Kids WB!, the former kids-sub-division of The CW and its predecessor, The WB was sort of the last of its kind by 2001. A 6-day-a-week broadcast children's service airing not just Saturday Mornings, but also weekday afternoons as well. While its longtime rival Fox Kids Network was bought by The Walt Disney Company, and the Big three only offered programming on Saturday Mornings, Kids WB! was the last remaining network/block of a by-gone pre-cable era.
While its' parent Network, The WB, targeted Teenagers and Young Adults (12-34). Kids WB! targeted primarily young, mostly male children aged 6-11, led by both WB's strong animation unit, and the smash-hit Pokemon. But starting with the 2001-02 Season, Kids WB! began to shift its target demo to a broader audience, to include both 2-5 year olds and young teenagers, bringing the bracket up to 2-14. So now 1/3rd of the daytime demographic, overlapped with 1/4th of the prime-time demographic, which meant that Kids' WB! began promoting The WB's prime-time shows much more often, including the upcoming Smallvile. The shift began when the network licensed the Toonami Brand from corporate sibling, Cartoon Network for its weekday afternoon lineup, as well as borrowed some of its programming like Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon. Toonami on Cartoon Network skewed slightly older than what Kids' WB! had typically geared its weekday programming towards, which was exactly what the network was hoping for. I know most people don't like the KWB version of Toonami, but I think it did what it set out do, attract pre- and early adolescent boys who didn't have cable to the network.
For younger kids, Kids WB! acquired both Rescue Heroes from Nelvana, and the classic Scooby-Doo series, also from Cartoon Network, to fill the weekday slots, as well as the FCC E/I mandate. The real shift for the network came when Fall rolled around. Kids WB! launched 3 new shows for the Fall 2001 Season, 2 of which were especially chosen to appeal to a tween/teen audience. R.L. Stein's The Nightmare Room, the network's first and only live-action show, which got an early debut on The WB to catch the eye of the young end of the prime-time audience. And Yu-Gi-Oh! the newest product from Pokemon Producer 4Kids Entertainment, based of the Weekly Shonen Jump Manga of the same name, which became the network's highest rated show among boys 9-14 for most of its run. Thanks to its more complex story-lines and older, teenage protagonists. Even with 4Kids' trademark editing, it was still able to bring in the pre-teen and middle school male audience to Kids' WB!
Of course, the block didn't forget about its core 6-11 audience either. New seasons of Pokemon, Jackie Chan Adventures, and the new show, The Mummy all rolled out as well.
While its' parent Network, The WB, targeted Teenagers and Young Adults (12-34). Kids WB! targeted primarily young, mostly male children aged 6-11, led by both WB's strong animation unit, and the smash-hit Pokemon. But starting with the 2001-02 Season, Kids WB! began to shift its target demo to a broader audience, to include both 2-5 year olds and young teenagers, bringing the bracket up to 2-14. So now 1/3rd of the daytime demographic, overlapped with 1/4th of the prime-time demographic, which meant that Kids' WB! began promoting The WB's prime-time shows much more often, including the upcoming Smallvile. The shift began when the network licensed the Toonami Brand from corporate sibling, Cartoon Network for its weekday afternoon lineup, as well as borrowed some of its programming like Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon. Toonami on Cartoon Network skewed slightly older than what Kids' WB! had typically geared its weekday programming towards, which was exactly what the network was hoping for. I know most people don't like the KWB version of Toonami, but I think it did what it set out do, attract pre- and early adolescent boys who didn't have cable to the network.
For younger kids, Kids WB! acquired both Rescue Heroes from Nelvana, and the classic Scooby-Doo series, also from Cartoon Network, to fill the weekday slots, as well as the FCC E/I mandate. The real shift for the network came when Fall rolled around. Kids WB! launched 3 new shows for the Fall 2001 Season, 2 of which were especially chosen to appeal to a tween/teen audience. R.L. Stein's The Nightmare Room, the network's first and only live-action show, which got an early debut on The WB to catch the eye of the young end of the prime-time audience. And Yu-Gi-Oh! the newest product from Pokemon Producer 4Kids Entertainment, based of the Weekly Shonen Jump Manga of the same name, which became the network's highest rated show among boys 9-14 for most of its run. Thanks to its more complex story-lines and older, teenage protagonists. Even with 4Kids' trademark editing, it was still able to bring in the pre-teen and middle school male audience to Kids' WB!
Of course, the block didn't forget about its core 6-11 audience either. New seasons of Pokemon, Jackie Chan Adventures, and the new show, The Mummy all rolled out as well.
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