The Lookback: UPN Kids ( and a little more too)

UPN  The Flashback

        UPN, the United Paramount Network, was  launched in 1995 in January of 1995, but in that fall they also jumped into the ground other networks also did (minus NBC because it's 1995)  and did children's programming. This time we are talking about UPN's kids programming.  We kind of did that on this blog before, but we felt that post (which was combined with TNBC) was lacking and maybe UPN needed it's own story page. (Plus, it's good to try and improve things) 

        On Sunday, September 10, 1995, UPN Kids launched. You may notice I said Sunday and not like Saturday, a lot of these blocks start on Saturday or have Saturday programming, UPN did not. They were a Sunday Morning block. There are reasons for this that to be at thing.

 

    Most UPN stations were former independent stations, a lucky few were former Fox stations that needed   a network when Fox left them for better VHF stations or something (not sure how lucky they felt, oh that FOX thing is important for our story), others maybe just launched. Also in 1995, another network launched , The WB, and maybe a few stations were both UPN and the WB and that's a whole other mess. The good reasons for a Sunday block versus Saturday is that some of the new FOX stations that decided they were too good for children's shows even on Saturday (minus the ones the government said to air for the education reasons) a UPN station could air FOX Kids on Saturday (and weekdays).  In Milwaukee, for example, WITI was a CBS station that ended up with FOX, but decided that FOX Kids wasn't for them so the former FOX station,  WCGV-TV, aired FOX Kids, but WCGV was a UPN station.  Another reason, could be syndicated programming, there was still syndicated children's programming (though that market was dying by 1995) and stations had commitments (who knows how long UPN could last?) , and the finale good reason is Sunday is just less crowded than Saturday. 

        UPN Kids started as a Sunday only block and not just Sunday but a 1 hour Sunday block. (You can't say they over did themselves)  the planned time slot of the 10am hour. That makes it easy for us.  

The first program was "Space Strikers".  "Space Strikers" was a French cartoon brought to the US from  Haim Saban's company which also was an invested owner in FOX Kids.  "Space Strikers" is based on the novel  "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" but in Space. (yay!)  This show was was told as one story, meaning viewers had to turn each week to see where the story went next, which wasn't a long story, because it was 13 episode series.   The show also used early computer animation for the action scenes and also promoted the fun of 3D viewing. (alright then) 

more after the jump

Freeform's 31 Nights of Halloween 2023 schedule

Halloween Freeform

    It's that time of year again, as fall is almost upon us and the (hopefully) cooler weather. Freeform is back with their annual event of "31 Nights of Halloween" starting October 1.   The new movies included on Freeform for this season are Encanto , Zombies, and, Zombies 2 (from sister network Disney Channel). 

    All times ET/PT 

Sunday, Oct. 1

7:00 a.m. - "Mrs. Doubtfire"

10:10 a.m. - "Scared Shrekless"

10:40 a.m. - "Halloweentown"

12:45 p.m. - "Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween"

2:50 p.m. - "The Haunted Mansion" (2003)

4:55 p.m. - "Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas"

6:35 p.m. - "Hocus Pocus"

8:45 p.m. - "Hotel Transylvania"

10:50 p.m. - "Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation"

1:00 a.m. - "Decorating Disney: Halloween Magic"

Monday, Oct. 2

10:30 a.m. - "The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror"

11:00 a.m. - "Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween"

1:00 p.m. - "Twitches"

3:00 p.m. - "Twitches Too"

5:00 p.m. - "Shrek Forever After"

7:00 p.m. - "Hotel Transylvania"

9:00 p.m. - "Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation"

12:00-2:00 a.m. - "The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror" episodes

The CW Fall Premiere Dates

The CW Fall TV Look 2023 

    I'm a bit late, but adding the post about the CW's fall premiere dates  anyway. 

        The CW's fall premieres are slightly different in a few ways.  A change from the announced fall line up  is that  the series  All American, won't be on the fall line up due to the continuing writers' and actors' strike.  Since May, the CW has also picked up The Chosen, which started airing in July and is planned to run until Christmas Eve. That made their Sunday Night line up different from planned as well. 

     Inside the NFL makes its official moves to the CW and kicks off , September 5 at 8pm. Another series pick up for Tuesdays will be The Swarm which will air following at 9pm.  

        Along with All American not being on the fall line up after all, 61st Street and the I Am documentary series have been pushed to mid season. 

        New Canadian drama shows Sullivan's Crossing and The Spencer Sisters will be taking up Wednesdays starting October 4. 

     Unscripted series, FBoy Island will take Thursday nights as planned at 8pm ET.  

