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Toon Zone News Archives |
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March 2000
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March
31, 2000
March
30, 2000
-
Batman
Beyond and Paul Dini News from Wizard
This is from Wizard #104 (May, 2000).
It's amazing to me that even as fast as news
travels on the web, WIZARD continually offers up
fresh scoops each and every month which still
are *new* even by the time the mag sees print.
I just wish they were as thorough with their online
version.
Anyway, here are a few bits on the upcoming
"Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker" -
BEWARE - POSSIBLE SPOILERS TO FOLLOW:
Okay, here's the scoop, quoting Dini from Jim
McLauchlin's article "It's No Joke: The
Clown Prince Lives - Present-day Joker returns
to taunt Batman Beyond":
[The Joker] is, as he says in the script,
"Tanned, rested and ready to give the old
town a wedgie again!"
Star Wars actor Mark Hamill will provide the
voice for the Joker--and several other surprise
voices, according to Dini. "He's a total
treat to work with. He's just got such an air of
'coolness' and menace as the Joker."
In a storyline sense, fans will get to see the
eventual fate of several popular characters.
"There is an extended flashback sequence
with Batman, the Joker, Robin and Batgirl on one
pivotal night," Dini revealed. "You're
going to see the old team in action one last
time, and get some clues as to what happens to
them."
"In September, we're back for a full 13 new
episodes. If the show performs well, WB would be
silly not to order more to freshen up the
rotation." Dini cautioned that it may be
several months before the final fate of BB is
decided.
"We were only going to go to 52 episodes to
start with - we're taking a wait-and-see
attitude right now."
"Dini remains confident future Batman Terry
McGinnis will be back for more. And there's
still plenty of unseen material in the can.
"The series is kept completely open-ended.
If the show performs well, there's always the
possibility it'll come back. The question of if
the show continues or not is with the network -
we're looking at the end of 52 as the end of
what we're contracted to do, for now."
--Gookie
-
Hasbro's
200th Batman Figure
I saw this in last month's TOYFARE and it
looks really cool - Batman Beyond is chosen to
commemorate the landmark in a pose similar to
the one he strikes at the end of the opening of
the show. Comes with its own base, a
"wing-spreading feature" and a
complete checklist of all the previous 199
figures.
It's due out this Summer.
--Gookie
-
Harley,
Joker, and Mask--Oh My!
What do Dark Horse Comics' "The
Mask", the Joker and Harley Quinn have in
common? They'll be teaming up in a 4-issue
miniseries.
The concept for this was so incredibly
intriguing, I couldn't resist putting my order
in for one. It's currently slated for print in
May.
For a cover pic and more details, visit Dark
Horse Online.
--Gookie
-
Superfriends
in Low Places
Alex Ross & Paul Dini comic team-up -
after "Batman: War on Crime"...
The Superfriends' Zan & Jayna?
Alex Ross says, "DC balked at the idea
initially - I admit the idea sounds crazy at
first. But when they saw the urgency of the
message and the way would could reach people,
they came around."
The message: The threat of worldwide drought.
The project: WONDER TWINS: FORM OF WATER
"The lasting power of THE SUPERFRIENDS is
amazing," Dini remarks. "These are
characters that fans love and middle America
recognizers. They're the perfect pair to tell
our tale."
The plot: Earth's lack of water prompts Zan (the
one with the power to turn into watery-type
things) to try to irrigate Earth's crops. Jayna
assists by turning into a giant eagle and a
gorilla to distribute water worldwide.
But there's a problem.
Space monkey Gleek has gone rabid from lack of
water.
"Unlike our previous projects that were
more introspective, there will be a real element
of classic funnybook action-adventure
here," Dini says. "When a space monkey
goes rabid, that's a problem to be dealt
with."
But the main problem is Zan, who comes
drastically close to making the ultimate
sacrifice when the very essence of his being is
spread too thin.
"The main themes from our previous Superman
& Batman tabloids are still there,"
Ross says. "Heroism, devotion, sacrifice.
Anyone who thinks this is a farce because it
deals with the Wonder Twins is off their
rocker."
Proceeds from the sale of Ross' original art
from the graphic novel will go to worldwide
drought relief.
"People have told us it sounds stupid -
they can go to hell.
"The Wonder Twins can touch people, they'll
see. This hits at Christmas time, and it's the
best holiday present for the world I can think
of."
Finally, going right along with the above item
on WONDER TWINS: FORM OF WATER, Ross and Dini
are rumored to be considering the project
following this one to feature Plastic Man,
formatted the same as the previous Batman &
Superman one-shots.
