Bohbot Kids Network

Last updated
Bohbot Kids Network
BKN logo.png
Network Broadcast syndication
LaunchedSeptember 13, 1992;32 years ago (1992-09-13)
Country of originUnited States
Owner BKN, Inc.
Formerly known asAmazin' Adventures (1992–1997)
Bulldog TV (1999–2000)
Running time2 hours (1992–1995)
4 hours per week (1995–1996)
7 hours per week (1996–1997)
12 hours per week (1997–2000)
Original language(s) English
BKN Kids II
Network Broadcast syndication
LaunchedAugust 29, 1999;25 years ago (1999-08-29)
ClosedOctober 20, 2000;24 years ago (2000-10-20)
Country of originUnited States
OwnerBKN, Inc.
Format animated series
Running time4 hours (weekdays)
Original language(s) English

Bohbot Kids Network (more commonly referred to and on-screen as BKN, originally known as Amazin' Adventures until 1997) was a children's programming block operated by Bohbot Entertainment (later BKN, Inc.) that aired on syndicated television stations from 1992 to 2000. [1]

Contents

History

Amazin' Adventures (1992–1997)

On September 13, 1992, Bohbot Entertainment launched Amazin' Adventures, a syndicated programming block that aired for two hours on Sundays. Byrne Enterprises sold barter for the block. [2]

In August 1996, Bohbot announced that in addition to the standard Sunday block, an additional block titutively titled Amazin' Adventures Anthology would also be broadcast. [3] This block aired on weekdays for an hour a day.

Bohbot Kids Network (1997–1999)

Amazin' Adventures was re-launched as Bohbot Kids Network (BKN) in September 1997. [4] By 1997, the network had signed up 104 stations reaching 75% of the US, with 65 stations airing BKN in pattern and 35 stations signing on for three years. Stations that aired the BKN block included BHC Communications stations, [5] WCIU-TV, [6] WPGH-TV, and The WB 100+ Station Group. During BKN's first season, its programs were split into three blocks: the "Extreme Block" ( Extreme Dinosaurs and Extreme Ghostbusters ) and the "Comedy Block" ( The Mask: Animated Series and Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog ) on weekdays, and "Amazin' Adventures" ( Captain Simian & the Space Monkeys ) on weekends. [6]

Bulldog TV and BKN Kids II (1999–2000)

With multiple offers in top 50 markets for the Bohbot Kids Network, Bohbot Entertainment scheduled the launch of a second syndication network, BKN Kids II, for September 1998 to meet the demand. BE also looked for shows from other syndicators to include in BKN Kids II. [4] With financial setbacks that had happened in the past, a consortium of banks gave Bohbot $100 million in new financing in September 1998. Two new blocks were announced at the same time as well as the new chairman/CEO of Bohbot Kids Network, Rick Ungar. BKN also indicated that long-term network affiliation agreements were under close to being finalized with Chris-Craft/United Television, Tribune Broadcasting, Paramount Stations Group, Sinclair Broadcast Group and the WB network's WeB fill-in cable network. [7] Station groups affiliating with BKN 2 at launch included Sinclair Broadcast Group, Tribune Broadcasting, Clear Channel Communications and ACME Communications.

On July 16, 1999, BKN announced that their main syndicated service would be relaunched as an action-oriented block on August 29. [8] The service was internally named "Bulldog TV" because the block's bumpers featured an animated bulldog. Bulldog TV focused on action cartoons taken from Bohbot's existing catalog and acquired shows mainly from DIC, broken up into two-hour-long blocks that aired on weekdays and Sundays. Existing BKN shows such as Mummies Alive! , Double Dragon and Street Sharks made it to the rebranded service while two new original series, Roswell Conspiracies: Aliens, Myths and Legends and Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles were also added. The secondary syndicated service, BKN Kids II (branded as BKN on-screen) launched on the same day and broadcast a different lineup of shows in order to grant Syndex protection, [4] BKN Kids II functioned as a more mainstream block focusing on a broader audience encompassing both boys and girls 2-11. Much of the programming formerly seen on the main service was moved to Kids II, with shows such as Mighty Max , Highlander: The Animated Series , The Mask: The Animated Series, and Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog filling out the schedule. [4] Two acquisitions, Sonic Underground and Beakman's World , also aired on Kids II. [9] During this time, BKN had their shows aired on the Sci-Fi Channel on weekday mornings.

Bulldog TV and BKN Kids II ceased to broadcast on October 20, 2000. [1] The WB 100+ Station Group continued to air reruns of BKN shows during the 2000–2001 season.

Revival of Amazin' Adventures brand as a YouTube Channel (2023–present)

In February 2023, 41 Entertainment, the current distributor for BKN's former content, filed a trademark for "Amazin' Adventures". [10] Later on in the month, the brand was revived as a YouTube channel that offers up programs from 41 and BKN's catalogue. [11]

Programming

Amazin' Adventures

TitlePremiere dateEnd dateSource(s)
Saban's Around the World in Eighty Dreams September 13, 19921993
Saban's Gulliver's Travels
The Wizard of Oz
King Arthur and the Knights of Justice 1996
Hurricanes September 12, 19931994
Mighty Max
Double Dragon 1996
Street Sharks September 7, 19941997 [12] [13]
Turbocharged Thunderbirds December 19941995
A.J.'s Time Travelers 1996
Gadget Boy & Heather September 10, 1995
Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders 1997 [14]
Skysurfer Strike Force [15]
Captain Simian & the Space Monkeys September 8, 1996 [16]
The Mask: Animated Series September 10, 1996 [17]
The Real Ghostbusters August 1997September 1997 [18]

