A look back : Children's programming blocks: Discovery Kids on NBC

The Flash Black | Children's  TV 
       This  must really be a series now .... we take another look back at children's television on broadcast TV from the past. This time we go back to obscurity.  Discovery Kids on NBC.
    NBC in 2002 , deiced  to hop  back into having children's programming on a Saturday Morning   and end it's long running T-NBC ( Teen NBC)  block.    This block was self-serving for both sides it gave Discovery's children's channel , Discovery Kids,  more exposure and gave NBC 3 hours of E/I mandated children's programming.  Discovery Kids had launched in 1996 , as the beginning of Discovery's expansion into digital cable networks but it didn't have a lot of people able to watch it.  2002 ,was an interesting year for children's programming blocks  where cable network programming was added more to broadcast tv,
Nick on CBS,  Disney Channel programs on ABC Kids,  some cartoon network programs on Kids WB.
 

Discovery Kids Ident - Sound Design and Mix from Richard Spooner - Sound Designer on Vimeo.
  So  anyway what kind of programs did this Saturday Morning 3 hour long block air on  NBC ?  Many of the programs from Discovery Kids , is the short answer. The first year , 2002, they aired programs that were about nature and science targeted towards kids, a new reality program called "Endurance", which was playing upon the popularity of survivor,  but instead of Adults it was kids. The Final hour was a couple dramas by Discovery Kids.   In  2003, the block added cartoons (yay!  Cartoons) Discovery had a way of making interesting yet educational cartoons.
     "Kenny the Shark" was one of those programs that was introduced.  It was about a girl named Kat, she adopts a shark (Kenny) that apparently got tired of living in the water (which should scare us all)  and  he has to learn to live in our world ( he gets yelled at lot for doing shark things...because you know he's a shark!)  the program also inserted facts about sharks (mostly tiger sharks)  in subtle but noticeable ways.  Other programs were Tuntenstien , about a mummy king kid, who was brought back to life, has to deal with our time and living(?) in a museum.  And a kids version of the popular reality show "Trading spaces".   Some wildlife /science shows were returned for a short time in 2005 , but in fall cartoons return to lead the block.
A new program "Time Warp Trio" started in 2005 it was about 3 boys who had a time traveling book  , they go to different times in history and one case we meet the secondary characters  ,their 3 grand children , who sometimes are included  in the travels. The series fit E/I because it did teach historical facts (except the 2105 episode) with some twists. Others included Comedy-drama  "Darcy's wild Life"  and "Flight 29 Down" , which was  following the popularity of  "Lost" but instead it was teens (because who wouldn't want some teens stuck on Island?).


Time Warp Trio/ WGBH/  Youtube

   Well 4 years flies fast , doesn't it ? In May 2006 , NBC Universal announced they were partnering with Ion Media, Scholastic , and Classic Media to create a new children's block called QUBO. So that mean that after 4 years  Discovery  Kids on NBC was to end .  So September 2nd  , the block did one last run and it ended.    Discovery Kids, the Channel, continued it did introduce a couple more series but it lost some of it's drive  after the NBC block was ended. The Network died 10-10-2010  after earlier deal was made by Discovery to sell 50% to toy maker, Hasbro, to create the  Hub Network.
      Kind of wishing there was more that could be said about Discovery Kids on NBC, it aired some good programs  kind of wonder how it would be if it was still running now.