Dis channeling 6 kids shows to ABC Sat. block
Wed Aug 7, 1:52 AM ET
By Jim McConville
NEW YORK (The Hollywood Reporter) --- ABC's Saturday kids block in the fall will become a "best of" sampling from the Walt Disney Co.'s family of TV networks.
Beginning Sept. 14, ABC Kids' five-hour block will add three new hours culled from Disney Channel, Toon Disney and ABC Family.
The purpose is to get more exposure for the company's wide
menu of kids shows, ABC officials said.
"This is a way to use broadcast and cable programming in complementary fashion to help build franchises for our company," said Jonathan Barzilay, general manager and senior vp at ABC Kids and Toon Disney. "ABC Kids is the only platform that has 100% reach in all television homes; it can showcase the best properties from all Disney kids TV platforms."
ABC's Saturday kids block runs 8 a.m.-1 p.m. ET.
The seeds for ABC's kids cross-platform pollination experiment were planted last year when Disney Channel series "Lizzie Maguire" and "Even Stevens" aired on both ABC and Disney Channel. Barzilay said the double run helped both networks.
"The additional reach exposed the shows to kids who had not yet found them on cable," Barzilay said. "It drove additional viewership to the cable platforms. In addition, having these shows on Saturday morning helped our performance, particularly among older kids."
ABC Kids' reconfigured lineup will feature six new shows: "Disney's Fillmore!" "Proud Family," "Disney's Kim Possible," "Power Rangers: Wild Force," "Digimon" and "NBA Inside Stuff."
This year, ABC Kids also can tap into the programming and cross-promotional clout of ABC Family, ABC's family-themed network that was acquired from Saban Entertainment and News Corp. last year. ABC Family's "Power Rangers: Wild Force" and "Digimon" get a second run on ABC's kids block.
"We are broadening our reach to recruit boys to ABC Kids," Barzilay said. "Our efforts to attract boys reflect the acquisition of 'Power Rangers' and 'Digimon.' ABC Family's acquisition has given us the tools to compete for that boy audience."
Some details on the new shows joining ABC's kids block:
o"Disney's Fillmore!": Produced by Walt Disney Television Animation, the animated series features Fillmore, a seventh-grader who stops crime in its school-age tracks. Exclusive to ABC Kids, the show airs at 9 a.m. ET.
o"The Proud Family": Produced by Jambalaya Studios in association with the Disney Channel, the animated series is told from the perspective of Penny Proud, a suburban-dwelling black girl, and features a multiethnic cast of characters. Created by Bruce Smith, the series airs at 10:30 a.m. ET.
o"Disney's Kim Possible": Produced by Walt Disney Television Animation in association with the Disney Channel, the animated series follows the comedic adventures of a high school girl who in her spare time protects the world from evil villains. Created and executive produced by Mark McCorkle, Bob Schooley and Chris Bailey, the series airs at 11 a.m. ET.
o"NBA Inside Stuff": ABC inherits the 12-year-old series from NBC as part of the ABC/ESPN six-year TV deal with the NBA. A combination of youth-oriented entertainment and NBA news, the series is produced by NBA Entertainment and hosted by sports announcer Ahmad Rashad. Exclusive to ABC Kids, the series airs at 12:30 p.m. ET.
o"Power Rangers: Wild Force": The live-action fantasy series from MMPR Prods. represents the ninth incarnation of the "Power Rangers" franchise. Executive produced by Jonathan Tzachor, the ABC Family series airs at 11:30 a.m. ET.
o"Digimon": The Japanese anime series is produced by Saban Entertainment and executive produced by Terri O'Malley. The ABC Family series airs at noon EST starting Nov. 30.
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