KIDS' WB! ON THE CW ANNOUNCES 2006-2007 "TOO BIG FOR YOUR TV" SATURDAY MORNING PROGRAMMING SCHEDULE
New Series Include "Superman" Themed "Legion of Super Heroes,"
"Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get a Clue!" and "Tom and Jerry Tales"
From Warner Bros. Animation, and "Monster Allergy,"
From Rainbow S.p.A.
Returning Programming Includes Four Established Hit Series Created by
Warner Bros. Animation: "The Batman," "Loonatics Unleashed,"
"Xiaolin Showdown" and "Johnny Test"
"Pillow Head" Hour Kicks Off Saturdays with Block of
E/I-Compliant Programming
The Kids' WB! 2006-2007 programming slate will feature four new original programs and the return of four established hit series when the "Too Big For Your TV" Saturday morning schedule kicks off this September on The CW, the new broadcast network launching this fall, it was announced today by Betsy McGowen, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Kids' WB!
The five-hour block of programming, created for a target audience of children age 6 through 11, will introduce a new generation of young viewers to some of the most iconic characters in animation history via three new series from Warner Bros. Animation: LEGION OF SUPER HEROES, based on the DC Comics characters and featuring Superboy, who would later grow up to become Superman; SHAGGY AND SCOOBY-DOO GET A CLUE!; and TOM AND JERRY TALES.
Kids' WB! will also present the U.S. television premiere of MONSTER ALLERGY, a new half-hour show based upon the international best-selling comic book series of the same name and produced for TV by Rainbow S.p.A.
Two additional series, to be announced at a later date, will comprise the "Pillow Head Hour," a one-hour block of programming that will kick off the Saturday schedule. Kids' WB! is working closely with educational media advisor Miki Baumgarten, Ph.D. to select programs which fully meet federally mandated educational and informational (E/I) programming requirements. The "Pillow Head Hour" is hosted by youth correspondent Gisselle, who roams the red carpet at entertainment events, interviewing celebrities about their own pillow hair experiences and pillow fights, and reporting feature segments such as "Great Pillow Heads in History," among others.
"Now in our seventh straight year as the Number One kids' broadcast network, we look forward to continuing this winning streak next season as we premiere three brand-new series from Warner Bros. Animation, featuring some of the most popular animated superstars ever created," said Betsy McGowen. "It has been a pleasure working closely with Sander Schwartz and his team at Warner Bros. Animation to develop properties geared especially for the Kids' WB! audience. Adding those series to an exciting all-new property from Rainbow S.p.A. starring a budding young hero, along with a roster of proven returning shows, we are well positioned for another successful year of distinctive, quality programming."
Current hit Kids' WB! series returning to the fall schedule include THE BATMAN, with Robin joining the Caped Crusader in his crime-fighting exploits, LOONATICS UNLEASHED, XIAOLIN SHOWDOWN, all produced by Warner Bros. Animation, and JOHNNY TEST, produced this season by Cookie Jar Entertainment Inc.
"As producers of a diverse slate of shows at Warner Bros. Animation, we are very proud of the series we are producing for the launch of Kids' WB! on The CW this fall. We are particularly excited about the premiere of our three new programs, including 'Legion of Super Heroes,' the latest series inspired by DC Comics' stable of legendary characters," said Sander Schwartz, President, Warner Bros. Animation. "Our close relationship with Kids' WB! provides us with the perfect platform to showcase the series that have made us the leader in high-quality, cutting-edge animated programming for kids."
The complete 2006-2007 Kids' WB! programming schedule:
"Pillow Head Hour," 7:00-8:00 am: One-hour block of E/I-compliant programming featuring two half-hour series and framed by interstitial segments hosted by Pillow Head reporter Gisselle. Details on these two series will be announced at a later date.
