Kids' WB facts for kids
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Final logo used from 1997 to 2008
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| Network | |
|---|---|
| Launched | September 9, 1995 |
| Closed |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| Owner | Warner Bros. Television Studios (Time Warner) |
| Headquarters | Burbank, California, U.S. |
| Original language(s) | English |
Kids' WB was a popular American TV block for kids. It showed cartoons and other children's programs. It first aired on The WB network from September 9, 1995, to September 16, 2006. Later, it moved to The CW network, where it aired from September 23, 2006, to May 17, 2008.
Kids' WB was created to compete with other kids' TV blocks like Fox Kids. It usually aired on Saturday mornings and after school on weekdays. The exact times could change depending on the local TV station.
In 1999, Kids' WB became even more popular. It started showing the English version of the Pokémon anime. Pokémon was already a big hit, and Kids' WB helped it become a huge pop culture event in America. Other famous shows on Kids' WB included Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, Freakazoid!, The New Batman/Superman Adventures, Histeria!, Cardcaptors, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Jackie Chan Adventures, Static Shock, and Johnny Test.
When The WB network merged with UPN to form The CW in September 2006, Kids' WB moved to the new network. After almost 13 years on TV, Kids' WB was replaced on May 24, 2008. A company called 4Kids Entertainment took over the Saturday morning spot with a new block called The CW4Kids. Kids' WB also had an online version that showed episodes of its popular series. This online version ran from April 29, 2008, until May 17, 2015.
Contents
History of Kids' WB
Early Planning and Launch (1994–1995)
Plans for Kids' WB started in July 1994, even before The WB network officially launched. The goal was to start the kids' block in September 1995. The network planned to show new episodes of Animaniacs. They also wanted to air reruns during weekday blocks. Two brand-new shows were planned: The Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries and Freakazoid!.
In February 1995, another new show was announced: Pinky and the Brain. This show was a spin-off from Animaniacs. Kids' WB hoped to become more popular than Fox Kids within ten years. The first show not made by Warner Bros. Animation was Earthworm Jim. It was based on a video game.
Kids' WB officially launched on September 9, 1995. It aired on Saturday mornings from 8:00 to 11:00 a.m. It also aired on weekdays from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The block was designed to air at the same time across different time zones. However, local stations sometimes changed the exact airtimes.
When Kids' WB started, it also launched an online service. This service was first only for AOL subscribers. Some TV stations, like WGN-TV in Chicago, did not air Kids' WB. Instead, they showed their own local news or other programs. Kids' WB programming in Chicago aired on WCIU-TV. However, WGN's national channel, WGN America, did carry the block from 1995 to 1999. This made Kids' WB available in areas without a local WB station.
Growth and New Shows (1996–1999)
For its second season in 1996, Kids' WB added new shows. These included Superman: The Animated Series and Road Rovers from Warner Bros. They also added Waynehead, which was a show co-produced with Nelvana.
On September 1, 1997, Kids' WB added a weekday morning block. It aired from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. The weekday afternoon block was also made longer, running from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Some stations aired these blocks together as one long three-hour block. On the same day, Kids' WB got a new look. This included a new logo and graphics that looked like the Warner Bros. Studios lot. This new look lasted until 2005.
Anime Arrives (1999–2006)
A big change happened on February 13, 1999. The English version of the anime series Pokémon moved to Kids' WB. Pokémon became a huge success for the block. It helped Kids' WB become more popular than Fox Kids. Other anime shows that aired on Kids' WB later included Cardcaptors, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Astro Boy, MegaMan NT Warrior, and Viewtiful Joe.
In July 2001, the weekday afternoon Kids' WB lineup was temporarily renamed Toonami on Kids' WB. This brought shows like Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball Z, and The Powerpuff Girls to broadcast TV. However, this idea didn't last long. By spring 2002, Kids' WB stopped using the Toonami name.
On September 3, 2001, the Kids' WB weekday morning block was removed. The WB network gave that time slot back to local stations. These stations could then air their own local shows or other programs.
On May 31, 2005, The WB announced that the weekday afternoon Kids' WB block would end. TV stations felt that fewer kids were watching TV in the afternoons. Kids were watching more shows on cable channels instead. So, stations wanted to show programs for older audiences. The weekday Kids' WB block aired for the last time on December 30, 2005. On January 2, 2006, it was replaced by "Daytime WB". This new block showed reruns of sitcoms and drama series for adults. Because of this, the Saturday morning Kids' WB lineup was made longer. Starting January 7, 2006, it ran from 7:00 a.m. to noon.
Moving to The CW and Ending (2006–2008)
On January 24, 2006, Warner Bros. Television and CBS Corporation announced a big change. They would combine their networks, The WB and UPN, to create a new network called The CW. Kids' WB moved to The CW and kept its name. The CW decided to keep Kids' WB because it wanted to offer children's programming.
On October 2, 2007, The CW announced that it would stop airing the Kids' WB block. This was because of new rules about advertising to children and strong competition from cable TV. The network decided to sell its Saturday morning programming time to 4Kids Entertainment. The Kids' WB block aired for the very last time on May 17, 2008.
On May 24, 2008, 4Kids Entertainment launched a new block called The CW4Kids. This block replaced Kids' WB. It showed programs made by 4Kids, like Chaotic, and new seasons of Yu-Gi-Oh! and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The CW4Kids later changed its name to Toonzai in 2010. It was then replaced by Vortexx in 2012, which ended in 2014. The block that currently airs on The CW is One Magnificent Morning, which started in October 2014.
Kids' WB Online (2008–Present)
On April 28, 2008, Warner Bros. Entertainment announced that Kids' WB would come back as an online network. The online Kids' WB had five different sections. These included Kids' WB! for Warner Bros. shows for kids, Kids' WB! Jr. for younger children, and sections for Scooby-Doo and Looney Tunes. There were also two DC Kids websites for action shows based on DC Comics characters.
The online service was changed a lot in 2013. Much of the older content was removed. However, you can still find some of this content using the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine.
On May 17, 2015, the Kids' WB website was split into three separate websites: DCKids.com, LooneyTunes.com, and ScoobyDoo.com. These three sites were grouped under "WB Kids Sites". This decision ended the use of the "Kids' WB!" brand name after almost twenty years. The WB Kids Sites also got new YouTube channels. In July 2016, two of the three websites, LooneyTunes.com and ScoobyDoo.com, merged back into "WBKids GO!". DCKids.com remained active until 2023. As of December 14, 2023, the WBKids GO! and DC Kids websites have been shut down. Their links now send you to their YouTube channels instead.
Programming
See also
In Spanish: Kids' WB para niños