--Gookie
-
WB
Actually Admits to X-Men, Blah Blah Blah
More stuff from the Comics Continuum:
X-MEN ANIMATED UPDATE
Kids' WB! representatives confirmed on Wednesday
that there will be an X-Men animated series on
the network this fall. This is the first time
the network has confirmed the series.
The show is currently called X-Men, but that's
just a working title. It might be X-Men:
Children of the Atom, and it will be produced at
Film Roman. Thirteen episodes of the series -
which shows the X-Men in their young days - are
expected for the first season.
Bob Forward is the new story editor of the
series, and it's likely that other writers from
previous Marvel shows will be involved.
Kids' WB! will officially announce its lineup on
April 4, and it is expected that a series based
on Milestone Comics' Static will also be among
the new shows.
--The Mad Hatter
-
Ratings
Updates for 3/18/99
From the official press release:
Kids’ WB! Delivers Highest Ever Ratings Among
Kids 2-11, Kids 6-11, Boys 2-11 and Boys 6-11,
Capturing All Saturday Morning Competition
Network’s Saturday Morning Lineup Takes #1
Spot In Each Half-Hour Among Kids 2-11, Kids
6-11, Boys 2-11 And Boys 6-11
BURBANK, CA (March 23, 2000) -- On Saturday,
March 18, Kids’ WB! (6.7/27) delivered its
highest-ever ratings and shares among Kids 2-11,
Kids 6-11 (8.1/32), Kids 2-5 (4.5/18), Boys 2-11
(9.0/33), Boys 6-11 (10.5/39) and Boys 2-5
(6.6/24) dominating the morning as the #1
network in those key demos. The network also
delivered its highest ratings among Girls 2-11
(4.3/19) and Girls 6-11 (5.5/24). Among Kids
2-11, Kids’ WB! defeated Nickelodeon (3.8/15),
ABC (3.0/12) and Fox Kids (2.6/10). The network
continues to lead the Saturday morning
competition season-to-date delivering a 4.2/18
twenty eight-week rating share average among
Kids 2-11, topping Nickelodeon (3.9/17), ABC
(2.9/13) and Fox Kids (2.9/12).
Kids’ WB!’s Saturday morning lineup featured
the "Pick Your Favorite Pokémon"
selected episodes and the mischievous series
Detention which earned the network the #1 spot
in each half-hour of the morning among all
Saturday competition, including cable, taking
the top eight spots among Kids 2-11, Kids 6-11,
Boys 2-11, Boys 6-11 and Boys 2-5. The network
dominated six out of the eight half-hours among
Girls 6-11 and Kids 2-5.
Pokémon posted a record-high 8.1/29
rating/share among Kids 2-11 in both the 9:30
a.m./ET and 10:30 a.m./ET time periods,
defeating all Saturday competition and tying as
the #1 program for the morning. At 9:30 a.m./ET,
the series led the time period competition in
Kids 6-11 (9.5/34), Kids 2-5 (5.7/21), Boys 2-11
(11.6/37), Boys 6-11 (13.7/43), Boys 2-5
(9.6/31) and Girls 6-11 (6.1/25). The 10:30
a.m./ET airing of Pokémon also dominated the
time period in Kids 6-11 (9.5/36), Kids 2-5
(6.0/20), Boys 2-11 (10.6/36), Boys 6-11
(12.2/45), Boys 2-5 (8.1/25), Girls 2-11
(5.5/21) and Girls 6-11 (6.7/26).
Pokémon also outdelivered the competition to
rank #3 for the morning in its 10:00 a.m./ET
time period, delivering a 7.9/28 among Kids
2-11. In addition, the series captured this time
period among Kids 6-11 (9.2/34), Boys 2-11
(10.4/34), Boys 6-11 (11.6/40), Boys 2-5
(8.5/26) and Girls 6-11 (6.6/26). In its 9:00
a.m./ET time period, Pokémon posted a 7.3/28
among Kids 2-11, ranking #4 for the morning, and
leading its time period in Kids 6-11 (9.1/34),
Kids 2-5 (4.4/18), Boys 2-11 (9.8/34), Boys 6-11
(11.5/40) Boys 2-5 (7.2/26), Girls 6-11 (6.6/27)
and Girls 2-11 (4.7/20), tying Nickelodeon’s
"Rugrats" and ABC’s "Disney’s
One Saturday Morning -- 2."
Wrapping up the "Pick Your Favorite
Pokémon" selected episodes, Pokémon, in
the 11:00 a.m./ET time slot, posted a 7.1/27
rating/share among Kids 2-11, and also dominated
its time period competition in Kids 6-11
(8.3/33), Kids 2-5 (5.2/19), Boys 2-11 (9.1/33),
Boys 6-11 (10.7/41), Boys 2-5 (6.7/22), Girls 2—11
(5.0/20) and Girls 6-11 (5.8/24).
