an effect on the two. So, both classes must figure out a way for Sunny and Lopez to get over their hatred for each other. Song: "Two to Tango" Note: This is the Series Finale | ||||||
Production
The show was co-created and developed by Thomas W. Lynch and Patric M. Verrone. In January 2010, many references to the show on the website were deleted, indicating that Cartoon Network has abandoned it.
Songs
Throughout the show, the students play songs, sometimes based on how they feel. There are also instruments viewed and played by the students and others in every episode.
First season CD track list
The first season CD featuring songs from the show was released July 3, 2007.
| No. | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | "Class of 3000 Theme Song" ("Touchdown") |
| 2 | "Life Without Music" ("Home") |
| 3 | "Throwdown" ("Home") |
| 4 | "Oh, Peanut" ("Peanuts! Get Yer Peanuts") |
| 5 | "We Want Your Soul" ("The Devil and Li'l D") |
| 6 | "Banana Zoo" ("Funky Monkey") |
| 7 | "A Rich Shade of Blue" ("Eddie's Money") |
| 8 | "Fight the Blob" ("The Hunt for Red Blobtober") |
| 9 | "U.F.O. Ninja" ("Brotha from the Third Rock") |
| 10 | "Kim 'n' Kam Jam" ("Westley Side Story") |
| 11 | "Luna Love" ("Love Is in the Hair...Net") |
| 12 | "The Crayon Song" ("Am I Blue?") |
| 13 | "My Mentor" ("Mini Mentors") |
| 14 | "Cool Kitty" ("Prank Yanker") |
Broadcast and release
The series made its world premiere (previously advertised as a live premiere with performances by Chris Brown) on November 3, 2006 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT with a one-hour special. It later premiered on Cartoon Network UK on May 28, 2007 and Cartoon Network Australia/New Zealand on February 4, 2008.
Although there have been no home video releases in Region 1, the show is available on Google Play, with the exception of "The Cure" from season two.
Home media
A DVD of the first season was released on December 3, 2008, in Region 4. Plus, in the UK, 3 episodes from the series were placed on a DVD.
Reception
The show received mostly positive reviews. The soundtrack is rated 4.5 stars out of 5 on Amazon.
References
- Terrace, Vincent (2014). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 Through 2010 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. p. 191. ISBN 9780786486410.
- Crump, William D. (2019). Happy Holidays—Animated! A Worldwide Encyclopedia of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year's Cartoons on Television and Film. McFarland & Co. p. 71. ISBN 9781476672939.
External links
- Official website at the Wayback Machine (archived June 5, 2008)
- Class of 3000 at the Big Cartoon DataBase
- Class of 3000 at IMDb
- Class of 3000 at TV.com