TOM AND JERRY TALES, 8:00-8:30 am: The iconic superstars Tom and Jerry make their first-ever appearance on Kids' WB!, starring in their first new U.S. television series in more than 13 years. In this half-hour program from Warner Bros. Animation and executive producers Sander Schwartz and toon pioneer Joseph Barbera, Tom and Jerry return to basics, chasing each other in all-new series of hilarious cartoon shorts. With endless rivalry and slapstick gags, this cat-and-mouse comedy team scrambles, slides and slams onto the screen, creating over-the-top mayhem and laugh-out-loud memories. Frank Molieri and Tom Minton serve as producers.
MONSTER ALLERGY, 8:30-9:00 am: Based on the international best-selling comic book series of the same name, the new series MONSTER ALLERGY is a fun romp for children of all ages. Due to his allergies, 12-year-old Zick discovers he has the exceptional ability to see what no other kids his age can: the invisible supernatural monsters that live among us. Teamed up with his next-door neighbor, Elena, and mentored by his talking cat, Timothy, Zick learns to harness his powers in hopes of one day achieving his destiny of following in his father's footsteps and becoming a Monster Tamer. MONSTER ALLERGY is executive produced by Iginio Straffi for Rainbow S.p.A.
XIAOLIN SHOWDOWN, 9:00-9:30 am: Calling all crouching tigers and hidden dragons! Four young warriors unite for a brave battle against evil in this mystical comedy adventure. Omi, a gifted Xiaolin Dragon-in-training, and his fellow trainees -- rich Japanese hacker girl Kimiko, flashy Brazilian circus star Raimundo and Texas kung-fu cowboy Clay -- travel the world to find and protect the sacred Shen Gong Wu, ancient power objects that hold the keys to martial arts superpowers. From San Francisco to Paris, Japan to Rio, and Monte Carlo to New York, there's a Xiaolin Showdown going down! XIAOLIN SHOWDOWN is executive produced by Sander Schwartz for Warner Bros. Animation. Eric Radomski is the supervising producer, and Christy Hui is the show's creator and producer.
LOONATICS UNLEASHED, 9:30-10:00 am: Seven hundred years in the future, six descendants of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Wile E. Coyote, the Road Runner, Tasmanian Devil and Lola Bunny -- each boasting special skills, unique powers and gifted with a firm sense of justice -- come together to form a brilliant ensemble of super heroes who protect Acmetropolis from evil villains who have their own uncommon strengths. Throughout the second season, new characters descended from classic Looney Tunes characters like Yosemite Sam, Sylvester the Cat, Tweety Bird and Marvin the Martian make special appearances. LOONATICS UNLEASHED is executive produced by Sander Schwartz and produced by Ron Myrick for Warner Bros. Animation.
SHAGGY & SCOOBY-DOO GET A CLUE!, 10:00-10:30 am: Ruh-roh! Everybody's favorite quivering sleuths -- Shaggy and his lovable Great Dane, Scooby-Doo -- are back in a new adventure that will anchor the "Too Big For Your TV" programming block. In this comedy from Warner Bros. Animation, Shaggy and Scooby live in the bling'd-out mansion of Shaggy's Uncle Albert, solving mysteries with the help of a transforming Mystery Machine which, at the click of a remote, can morph into one of a number of modes of transportation. New Scooby Snacks infused with a top-secret nano-technology allows our canine hero to fly, become a towering robot or even turn himself into a giant magnet, which comes in handy as Shaggy and Scooby-Doo carry out their new mission: protecting the Scooby Snacks and keeping them safe from those who want them for evil. SHAGGY & SCOOBY-DOO GET A CLUE! is executive produced by Sander Schwartz and Joseph Barbera, co-founder of Hanna-Barbera, and produced by Eric Radomski.
JOHNNY TEST, 10:30-11:00 am: Imagine having a lollipop that makes you an amazing singer or attaching hydrogen leg enhancers to make you extremely fast or genetically altering your dog to make him talk. JOHNNY TEST can do all of that�and more! This animated action-comedy chronicles the adventures of the fearless 11-year-old boy, Johnny, his genetically engineered super dog, Dukey, and his 13-year-old super-genius scientist twin sisters, Susan and Mary, who try to solve the trials and tribulations of adolescent angst with out-of-this-world scientific experiments, using Johnny as their willing guinea pig. In season two, Johnny and Dukey will create their own TV network, make their own extreme ice cream, travel back in time, and even build a brand-new dad. JOHNNY TEST is executive produced by Toper Taylor for Cookie Jar Entertainment Inc.
