Happy 30th Anniversary to Kids WB!

[wonderfly]

From the front page of AnimeSuperhero.com:

"Kids WB: A 30th Anniversary Retrospective, Part 1: The New Kids Programming Block (1995-1997)"​

"Today marks 30 years since Kids WB premiered, on September 9th, 1995, arguably the greatest kids programming block of all time – though FOX Kids can make a counter claim. Speaking of which, Kids WB’s creation can in large part be attributed to the success of the rival network. The FOX channel launched in 1987 as the “4th network”, to compete against ABC, NBC and CBS. Seeing hits like “The Simpsons” in Prime Time and “Batman the Animated Series” and “X-Men” on Saturday Mornings and weekday afternoons, Warner Bros. decided to have it’s own turn. In the Fall of 1995, Warner Bros. launched “The WB”, it’s own “over the air” broadcast network (as did UPN, making for a total of 6 major broadcast networks in the late 90’s…but UPN is largely forgettable). Along with the creation of the new channel came the creation of a new kid’s programming block.

Enter: Kids WB​

Kids WB’s initial line-up was composed of several shows that had previously formed the backbone of FOX Kids’ line-up, namely “Animaniacs”.

Kids WB’s original Saturday morning line-up consisted of:

8:00 E.T. – Animaniacs

8:30 E.T. – The Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries

9:00 ET – Animaniacs (hey, a 2nd dose can’t hurt, right?)

9:30 ET – Pinky & the Brain (now a spin-off show)

10:00 ET – Freakazoid

10:30 ET – Earthworm Jim"

Read the full article here.

 

[PF9]

Earthworm Jim was the only non-WB show on the original lineup, being a Universal production.

 

[RandomMe]

There was a time a few years in when there were some SPE shows too.

it was aesthetically good throughtout its run.

 

[Peter Paltridge]

Nice retrospective so far. It was 30 years ago today! That first season was legendary. I taped much of it with ads, and the copies floating around out there on YouTube and other places are mostly mine.

 

[wonderfly]

I didn't want to include this in the article, but I'll add this to the conversation:

Kids WB was the primary inspiration for the creation of "Toon Zone" in 1998. From 1998 to 2001, Kids WB cartoons were the primary cartoons discussed on the forums. Though with the creation of the new Toonzone forums in 2001 (aka THESE forums, by the way), the discussions expanded to other networks and programming blocks (Toonami, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, etc).

 

[JUS28]

I didn't want to include this in the article, but I'll add this to the conversation:

Kids WB was the primary inspiration for the creation of "Toon Zone" in 1998. From 1998 to 2001, Kids WB cartoons were the primary cartoons discussed on the forums. Though with the creation of the new Toonzone forums in 2001 (aka THESE forums, by the way), the discussions expanded to other networks and programming blocks (Toonami, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, etc).

Wow, I did not know that! Can you imagine what would had happen if Kids WB would have still been here today?

 

[Classic Speedy]

Unfortunately I didn't have Kids WB growing up- it wasn't on my town's cable package. So I missed out on all these debut shows until many years later.

 

[RandomMe]

I've been editing the Wikipedia article adding sources with my The Wikipedia Library account and access to ProQuest, so far I only dabbed on the early years.

 

[the_joker]

Wow, if Kids WB was still around, it would be at an age that's too old for Hollywood.

I have fond memories of watching this block during weekday afternoons and Saturday mornings along with Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, and the Disney Channel (I actually didn't watch much of the Disney Afternoon). The DC shows were definitely the standouts for me, but I also did watch and enjoy Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, Tiny Toons, Road Rovers, and Men in Black.

Too bad broadcast and cable tv aren't what they used to be, but I suppose all good things come to an end. There's plenty to be said about streaming, but that's a separate topic. I just wonder when this block started dying for me.

 

[PicardMan]

I was a very hardcore Kids' WB fan back in the day. Animaniacs, The Batman/Superman Adventures, Pokémon, Men in Black: The Series, Saturday mornings were awesome in the late 90s/early 00s. It is a shame that only a few Kids' WB titles are available on streaming. At least the following are:

Men in Black: The Series (Tubi)
Jackie Chan Adventures (Tubi)
What's New Scooby Doo (Tubi)
Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries (Tubi)
Superman: The Animated Series (HBO Max)
Batman: The Animated Series season 4 (aka The New Batman Adventures (Amazon Prime)
Batman Beyond (HBO Max)
The Batman (HBO Max)
Johnny Test (Netflix)

And if you stay up late on Saturday night, Freakazoid is airing at 12:30 AM Eastern on MeTV Toons.

 

[Otakuninja2006]

Crazy how this block became the secondary catalyst for the first anime boom.

The impact of this block and Cartoon Network as a whole will never truly be told.

I wonder what @Jeff Harris feels about this.

