Dexter’s Laboratory is a comedic science fiction animated TV show for children, created by Genndy Tartakovsky for Cartoon Network. The show centers on Dexter, a young genius with a hidden lab full of his inventions. He frequently clashes with his sister Dee Dee, who always manages to sneak in despite his efforts to keep her out, as well as his nemesis and neighbor, Mandark. The first two seasons also feature extra segments: “Dial M for Monkey,” about Dexter’s pet monkey who becomes a superhero, and “The Justice Friends,” which follows three superheroes living together in an apartment.

Tartakovsky initially proposed the series to Hanna-Barbera’s World Premiere Toons, drawing inspiration from student films he made at the California Institute of the Arts. Four shorts were produced and aired on Cartoon Network in 1995 and 1996, leading to positive viewer feedback that prompted the network to commission a 13-episode first season, debuting on April 28, 1996. By 1999, the show had produced 52 episodes and a TV movie, after which Tartakovsky departed to work on other projects like Samurai Jack and Star Wars: Clone Wars. In 2001, Cartoon Network Studios revived the series with a new production team, and after 26 additional episodes, the show concluded on November 20, 2003.