Toon Disney
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This article possibly contains original research. (January 2009) |
Network | Disney-ABC Television Group |
---|---|
Headquarters | Burbank, California, U.S. |
Ownership | |
Owner | The Walt Disney Company |
Toon Disney is a soon to be defunct 24-hour American cable television channel owned by The Walt Disney Company that mostly airs children's animated television series. A spin-off of Disney Channel, Toon Disney shows children's cartoons 24 hours a day (except for minimal live action programming); its format has similarities to those of Cartoon Network and Nicktoons Network. Toon Disney's target audience are children ages 2-11, with the exceptions of programming used in a night time block aimed at children ages 7-13 called Jetix.
Like other Disney-owned cable channels, starting in 2008, Toon Disney began airing in High-Definition.[1][2] Toon Disney, at launch, was commercial free until Fall 2000. This was when the network reached "critical mass" in subscribers of over 15 million.[3]
On August 6, 2008 Disney announced they would be rebranding Toon Disney in [needs update] February 2009 as Disney XD, which will be aimed at 6 to 14 year old boys.[4] The changeover date has since been clarified to be February 13.[5]
Toon Disney debuted April 18, 1998, as a spin-off of Disney Channel. An early promotion shows that the network was meant to air older Disney cartoons such as DuckTales and Goof Troop and many other shows from The Disney Afternoon. For the first year of the channel's existence, a block of programs seen on Toon Disney would air on Sunday evenings on Disney Channel as a "sneak preview" of the channel for interested subscribers.
In the 2000s, Toon Disney gained a variety of new programming expanding the vast collection of Disney animation. Many programs from Disney's One Saturday Morning joined the lineup, mostly without the expense of other programs. In 2004 with the addition of Jetix, and the more animated programs from Disney Channel, many of the older programs on Toon Disney vanished.
Originally, the channel's programming consisted of older Disney animated television series, including those from The Disney Afternoon and Disney's One Saturday Morning. Toon Disney has also shown some other cartoons, most of them produced by DiC Entertainment, which Disney owned at the time the network was launched.[6]
ToonDisney.com
Toon Disney has its own website, ToonDisney.com which features brief programming descriptions, a limited selection of games, and a programming schedule. The website has not been updated for many years. In 2007 Toon Disney added its own video page on Disney XD, although initially meant for the Toon Disney-Jetix summer promotion. Jetix, a programming block on Toon Disney had its own video page, before Toon Disney. In September 2007, the video page for Toon Disney-Jetix Summer of a thousand prizes was re-themed into the official Toon Disney DxD website. [7]
Programming
Movies
Toon Disney also shows animated films, both Disney and non-Disney. Toon Disney airs many Disney classic films, which are not frequently shown on Disney Channel.
Live-action programming
Although the majority of the network's programming is animation, live-action programming has become a part of Toon Disney over the years. Live children were featured in bumpers aired from 1998 to 2002, and fan-made animations done in live-action were aired in these bumpers. The Jetix block airs the show Power Rangers. Toon Disney has also aired Muppet movies, including Muppets from Space, one Muppet movie that Disney does not own.
Recently, Toon Disney has aired the Disney Channel Original Movies: Jett Jackson: The Movie, and Up, Up, and Away, both of which have had minimal exposure on Disney Channel in recent years. The theatrical films Max Keeble's Big Move, Snow Dogs and Herbie: Fully Loaded have also aired recently. Toon Disney contains more than 10 short segments includes video/slideshow format. The short series Check This Kid Out aired randomly before or after the brand commercials aired on July 7, 2008 and will end on February 12, 2009. On September 1, 2008, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and Phineas and Ferb began airing on Toon Disney. On September 7, 2008, one of Disney's only live-action short films Frankenweenie also aired on Toon Disney.
Programming blocks
Toon Disney frequently airs groups of series in blocks, over the course of Toon Disney's broadcast history, it has had several programming blocks that featured at least two of their shows.[6]
Current
- Jetix - (2004-2009), a fourteen hour block on weekdays and a seventeen hour block on weekends. It features action shows that some of which were originally on Fox before Disney bought its children's shows and this block is what Fox Kids eventually became in 2002. Originally the network's nightly block, it has since gone to take up more than half of the network's schedule.
- Big Movie Show - (2005-2009), a daily showing of films, usually animated Disney films, but the film shown may be produced by another studio or live-action (the latter happens extremely rarely). The Big Movie Show is often the subject of theme weeks, which usually herald in the initial Toon Disney broadcast of a given film.
- Super Stacked Weekdays - (October 30, 2006-February 12, 2009), which consists of a mini-marathon each weekday. The marathons consist of random shows on Mondays (including shows that are no longer regularly included in Toon Disney programming), Kim Possible on Tuesdays, American Dragon: Jake Long on Wednesdays, Power Rangers Jungle Fury (of Jetix) on Thursdays, and Monster Buster Club (of Jetix) on Fridays. It began as Mega Movie Jam, but changed its name afterwards to Mega Jam. Starting October 1, 2007, it was renamed Toon Disney Treasure Cove. After this, it was changed to Super Stacked Weekdays to coincide with the Super Stacks, at this time known as Super Stacked Weekends.
- Super Stacked Weekends - (October 1, 2007-February 12, 2009), a three-hour weekend marathon of two random programs, one Saturday, and one Sunday. It was known as Super Stacks before its concision with Super Stacked Weekdays.
- The Brother Hood - (September 1, 2008-February 12, 2009), a one-hour block, which airs two times a day. It shows Phineas and Ferb and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.