 Other CW mainstays that were around before the Nexstar purchase; Penn & Teller :Fool US returns October 20 at 8pm, on Friday nights.    The Saturday line up of Masters of Illusion, and World's Funniest Animals returns October 28.  Whose Line Is it Anyway? will air Tuesdays starting November 14 at 9pm. 

    The Monday night comedies already airing will be joined by a new comedy  Everyone Else Burns on Monday October 16 at 9:30pm. 

Here's the full line up all times are ET/PT/Denver/Saint Louis

Tuesday, September 5

8pm Inside the NFL (Season Premiere) 

9pm  The Swarm  (Series Premiere) 

Wednesday, October 4 

8pm Sullivan's Crossing (Series Premiere) 

9pm The Spencer Sisters (Series Premiere) 

Thursday, October 12 

8pm FBOY Island (Season 3 Premiere) 

Monday, October 16

8pm Son of a Critch (Original Episode) 

8:30pm Run the Burbs (Original Episode) 

9pm Children Ruin Everything (Original Episode) 

9:30pm  Everyone Else Burns (Series Premiere) 

Friday, October 20

8pm  Penn & Teller: Fool US ( Season 10 Premiere) 

9pm Inside the NFL (Encore Episodes) 

Saturday, October 28

8pm Masters of Illusion (Season 10 Premiere) 

8:30pm Masters of Illusion (Original Episode) 

9pm  World's Funniest Animals (Season 4 Premiere) 

9:30pm World's Funniest Animals (Original Episode) 

Tuesday, November 14 

8pm Inside the NFL (Original Episode) 

9pm Whose Line is it Anyway? (Season 12 Premiere) 

9:30pm Whose Line is it Anyway (Original episode) 

The Press release after the jump

It's Another Special, Charlie Brown: One Of A Kind Marcie

Peanuts 

            So Peanuts has made it to the big 50, that's right the 50th special.  Though that doesn't seem to be a big mark and the promotion isn't really like that either. This is another special in the era where Peanuts is doing things on Apple TV Plus. (Apple TV+ The other streaming service that exists)   This one again also goes with the "Snoopy Presents" name because sure alright. It's my now running motion to be slightly annoyed by that. The rest of the title, also means that that Charlie Brown is still pushed to the back for a different character. I'm not overtly bothered by that, but it does kind of get to be something as this seems to be the new way they go.  This one is about Marcie, a character I do like. 

               Snoopy Presents: One of  a Kind Marcie first came out on August 18, 2023.   I will still point out that these specials are animated nicely and look good, if only the issue about how they look is how glossy the tend to end up looking.  Or how some of the parts tend to look darker than what used to be a bit brighter, but will repeat that I'm glad the stewards of Peanuts , that being  Wildbrain, Sony Music Entertainment Japan, and the Schulz family at least have kept he hallmark style of how they looked and a 2D look and feel.  The music is at least a somewhat nice touch and feel to the idea. The character designs seem to still stick to more of the 1960's and 1970's designs more than advancing to even using the 80's and 90's clothing of some of the characters because I think they fear that. 

                It starts with Marcie reading a book and then Peppermint Patty calls her because Marcie is the caddy for Peppermint Patty in golf.  Peppermint Patty is in the school's golf tournament.  I'm also surprised that there's like a girl that looks like a mini Peppermint Patty clone.  It also has interrupting Snoopy... and Woodstock.  I will say Peppermint Patty and Marcie doing golf is something that is in the strips. They've also decided to have Peppermint Patty think Snoopy is a kid here because sure, it's from the comics, but she did eventually stop thinking that. 

She also thinks sandals are good golf shoes/ Copyright Peanuts 

              It is nice to see Marcie and Peppermint Patty's friendship here being done with them nicely, though it does remove some of the rough parts that is also their dynamic, which seems to be something these newer specials seem to do.  Then there's  a part where Peppermint Patty is looking at the school golf cup and the names on it and saying that she'll be on their next, then Marcie wonders where the caddies' names are, then P.P says why would they do that? Marcie calls the sport a team sport, and Peppermint Patty says "yeah, me. myself, and I" then Marcie seems to get mad and tells her why don't "me myself and I" pick up the bags then. Then the special cuts to Franklin being president of the school because OK. It's oddly done there to me, like hold on?  Also, also Lucy and Schroeder are in the same school as Peppermint Patty, Marcie and Franklin here because OK.  

