UPN Kids


UPN Kids was an American children's programming block that aired on UPN from September 10, 1995 to September 5, 1999. Airing on Sunday mornings, the block aired for one hour, then two hours the following year.

History

UPN Kids launched on September 10, 1995 with a one-hour block of cartoons consisting of Space Strikers and Teknoman. It was a joint partnership between UPN and Saban Entertainment. Unlike NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox and The WB, 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 on Saturday mornings, who is not carrying Fox Kids 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 over UPN's unproven children's programming.
On September 8, 1996, UPN Kids expanded the block to 2 hours with four new programs, which consist of Jumanji, The Mouse and the Monster, The Incredible Hulk and Bureau of Alien Detectors. In 1997, UPN incorporated live-action series aimed at teenagers, along with the animated shows targeted at a younger audience, with the addition of reruns of the syndicated dramedy series Sweet Valley High and a new comedy series, Breaker High.
In January 1998, UPN began discussions with The Walt Disney Company to have the company program a daily two-hour children's block for the network; 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. 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. Shows such as Fantastic Four, Iron Man, X-Men, Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, Spider-Man and Beetleborgs soon joined the schedule. During this time, the block was promoted as The UPN Kids Action Zone.
In March 1998, UPN resumed discussions with Disney and the following month, The Walt Disney Company agreed to develop a weekday and Sunday morning children's block for the network. A new lineup, which was developed as a companion block to Disney's One Saturday Morning on ABC, was originally announced under the title "Whomptastic", before being retitled as Disney's One Too. UPN Kids aired for the last time on September 5, 1999, and was replaced by Disney's One Too the following day.

Programming

Former programming

  • ''Jumanji''

    Marvel Entertainment

  • The Incredible Hulk
  • Incredible Hulk & Friends -Sunday, anthology series - mixed episodes of the following Marvel shows:
  • *Fantastic Four
  • *Iron Man
  • Spider-Man
  • Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends
  • ''X-Men''

    Saban Entertainment

  • Bureau of Alien Detectors
  • The Mouse and the Monster
  • Sweet Valley High
  • Beetleborgs
  • Breaker High
  • Space Strikers
  • ''Teknoman''