Past
- Magical World of Toons - (2000-2003), it disappeared in 2003, where its slot was replaced by The Power Pack, which was a bunch of three-hour marathons of certain shows.
- Toons in the House - (2000-2001), A four-hour weekday-afternoon block similar in spirit to The Disney Afternoon.
- Chillin' with the Villains - (2000-2004), it was a two-hour marathon of a certain show was presented on Sunday afternoons. However, these particular marathons focused on a certain villain from whichever series was being featured.
- Princess Party Palace - (2000-2007), a one-hour block featuring episodes of Aladdin and The Little Mermaid. The block ended up airing only in the afternoons on weekends. Formerly known as Princess Power Hour. It was replaced by The Great Toon Weekend Getaway.
- @Toon - (2001-2004), spun off Toons in the House. Shortly after @Toon's premiere, before each first commercial break for most of the shows, it featured some viewer submissions and game high scores from the official website.
- Hangin' with the Heroes - (2002-2004), it originally aired on weekends, but then aired on weekdays, too. It featured Aladdin, Gargoyles, and Hercules: The Animated Series.
- The New For You Show! - (2003-2004), it featured new episodes of Lloyd in Space, House of Mouse, The Weekenders, Teamo Supremo, and Fillmore! every Friday and Saturday night at 9:00PM Eastern/8:00PM Central.
- Weekday Bonus Stacks - (2004-2005), were basically three 2 hour marathons of three different shows that aired from 11:00AM Eastern/10:00AM Central to 5:00PM Eastern/4:00PM Central. Everyday were three shows different from the previous day. Though many kids have enjoyed these shows, many of these programs were already airing in good time slots, so it decreased the variety of shows on the network. In September 2005, this block was renamed the Superstar Bonus Stacks and its starting time changed to 10 AM, but this time airing 7 different shows for an hour each and on a more regular schedule. However, this didn't last long. In October 2005, Toon Disney went back to the regular Bonus Stacks. It was replaced by Play it Again, Jam!
- After Class Laughs - (2005-2006). A two-hour block of "The Most Funny Shows" on Toon Disney. The shows are Lilo and Stitch: The Series, American Dragon: Jake Long, Disney's Recess, and Kim Possible. This block is shown on weekdays from 3:00PM Eastern/2:00PM Central to 5:00PM Eastern/4:00PM Central. It came back in 2006 under a slightly different name (After Class Laugh Attack). It was replaced by Mega Jam.
- Play it Again Jam! - (2006), replacing the Bonus Stacks. This format had three episodes of a given show in a row instead of four. Its name is a pun to the phrase, "Play it again, Sam!". It was replaced by Mega Jam, now named Treasure Cove.
- The Great Toon Weekend Getaway - (2007), A five-hour weekend block featuring shows based on Disney movies, which are Aladdin, Timon and Pumbaa, The Little Mermaid, The Legend of Tarzan, The Emperor's New School, and Lilo and Stitch: The Series.
Logos
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Toon Disney's very first logo from April 1998-September 2002; similar to Disney Channel's 1997 logo.Toon Disney's very first logo from April 1998-September 2002; similar to Disney Channel's 1997 logo.
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Toon Disney's second logo from September 2002 to September 2004.
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Toon Disney's third logo from September 2004 to September 2007; a variation of Disney Channel's current logo. It was later used in reference of the Jetix block until March 2007.
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Toon Disney's final logo (from September 2007 to February 2009); a variation of Disney Channel's current logo.
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First Disney XD logo (from February 2009 to present)
Toon Disney around the world
A Spanish language language audio track is available on Toon Disney via the SAP option within the United States; some cable and satellite systems also offer the Spanish language feed as a separate channel. Toon Disney networks also broadcasts in Germany, Italy, India, and Scandinavia. In the Indian version, it is the only channel available with English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu audio.[8] The British version was replaced by the channel Disney Cinemagic in March 2006. The French and Spanish version was also replaced by Disney Cinemagic.
In Israel, Toon Disney is a one-hour block on the Israeli Jetix service; the block began on that channel in the Summer of 2007.
In the Philippines, Toon Disney's Teamo Supremo is aired on ABS-CBN 2 every Saturday. Toon Disney was planned to be launched in Australia in March 2008 onto TV carriers Foxtel and Austar, But the channel is scheduled to launch early-2009 after the Optus D3 Sattellite and Foxtel HD+ launch.
In Japan, Toon Disney and Jetix Japan is broadcast in English and Japanese.
Disney XD
According to Disney, Toon Disney will be replaced by Disney XD on Friday, February 13, 2009.[9] Toon Disney/Jetix will run its regular schedule until the switch date.
See also
References
- ^ "DirecTV to Add Disney, ESPN HD Services". MulitChannel News. March 13, 2007. Retrieved 2009-01-09.
- ^ "Toon Disney available in HD". DirecTV. Retrieved 2009-01-09.
- ^ "Stay Toon-ed For Ads On Disney Spinoff Channel". All Business. February 25, 2000. Retrieved 2009-01-09.
- ^ Disney to Target Boys With Rebranded Cable Channel, Los Angeles Times, August 7, 2008
- ^ Disney Muscle Backs "XD", MultiChannel News, January 12, 2009
- ^ a b Classic TV & Movie Hits
- ^ Toon Disney Disney XD Website
- ^ Toon Disney to be launched in Hindi from September 1
- ^ "Disney XD Unwraps on Friday the 13th". MultiChannel News. January 7, 2009. Retrieved 2009-01-09.