In a special 11:30 a.m./ET airing of Detention,
the series outperformed the competition and
delivered all-time highs for the time period
among Kids 2-11 (5.4/22), Kids 6-11 (6.3/27),
Kids 2-5 (3.9/15), Boys 2-11 (7.0/28), Boys 6-11
(8.3/35) Boys 2-5 (4.9/17), Girls 2-11 (3.7/16)
and Girls 6-11 (4.3/18). The series ranked #7
for the morning among Kids 2-11 and Kids 6-11.
For the week of March 13-17, Kids’ WB!’s
weekday season-to-date rating/share (2.4/15)
among Kids 2-11 continues to outperform
Nickelodeon’s (2.3/16) and Fox Kids’
(1.9/11) morning (7:00-8:00 a.m./ET) and
afternoon (3:00-5:00 p.m.) blocks. Pokémon led
the week among all competition, taking the top
two spots for the week among Kids 2-11. In its
4:00 p.m. time slot, the series delivered a
4.2/21 among Kids 2-11 and posted a 4.1/29 among
Kids 2-11 in its 7:00 a.m./ET time period.
--Rembrant
-
Spring
Schedule
From the official press release:
Kids’ WB! Heats Up Its Spring Schedule With
Two-Part Pokémon Episodes And Original
Programming
BURBANK, CA (March 28, 2000) Kids’ WB!’s
Spring lineup showers viewers with a rainbow
array of adventure and excitement, including
original episodes, two-part POKÉMON episodes
and themed weekday programming.
The excitement begins to blossom this week with
POKÉMON "Badges Week" (7:00a.m./ET),
featuring Ash earning a different badge each
day. The adventure continues at 3:30 p.m. ET/PT
with THE NEW BATMAN/SUPERMAN ADVENTURES "It
Takes Two" themed week, as Batman and
Superman working together with their pals, the
Grey Ghost, Flash and Steel, to out-flank the
sneaky villians. The weekday lineup also
includes an original episode of WARNER BROS. HISTERIA!, "Big Fat Baby Theatre,"
Friday, March 31 (7:30 a.m.) in which a cast of
Big Fat Babies takes the stage. On Saturday,
April 1, the two-part POKÉMON episode begins
with "Pokéball Peril" (8:30 a.m./ET),
featuring Ash and the gang making a crash
landing on Valencia Island. One of the trainers
begins to feel at home on the island…will they
stay or will they go? In the second half of this
two-part episode, "The Lost Lapras"
(9:00 a.m./ET), the trainers head home in a hot
air balloon and discover that they have been
double-crossed by Team Rocket -- once again.
After another crash landing, they meet another
trainer who becomes the newest member of the
"gang."
This Saturday morning lineup will continue with
exciting original episodes of MAX STEEL,
POKÉMON (10:00 a.m./ET) and BATMAN BEYOND and
also will feature a special airing of MAX STEEL
at 11:00 a.m./ET. (Editors Note: MAX STEEL will
preempt MEN IN BLACK this one time only.)
Throughout the week of April 3-7, Kids’ WB!
will continue to celebrate Spring with themed
weekday programming, including POKÉMON "Jigglypuff
Week" (7:00 a.m./ET), taking viewers on
adventures with Jigglypuff. In the afternoon at
3:30 p.m./ET/PT, THE NEW BATMAN/SUPERMAN
ADVENTURES "Bad Girls of Gotham Week"
will follow the sinister villainous’ Catwoman
and Poison Ivy on their mischievous ventures.
On Saturday, April 8, the two-part POKÉMON
episode begins with "Battle Aboard the St.
Anne" (8:30 a.m. ET), featuring Ash and the
gang on a Pokémon cruise that later proves to
be a ploy of Team Rocket. The two-part episode
continues with "Pokémon Shipwreck"
(9:00 a.m. ET) which takes place in the eye of a
storm. Everyone on board must evacuate the
cruise ship and cooperate to survive... will Ash
and the gang join forces with Team Rocket? Kids’
WB! also will highlight its Saturday lineup with
original episodes of MAX STEEL, POKEMON (10:00
a.m. ET), BATMAN BEYOND and MEN IN BLACK.
--Rembrant
March
29, 2000
-
X-Men:
Children of the Atom--This Just in!
According to this week's "TV
Guide," the series will act as
a *PREQUEL* to the comics/movie/previous
animated series. Says Rick Ungar, coexecutive
producer: "We go back to when the X-men
were still kids in high school. Cyclops, Rogue
[and some of the other characters] will have
just discovered their powers. It should be a
perfect fit for WB."
