UPN Kids

UPN Kids is a former American children's programming block that aired on UPN from September 8, 1996 to September 5, 1999. Airing on Sunday through Friday mornings, the block aired for two hours each day (usually sometime weekday afternoons after 2:00 p.m., and 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. on Sundays, regardless of time zone).

UPN Kids
UPN Kids logo. Its slogan was UPN Kids is Up'n! (pronounced ooh-pin), and was used from 1996–1998
NetworkUPN
LaunchedSeptember 8, 1996 (1996-09-08)
ClosedSeptember 5, 1999 (1999-09-05)
Country of originUnited States
FormatSunday-Friday children's programming block
Running time1–2 hours

History

UPN Kids launched on September 8, 1996 with a two-hour block of cartoons consisting of Jumanji, The Mouse and the Monster, The Incredible Hulk and Bureau of Alien Detectors; the block's launch was hosted through interstitials by Moesha actors Countess Vaughn and Marcus T. Paulk.[1] Unlike NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox and The WB (the latter of which debuted its own children's program block, Kids' WB, the day before UPN Kids made its debut), UPN ran its weekend morning children's programs on Sundays instead of Saturdays. This was likely due to several UPN affiliates in large markets also dually carrying the Fox Kids block for newer Fox stations (especially those of New World Communications; the former Fox affiliates in those markets mainly also retained the Fox Kids schedule) on Saturday mornings, who refused to carry Fox Kids in order to instead expand Saturday morning newscasts or retain other local programming. This eventually proved to be a conflict for UPN, as the more well-known Fox Kids block was given primacy in advertising and promotions by those affiliates (including the continuation of the local children's Fox Kids fan clubs run by those stations) over UPN's unproven children's programming.

As early as the 1996–1997 season, Saban Entertainment was programming the block with four new programs that season.[2] In 1997, UPN incorporated live-action series aimed at teenagers, alongside the animated shows targeted at a younger audience, with the addition of reruns of the syndicated dramedy series Sweet Valley High (based on the young adult novels by Francine Pascal) and a new comedy series, Breaker High (centered on a group of students attending a fictionalized Semester at Sea program, which featured a then-unknown Ryan Gosling among its main cast).

In January 1998, UPN began discussions with The Walt Disney Company (owner of rival network ABC) to have the company program a daily two-hour children's block for the network;[3] however attempts to reach a time-lease agreement deal with Disney were called off one week later due to a dispute between Disney and UPN over how the block would be branded and the amount of programming compliant with the Federal Communications Commission's educational programming regulations that Disney would provide for the block. UPN then entered into discussions with then-corporate sister Nickelodeon (both were owned by Viacom).[4] UPN had an agreement with Saban Entertainment – the distributor of Sweet Valley High and Breaker High – to program the Sunday morning block for at least one year[4] shows such as The Incredible Hulk, X-Men, Spider-Man and Beetleborgs soon joined the schedule.[5][6]

In March 1998, UPN resumed discussions with Disney[7] and the following month, The Walt Disney Company agreed to develop a weekday and Sunday morning children's block for the network.[8] The new lineup, which was developed as a companion block to Disney's One Saturday Morning on ABC, was originally announced under the name "Whomptastic" (a name quickly discarded because it was used as an in-universe profanity replacement in Disney's animated series Recess), before being renamed Disney's One Too.[9] UPN Kids aired for the last time on September 5, 1999, and was replaced by Disney's One Too the following day.

Programming

Animated series

Live-action series

References
  1. Smyka, Mark (September 1, 1996). "Kidscreen >> Archive >> UPN Kids launches all-new shows". Kidscreen. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  2. "TV's Fall Animation Lineup". Animation World Network. September 1996. Archived from the original on November 19, 2012.
  3. Jenny Hontz (January 21, 1998). "Disney kids to play UPN". Variety. Cahners Business Information. Retrieved August 21, 2009.
  4. Jenny Hontz (January 27, 1998). "UPN kids pick Nick, not Mouse". Variety. Retrieved August 21, 2009.
  5. Richard Katz (January 29, 1998). "Marvel, Saban set kids shows for UPN". Variety\publisher=Cahners Business Information. Retrieved August 21, 2009.
  6. Richard Katz (February 24, 1998). "UPN serves up superheroes". Variety. Cahners Business Information. Retrieved August 21, 2009.
  7. Jenny Hontz (March 26, 1998). "UPN, BV discuss kids block". Variety. Cahners Business Information. Retrieved August 21, 2009.
  8. Jenny Hontz; Cynthia Littleton (April 17, 1998). "UPN, Disney in kidvid block deal". Variety. Cahners Business Information. Retrieved August 21, 2009.
  9. Chris Pursell (July 19, 1999). "Mouse brands UPN kidvid". Variety. Cahners Business Information. Retrieved August 17, 2009.
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