VOTE! / Copyright Peanuts 

      I will point out I'm also very pedantic on Peanuts. Even knowing that specials and the comic strips didn't constantly follow each other, the specials at least followed the strips in the basics. Also, we had an election plotline before.    Lucy announces she's running for president (I'm scared) , Pig pen wants to run, and Peppermint Patty tells Marcie she thinks Marcie should run.  Marcie doesn't think it's a good idea. 

Feelings/ Copyright Peanuts 

more after the jump 

But First These Messages: Back to School

But First these Messages 

             August... Or September uh back to school.  Back to school ads seem to show up around July baffling some people. A lot of schools return in August so I guess it makes sense. When I was a kid, school usually started the last week of August.   That also seems to give something for the retail stores to do between the lulls of not having any holidays to content with and getting ready for Christmas. 

        This post is also a kind of revival of our  But First These Messages posts since they are kind of a different animal to the other kinds of posts I do here.  It's hard to link back to older posts since they are also Youtube heavy and when a video/channel is gone that video gone it's a mess.  I'm trying to bring back this segment, but maybe with a slight difference.  

        Back to school,  But First These Messages....

CNN Changes Programming Line Up: Including Primetime, Early Morning, and Saturdays

CNN TV News Cable TV News 

            The constant at CNN has been change, and again a programming schedule change. CNN has announced anchor changes and new programs that effect their mornings, daytime, and primetime, along with weekends. 

        Primetime, which had been in a state of a flux since Chris Cuomo's firing in December 2021, and now former anchor, Don Lemon, leaving primetime in 2022.  The 10 pm Eastern hour will be given to political correspondent , Abby Phillip, with 11pm being hosted by Laura Coates, CNN's legal analyst. 

           Phillip's program brings back an old name to CNN, CNN NewsNight , which CNN previously used until 2005.  Coates' program will be branded Laura Coates Live. 

        Now, the mornings.  Kasie Hunt has been named anchor of 5AM eastern program Early Start, and chief White House correspondent Phil Mattingly has been named co-anchor of CNN This Morning with Poppy Harlow. 

            Of note, Pamela Brown, CNN's chief investigative correspondent will anchor  a daily 3pm ET hour show, that show will be called The Bulletin . This means that CNN News Central from D.C will be cut to 2 hours. 

        Here's  the weekday line up in review, changed programming in Italics 

5-6am ET: Early Start  (new anchor)

6-9am ET: CNN This Morning with Poppy Harlow and Phil Mattingly  (new co-anchor)

9am-12pm ET: CNN News Central

12-1pm ET: Inside Politics with Dana Bash

1-3pm ET: CNN News Central

3-4pm ET: The Bulletin with Pamela Brown  (new program) 

4-6pm ET: The Lead with Jake Tapper

6-7pm ET: The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer

7-8pm ET: Erin Burnett Out Front

8-9pm ET: Anderson Cooper 360

9-10pm ET: The Source with Kaitlan Collins

10-11pm ET: CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip  (new program ) 

11-12pm ET: Laura Coates Live (new program) 

Now to the weekends.  Victor Blackwell, Christiane Amanpour, Manu Raju, and Chris Wallace will be hosting new programming.  

    On Saturdays, CNN This Morning will be cut one hour ending at 8AMET, to allow for a new show with Victor Blackwell at 8amET.   Chris Wallace will have a new live show on Saturday mornings at 10am ET,  and CNN International's  Christiane Amanpour will host at 11AMET. The 10am-12pm ET block replaces two hours of CNN Newsroom.  

Here's the Saturday line up , program changes in italics 

6-8am ET: CNN This Morning Weekends

8-9am ET: First of All with Victor Blackwell

9-10am ET: Smerconish

10-11am ET: The Chris Wallace Show

11am-12pm ET: Christiane Amanpour

12-4pm ET: CNN Newsroom with Fredricka Whitfield

4-8pm ET: CNN Newsroom with Jim Acosta

     On Sunday, due to Phillip moving to primetime, her slot on Inside Politics is being given to Manu Raju, CNN's Capitol Hill correspondent. 

     Of note, the weekly primetime show "King Charles" with Gayle King and Charles Barkley will be coming to the network as planned.  Alisyn Camerota seems to be the odd one out in the changes, she will be part of CNN's Sunday magazine show "The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper".  It is also interesting to see that Amanpour, who hosts a daily show on CNN(International ) which also runs on PBS, is getting more spotlight on CNN US.  Sadly, Saturday daytime gets news headline focused programming cut by 3 hours. 