--Craig
March 27, 2000
- Things
Bode Badly for the X-Men Series
From the Comics Continuum:
Bob Forward is the new story editor of the
X-Men: Children of the Atom animated series
expected to air on Kids' WB!.
Forward replaces Bob Skir and Marty Isenberg.
"After careful thought and consideration,
Marty and I have elected to leave the
project," Skir told The Continuum.
"X-Men has always been my personal dream
project.
"The decision to leave was entirely my own,
and I am glad to be gone."
The series will be produced at Film Roman.
Thirteen episodes are planned for the first
season.
--The Mad Hatter
March 24, 2000
- Static a
"Lock"?
Today's Trailer
Park, has some interesting news on Kids'
WB!'s fall schedule. Apparently, they are going
for a comic book related series and are calling
Static a "lock." I won't believe it
until Kids' WB! announces it next Tuesday, April
4. Here's what the Trailor Park said:
"Kids' WB! will be announcing its 2000-2001
slate on April 4, and it should be full of
comics-related shows. Although the network
hasn't confirmed it yet, X-Men: Children of the
Atom and Milestone's Static are expected to join
the likes of Batman Beyond, Superman, Batman and
Men in Black: The Series. A source told Trailer
Park that Static is 'a lock' to be in the
line-up.
Although X-Men is being developed at Film Roman,
Static is expected to be produced at Warner
Bros. Animation.
Both Milestone's Dwayne McDuffie and
representatives of Warner Bros. Animation have
not commented on the show, but sources tell
Trailer Park that Static's creators will include
some of those that worked on Batman Beyond.
Another potential new series on the network is
Zeta, which spins off the 'Zeta' episode of
Batman Beyond that airs on Saturday, April 8. It
would feature a robotic assassin who escapes the
government's clutches when it decides it no
longer wants to be a killing machine.
In a recent rundown of his upcoming projects,
producer Paul Dini did indicate something new is
going on at the studio.
'I'm still plugging away at Warner Bros. too,
working on a bunch of new, exciting things I
can't announce right now,' Dini said. 'But there
are some cool surprises coming, trust me.'"
--Rembrant
March 22, 2000
- Batman
Beyond Awarded for Drug Depiction
Here's a snippet from the Comics
Continuum...
IRON MAN, BATMAN BEYOND WIN PRISM AWARDS
The Iron Man comic book and the Batman Beyond
animated series on Tuesday were winners of PRISM
awards "for accurate depiction of drug,
alcohol, and tobacco use and addiction"
from The National Institute for Drug Abuse.
Iron Man won in the comic book issue or
continuing story line division for Iron Man
#24-25, "Carol Danvers' Story II."
Batman Beyond won in the TV children's animated
series episode or special category for "The
Winning Edge" episode.
The ceremony, which was taped for syndicated
telecast in late summer by Tribune
Entertainment, was held at the Beverly Hills
Hotel and was hosted by Malcolm-Jamal Warner,
Mackenzie Phillips and Dave Coulier.
The awards are presented in partnership with The
Entertainment Industries Council and The Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation.
--The Mad Hatter
March 21, 2000
- Kids'
WB! Ratings Update
Here are Kids' WB!'s ratings for March 11
from the official press release:
"KIDS’ WB! POSTS ITS HIGHEST RATING IN
KIDS 2-11 FOR REGULAR SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING
"Pokémon" Ranks As #1, #2 and #3
Program Among All Saturday Morning Competition
In Kids 2-11
"Max Steel" Ranks #4 For The Morning
Among Key Boy Demos
BURBANK, CA -- On Saturday, March 11, Kids’
WB! (5.0/18) ranked as the #1 network among all
Saturday competition in Kids 2-11, posting its
highest rating for regular scheduled
programming. The network also dominated the
morning among all competition in Kids 6-11
(5.2/20), Boys 2-11 (7.1/23), Boys 2-5 (6.6/21)
and Boys 6-11 (7.4/24). Among Kids 2-11, the
network beat Nickelodeon (4.7/17), Fox Kids
(3.6/13) and ABC (3.3/12). Kids’ WB! continues
to lead the Saturday morning competition
season-to-date, delivering a 4.0/17 twenty
seven-week rating/share average among Kids 2-11,
topping Nickelodeon (3.9/17), ABC (2.9/13) and
Fox Kids (2.8/12).
