Pokemon and the Network Shift...

[mr_pikachu]

(Note: A similar topic is in the Entertainment forum, but I figured that another topic in this forum would be worthwhile since this could have a direct effect on the Pokemon anime itself.)

Well, in case you hadn't heard, the WB and UPN recently announced a merger. They will form a new network, which is to be called "CW" - the "C' stands for CBS Corporation and the "W" is for Warner Bros. Entertainment. This will, of course, mean that their programming will have to change drastically to make room for shows from both networks as well as whatever new programs they decide to create.

It appears from a business standpoint that the CW will likely still focus somewhat on children's programming (see: Exit WB, UPN; Enter the CW). However, this is still up in the air, as no announcements have been made regarding specific programming schedules. Added to this doubt is the fact that UPN has aired shows targeting adults for most of its history, and because the WB made some major changes to the scheduling of its children's programming before the merger was announced.

So, I guess the first question is whether or not Pokemon will remain. If the CW does continue to run some children's programming, they'd have to be idiots not to keep Pokemon. And that's not my opinion as a Pokemon fan. That's my opinion from looking at the ratings. Pokemon has been the top show on Saturday morning on the WB and often overall for years. However, I still think changing the children's programming in the way WB did was a foolish (or at least risky) move, so you never know. Plus, if they do decide to surprise the analysts drop the whole set of shows, well, Pokemon'll have to go with the others. So it's extremely questionable at this point in time.

If they do give up their rights to air Pokemon, then the question that immediately follows is that of who would pick it up. Cartoon Network would have to be the leading candidate, especially since they still air some Pokemon reruns, if I'm not mistaken. However, I'd imagine that networks like Fox and perhaps the big three networks would fight for Pokemon to add a boost to their weaker Saturday morning programming schedules.

And of course, the biggest question would be what kind of effect a network change would have on Pokemon. (This question could possibly be asked even if Pokemon stays with the new CW.) Would a different network mean different voice actors? Could the dubbing and other editing processes be changed? And if the timeslot for Pokemon is changed, how might that change the viewership, and how would that in turn affect how the network treats the show?

There are many questions to be asked about the possible changes that lie ahead for Pokemon. So, what do you think?

[Gnight]

I don't have cartoon network and Fox sucks now. Eventhough Kids WB seems to be headed down the same road as Fox Kids, i'm going to have to vote Hell Yes.

[mr_pikachu]

Well, just a few days ago, I saw a commercial on Cartoon Network for Xiaolin Showdown, which to this point has been one of the few shows that Kids WB has kept since dropping more half of their standard lineup several months back. Yu-Gi-Oh! is ending - but its counterpart, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, is shown on CN - and older Pokemon episodes have been shown on CN for years now.

With that on top of the amazingly poor job that's being done in updating the Kids WB website (for instance, Yu-Gi-Oh hasn't had an episode for quite awhile, so its section of the Kids WB site automatically reminds viewers about the new episodes that just happen to have the titles of the upcoming episodes of Johnny Test), I'm starting to wonder if the WB is making a move to drop the rights to its "younger audience" shows in preparation for the merger.

[P0RYG0N]

I don't think the change in network would have any direct relation with the change in the dub, unless Kids WB and 4Kids are more linked than I thought, but I doubt it.
Also, since WB was planning on (or already has, I really don't check much) dropping Pokemon on the weekdays, I'd guess they'd do it for the new network too. If it seemed like a good idea to do on WB, I don't see why they wouldn't repete it on CW. I just hope CN makes up for this if it happens and shows Pokemon more often.

[mr_pikachu]

Yes, Pokemon hasn't been shown on any weekday since the beginning of this year. They've replaced the former two-hour weekday block with other WB shows.

[Shuppet Master]

I'm going to have to go with the majority here. As you know, Pokemon USA now owns the rights to the anime, which means that they may wish to move it to a new network. The dubbing of the anime won't really matter for me here, but I'm more concerned about the viewers.

Most of us were introduced to Pokemon on Kid's WB, and if WB has to cancel its Saturday lineup to make room for UPN's shows, then they'll lose a lot of consumers, who will simply switch over to Cartoon Network for their cartoon fix. Since Pokemon is a major player on CN, Pokemon won't lose any of its fans who can access it, but anyone who cannot will probably give up on the show and focus on the games instead, causing the anime to lose customers. However, this may not be a bad thing.

Pokemon's fate will reside on what the current owner decides to do with it. Personally, I'd like to see them move over to Cartoon Network with their new series and air alongside Yu-Gi-Oh GX, but that's just me.

