View source for UPN Kids

{{Short description|1995–1999 Sunday morning children's block}}
{{italics}}
{{more citations needed|date=August 2009}}
{{Infobox programming block
| name = UPN Kids
| image = UPN Kids logo.png
| caption = UPN Kids logo. Its slogan was ''UPN Kids is Up'n!'' (pronounced ''ooh-pin''), and was used from 1996–1998
| premiered = {{Start date and age|1995|9|10}}
| closed = {{End date and age|1999|9|5}}
| successor = [[Disney's One Too]]
| channel = [[UPN]]
| owner = [[Saban Entertainment]] (50%), [[Chris Craft Industries]] (50%)
| country = United States
| format = Sunday children's programming block
| runtime = 1–2 hours
}}
'''''UPN Kids''''' was an American [[children's television series|children's]] [[block programming|programming block]] that aired on [[UPN]] from September 10, 1995 to September 5, 1999. Airing on Sunday mornings, the block aired for one hour (10:00 to 11:00 am), then two hours the following year (9:00 to 11:00 a.m., regardless of [[time zone]]).

==History==
UPN Kids launched on September 10, 1995 with a one-hour block of cartoons consisting of ''[[Space Strikers]]'' and ''[[Tekkaman Blade|Teknoman]]''. It was a joint partnership between [[UPN]] and [[Saban Entertainment]].<ref>{{Cite news|date=December 5, 1994|title=UPN introduces itself to affiliates|work=[[Broadcasting & Cable|Broadcasting]]|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/94-OCR/BC-1994-12-05-Page-0014.pdf|access-date=October 15, 2021}}</ref> Unlike [[NBC]], [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]], [[CBS]], [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] and [[The WB]] (the latter of which debuted its own children's program block, [[Kids' WB]], the day before UPN Kids made its debut), 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 [[1994–1996 United States broadcast television realignment|newer Fox stations]] (especially those of [[New World Pictures|New World Communications]]; the former Fox affiliates in those markets mainly also retained the Fox Kids schedule) 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 (including the continuation of the local children's Fox Kids fan clubs run by those stations) 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 (TV series)|Jumanji]]'', ''[[The Mouse and the Monster]]'', ''[[The Incredible Hulk (1996 TV series)|The Incredible Hulk]]'' and ''[[Bureau of Alien Detectors]]''.<ref name="awn">{{cite web|url=http://www.awn.com/mag/issue1.6/articles/schechter1.6.html|title=TV's Fall Animation Lineup|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121119045937/http://www.awn.com/mag/issue1.6/articles/schechter1.6.html|date=September 1996|website=[[Animation World Network]]|archive-date=November 19, 2012}}</ref> 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 [[broadcast syndication|syndicated]] dramedy series ''[[Sweet Valley High (TV series)|Sweet Valley High]]'' (based on the [[young adult fiction|young adult]] novels by [[Francine Pascal]]) and a new comedy series, ''[[Breaker High]]'' (focused on a group of students attending a fictionalized [[Semester at Sea]] program, which featured a then-unknown [[Ryan Gosling]] among its main cast).

In January 1998, UPN began discussions with [[The Walt Disney Company]] (owner of rival network ABC) to have the company program a daily two-hour children's block for the network;<ref>{{cite news|title=Disney kids to play UPN|url=https://variety.com/1998/tv/news/disney-kids-to-play-upn-1117466892/|author=Jenny Hontz|periodical=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|publisher=[[Reed Business Information|Cahners Business Information]]|date=January 21, 1998|access-date=August 21, 2009}}</ref> 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 [[E/I|educational programming]] regulations that Disney would provide for the block. UPN then entered into discussions with then-corporate sister [[Nickelodeon]] (both were owned by [[Viacom (1952–2006)|Viacom]]).<ref name="Disney talks called off">{{cite web|title=UPN kids pick Nick, not Mouse|url=https://variety.com/1998/biz/news/upn-kids-pick-nick-not-mouse-1117467104/|author=Jenny Hontz|work=Variety|date=January 27, 1998|access-date=August 21, 2009}}</ref> 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.<ref name="Disney talks called off"/> Shows such as ''[[Fantastic Four (1994 TV series)|Fantastic Four]]'', ''[[Iron Man (TV series)|Iron Man]]'', ''[[X-Men: The Animated Series|X-Men]]'', ''[[Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends]]'', ''[[Spider-Man (1981 TV series)|Spider-Man]]'' and ''[[Big Bad Beetleborgs|Beetleborgs]]'' soon joined the schedule. During this time, the block was promoted as '''The UPN Kids Action Zone'''.<ref name=vty>{{cite news|title=Marvel, Saban set kids shows for UPN|url=https://variety.com/1998/tv/news/marvel-saban-set-kids-shows-for-upn-1117467216/|author=Richard Katz|periodical=Variety|date=January 29, 1998|access-date=August 21, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=UPN serves up superheroes|url=https://variety.com/1998/tv/news/upn-serves-up-superheroes-1117468038/|author=Richard Katz|periodical=Variety|date=February 24, 1998|access-date=August 21, 2009}}</ref>

