Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends is an American animated television series created by Craig McCracken for Cartoon Network.

After the duo discover an orphanage dedicated to housing abandoned imaginary friends, Bloo moves into the home and is kept from adoption as long as Mac visits him every day.

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.

McCracken conceived the series with his partner Lauren Faust after they adopted two dogs from an animal shelter and applied the concept to imaginary friends.

Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends received critical acclaim for its animation, humor, writing, characters, and music.

A spinoff, Foster's Funtime for Imaginary Friends, announced as having begun development on July 18, 2022, and greenlit to series on June 12, 2024, produced by Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe with Craig McCracken returning as the creator.

[1] The spinoff, aimed at a preschool audience, features a new cast of young imaginary friends, along with Bloo and Madame Foster from the original series.

The home is run by the elderly Madame Foster, its lovable, kind founder; her rabbit imaginary friend Mr. Herriman, the strict rule-abider and business manager; and her granddaughter Frankie, who handles day-to-day operations.

Mac continues to visit the home every day after school to experience the escapades of the mischievous Bloo and the array of eccentric, colorful characters inhabiting Foster's and the obstacles with which they are challenged.

[16] Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends received critical acclaim and became one of Cartoon Network's most successful original series.

[27] David Cornelius of DVD Talk called the series "one of the best shows of any kind [then] on television, a winner for viewers of any age" and "a wildly inventive mix of creative wonder, comic genius, and well-crafted chaos".

Herman praised the creativity and diversity of the characters and the show's premise, but criticized the storyline and writing, which presented "confusing messages" for young children.

At the Annie Awards, the show received a total of 20 nominations from 2004 to 2009, and won 5, including Best Animated Television Production in 2007.

The first has the same name as the show and was developed by Collision Studios and published by Crave Entertainment for the Game Boy Advance.

[48] The second game, titled Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends: Imagination Invaders, was developed by Sensory Sweep and published by Midway on November 12, 2007, for the Nintendo DS.

In the game, the player controls Bloo, who performs tasks and completes quests while fighting against "Space Nut Boogies".

[24][52] From 2006 to 2008, Cartoon Network made a Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends float as part of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

In 2008, the characters' performance of Harry Nilsson's theme song to The Courtship of Eddie's Father later reused for Rob & Big[54] was interrupted by Rick Astley singing "Never Gonna Give You Up", reproducing the Internet phenomenon of Rickrolling.

[55][56][57] In 2006, the network promoted the show with billboards that read "I pooted" and "I'm a hot toe picker" (as said by Cheese and Bloo, respectively) in about 25 cities within the United States, one being placed next to Interstate 40/85 through Greensboro, North Carolina.