Pokémon, in its 10:00 a.m./ET time period
dominated the competition to rank as the #1
program for the morning with a 7.7/23
ratings/share among Kids 2-11 and Kids 6-11
(8.6/28). The series also led the morning among
all competition in Boys 2-11 (10.8/30) and Boys
6-11 (12.0/34). In its new 9:00 a.m./ET time
period, Pokémon ranked #2 for the morning among
all competition in Kids 2-11 (7.1/23), Kids 6-11
(7.9/26), Boys 2-11 (10.5/30) and Boys 6-11
(11.5/33), and ranked #1 for the morning among
all competition in Boys 2-5 (8.9/26). The series
ranked #3 for the morning in its 8:30 a.m. ET
time period, delivering a 6.5/25 rating/share in
Kids 2-11 and a 7.1/29 in Kids 6-11. The series
also captured the time period in Boys 2-11
(9.4/33), Boys 2-5 (8.4/29) and Boys 6-11
(10.1/36).
Max Steel ranked #4 for the morning, behind
Pokémon, among the key demos of Boys 2-11
(7.9/22), Boys 2-5 (7.5/20) and Boys 6-11
(8.1/23). The series continues to infuse its
9:30 a.m./ET time period, posting a 5.0/15 among
Kids 2-11 and ranking #7 for the morning.
For the week of March 6-10, Pokémon led the
competition, taking the top two spots for the
week among Kids 2-11, delivered a 4.4/30 in its
7:00 a.m./ET time period and a 4.0/21 in its
4:00 p.m. time slot. At 4:30 p.m., Batman Beyond
(M & F) and The Batman/Superman Adventures (T-W-TH) weekday average posted a 2.0/10 to rank
among the top ten programs for the week among
2-11. Kids’ WB!’s weekday season-to-date
rating/share (2.4/15) among Kids 2-11 continues
to outperform Nickelodeon’s (2.3/16) and Fox
Kids’ (1.9/11) morning (7:00-8:00 a.m./ET) and
afternoon (3:00-5:00 p.m.) blocks."
--Rembrant
March 16, 2000
- What
Dini's Doin'
From the Comics Continuum:
Paul Dini, producer
of the Batman Beyond, Batman and Superman animated
series, checked in with The Continuum on his
latest comics, TV and movie projects.
Here's a rundown, with comments from Dini:
Shazam: Power of Hope: "The next book I am
doing with Alex Ross in our proposed four part DC
series is Shazam: Power Of Hope. I think out of
all the ones Alex and I have done so far, this
will be our favorite. We love the Captain Marvel
character, as well as his bizarre villains and all
those weird, funny elements from Fawcett Universe.
While this book will have a theme similar to Peace
On Earth and War On Crime in that it will deal
with a hero trying to solve a very human problem,
it will have a lighter, more optimistic tone than
the Superman and Batman books. Some members of
Marvel's old Rogues Gallery might put quick
appearances, but they are primarily background
flavor in a story which is really about
Billy/Marvel's relationship to both the wizard
Shazam and people, young and old, who look to the
Captain for inspiration. Look for that in early
November, when a ton of other stuff I have in the
works is coming out."
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker: "The
video & DVD will hit the shelves the same week
as a published copy of my script (illustrated with
storyboard and preliminary drawings) pops up in
bookstores." The movie is scheduled for an
Oct. 31 release.
Jingle Belle: "The brat is back, first in a
new summer story which will see print in an Oni
anthology this July, then in November, in Jingle
Belle: Naughty & Nice, a trade paperback which
collects the first three Jing stories along with
some new material. In addition, I'm going to do an
all-new for Xmas 2000 Jingle holiday book, though
instead of a two-issue mini like last year, it
will probably be a large anthology with a bunch of
short stories about Jing, Santa and my weirdo take
on the various North Pole types. A Jingle doll and
lunch box are in the works for later this year as
well. I've already turned down several groups of
people who were anxious to do animated TV specials
and/or movies (if I sold them the character
outright -- yeah, that'll happen) but I haven't
ruled out the possibility of Jing showing up in
some medium other than comics. Time will
tell."
Million Dollar Heroes: "Right now the project
I'm having the most fun with is scripting the
movie Million Dollar Heroes for New Line. It's an
action-comedy based on a new comic book by Scott
Mitchel Rosenberg's Platinum Studios. In a
nutshell it's about two young, newly rich, highly
competitive comic book creators who take their
personal battle to the streets disguised as two of
the superhero characters they've created."
