A demented, horror-themed kid's show about a meek, terrified dog subjected to cruel treatment, nightmarish visions, violence from ghoulish monsters and paranormal entities, all set in a vision of rural Kansas so isolated and alien it might as well be another world. No one believes him, everyone dismisses him, and deaths, body-horror transformations, and the like do not carry over from episode to episode, possibly even scene to scene. Oh yeah, and one of his elderly owners is abusive.
Was this the pitch that creator John R. Dilworth gave the Cartoon Network in 1996 when Courage the Cowardly Dog aired? The world may never know. But even among the retinue of existential nightmare fuel masquerading as children's TV and movies, such as Jim Henson's The Storyteller or Jan Svenkmeyer's Alice, there's no doubting that Courage the Cowardly Dog stands out. Yes, there is ultimately a central theme to Courage, and it revolves around the tiny pink mutt overcoming his fears and demonstrating implacable, truly dog-like loyalty to his owners, particularly the kindly Muriel, no matter what. However, that theme is the hub for a host of horrifying, surreal, and darkly funny circumstances.
Courage aired during the late-nineties golden era of Cartoon Network, with shows like Powerpuff Girls, Dexter's Laboratory, Johnny Bravo, and Samurai Jack. Courage, as per the show's Wiki, lasted for four seasons, from 1999 to 2002, and spanned 52 episodes.