In a move that shocks, like, nobody, except anyone who lives under a rock or without a television or internet connection or something, but it still sort of cool and a little exciting, Adult Swim’s bringing back Toonami as a block. Saturday nights just got a whole lot more mid-90′s-to-mid-00′s Cartoon Network.

Adult Swim announced the return of the block today on Twitter accompanied by the image above:

Attention Toonami Faithful: We heard you. On 05.26.12 #ToonamisBackBitches ow.ly/i/D8Rj

— [adult swim] (@adultswim) May 16, 2012

There’s been a huge call for the network to revive the old Cartoon Network action block ever since their April Fool’s stunt for the year turned out to be a full Toonami block complete with old shows (some Toonami aired originally, some they didn’t) and freshly-recorded TOM dialogue and a game review of Mass Effect 3 by the man who gave TOM his voice all those years, Steve Blum. Blum himself started up a Twitter hashtag and campaign of sorts, #BringBackToonami, having his followers start tweeting the tag around the time the action block started every Saturday night on Adult Swim. Looks like it was successful.

If you’re not aware of what Toonami was (I’ve seen people ask, it’s weird, I know), it was a block that began in 1997 that ran action shows on Cartoon Network. Starting out with titles like Voltron and Thundercats, the block eventually came to be known for its Japanese anime content, helping bring shows like Dragon Ball Z, its earlier counterpart Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon, Tenchi Muyo, Outlaw Star, The Big O, Yu Yu Hakusho, and a handful of varied Gundam titles to prominence. Later on, it also aired Cartoon Network originals like Samurai Jack. It had an earlier-in-the-day counterpart weekdays on Kids WB for a short time, and a late night block named Midnight Run that lasted for four years. It was also popular for its host: at first hosted by Moltar, who you may know from Space Ghost Coast to Coast, it was later hosted by a few versions of a character named TOM, voiced by Steve Blum, also recognizable as Spike from Cowboy Bebop. He joked, he reviewed video games, he introduced viewers to new music, and was there until the end. The block went off air in 2008.

May 26th will see the return of Toonami as an actual programming block, the first time since 2008 that it has been a presence on US television. What the block will actually air besides Bleach, Cowboy Bebop, and Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood is unknown as of right now, but hopefully some more light will be shone on the upcoming revival tonight at the Adult Swim upfront. Hopefully some new shows will be included.

You can join Adult Swim Central for a special live Upfront edition of the Swimcast tonight at 10:30PM EST, and we’ll let you know any bit of news regarding Toonami or anything else Adult Swim as we get it!

And you can relive the mid-90′s and early 00′s on May 26th at midnight.

Although [as]‘s upfront is scheduled to take place tomorrow night, (Wednesday, May 16th) the network has released information about a handful of commissioned pilots early.

The Untitled Animated Harold & Kumar Project: Pretty self-explanatory. An animated series based off of the similarly titled series of films. The films stars John Cho and Kal Penn are attached to reprise their roles as the eponymous characters Harold and Kumar. The show will be produced by Lionsgate and written by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, who also wrote the most recent film in the series, “A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas.”

Rick & Morty: A half-hour long animated program about “A genius inventor, his less-than-genius grandson and the life journeys they share,” from creators Dan Harmon (Community, Channel 101) and Justin Roiland.

Colonel Wallace (Working Title): A fifteen minute program about a Colonel Sanders-esque head of a fried chicken empire and his family, created by Greg Cohen (Late Night With Conan O’Brien, King of the Hill, TV Funhouse).

Coffin Dodgers: A half-hour program about a bundle of grumpy old folks in a retirement home and all the wacky, animal-house style shenanigans they get into, from Dave Silverstein and Matt Jeser (Drawn Together).

Green Bench: The American Day Dream: A half-hour program about a group of friends who pool their money to buy an office to start a business venture that has yet to be figured out. From the Internet sketch comedy group Green Bench, produced by Dakota Pictures.

Freestyle Love Supreme: A half-hour live-action program about IT guys who practice their freestyle rapping in the office, much to the chagrin of their co-workers, from from Ars Nova (Black Dynamite, In the Heights).

King Star King: A 15-minute animated program about a modern day He-Man who’s half-warrior and half-idiot, from JJ Villard (Monsters vs. Aliens) and Eric Kaplan (The Big Bang Theory).

Rolling With Dad: A half-hour animated program about a brilliant, disabled man dealing with his significantly less-brilliant family.

More information on future programming will probably be released at the upfront tomorrow, but [as] central will not be present, as we have not been invited for the 6th year in a row. We will try to keep you informed as best we can.
Tomorrow at 10:30 EST, we will be recording a very special episode of the Swimcast, from the comforts of our own homes. Hopefully you will except our second-hand, but nonetheless up-to-date-as-we-get-it newscasting.