# Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends
**Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends** is an American animated television series created by Craig McCracken for Cartoon Network, running from 2004 to 2009, about a Victorian-mansion foster home where imaginary friends live after the children who imagined them outgrow them.[1](https://cartoonnetwork.fandom.com/wiki/Foster%27s_Home_for_Imaginary_Friends) • [2](https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/fosters_home_for_imaginary_friends) The series premiered on August 13, 2004, with a 90-minute special, "House of Bloo's", and then settled into a 30-minute weekly slot at 7 pm ET/PT starting August 20.[3](https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/5286/fosters-home-for-imaginary-friends)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Run | Cartoon Network, August 13, 2004 to 2009; 6 seasons[3](https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/5286/fosters-home-for-imaginary-friends) • [4](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/fosters-home-for-imaginary-friends/) |
| Episode count | 79 22-minute episodes plus eighteen shorts[2](https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/fosters_home_for_imaginary_friends) |
| Creator | Craig McCracken, also creator of *The Powerpuff Girls*[1](https://cartoonnetwork.fandom.com/wiki/Foster%27s_Home_for_Imaginary_Friends) |
| Main cast | Sean Marquette (Mac), Keith Ferguson (Bloo), Grey DeLisle (Frankie), Tom Kane (Mr. Herriman), Candi Milo (Madame Foster)[2](https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/fosters_home_for_imaginary_friends) |
| Production | Flash-animated; produced at Cartoon Network Studios and Boulder Media[4](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/fosters-home-for-imaginary-friends/) • [5](https://fostershomeforimaginaryfriends.fandom.com/wiki/Foster%27s_Home_for_Imaginary_Friends) |
| Awards | 5 Emmy wins from 7 nominations; 5 Annie Award wins from 20 nominations[6](https://www.televisionacademy.com/shows/fosters-home-imaginary-friends) • [4](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/fosters-home-for-imaginary-friends/) |
| Audience score | IMDb rating 7.5/10 from about 27,000 votes[7](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0419326/) |
## Premise
The series is set in an alternate reality in which imaginary friends take physical form and become real the instant a child imagines them, and everyone can see and talk to them.[1](https://cartoonnetwork.fandom.com/wiki/Foster%27s_Home_for_Imaginary_Friends) • [4](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/fosters-home-for-imaginary-friends/) Once children outgrow their friends, the friends are relocated to Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, an adoption center in a vast Victorian mansion where they stay until a new child adopts them.[1](https://cartoonnetwork.fandom.com/wiki/Foster%27s_Home_for_Imaginary_Friends) • [8](https://tv.apple.com/ca/show/fosters-home-for-imaginary-friends/umc.cmc.2azo4jr7h2rmz5lsqy2igx7jb)
The home is run by three figures: the elderly Madame Foster, its kind founder; her own imaginary friend Mr. Herriman, a formal, rule-abiding giant British rabbit who serves as business manager; and her granddaughter Frankie, who handles day-to-day operations.[1](https://cartoonnetwork.fandom.com/wiki/Foster%27s_Home_for_Imaginary_Friends) • [2](https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/fosters_home_for_imaginary_friends) The house holds a large and shifting population; one episode counts 1,340 imaginary friends, and a later episode states 2,038 residing there, plus Bloo.[5](https://fostershomeforimaginaryfriends.fandom.com/wiki/Foster%27s_Home_for_Imaginary_Friends)
**The central arrangement.** The story follows eight-year-old Mac ([Sean Marquette](https://www.edgepedia.org/sean-marquette)), whose mother decides he is too old for his imaginary friend Blooregard Q. Kazoo, or Bloo ([Keith Ferguson](https://www.edgepedia.org/keith-ferguson-voice-actor)), a blue earplug-shaped creature.[2](https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/fosters_home_for_imaginary_friends) Mac sends Bloo to the home but does not want to lose him, and he is told that if he visits every day, Bloo will not be adopted.[2](https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/fosters_home_for_imaginary_friends) In the pilot movie, after a scheme by the self-centered Duchess and Mac's bullying 13-year-old brother Terrence fails, Madame Foster allows Bloo to stay permanently, on the condition that Mac visits daily.[9](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/fosters-home-for-imaginary-friends/details/)
Bloo's recurring housemates include Wilt, a tall, red, basketball-playing friend who is helplessly helpful; Eduardo, a purple, bull-like creature who looks fearsome but is timid; and Coco, a bird-airplane-plant hybrid who lays eggs.[10](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-aug-08-ca-lloyd8-story.html) • [9](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/fosters-home-for-imaginary-friends/details/)