In March 1998, UPN resumed discussions with Disney<ref>{{cite news|title=UPN, BV discuss kids block|url=https://variety.com/1998/tv/news/upn-bv-discuss-kids-block-1117469171/|author=Jenny Hontz|periodical=Variety|date=March 26, 1998|access-date=August 21, 2009}}</ref> and the following month, The Walt Disney Company agreed to develop a weekday and Sunday morning children's block for the network.<ref>{{cite news|title=UPN, Disney in kidvid block deal|url=https://variety.com/1998/tv/news/upn-disney-in-kidvid-block-deal-1117469874/|author=Jenny Hontz|author2=Cynthia Littleton|periodical=Variety |date=April 17, 1998|access-date=August 21, 2009}}</ref> A new lineup, which was developed as a companion block to ''[[Disney's One Saturday Morning]]'' on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]], was originally announced under the title "''Whomptastic''" (a title quickly discarded because it was used as an in-universe [[Minced oath|profanity replacement]] in Disney's animated series ''[[Recess (TV series)|Recess]]''), before being retitled as ''[[Disney's One Too]]''.<ref>{{cite news|title=Mouse brands UPN kidvid|url=https://variety.com/1999/tv/news/mouse-brands-upn-kidvid-1117743063/|author=Chris Pursell|periodical=Variety|date=July 19, 1999|access-date=August 17, 2009}}</ref> 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 (TV series)|Jumanji]]'' (1996–<ref name="awn" /> 1998)
====Marvel Entertainment====
*''[[The Incredible Hulk (1996 TV series)|The Incredible Hulk]]'' (1996–<ref name="awn" /> 1999)
**''Incredible Hulk & Friends'' (1998–1999)-Sunday, anthology series - mixed episodes of the following Marvel shows:<ref name="vty" />
*''[[Fantastic Four (1994 TV series)|Fantastic Four]]'' (1998-1999)
*''[[Iron Man (TV series)|Iron Man]]'' (1999)
*''[[Spider-Man (1981 TV series)|Spider-Man]]'' (1998–1999)<ref name="vty" />
*''[[Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends]]'' (1998–1999)
*''[[X-Men: The Animated Series|X-Men]]'' (1998–1999)<ref name="vty" />

====Saban Entertainment====
*''[[Bureau of Alien Detectors]]'' (1996–1997)<ref name="awn" />
*''[[The Mouse and the Monster]]'' (1996–1997)<ref name="awn" />
*''[[Sweet Valley High (TV series)|Sweet Valley High]]'' (1997–1998)
*''[[Big Bad Beetleborgs|Beetleborgs]]'' (1998–1999)<ref name=vty />
*''[[Breaker High]]'' (1997–1998)
*''[[Space Strikers]]'' (1995-1996)
*''[[Tekkaman Blade|Teknoman]]'' (1995-1996)

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{UPN Kids}}
{{BVS Entertainment}}
{{Former KidsTVBlocksUSA}}
{{UPN}}
{{One Too}}

[[Category:UPN Kids| ]]
[[Category:Children's television networks in the United States]]
[[Category:Former joint ventures]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations established in 1995]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations disestablished in 1999]]
[[Category:Television networks in the United States]]
[[Category:Television programming blocks in the United States]]