LEGION OF SUPER HEROES, 11:00-11:30 am: In the year of "Superman Returns" at Warner Bros., Kids' WB! is proud to present a new series developed especially for the "Too Big For Your TV" block by Warner Bros. Animation, inspired by the DC Comics legend. One thousand years from now, a group of teenage super heroes travel back in time to recruit the greatest hero of all, Superman, and enlist him their fight against evil in the 31st Century. While their intentions were good, their time travel skills were not, and Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, Brainiac 5, Phantom Girl, Bouncing Boy and Timber Wolf end up going too far back into the past, accidentally retrieving the young Superboy instead. Together, this unlikely Legion of Super Heroes bands together to defend the rights of all free worlds and uphold the laws of the newly formed United Planets. That is, if they don't kill each other first. LEGION OF SUPER HEROES combines humor with high-stakes, grand-scale super heroics to create the ultimate sci-fi, super hero fantasy for kids of all ages. Each episode of this fast-paced, character-driven action comedy will pit Superboy and the Legion against otherworldly threats and adversaries who challenge the team on both super heroic and emotional levels. The series is executive produced by Sander Schwartz, and produced by Linda Steiner and James Tucker for Warner Bros. Animation.
THE BATMAN, 11:30 am-12:00 Noon: THE BATMAN features the most complex and intriguing character in comic book history in action-packed super heroic adventures, melding the renowned character's extraordinary physical prowess and super-sleuthing skills with a new range of experimental Bat-gadgets and an amped-up Batmobile. The series premiered in fall 2004 and picked up Batman's story in his mid-20s, when he's just finding his way as a protector, defender and Caped Crusader, while balancing his public persona as billionaire bachelor Bruce Wayne. In the upcoming third season, the Dark Knight continues his relentless quest to rid Gotham City of its supervillains, but he's not alone. Robin joins the team, and the fabled Dynamic Duo is also occasionally joined by Batgirl. Harley Quinn, Black Mask, Killer Moth, the Everywhere Man and a brand-new Clayface join the rogues' gallery of villains, led by the Joker, Penguin and Riddler, who ceaselessly torment Batman and Gotham City. THE BATMAN is based upon the DC Comics characters and is executive produced by Sander Schwartz and Alan Burnett for Warner Bros. Animation. Duane Capizzi and Mike Goguen serve as supervising producers, and Linda Steiner and Jeff Matsuda are producers.
A leader in children's programming, Kids' WB! continues to reinforce itself as a unique destination for kids. Kids' WB! has been the broadcast home for such cornerstone hits as the blockbusters "Pok�mon" and "Yu-Gi-Oh!," Emmy Award-winners XIAOLIN SHOWDOWN and THE BATMAN, culturally diverse series "Jackie Chan Adventures" and "�Mucha Lucha! Gigante," and breakout hits LOONATICS UNLEASHED and JOHNNY TEST, among other favorites. Kids and their parents can find more information about Kids' WB! programming online at www.KidsWB.com.
Warner Bros. Animation has been producing award-winning original animation since 1930, when it released its first cartoon, "Sinking in the Bathtub." Since then, Warner Bros. Animation's characters have set the standard for innovative, quality animation. Producing for network and cable television, online, home video and feature films both domestically and internationally, Warner Bros. Animation is highly respected for its creative and technical excellence, as well as maintaining the studio's rich cartoon heritage. Warner Bros. Animation is one of the most honored animation studios in history, garnering a grand total of 32 Emmy Awards, the George Foster Peabody Award, an Environmental Media Award, a Parents' Choice Award, a Humanitas Award, two Prism Awards and 19 Annie Awards (honoring excellence in animation).
|