Nickandmore!

[via press release]

Kids’ WB! Brings Best-Selling Children’s Author R.L. Stine’s Newest Thriller Book Series “The Nightmare Room” To Life In Network’s First-Ever Live-Action Series For Fall 2001

(March 8, 2001 – Burbank, CA) — Kids’ WB!, a market leader in kids’ television, which has maintained its top-rated position as the #1 broadcast network this season, will add its first-ever live-action series and four new animated series to its top-rated Saturday morning and weekday slates during the 2001-2002 television season. The network introduced a diverse and innovative schedule, including Kids’ WB!‘s first live-action anthology series from best-selling children’s author R.L. Stine, and featuring the network’s hallmark ingredients: high-adventure, humor and heart; compelling storylines; and kid relatable characters for boys and girls. The new fall schedule also will include the new adventures of “Pokémon: Johto League Champions” and all-new seasons of returning hits “Jackie Chan Adventures” — airing six days a week, “X-Men: Evolution,” “Static Shock” and “Cardcaptors,” along with other Kids’ WB! favorites. The schedule was announced today by Donna Friedman, Executive Vice President, Kids’ WB!, speaking to advertisers and media at the network’s upfront sales presentations in New York.

Kids’ WB!, which is the only broadcaster with a full 19-hour programming schedule, has maintained its broadcast leadership position this season through a highly successful original programming line-up, strategic scheduling and aggressive research. This past year, Kids’ WB! spoke to more than a thousand kids during every phase of development and production, as well as partnered with child development experts to work closely with each series’ creative teams to ensure the network is in tune with what is relevant and meaningful to kids. The result of this major effort has been an exciting line-up of hit shows.

“Last year we set some clear goals — to maximize the amazing power of ‘Pokémon’ to launch new hits and to broaden our reach to include girls. I’m proud to say that we’ve accomplished both,” said Ms. Friedman. “Next season, we plan to build on this success and solidify our leadership position both on weekdays and Saturdays with a powerful schedule of returning hits and breakthrough new series from the best talent in the kids’ business.”
As the #1 choice for kids, Kids’ WB! continues to maintain its leading position as the #1 Saturday morning broadcast network for the second consecutive season. Setting precedent with its innovative and diverse 2000-2001 programming schedule, the network led the period regarded as the most important quarter in kids’ programming, the highly competitive 4th Quarter of 2000. Kids’ WB! captured the 4th Quarter to rank as the #1 broadcast network on Saturday mornings among the key demographics of Kids 2-11, Kids 6-11, Boys 2-11, Boys 6-11 and Girls 6-11, tying with the previous girl leader, ABC.

For the 4th Quarter, “Pokémon: The Johto Journeys” outperformed all Saturday morning competition, including cable, finishing as the #1 program in Boys 2-11 and Boys 6-11, and as the #1 broadcast program in Kids 2-11, Kids 6-11 and Girls 6-11. For the quarter, the network dominated with six of the top 10 Saturday morning kids broadcast programs among Kids 2-11, including the high-adventure “Pokémon: The Johto Journeys” ranking #1 and #8; the exciting team of “X-Men: Evolution” as the #2 program; the electrifying first African-American teenage superhero “Static Shock” ranking #5; and the action-comedy-adventure “Jackie Chan Adventures” shared the #6 spot with the magical fantasy “Cardcaptors.” “Pokémon” finished the quarter as the #1 weekday broadcast program in Kids 2-11 and Boys 2-11.

Season-to-date, Kids’ WB! remains a market leader in the key demographics of Kids 2-11, Kids 6-11, Boys 2-11, Boys 6-11 and Girls 6-11 (tied with ABC). “Pokémon: The Johto Journeys” ranks as the #1 series among all Saturday morning programs, including cable, in Boys 2-11 and Boys 6-11. Among Kids 2-11, Kids’ WB! programs capture 6 out of the top 10 Saturday morning broadcast spots season-to-date, with 5 out of the 6 being new series, including “Pokémon: The Johto Journeys” as the #1 program; “X-Men: Evolution” ranking #2; “Static Shock” in the #4 spot; and “Jackie Chan Adventures,” “Cardcaptors” and the new break-out hit “The Zeta Project” sharing the #6 spot. Kids’ WB! also dominates the top 10 lists with 7 out of the top 10 Saturday morning broadcast programs in Kids 6-11; and 6 out of the top 10 Saturday morning broadcast spots in Boys 2-11 and Girls 6-11.

Kids’ WB! brings all-new thrilling and chilling scary adventures to its Saturday morning line-up with the debut of the network’s first live-action anthology series from highly-acclaimed and wildly popular children’s author R.L. Stine. “The Nightmare Room” brings to life adaptations of Stine’s newest hit book series and all-new thrilling stories written just for Kids’ WB! Based on the blockbuster-hit feature film franchise, “The Mummy” follows 11-year-old Alex O’Connell, and his parents Rick and Evy, on a race around the world to discover a set of powerful scrolls…before the awesome Mummy captures them. In addition, the Saturday line-up will include the stunning 3D-CGI animated series “Cubix,” from the same team that brought “Pokémon” to Kids’ WB!, which presents a world where there is “a robot for everyone.”

The new Saturday line-up also will be highlighted by 52 all-new episodes of the next installment of the top-rated series “Pokémon: Johto League Champions,” and the returning hits: “Jackie Chan Adventures”; the all-original series “X-Men: Evolution”; and “Static Shock,” starring the first African-American teen animated superhero, which will feature a special animated guest appearance by superstar Shaquille O’Neal.