## Origin and development
McCracken developed the idea after finishing *[The Powerpuff Girls Movie](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-powerpuff-girls-movie)* in 2002. Wanting a break from drawing the same characters he had drawn for over a decade, he doodled new characters in a sketchbook and settled on imaginary friends as a premise that would let him invent fresh characters in an open universe; on *The Powerpuff Girls*, any new character he introduced typically had to be a villain.[11](https://www.thesbcommunity.com/interviews/mccracken.html) • [10](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-aug-08-ca-lloyd8-story.html)
The shelter-dog analogy gave the concept its shape. McCracken and his then-fiancée, *Powerpuff* alumna [Lauren Faust](https://www.edgepedia.org/lauren-faust), had adopted two dogs from an animal shelter and wondered about the animals' lives before they came to them; he applied the logic of pet adoption to imaginary friends, who would have been created by a particular child, lived a particular life, and then been given up, giving each one a history.[11](https://www.thesbcommunity.com/interviews/mccracken.html) • [10](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-aug-08-ca-lloyd8-story.html) The premise differed from how imaginary friends usually appear in fiction: a friend takes physical and emotional form only after a child creates specific details about that character, and children outgrow them at around ages 7 to 8.[5](https://fostershomeforimaginaryfriends.fandom.com/wiki/Foster%27s_Home_for_Imaginary_Friends)
The visual design draws on what McCracken calls "bubblegum psychedelia", a curlicue neo-Victorian style meant to evoke the late 1960s, when Victorian stylings met trippy poster designs.[1](https://cartoonnetwork.fandom.com/wiki/Foster%27s_Home_for_Imaginary_Friends) • [10](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-aug-08-ca-lloyd8-story.html)
## Production and writing
Unlike McCracken's board-driven *Powerpuff Girls*, *Foster's* was script-driven: a screenplay came before storyboarding. McCracken preferred scripts because revisions were easier and gave him more control over the cartoon he imagined; he kept the writing staff small so the show would not be "made by committee".[12](https://animationobsessive.substack.com/p/writing-fosters-home-for-imaginary) Writers on the series included Faust, Craig Lewis, Darrick Bachman, and Tim McKeon.[2](https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/fosters_home_for_imaginary_friends)
A typical episode took around four hours to record, with the voice actors together in the booth. McCracken has said the recordings were where the scripts came alive, citing [Candi Milo](https://www.edgepedia.org/candi-milo)'s delivery as Cheese as an example of a line becoming funny only when performed.[12](https://animationobsessive.substack.com/p/writing-fosters-home-for-imaginary) Storyboarders then drew the action based on the voice recordings.[12](https://animationobsessive.substack.com/p/writing-fosters-home-for-imaginary) The series was animated primarily in Flash.[4](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/fosters-home-for-imaginary-friends/)
[Cartoon Network](https://www.edgepedia.org/cartoon-network) declined McCracken's wish to give Bloo character development across the series, so that the show would not have multiple story arcs.[1](https://cartoonnetwork.fandom.com/wiki/Foster%27s_Home_for_Imaginary_Friends)
## Reception and awards
The series debuted as Cartoon Network's biggest hit of 2004.[13](https://www.awn.com/news/mccrackens-imaginary-friends-starts-new-season) Critics responded well: season 1 holds an 86% Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes, and reviews from Newsday, the New York Times, and DVDTalk praised its pacing, invention, and visual style.[14](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/foster_s_home_for_imaginary_friends/s01) Common Sense Media recommends the show for ages 7 and up, noting potty humor and subtle innuendo, while user reviews there highlight the imaginative characters and lessons about friendship.[15](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/fosters-home-for-imaginary-friends)