Emu & Thylacine: "This is a new funny
animal book I'm writing for Bongo Comics. It's set
in Hollywood and deals with the generally
miserable off-screen lives of a couple of cartoon
characters. It's a comedy, believe it or not. The
back-up feature is Mutant, Texas, a series of
tales about a super-powered girl sheriff
struggling to maintain peace among the mutated
animals, people and other social misfits living
together in a remote southwestern town. The strip
had a sneak preview in Oni Double Feature #13 last
year, and I've really been looking forward to
working with these characters again. It's sort of
an amalgam of a lot of the things I'm into:
science fiction, Texas swing music, western lore,
pretty girls, strange animals, freaks, low-lifes
and weirdos."
Warner Bros.: "I'm still plugging away at
Warner Bros. too, working on a bunch of new,
exciting things I can't announce right now. But
there are some cool surprises coming, trust
me."
--The Mad Hatter
March 15, 2000
- The
Daytime Emmys
I really don't get these nominations. Are
they nominating from two years ago or something
on some of these categories? Anyway, for those
interested, BB, PE&tB (?), Batman/Superman
Adventures, and Histeria! all got nominations.
To see PDF list of all nominees, go to The
National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
Homepage.
--The Siren
March 14, 2000
- Follow
Your Toes!
From the Comics Continuum:
POKEMON CEREAL
Kellogg will release a limited-edition Pokemon
cereal in May.
Kellogg's Pokemon Toasted Oat Cereal With
Marshmallow Bits will be "the first and only
Pokemon cereal." The cereal contains
oat-based rings with four different Pokemon
character-shaped marshmallows: blue Poliwhirl,
yellow Pikachu, pink Ditto, and green Oddish. The
cereal will retail at an average price of $2.49
for a 13.2-ounce package.
"Kellogg's Pokemon cereal is the latest
example of our commitment to bring fun back to the
cereal aisle and offers kids a unique way to catch
Pokemon fever," said Paul Norman, vice
president of marketing for ready-to-eat cereal,
Kellogg USA.
The new cereal sets the stage for Kellogg Co.'s
largest ever cross-category summer promotion that
spans over 15 Kellogg's brands offering high-value
Pokemon premiums.
--The Mad Hatter
March 13, 2000
- Max
Steel's Ratings
Max Steel a ratings winner...
From the WB official press release:
"On Saturday, March 4, Kids’ WB! (4.7/18)
captured the morning to rank as the #1 network
among all Saturday competition in Kids 2-11,
Kids 6-11 (5.7/22), Boys 2-11 (6.4/22), Boys 2-5
(4.9/18) and Boys 6-11 (7.3/28). The network
topped Nickelodeon (4.3/17), Fox Kids (3.3/13)
and ABC (3.0/13). Kids’ WB! continues to lead
the Saturday morning competition season-to-date
delivering a 4.0/17 twenty six-week rating/share
average among Kids 2-11, topping Nickelodeon
(3.9/17), ABC (2.8/13) and Fox Kids (2.8/12).
POKEMON (9:00 a.m. ET) dominated the competition
to rank as the #1 program for the morning with a
8.0/28 ratings share among Kids 2-11. The series
also led the morning among all competition in
Kids 6-11 (10.1/35), Boys 2-11 (10.8/36) Boys
2-5 (7.0/24) and Boys 6-11 (13.2/44). In its
10:00 a.m. ET time period, POKEMON ranked #2
among all competition in Kids 2-11 (7.1/24),
Kids 2-5 (4.7/15), Kids 6-11 (8.7/29), Boys 2-11
(9.4/30), Boys 2-5 (6.6/20) and Boys 6-11
(11.2/36). The series also ranked as the #3
program for the morning in its 8:30 a.m. ET time
period, delivering a 6.6/27 rating/share among
Kids 2-11. In addition, the series captured the
time period in Kids 2-5 (3.6/16), Kids 6-11
(8.5/34), Boys 2-11 (8.7/34), Boys 2-5 (5.4/24)
and Boys 6-11 (10.9/40).
MAX STEEL continued to deliver extreme ratings
on Saturday, March 4, infusing its 9:30 a.m. ET
time period and ranking as the #4 program for
the morning. The series outperformed all
broadcast competition in Kids 2-11 (5.6/18),
following closely behind Nickelodeon’s "Rugrats"
(5.6/19). MAX STEEL dominated all time period
competition, including cable, in Kids 6-11
(6.5/23), Boys 2-11 (7.9/26), Boys 2-5 (6.8/21)
and Boys 6-11 (8.6/30).
For the week of February 28 -- March 4, Kids’
WB!’s weekday lineup delivered a 2.4/14
rating/share among Kids 2-11, beating
Nickelodeon’s (2.3/16) and Fox Kids’
(2.0/11) morning (7:00-8:00 a.m. ET) and
afternoon (3:00-5:00 p.m.) blocks. POKEMON led
the week among all competition, taking the top
two spots for the week among Kids 2-11. In its
4:00 p.m. time slot, the series delivered a
4.3/21 among Kids 2-11 and posted a 3.9/28 among
Kids 2-11 in its 7:00 a.m./ET time period. At
4:30 p.m., BATMAN BEYOND (M & F) and THE
BATMAN/SUPERMAN ADVENTURES (T-W-TH) weekday
average posted a 2.1/10 to rank among the top
ten programs for the week among 2-11."