[Gnight]

Most of us were introduced to Pokemon on Kid's WB, and if WB has to cancel its Saturday lineup to make room for UPN's shows, then they'll lose a lot of consumers, who will simply switch over to Cartoon Network for their cartoon fix. Since Pokemon is a major player on CN, Pokemon won't lose any of its fans who can access it, but anyone who cannot will probably give up on the show and focus on the games instead, causing the anime to lose customers. However, this may not be a bad thing.

I don't have cartoon network but if pokemon was moved there, I wouldn't be able to just give it up. Pokemon has been a big part of my life for almost 10 years and the anime is one of my top favorate shows. I've missed only a few episodes only because of hurricane Rita and the times I had to work on saturday morning and forgot to set my VCR since i'm not used to working at that time, or I got to bed to late and my arlarm failed to wake me and I forgot to catch the rebroadcast on friday(can't do that anymore. damn you Kids WB) So, yeah, Pokemon is one of those shows that would take something really radical to make me miss it. IF it moves to CN, i'll use torrents, go to a friends house, whatever it takes.

[Mikachu Yukitatsu]

I hope you'll get the best voice actors.

Here in Finland James's first voice actor was great. And I believe it was different from Brock's. But now they have changed it at least two times and they both sound horrible. They just can't do the laugh thingy.

[mr_pikachu]

Well, the scenario's looking more plausible every minute... Cartoon Network's just now showing their first episode of Xiaolin Showdown, which was previously only on Kids WB.


EDIT: And let's take it a step further by looking at all the shows on CN. You can now find on these listings Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh (and GX, obviously), Xiaolin Showdown, The Batman. All these shows not only started on Kids WB, but are in fact still listed on the top of their website. Yu-Gi-Oh is the only one of them that ever actually completed its run, if I'm not mistaken. (And since I missed the last several episodes shown, I'm acually not even sure of that.) I've never even heard about any episodes of The Batman having been shown on CN, so I would assume that they haven't... yet.

So let's tally this up.

- Pokemon's been on CN for years.
- Yu-Gi-Oh has never been shown there, but it's been completed and CN has its spinoff.
- Xiaolin Showdown is making its premiere, and it looks like CN's preparing to show The Batman, as well.
- Kids WB made some pretty drastic changes late last year (wiping out most of its previous shows and replacing them with stuff like "Coconut Fred's Fruit Salad Island")
- The new year has seen the termination of the weekday animation lineup.
- And let's not forget that now WB and UPN are merging.

All in all, I'd say the future of Pokemon on Kids WB is looking rather iffy.

[Mr.Pokemon]

Actually, Pokemon is off the CN schedule(again!) for right now. I'm not sure when it was yanked off, or when it will return. They were airing 2 shows back to back on Saturday and Sunday evenings.

I agree, Kids WB/CW seems it will go the way of Fox Kids did in the late 90s...just before the merger was annouced, the WB had knocked off Kids WB from weekday afternoons and replaced it with the new "WB Daytime" block.

[mr_pikachu]

O_O

Whoa... okay, we've got a big, big headliner for ya...

First, here's a link to an Anime News Network article that literally just now appeared.

But for those of you who don't feel like following the link, here's the article in full...

~~~~~~~~~~

posted on 2006-04-26 10:56:39

Yu-Gi-Oh! ending, future of Pokemon, Viewtiful Joe unknown


Warner Bros. announced its Fall 2006 Kids WB lineup:

7:00 am - PILLOW HEAD HOUR (reruns of other shows on the schedule)

8:00 am - TOM AND JERRY TALES (new)

8:30 am - MONSTER ALLERGY (new)

9:00 am - XIAOLIN SHOWDOWN (returning)

10:00am - SHAGGY & SCOOBY-DOO GET A CLUE (new)

10:30am - JOHNNY TEST (returning)

11:00am - Legion of Super-Heroes (new)

11:30am - The Batman (returning)

All of the new shows are produced in-house by WB. Kids WB will have shown all Yu-Gi-Oh episodes, but the status of new Viewtiful Joe and Pokemon episodes is unknown.

~~~~~~~~~~

You think Pokemon's going to be off the WB for good, or is there more to this? Discuss!


EDIT: There's a larger press release located here, but I think it's a tad too large for me to provide the full text here.

[Mr.Pokemon]

Oh my! I wonder where Pokemon will go to? 4KidsTV maybe? Well, I know Pokemon USA is doing the dubbing and there will be all new voices...er, wow, what shocking news.

[mr_pikachu]

Well, it's not really unexpected, I suppose. It's just a bit of a shock to finally see it in an official press release.

Yeah, WB's committing industrial suicide. Plain and simple.