The show earned 5 Primetime Emmy wins from 7 nominations, including Outstanding Individual Achievement in [Animation](https://www.edgepedia.org/animation) awards for character design, storyboarding, and art direction in 2005, 2006, and 2008, and received 5 Annie Award wins from 20 nominations.[6](https://www.televisionacademy.com/shows/fosters-home-imaginary-friends) • [4](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/fosters-home-for-imaginary-friends/) The TV movie *Destination Imagination* (2008) won Faust an Emmy for writing, and a 2007 nomination went to *Good Wilt Hunting*.[16](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/lauren-faust)
## Finale and afterlife
The series ended in 2009 after 6 seasons. Fans divide between two candidate finales: the 90-minute TV movie *Destination Imagination* and the regular episode "Goodbye to Bloo", a split reflected in an Anime Superhero forum poll where each received 50% of the vote.[17](https://animesuperhero.com/forums/threads/what-do-you-consider-the-true-finale-to-fosters-home-for-imaginary-friends.5791168/post-87798931)
A preschool-oriented reboot, *Foster's Funtime for Imaginary Friends*, again centering on Mac and Bloo, has been in development with McCracken involved.[18](https://oslovvs.vps.dekodes.no/_pdfs/publication/A2XadX/Fosters%20Funtime%20For%20Imaginary%20Friends1.pdf) The original remains available for purchase on Prime Video and Apple TV.[14](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/foster_s_home_for_imaginary_friends/s01)
## References
1. [Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, The Cartoon Network Wiki](https://cartoonnetwork.fandom.com/wiki/Foster%27s_Home_for_Imaginary_Friends)
2. [Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction](https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/fosters_home_for_imaginary_friends)
3. ['Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends', ICv2, July 11, 2004](https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/5286/fosters-home-for-imaginary-friends)
4. [Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/fosters-home-for-imaginary-friends/)
5. [Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Imagination Companions wiki](https://fostershomeforimaginaryfriends.fandom.com/wiki/Foster%27s_Home_for_Imaginary_Friends)
6. [Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Emmy Awards and Nominations, Television Academy](https://www.televisionacademy.com/shows/fosters-home-imaginary-friends)
7. [Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends (TV Series 2004–2009), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0419326/)
8. [Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Apple TV](https://tv.apple.com/ca/show/fosters-home-for-imaginary-friends/umc.cmc.2azo4jr7h2rmz5lsqy2igx7jb)
9. [Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends details, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/fosters-home-for-imaginary-friends/details/)
10. [Doodle dandies, Los Angeles Times, August 8, 2004](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-aug-08-ca-lloyd8-story.html)
11. [Craig McCracken Interview, The SB Community](https://www.thesbcommunity.com/interviews/mccracken.html)
12. [Writing 'Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends', Animation Obsessive](https://animationobsessive.substack.com/p/writing-fosters-home-for-imaginary)
13. [McCracken's Imaginary Friends Starts New Season, Animation World Network, January 21, 2005](https://www.awn.com/news/mccrackens-imaginary-friends-starts-new-season)
14. [Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends: Season 1, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/foster_s_home_for_imaginary_friends/s01)
15. [Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Common Sense Media](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/fosters-home-for-imaginary-friends)
16. [Lauren Faust, Emmy Awards and Nominations, Television Academy](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/lauren-faust)
17. [What Do You Consider The True Finale To Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends?, Anime Superhero](https://animesuperhero.com/forums/threads/what-do-you-consider-the-true-finale-to-fosters-home-for-imaginary-friends.5791168/post-87798931)
18. [Foster's Funtime for Imaginary Friends publication](https://oslovvs.vps.dekodes.no/_pdfs/publication/A2XadX/Fosters%20Funtime%20For%20Imaginary%20Friends1.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Scripted television and comedy series › Animated television series (individual series) › Children's animated adventure and fantasy series › Fantasy and magical series*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license