The press release is after the jump 

Into the Twilight: Eye of the Beholder

The Twilight Zone 

           It can be difficult to write about certain episodes of "The Twilight Zone" for various reasons, particularly those of the original series. Many of these episodes are already well-known or contain a major twist, which can spoil the experience for those who haven't seen them yet. While it may seem odd to worry about spoilers for something that aired in the 1960s, part of the fun of watching "The Twilight Zone" is not knowing what to expect. There are even some episodes that I wish I could experience for the first time again, which would make for an interesting plot in itself. 

         I'm going to break away from the traditional mold of a "Into the Twilight" post here to write about the 1960 episode "Eye of the Beholder".  This is from season 2 of the series, the 6th episode. One of the episodes written by Rod Serling himself.   This is a well known episode of the show and it's twist might be very well known. For this post, I'm going to keep that under wraps (that wasn't intended but it works)  and do something a little different. 

This is the future make up/ copyright Paramount 

        As most episodes of the series starts there's a scene to set the stage before we get Rod's narration. This one has a person, a woman, with a face wrapped in bandages, in a hospital bed.  Then a nurse shows up to tend to her.  A benefit of being in black and white is that it can use shadows and not look too off.   One will notice that the they don't show much of the nurse's face, opting for shots and fun ways to hide her face. The woman in bandages doesn't know if it's night or day until she's told, she wonders when the bandages will come off, and the other typical things you'd expect from someone in this condition. The dialogue gives details that her face might be grotesque and seems to have had this problem for her entire life.   

Hey! Get a room ! / Copyright Paramount 

        The words like "I never wanted to be beautiful.  I never wanted to look like a painting. I never even wanted to be loved. I just wanted people to not scream at me when they looked at me."  gives that this isn't some vanity thing, but that woman has lived in misery because of how people viewed her.   What this is also doing is giving the viewer an expectation of what of she could look like under those bandages. It is playing off our, the viewers, thoughts of what could make children scream at a face and cause people to look away?  It's a well done way to make the viewer think and to hook them in.  When the episode reaches the conclusion and the face is reveled, the viewer is then made to think about their own perceptions of what an is a beauty standard.    

Why are we watching from above? help! Copyright Paramount 

            The story follows the nurse as she goes to tell the doctor about the patient's condition, Then she talks to another nurse, again making sure to know show any faces of these woman and the other nurse gives a slight clue by mentioning if she had the face of the patient she'd bury herself in a grave.  Also 1960's smoking.  

         Then finally, Rod Serling shows up to tell us her name is Janet Tyler and we are going to see her face and we shouldn't be surprised. Which I like as a line because it's playing with our perceptions, but it should also make one wonder what does he have in store for us, because why would he say that?  That's kind of fun. 

         As I mentioned before, If there was a way to just erase knowing how an episode or anything media goes in my mind just to have the same first time experience of it, this would be an episode on that list. Though again, that'd probably make a good plot of something about how that would be bad.  I do have to point out that the episode has good rewatch value  when one knows the twist, you can look back at see the hints or the styling or the episode it stays entertaining and thoughtful  without just being an episode that lives on its twist. 

        Directed by Douglas Heyes, the episode goes out of the way to hide faces, a whole theme of the episode. It gives it a detached other world feeling.  It makes you wonder why aren't they being shown?  The episode gives our characters  a sound of sympathy, he casted people by not looking at them, just to hear their voices.  It gives a sense that they care about Miss Tyler and want to help her. 

           There's a doctor he mentions how hard it's been trying to fix the problem. This is her 11th visit and apparently this is her last one. Not sure why 11 was the limit, but alright. There are alternatives- still keeping those under wraps. [sorry]  Which is a good way to phrase these parts of the episode things are under wraps.  Like there are rules that apparently say that people have to look normal. 

         It's a well done emotional episode too, where the viewer can sympathize with Miss Tyler. The offers that there's a space where "people of her kind" can be put together, she uses the word segregated-that's pretty much what it is.  This gives an insight of what's going on and why she's there and that's not a she wants to look good, but that is some mandated thing that has to be done.  It's another Rod Serling/ Twilight Zone episode about a state that wants conformity and has a strong control. (because 1960's) 

           More after the jump

CBS Announces Fall Premiere Dates

CBS  Fall TV Look 2023

           Amid the current dual strikes of writers and actors, CBS has released their fall premiere dates. This is for the schedule they released a couple weeks back where they had to adjust because of the strikes continuing.   

         The CBS line up includes shows they found from other things owned by the same parent company.  Yellowstone (from Paramount Network), and SEAL Team (from Paramount Plus, a show that previously ran on CBS).   Ghosts , the UK version that the CBS version is based on.  Also reality shows and other stuff to fill in their line up. 