--Rembrant
March 11, 2000
- Centipede
Details
Recently, I posted Cartoon Network's
2000-2001 line-up, which included a new,
original series, titled Centipede. Here is AWN
had to say about the show:
"The original CGI action-adventure series
follows the escapades of a young hero, who finds
himself in a world ruled by the most monstrous
bug ever."
Cartoon Network has aquired 26 episodes of the
series, in partnership with Hasbro.
--Rembrant
March 5, 2000
- Future
Shows on Kids' WB! from Big Studio Names
I found this in Kidscreen and I thought
this might be very useful for you guys:
"...Next season will be the first full
schedule developed by Friedman and her team. For
next fall, Friedman says the network is sticking
to its formula of 'high action, high adventure,
humor and heart.' Following this month's debut
of Max Steel, new series from producers
including Nelvana, Sony Wonder and
Sony Pictures Family Entertainment will
roll out, with new and returning programs from
Warner Bros. Television Animation remaining 'a
significant part' of the lineup. Friedman adds
that Pokémon, with 52 new half hours in the
wings, will continue to be 'an important part of
our schedule.' In Japan, girls took longer to
get into Pokémon, says Petrick, and if that
holds true for the U.S., it could push the
show's growing girl numbers higher, which he
hopes would bring girls to other Kids' WB!
programs too. 'You'll probably find us to be a
little more aggressive in the promotional area
next year,' says Petrick, resulting in bigger
and more frequent tie-ins with large
partners..."
--Rembrant
March 2, 2000
- Paying
Through the Nose for Pokemon
Pokémon Ups Ante
Once you become successful, you can name your
own price. This at least seems to be the case
with the Pokémon television series.
Now that the little monster show from Japan is
the most popular animated series in the world,
it has become the most expensive kids show in
the world to air. "There are
across-the-board price increases ranging from
25%-50% in some cases to as high as tenfold
increases," explained Brian Lacey, the
president of Lacey Entertainment which
distributes the series overseas. "But the
ratings are staggering," Lacey adds.
--The Mad Hatter
March 1, 2000
- Synopses
of Steel
In case you care, here's a rundown of the
wacky adventures Max Steel's going to be having
this season. Be advised, Kid's WB likes to
pepper their synopses with spoilers... not that
too many people around here care. Anyway, here
goes:
Sony Television has provided The Continuum with
complete log lines for the first season of Max
Steel, the new animated series on Kids' WB!.
Here's a rundown - and note that every episode
begins with the letter 'S.'
"Strangers"
N-TEK has sent Team Steel to Berlin to protect a
Peace Conference from terrorist attack.
Unfortunately, Dread operative L'Etranger
kidnaps everyone at the conference, including
Team Steel's senior agent, Rachel Leeds. With
Rachel gone, Max Steel is placed in charge of
the mission -- a responsibility he wanted, but
now isn't sure he's ready to handle.
Nevertheless, Max tracks down the hostages and
manages to save the day with the help of Team
Steel's third member, 'Berto Martinez. Max,
a.k.a. Josh McGrath, is even able to get back to
Del Oro Bay in time to pick up his girlfriend
Laura Chen at the airport.
"Sacrifices"
Max Steel, Jeff Smith and Mari Keita are nearly
blown out of the sky by a Dread missile attack.
Assuming the missile's target was U.N. Secretary
General Keita, Team Steel is assigned to protect
her. But the real target was Jeff, who is
kidnapped by Psycho, the man somehow responsible
for turning Josh McGrath into Max Steel. Mairot
sends most of N-TEK's agents out of town to
search for Jeff. But Max discovers that Jeff
never left Del Oro Bay. He attempts to rescue
his father but is captured. Despite their
differences, Max and Jeff work together to
escape their cells and to prevent Psycho from
stealing his true objective: the deadly Cain
Virus.
"Shadows"
Josh/Max is still having nightmares about
Psycho. And it doesn't help that he's trying to
stop Psycho and Dread from blackmailing Paris
with a device that generates an Electro-magnetic
pulse which can shut Max down like a light
switch. During time periods of pulse-induced
slumber, Max flashes back to Josh's first
encounter with Psycho -- and the
horrible-but-lucky accident that created Max
Steel in the first place.
