ABC Kids (US)

ABC Kids

Type	Defunct Saturday morning cartoon block (1997–2011)
Country	United States
Availability	National
Slogan	Illuminating Television. (1997–2002) ABC Kids is Gonna Rock Your Day! (2006–2011)
Owner	ABC, Inc. (The Walt Disney Company)
Launch date	September 13, 1997 (1997-09-13) (as Disney's One Saturday Morning) September 14, 2002 (2002-09-14) (as ABC Kids)
Dissolved	September 7, 2002 (2002-09-07) (as Disney's One Saturday Morning) August 27, 2011 (2011-08-27) (as ABC Kids)
Former names	Disney's One Saturday Morning (1997–2002)

ABC Kids (or: Disney's ABC Kids) was a children's block of animated television series and live-action children's television series. broadcast on the ABC network on Saturday–Sunday mornings in the U.S. and was broadcast on BBS/CTV in Canada until 2002. It was formerly known as Disney's One Saturday Morning.

History

Although Disney's One Saturday Morning started in 1997, it was formerly ABC Saturday Morning, airing ReBoot, Schoolhouse Rock!, The Mighty Ducks, Disney's Doug and Gargoyles. Sometime around 1997, Peter Hastings, the creator and excutive producer of "One Saturday Morning", who wrote for Animaniacs and Pinky and the Brain left both shows in order to produce cartoons for Disney and ABC. ABC was told by Michael Eisner to create a Saturday morning block that was different from the rest at the time. In February 1997, Peter Hastings pledged the idea that Saturday is different from every other day and to represent weekdays as buildings. He also proposed the use of virtual set technology; Although he knew little about it at the time and the technology used was just starting development. Disney and ABC liked the idea. He hired Prudence Fenton as Consultant Manger and Co-Executive Producer. Together they sampled virtual set technology at NAB 1997 and chose technology developed by Accom and ELSET. Rutherford Bench Productions which had previously worked with Disney hired Pacific Ocean Post, POP Sound today, to produce the virtual set. The building was initially a drawing of Grand Central Terminal with a roller coaster but evolved into a towering mechanical 1. Even the interior has similarities such as a central high raised room with two wings on left and right sides and another on the south side.^[1]

Disney's One Saturday Morning

On September 13, 1997, Disney's One Saturday Morning was first broadcast as a two hour block on the ABC Saturday Morning lineup, and originally featured some of the shows that had aired on it.^[2] It was originally scheduled for September 6, 1997, but due to ABC and all the other networks airing Princess Diana's funeral instead of children's programming that day, It was pushed back a week later. In 1999, it was extended to 5 hours. On September 6, 1999 a spin-off, Disney's One Too, aired on UPN and in syndication every weekday in the morning or afternoon and Sunday morning.^[3] One Saturday Morning' aired the final time on September 7, 2002 (by this time it had simply become bumpers and promos; the segments and hosting had been dropped in 2000 due to low ratings). Since Fox Kids was bought by Disney, 4Kids Entertainment took over the block as "Fox Box" and Disney changed the block from Disney's One Saturday Morning to ABC Kids on exactly the same day that Fox Kids was taken over.^[4]

During the introduction to One Saturday Morning as well as other introductions on the block, a tiny lightbulb icon would appear in a bottom corner of the screen and an announcer would say, "Illuminating Television," stating the programming block's educational programming. The lightbulb's chain would be pulled by a hand, and the lightbulb would have an animation (turning into a rocket, falling into a garbage can, jumping in a pool, etc.). The lightbulb icon continued to be used after the switch to ABC Kids until 2004, when it was replaced by a mortarboard hat that said "e/i" on it and an ABC logo that jumped to the top of the screen to wear the e/i hat. The mortarboard continued to be used until August 27, 2011.

ABC Kids

On September 14, 2002, Disney's One Saturday Morning was rebranded as ABC Kids. The block formally contained new programs, but by the end, all of ABC Kids programs became repeats of Disney Channel originals.^[4]

Power Rangers was previously aired on Fox Kids until halfway through the Wild Force season, when Power Rangers moved to ABC Kids for the 2002 Fall season due to the Fox Family Channel/Saban Entertainment purchase by Disney in 2001. Starting with the episode "Unfinished Business", the remainder of the Wild Force season premiered on ABC Kids. During its time on both Fox Kids and ABC Kids the entire Wild Force season also reran later on ABC Family (in part both prior to the introduction of and during the ABC Family Action Block). The following Ninja Storm season also premiered on ABC Kids and then reran later on the ABC Family Action Block. The Dino Thunder, S.P.D., Mystic Force, Operation Overdrive and Jungle Fury seasons were all premiered on Jetix and then reran on ABC Kids. The RPM season and broadcasts of the first season of Mighty Morphin, newly re-versioned, aired exclusively on ABC Kids.

