The Zone (YTV) facts for kids

The Zone is a super popular TV show block on the Canadian channel YTV. It airs every weekday afternoon from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in both Eastern and Pacific time zones. On Saturday mornings, it's known as The Zone Weekend. It used to be called Afterschool Zone when it first started in 1991.

Meet the Awesome Hosts!

Right now, the hosts of The Zone are Spencer Litzinger, Tyra Sweet, and Alex Wierzbicki. They make the show fun and exciting every day!

Fun with Guest Hosts

Sometimes, the show has a special guest host. This can be a real person or even a funny object that the hosts talk to! For example, there was once "The Hand in the Toilet" and even "The Camera Man." Another voice you might have heard was Egghead, who was actually the show's director, Greg Dickinson. He was never seen on camera, but sometimes he appeared in a gorilla suit!

In the early days of The Zone, there were puppet co-hosts called Grogs. There was also a talking TV named Snit, who looked like a piece of purple bubble gum with eyes. Later, a talking statue of Elvis Presley named Elvayz was a host. Famous guests like children's author Robert Munsch and environmentalist David Suzuki have also appeared on the show.

What Happens on The Zone?

The Zone often has a special theme for the whole week. Plus, there are cool events that happen regularly, like these:

Cool Changes to The Zone's Set

Over the years, The Zone studio has changed a lot!

Early Days: Living Room and Blue Set

When The Zone first started in 1991, the set looked like a colorful living room with abstract shapes and a map of Canada. Around 1994, the set changed to an all-blue look with graffiti and eyeballs. You could even spot a red lizard with the old YTV logo! In 1995, Snit, the talking TV, was added to the set.

Subway Train and Updated Looks

In 1999, the set transformed into a subway train! It had a TV screen and ads that looked like subway posters. The floor was a cool orange checkerboard pattern. Around 2002, the subway set got an update to match YTV's new look. It featured a new The Zone logo and a silver fan.

Modern Stages: Liquid and Space Station

In 2007, the subway set was replaced with a new center stage. It had liquid-like designs and The Zone logo in the middle of the floor. There were also big HDTVs standing around, and the walls turned green.

Around 2010, the set was simplified and looked like a space station! It had lights underneath, and the words "The Zone" were back. The walls glowed purple, or other colors for special events. The TVs were placed on shelves. In 2013, the entire space station set changed to a green color scheme.

The Zone's Changing Logos

The Zone has had many different logos over the years!

Early Logos: Eyeballs and Swirls

In 1994, the logo featured a blue eyeball on a circle background. It would show clips from upcoming shows before PJ Phil appeared. By 1999, the logo was a swirly yellow background with the green word "ZONE" and "The" on top. The YTV logo would appear below it.

Updated Looks and CGI

In 2002, the logo was updated with a new background and a purple outline. The YTV logo was removed. In 2003, a small black glowing TV set was used to show upcoming clips. By 2004, a wavy ray background was used as "The" and "ZONE" dropped down. The small glowing TV set was still used.

In 2007, a brand new computer-generated (CGI) logo was created. This new look featured purple and green liquid designs and black zigzag shapes. It also showed clips from the older "Snit era." The TV screen sparkled and became wider. In 2008, purple eyeballs were added to the green background.

Modern Logo

In 2011, the background changed to purple and green, and the old clips were replaced with squares. Finally, in 2013, The Zone got a fresh new look with a green logo and a black eyeball instead of a purple one.

Famous Sayings and Slogans

The Zone has had many memorable opening lines and closing slogans over the years!

Opening Lines (Spiels)

• The Zone Debut (1991): "Today in The Zone, you might see your brother working on lily pads. Your sister dancing! Your carpet man flooring! And your dad cleaning your car! You're in The Zone! And now, here's the star of the show, PJ Phil!"
• 1994–1999: "You've entered The Zone, and you're here to be in the vandalism room, and we'll try to make sure you be on your behavior. Cause now, you're on The Zone. Ladies and gentlemen, PJ PHIL!"
• 1999–2003: "Hey, The Zone is on! (insert name of clip here) Today, on The Zone! (insert description of upcoming clips), only on The Zone! And now, (insert funny comment here)..."
• 2003–2007: "Previously on The Zone: (insert upcoming clips) Today in The Zone! (insert description of upcoming clips). We're The Zone! And now, here they are, (insert funny comment here), Sugar and Carlos!"
• 2007–2012: "Previously in The Zone: (insert upcoming clips) This afternoon, in The Zone! (insert description of upcoming clips). You are in The Zone! And now, here he is, (insert funny comment here), (it's) Carlos Bustamante!"
• 2012–2018: "When you come to The Zone, here's a sneak peek of shows we aired previously. (insert upcoming clips) Welcome to The Zone! And now, he is the host of our show, Carlos Bustamante!"
• 2018–Present: "It's The Zone! Direct from Toronto, the block of afternoon daily! And you've got The Zone! And now, here they are, the host of the block, Spencer Litzinger, Tyra Sweet, and Alex Wierzbicki!"

Closing Slogans

• 1991–1994: "So until next time, if you always do some things, keep the cameras rolling. We'll see you next week."
• PJ Phil's Last Day: "Uh oh, gotta go, good night."
• 1999–2002: "Remember, here at The Zone, (insert funny comment). This is us signing off. Good night."
• 2003–2007: "Congratulations to YTV. We hope you all enjoyed watching The Zone. Please be sure to check back next time for more fun and updates. Give a slice, give a life. I'm Carlos, and I'm Sugar. Good night."
• 2007–Present: "That's it for The Zone, and we will be back next time with more updates, and fun, so you can just relax forever. And remember..."
  • 2007–2010: "...If you want to see more shows, log on to ytv.com, keyword: The Zone."
  • 2010–Present: "...in this update if you send us a video, and it airs on the daily show, we'll send you skull shirt."
• 2007–2010: "If you get it on tape, you get it in cash. Good night everybody."
• 2010–2018: "So upload to us. Get rich, get famous. Good night everybody."
• 2018–Present: "So if you don't get it in tape, you got to be in cash. Good night everybody."

What's Playing on The Zone?

Here are some of the cool shows you can catch on The Zone:

Weekday Schedule

• Grojband - Weekdays at 3:00 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 4:00 p.m., and 4:30 p.m.
• It's Pony - Weekdays at 5:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

The Zone Weekend Schedule (Saturdays, as of 2020)

• SpongeBob SquarePants - Saturdays at 7:00 a.m., 7:30 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m., and 9:30 a.m.
• Ollie's Pack - Saturdays at 8:00 a.m.
• The Loud House - Saturdays at 10:30 a.m.
• The Casagrandes - Saturdays at 11:00 a.m.
• Lego City Adventures - Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. and 11:45 a.m.