BKN

TitlePremiere dateEnd dateBlockSource(s)
Extreme Dinosaurs September 1, 19971999Extreme Block [19]
Extreme Ghostbusters [20]
The Mask: Animated Series 1997Comedy Block
Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog
Captain Simian & the Space Monkeys Amazin' Adventures
Jumanji 1998Extreme Block [21] [22]
Pocket Dragon Adventures Comedy Block [23] [24]
Mummies Alive! Extreme Block [25] [26]
Mighty Max [27]
Action Man [28]
Street Sharks [29]
Highlander: The Animated Series [30]
Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders Amazin' Adventures [31]
Double Dragon [32]
Ultraforce [33]
Skysurfer Strike Force [34]

Bulldog TV

TitlePremiere dateEnd dateSource(s)
Extreme Ghostbusters 19992000
Monster Rancher 19992000 [35]
Mummies Alive! 19992000
Rambo: The Force of Freedom 19992000 [36]
Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles August 29, 19992000 [37]
Roswell Conspiracies: Aliens, Myths and Legends August 29, 19992000 [38] [39]
Double Dragon 19992000
Street Sharks 19992000 [40]

BKN Kids II

TitlePremiere dateEnd dateSource(s)
Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog August 30, 1999October 20, 2000
Beakman's World [41]
Captain Simian & the Space Monkeys
Extreme Dinosaurs
Highlander: The Animated Series
Jumanji
King Arthur and the Knights of Justice
Mighty Max
Pocket Dragon Adventures
Skysurfer Strike Force
Sonic Underground [42]

References

  1. 1 2 "BKN Kids bites dust". Broadcasting . 2000-10-22. Retrieved 2021-12-13.
  2. Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 26. ISBN   978-1538103739.
  3. https://kidscreen.com/1996/08/01/17167-19960801/
  4. 1 2 3 4 Issue 3.2. "Bohbot Syndicating Second Kids Net". Animation World Magazine. May 1998. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
  5. Schlosser, Joe (October 5, 1998). "Bohbot zigs out of syndication". Broadcasting & Cable. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
  6. 1 2 "Bohbot Star Search". Variety. March 23, 1997. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
  7. Freeman, Michael (September 28, 1998). "Bohbot's 2000 Kids Tour". Mediaweek. Archived from the original on March 14, 2014. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
  8. "BKN acquires MONSTER RANCHER".
  9. "It's Show Time! The Fall TV Preview".
  10. "AMAZIN' ADVENTURES - 41 Entertainment LLC Trademark Registration".
  11. "Amazin' Adventures - YouTube". YouTube .
  12. Kirchdoerffer, Ed (March 1, 1996). "Bohbot expands promos". Kidscreen. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
  13. https://web.archive.org/web/19970626222202/http://www.amazin.com/amazin/sharkstructure/sharkshowpage/sharks.html
  14. https://web.archive.org/web/19970626222155/http://www.amazin.com/amazin/gwenstructure/gwenshowpage/gwenhome3.html
  15. https://web.archive.org/web/19970626222128/http://www.amazin.com/amazin/strikestructure/ssfshowpage/ssf.html
  16. https://web.archive.org/web/19970626222137/http://www.amazin.com/amazin/monkeystructure/spacmshow/monkeys.html
  17. https://web.archive.org/web/19970626222147/http://www.amazin.com/amazin/maskstructure/maskshowpage/masktemplate6.html
  18. https://web.archive.org/web/19971014022022/http://www.amazin.com/
  19. https://web.archive.org/web/19970626222720/http://www.amazin.com/amazin/exdinosaursprecis.html
  20. https://web.archive.org/web/19970626222712/http://www.amazin.com/amazin/exghostbustersprecis.html
  21. Issue 2.11. Kenyon, Heather (February 1998). "NATPE 1998: It's A Tough Market But Someone is Selling..." Animation World Magazine. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
  22. https://www.awn.com/animationworld/tooning-1998-fall-season-0
  23. https://www.awn.com/animationworld/tooning-1998-fall-season-0
  24. https://web.archive.org/web/19970626222730/http://www.amazin.com/amazin/pocketdragonprecis.html
  25. https://www.awn.com/animationworld/natpe-1998-its-tough-market-someone-selling
  26. https://www.awn.com/animationworld/tooning-1998-fall-season-0
  27. https://www.awn.com/animationworld/tooning-1998-fall-season-0
  28. https://www.awn.com/animationworld/tooning-1998-fall-season-0
  29. https://www.awn.com/animationworld/tooning-1998-fall-season-0
  30. https://www.awn.com/animationworld/tooning-1998-fall-season-0
  31. https://www.awn.com/animationworld/tooning-1998-fall-season-0
  32. https://www.awn.com/animationworld/tooning-1998-fall-season-0
  33. https://www.awn.com/animationworld/tooning-1998-fall-season-0
  34. https://www.awn.com/animationworld/tooning-1998-fall-season-0
  35. https://kidscreen.com/1999/09/01/26572-19990901/
  36. https://kidscreen.com/1999/09/01/26572-19990901/
  37. https://kidscreen.com/1999/09/01/26572-19990901/
  38. https://variety.com/1998/tv/news/bohbot-ready-to-uncover-conspiracies-for-syndie-1117470764/
  39. https://kidscreen.com/1999/09/01/26572-19990901/
  40. https://kidscreen.com/1999/09/01/26572-19990901/
  41. https://kidscreen.com/1999/09/01/26572-19990901/
  42. https://kidscreen.com/1999/09/01/26572-19990901/