Power Rangers ended its run on ABC Kids on August 28, 2010 nationwide due to Haim Saban having bought back the intellectual rights to the franchise from Disney and giving airing rights to Nickelodeon in May 2010. Airings ended slightly earlier on August 14, 2010 on west coast affiliates due to a two-week preemption caused by the 2010 Little League World Series and the E/I recovery that resulted from it. On September 4, 2010, the hour held by Power Rangers was returned to the local affiliates. After its completion on ABC Kids, Power Rangers moved to Nickelodeon. All new seasons (starting with the Samurai season) began to premiere on the main Nickelodeon channel on February 7, 2011. Repeats of new seasons and all previous seasons began airing on Nicktoons on February 11, 2011.^[5]

With the rise of federally-mandated E/I programming guidelines, some of the network's affiliate groups, primarily Hearst Television and Allbritton Communications, refused to carry any show that did not fulfill E/I requirements (such as Kim Possible or the Power Rangers series during their time on ABC Kids) in order to instead free up time to air locally produced programming. However, some stations time shifted these shows either to very early in the morning Saturday or to Sunday, often before local news, Good Morning America and/or that week's "live" portion of the ABC Kids block began.

ABC Kids was aired for the final time on August 27, 2011. After that, ABC discontinued airing animated programming, making it the first not to air animated programs since September 1993, when NBC stopped airing animated programs to make room for TNBC.

Litton's Weekend Adventure

Main article: Litton's Weekend Adventure

On May 24, 2011, ABC announced that it had reached a deal with broadcast syndication production company Litton Entertainment to produce original content for the Saturday morning block. The Litton's Weekend Adventure block launched on September 3, 2011, replacing ABC Kids.^[6][7][8]

Programming

Former programming

The Emperor's New School (TV-G) (2006–2011) Even Stevens (TV-G) (1999–2005) Fillmore! (TV-G) (2002) Hannah Montana (TV-G) (2006–2011) Kim Possible (TV-G) (2002–2006) Lizzie McGuire (TV-G) (2002–2006) Lilo & Stitch: The Series (TV-G) (2003) Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (TV-Y7-FV, reversioning, 2010)

Phil of the Future (TV-G) (2004–2006) Power Rangers: Wild Force – RPM (TV-Y7-FV) (2002–2009) The Proud Family (TV-G) (2002–2006) Recess (TV-G) (2001–2006) The Replacements (2006–2011) The Suite Life of Zack & Cody (TV-Y7/TV-G) (2006–2011) That's So Raven (TV-Y7/TV-G) (2003–2011) W.I.T.C.H. (TV-Y7-FV) (2004–2006)

Disney's One Saturday Morning programming

101 Dalmatians: The Series (TV-G) (1997–1999) The Bugs Bunny & Tweety Show (TV-G) (1986–2000) Buzz Lightyear of Star Command (TV-G) (2000–2001) Disney's House of Mouse (TV-G) (2001–2003) Doug (TV-G) (1996–2001) Even Stevens (TV-G) (1999–2002) Fillmore! (TV-G) (2002)

Hercules: The Animated Series (TV-G) (2000) Jungle Cubs (TV-G) Lizzie McGuire (TV-G) (2001–2002) Lloyd In Space (TV-G) Mary-Kate and Ashley in Action! (TV-G) Mickey Mouse Works (TV-G) The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (TV-G) Pepper Ann (TV-G) (1997–2001)

Recess (TV-G) (1997–2001) Sabrina: The Animated Series (TV-G) School House Rock (TV-G) Science Court (TV-G) (1997–1999) Teacher's Pet (TV-G) The Weekenders (TV-G)

References

1. ^ Goldman, Michael (September 15, 1997). "ABC hopes for virtual success". Variety. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1116677612.html?categoryid=1009&cs=1&query=. Retrieved 2009-08-13. 
2. ^ Grove, Christopher (August 29, 1997). "Webs roll out season geared to kids". Variety. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1116678415.html?categoryid=14&cs=1&query=. Retrieved 2009-08-13. 
3. ^ Pursell, Chris (July 19, 1999). "Mouse brands UPN kidvid". Variety. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117743063.html?categoryid=14&cs=1&query=. Retrieved 2009-08-13. 
4. ^ ^{a b} Bernstein, Paula (September 29, 2002). "Kid skeds tread on joint strategy". Variety. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117873477.html?categoryid=14&cs=1&query=. Retrieved 2009-08-13. 
5. ^ Littleton, Cynthia (2010-05-12). "Saban re-acquires rights to 'Rangers' – Entertainment News, TV News, Media – Variety". http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118019212.html?categoryid=14&cs=1. Retrieved 2010-05-12. 
6. ^ "ABC Orders Saturday Kids Block From Litton". TVNewsCheck. May 24, 2011. http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/2011/05/24/51447/abc-orders-saturday-kids-block-from-litton. Retrieved May 24, 2011. 
7. ^ Albiniak, Paige (May 24, 2011). "ABC to Premiere Litton's Weekend Adventure on Sept. 3". Broadcasting & Cable. http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/468736-ABC_to_Premiere_ABC_Weekend_Adventure_on_Sept_3.php. Retrieved May 24, 2011. 
8. ^ "Litton Announces "ABC Weekend Adventure"". BusinessWire. May 24, 2011. http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110524007282/en/Litton-Announces-ABC-Weekend-Adventure. Retrieved May 24, 2011. 

External links

• Blast from the Past 1990s ABC
• A Tribute to Disney's One Saturday Morning