 

[SpecialColorfull]

I think Kids WB had the last laugh, its spiritual successors Me TV and Me TV Toons are one of the few major undisputed successes in streaming era. In fact, people still want Kids WB shows on those channels.

 

[powergate92]

30 years ago KASW WB61 was set to launch in Phoenix, AZ on September 10, 1995, in time for the launch of Kids WB. However, the station's launch would be delayed to almost 2 weeks later on Saturday, September 23, 1995 at 6:57 AM. KASW was primarily affiliated with The WB and Fox Kids, with Kids WB as secondly until 1999 when Kids WB became primary and Fox Kids became secondly. KASW would air Fox Kids on Saturday Morning and Kids WB on Sunday Morning. KASW would mix Fox Kids and Kids WB programming together on Weekday mornings and Afternoons with syndicated Kids programming also airing.

 

[Peter Paltridge]

Too bad broadcast and cable tv aren't what they used to be, but I suppose all good things come to an end. There's plenty to be said about streaming, but that's a separate topic. I just wonder when this block started dying for me.

The good to bad ratio definitely started tilting toward the latter in the last few years, but I always found something worth watching. True that the last year had Skunk Fu, Will & Dewitt, and other things no one remembers, but Greg Weisman's Spectacular Spider-Man debuted its first season there. During Kids WB's final year. Unthinkable, right?

Here's another thing to blow your mind: during that final year, The WB had already merged with UPN to form The CW, so Kids WB actually outlived the very network it was on!

 

[RandomMe]

I remember reading your Kids' WB Yourself! articles in 2011 (and revisited in 2025) and was bummed that the tape didn't catch the tail end of the final block. Makes me think that it ended unceremoniously. I felt bad for the end of the weekday block because that meant low-income kids would only have access to PBS (that is, if the cheapest package did have The WB or if there was good enough WB coverage). I have to agree on MeTV Toons though.

 

[PicardMan]

Almost forgot, Histeria is actually airing on Saturday mornings at 9 AM Eastern on MeTV Toons if you are an early riser.

I think the guy in charge of MeTV Toons said that WB cartoons are very expensive and that's why Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, and the like are MIA on the schedule. That's probably also why Tubi probably only has Sylvester and Tweety and What's New Scooby Doo. Tubi does have two of the Sony cartoons on streaming (Men in Black and Jackie Chan), but the Universal cartoons (Earthworm Jim, The Mummy) are MIA on streaming and MeTV Toons.

 

[powergate92]

Almost forgot, Histeria is actually airing on Saturday mornings at 9 AM Eastern on MeTV Toons if you are an early riser.

I think the guy in charge of MeTV Toons said that WB cartoons are very expensive and that's why Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, and the like are MIA on the schedule. That's probably also why Tubi probably only has Sylvester and Tweety and What's New Scooby Doo. Tubi does have two of the Sony cartoons on streaming (Men in Black and Jackie Chan), but the Universal cartoons (Earthworm Jim, The Mummy) are MIA on streaming and MeTV Toons.

It's actually Amblin Co-productions he said are very expensive. I believe MeTV Toons actually has full access to the WB library considering most of their schedule is made up of shows from the WB library and Weigel website says in its' about page " the MeTV Toons Network in collaboration with Warner Bros. Discovery." Could also be noted several Kids WB shows were either announced pre-launch or were on a draft schedule, but haven't made it on to a final schedule yet.

Kids WB Shows announced to be on MeTV Toons pre-launch, but haven't made it onto a final schedule:

Xiaolin Showdown
Krypto the Superdog

Kids WB Shows that were on a draft schedule for MeTV Toons back in June, but haven't made it onto a final schedule:

¡Mucha Lucha!
Legion of Super Heroes

 

[RandomMe]

There was a brief period where CN shows had limited runs and often of just one season, and often not the entire season.

PPG, KND and FHFIF.

 

[PicardMan]

Okay, so I guess only the Spielberg produced stuff is hard to get, but MeTV Toons has been sitting airing on those 00s Kids' WB shows for some reason. I guess they will eventually air. MeTV Toons seems to prioritize Golden Age theatrical shorts over Saturday morning era-cartoons. Tubi's animation catalog seems to be primarily Saturday morning and syndication stuff, so I don't know for sure if MeTV Toons will air those shows first or if Tubi can actually beat them to the punch.

I know that Me TV Toons, HBO Max, and Tubi have been the obvious sources for Kids' WB content, but I almost forgot Sony's Throwback Toons Youtube channel exists and has Men in Black: The Series and Jackie Chan Adventures, as well as the 2000 Max Steel cartoon (not on Tubi).

 

[wonderfly]

I just wonder when this block started dying for me.

We'll be covering in the decline in upcoming parts of this series of articles on the front page, just FYI.

Hope to have "Part 2" up in the next couple days, and "Part 3" next week.