"Sportsmen"
Josh McGrath quits the Del Oro Extreme because
it just isn't fair for him to compete now that
he possesses Max Steel powers. Unfortunately,
someone is sabotaging the DOX with a machine
that can generate lightning bolts, forcing Max
to enter the competition in order to protect his
fellow athletes and catch the terrorist.
Meanwhile, Josh has other problems as Laura Chen
discovers that he's been lying to her about his
relationship with Rachel Leeds.
"Seraphim"
In Shanghai, Team Steel sets out to retrieve a
stolen computer disk called Seraph, while Josh
simultaneously tries not to let Laura down by
standing her up for her brother's wedding.
Multiple twists and turns result as Dread, Dragonelle, Ivan Vostok and Chang and his
CyberDragon Tong all vie for possession of the
dangerous software.
"Spear Carriers"
Something's stealing experimental aircraft right
out of the sky. Max, 'Berto, Rachel and Chuck
Marshak use Behemoth, Team Steel's new Mobile
Base of Operations, as bait. Their plan works
too well. Max, Rachel and Marshak wind up in the
Arizona Desert, leaving 'Berto along behind
enemy lines and in the custody of the
self-proclaimed King of the Skies, Lance Breamer.
"Snow-Blind"
Josh, Lauren and Pete head to Aspen for a
much-needed winter vacation. Set up with 'Berto's
help over the bio-link, Max tracks Psycho to a
Dread lair deep within an ice cave. But John
Dread has been intercepting Max's Bio-Link
frequency and impersonating 'Berto to lure Max
out of Del Oro Bay and into a trap. Max is
captured, freeing Dread to test Infinity Ice on
Del Oro Bay.
"Sharks"
Crazy Woody Barkowski's hurricane machine
seemingly sink the freighter Colosso and its
dangerous cargo of plutonium. Max and Rachel
board N-TEK's Shark submarine on a salvage
mission. But they soon discover that the Colosso
was deliberately sunk by L'Entrabger aboard his
own sub, The Akyna. During the mission, Rachel
gets Max/Josh to open up about his mother's deat
in a boating accident. Max's vulnerability leads
to a kiss between Max and Rachel.
"Sabres"
N-TEK'S SABRE space station is falling out of
orbit. Max Steel and Jake Nex (Rachel Leeds'
ex-boyfriend) are sent up to salvage it, but
that becomes impossible when Psycho and Vitriol
enter the picture for Dread. They've sabotaged
the station in order to steal N-TEK's top-secret
space shuttle Phoenix -- and in order to use
Sabre to destroy N-TEK and Del Oro Bay in the
bargain. In the end, Max and Nez capture
Vitriol, send Psycho hurtling into space and
manage to bring Sabre down harmlessly in the
ocean. But Josh McGrath has another surprise
waiting for him back home. Seems his best friend
Pete Costas has fallen for Laura Chen.
"Sphinxes"
Team Steel is sent to Egypt to investigate
suspicious energy readings coming from the Great
Pyramid. Is the Curse of Khufu bringing the
Egyptian death-gods and mummies to life? Or is
it all just a ploy by Dragonelle and Dread to
build a missile silo inside the pyramid that
will destroy a fragile Mid-East Peace? Max and
Rachel soon learn the truth, but not before Max
is injected with Dread probes that are
neutralizing his Max probes and powers.
"Swashbucklers"
Josh and Laura head down to Baja on spring break
and stumble upon a mystery involving Pirates and
the missing sons of his American literature profesor, Guerard. Turns out the Hernando
Carreras has built an earthquake machine and
plans on dumping the East Coast of Baja into the
Sea of Cortez. Laura and Max team up to stop
him. But it's Josh who gets in trouble when he
confesses a secret to his girlfriend.
"Scions"
Josh, dumped by Laura and on academic probation,
is ready to live as Max Steel full time. Team
Steel is sent to Tenerife to investigate a
volcano that's erupting without geological
cause. There the discover that Psycho has set up
a Dread mining operation that's causing the
volcano to blow its top. They defeat Psycho and
defuse the volcano. And on the way home, Josh
learns a little something about his father, Big
Jim McGrath, that convinces him not to give up
his true identity.
"Shattered"
Vitriol escapes from N-TEK; Laura won't talk to
Josh; the U.N building and everyone inside are
about to be crushed by a Mysterious Fungus;
Mariot turns out to be a spy for Dread; Rachel
is jumped by Vitriol; Max is jumped by Psycho;
Marshak is jumped by Mairot; Dread finally
captures Max; and Josh is on academic probation
and has to turn in a 20-page term papeer before
the mission is over.
--The Mad Hatter
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