[Mr.Pokemon]

Well, it's not really unexpected, I suppose. It's just a bit of a shock to finally see it in an official press release.

Yeah, WB's committing industrial suicide. Plain and simple.

Like a captain and his sinking ship, I suppose it's fitting that since the WB is ending, the shows that have defined would go down with it. Both 7th Heaven and Charmed have their series finale's within the next few weeks, and I believe Pokemon has been on the WB for 8 years now(same as Charmed) and has well defined the Kids WB line-up.

I suppose Kids WB will go back to the pre Pokemon days and air cartoons done by Warner(another Superman series maybe?)

But now I'm also wondering what will happen to Pokemon Chronicles? How shall it come to the US, over the air or DVDs? I'm betting the latter.

[Elec Man EXE]

They're making ANOTHER new Scooby Doo show? Heh... what ever happened to Whats New Scooby Doo? Or was that Cartoon Network? I can't remember.

I really wonder whats happening to Pokemon. Humm..

[mr_pikachu]

(Note: I didn't really want to double post with information that is technically old, so I'm combining my previous post and this new info into one post.)

Post #1

Just a quick update on a little news. Pokemon: Advanced Challenge is now going to be shown on Cartoon Network every Monday-Friday at 5:00 Eastern Time (during the Miguzi block). It's a little unclear for how long this will continue, but it could potentially be the first phase of a network switch.

Also, CW (the result of the WB/UPN merger) is expected to announce their schedule for the fall season on Thursday. This should provide quite a bit of insight into the future of the Pokemon anime.


Note: Cartoon Network's schedule can be found here. A news reference for the Thursday announcement is here.

Post #2

Well, I kept wondering how there could possibly not be any further news on Pokemon's status with the new CW. So I dove into the depths of the internet and found this:

The new Kids WB! five-hour, Saturday morning block airing on CW this fall will include three new series from Warner Bros. Animation and a new group of programs that comply with the government’s children’s education initiative.

Gone will be longtime Kids WB! staples Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh!, both which have been falling steadily in the ratings.

The three new series will be Legion of Super Heroes, based on the DC Comics characters, Shaggy and Scooby-Doo Get a Clue!, and Tom and Jerry Tales. The block will kick off at 7 a.m. with a “Pillow Head” hour made up of educational programming. Kids WB! will announce at a later date shows that appear in that hour. The net has tapped a kids programming media advisor to help select programs that meet the federal requirements. Kids WB! will also offer the TV premiere of Monster Allergy, a half-hour show based on the comic book series and produced by Rainbow S.r.l., but it will not be part of the Pillow Head hour.

Betsy McGowen, senior vp and general manager of Kids WB! on CW, the same position she held when the block aired on the WB, said the decision to keep the Kids WB! name after the network ceases to exist was made after surveys showed that the name scored high in recognition among kids 6-11. “With CBS changing to DIC-produced kids programming and NBC dropping Discovery on Saturday mornings, we felt it would be best to keep the name consistent,” said McGowen.
The focus of the block will be boys 6-11, but McGowen said many of the shows have elements that appeal to girls, too. The decision to drop Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh! was based on soft ratings and a desire to bring in more Warner Bros. Animation shows that lets the network and the kids block more easily extend the brand with in-house digital rights. “We are still developing with outside producers, but we are working more closely with Warner Bros. Animation,” McGowen said.

McGowen said Kids WB! will not have a formal upfront sales presentation for the new fall schedule, but said that sales and programming executives have already conducted 15 presentations in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, with assorted media agencies and media executives.

On the new fall schedule, the Pillow Head hour will air from 7-8 a.m., followed by Tom and Jerry Tales at 8, Monster Allergy at 8:30 a.m., returning shows Xiaolin Showdown at 9 and Loonatics Unleashed at 9:30, Shaggy & Scooby-Doo at 10, returning Johnny Test at 10:30, Legion of Super Heroes at 11, and returning The Batman at 11:30.

Now, I couldn't find any quotes of CW execs directly referencing Pokemon, so this could possibly be taken out of context. But if we take it at face value, it looks as if Pokemon's stay on the WB's network will end at eight seasons. I had previously thought that Pokemon might still find a spot in the so-called "Pillow Head Hour" if the rerun plan was scrapped, but if that's going to be filled with "educational programming," then there's really no space left for Kids WB's most successful series.

With Pokemon: Advanced Challenge and Pokemon Chronicles now set to air on Cartoon Network, it seems more and more likely that CN might take over the anime series in the near future. At least there, Pokemon might be appreciated.

(And on a side note, Mr.Pokemon, CW decided to extend the run of 7th Heaven. Go figure.)