<Tr> <Th> Website </Th> <Td> www.cartoonnetwork.com/tv_shows/fosters/index.html </Td> </Tr> <P> Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends (commonly abbreviated as Foster's) is an American animated television series created by Craig McCracken for Cartoon Network Studios . The series, set in a world in which imaginary friends coexist with humans, centers on an 8 - year - old boy, Mac, who is pressured by his mother to abandon his imaginary friend, Bloo . After Mac discovers an orphanage dedicated to housing abandoned imaginary friends, Bloo moves into the home and is kept from adoption so long as Mac visits him daily . The episodes revolve around Mac and Bloo as they interact with other imaginary friends and house staff and live out their day - to - day adventures, often getting caught up in various predicaments . </P> <P> McCracken conceived the series after adopting two dogs from an animal shelter and applying the concept to imaginary friends . The show first premiered on Cartoon Network on August 13, 2004, as a 90 - minute television film . On August 20, it began its normal run of twenty - to - thirty - minute episodes on Fridays, at 7 pm . The series finished its run on May 3, 2009, with a total of six seasons and seventy - nine episodes . McCracken left Cartoon Network shortly after the series ended . Reruns have aired on Boomerang from August 11, 2012 to November 3, 2013 and again from June 1, 2014 to April 3, 2017 . </P> <P> Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends was praised by critics and received high ratings during its original run, becoming popular among both younger and older audiences . It received many industry accolades, including five Annie Awards and seven Emmy Awards, winning a total of sixteen awards out of thirty - five nominations . It has since been named by Entertainment Weekly as one of the best Cartoon Network shows and by IGN as the 85th best animated series of all time . </P>

When did fosters home for imaginary friends start