        CBS has College Football and will be airing some games on Saturday Nights as well their standard Saturday daytime.   Thursday, September 14 is reality premiere day with  Big Brother Live show at 8pm ET,  then the debut of Buddy Games at 9pm ET, The Challenge:USA at 10pm ET.  Big Brother  has already started airing. 

            Yellowstone will make its broadcast debut on Sunday, September 17 at 8:30pm ET. This is not a new season, this is repeats of the first season airing on CBS.   

       NCIS is turning 20 and will have a special one-night only marathon on September 25. 

        The Paramount Plus series FBI True premieres on Tuesday, October 3 at 9pm ET; SEAL Team on Thursday, November 2 at 10pm ET. 

      With the game shows,   The Price is Right at Night  will premiere on Monday, October 2 and Let's Make a Deal primetime on Friday, November 3. Both series 8pm ET. 

         More unscripted series,  Lotería Loca premieres on Monday, October 2 at 9pm ET, and Raid the Cage premieres on Friday, October 13 at 9pm. 

           Survivor and The Amazing Race return on September 27, they are 90 minutes for both shows. 

            The British version of Ghosts starts on November 16 at 9pm ET. 

            Here's the full details, all times ET/PT unless otherwise noted 

Saturday, September 2

7:30-11PM/4:30-8PT  College Football on CBS: Texas Tech at Wyoming 

Saturday,  September 9 

7:30-11PM/4:30-8PT  College Football on CBS:  UCLA at San Diego State

Thursday, September 14 

8-9pm  Big Brother (LIVE Show) 

9-10pm  Buddy Games (CBS Series Debut) 

10-11pm The Challenge :USA 

Saturday, September 16 

8-9pm NCIS  (Encore Episode) 

9-11p 48 Hours (Season 36, Two Back to Back episodes) 

Sunday, September 17 

7:30-8:30pm (7-8pm PT)  60 Minutes (Season 56 Premiere) 

8:30-10:30pm  (8-10pm Pt )  Yellowstone  (Starting with Season 1) 

10:30-11:30pm (10-11pm PT ) Big Brother 

Saturday, September 23

7:30-11pm (4:30-8PT) Big Ten on CBS College Football : Iowa at Penn State 

Sunday, September 24 

7-8pm 60 Minutes 

8-10pm Yellowstone (Two Back to Back Episodes) 

10-11pm Big Brother 

Monday, September 25 

8-11pm NCIS 20th Anniversary Mini-Marathon  (one time only) 

Wednesday, September 27 

8-9:30pn Survivor (Season 45 premiere, new time period) 

9:30-11pm The Amazing Race (Season 35 premiere, new time period) 

Friday, September 29 

8-10pm Fire Country (Two Encore Episodes Back to Back) 

10-11pm Classic Blue Bloods Episodes 

Monday, October 2 

8-9pm The Prices Is Right at Night (one time only) 

9-10pm Loteria Loca  (CBS Series Debut) 

10-11pm NCIS (Encore Episode) 

Tuesday, October 3

8-9pm Big Brother (new time period) 

9-10pm FBI True (Broadcast Debut) 

10-11pm FBI (Encore Episode, new time period) 

Monday, October 9 

8-9pm The Price is Right at Night (one time only) 

9-10pm Loteria Loca 

10-11pm NCIS (Encore Episode) 

Friday, October 13 

8-9pm The Price Is Right at Night (new time period) 

9-10pm  Raid the Cage (CBS Series Debut) 

10-11pm Classic Blue Bloods Episodes 

Thursday, November 2 

8-9pm Big Brother 

9-9:30pm Young Sheldon (Encore Episode- one time only) 

9:30-10pm  Ghosts (Encore Episode- One time only) 

10-11pm SEAL Team (Returns to CBS with Season 5) 

Friday, November 3 

8-9pm  Let's Make a Deal Primetime (new time period) 

9-10pm Raid the Cage 

10-111pm Classic Blue Bloods Episodes 

Saturday, November 4 

7:30-11pm SEC on CBS College Football: Game of the Week 

Saturday, November 11

8-10:30pm ET  NWSL (National Women's Soccer League) Championship Game 

10:30-11pm Bob ❤️ Abishola (Encore Episode, one time Only) 

Thursday, November 16

8-8:30pm Young Sheldon (Encore Episode- new time period) 

8:30-9pm  Ghosts (Encore Episode- new time period) 

9-10pm  Ghosts (UK)  (Two Back to Back Half Hour Episodes) 

10-11pm SEAL Team  

Press Release after the jump