Warner Bros.

(Redirected from Cartoon Network)
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
WarnerBros2023Logo.png
Warner Bros. logo
Founded April 4, 1923
Headquarters 4000 Warner Blvd., Burbank, California
Type Subsidiary
Owner(s) Warner Bros. Discovery
Industry Entertainment
Website

Worldwide: warnerbros.com

Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros.) is an American mass media and entertainment company, headquartered in Burbank, California. The company was founded on April 4, 1923 by Harry, Albert, Sam, and Jack Warner[1] and is now a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.

Kids' WB

 
Kids' WB logo used from 1997-2008
Main article: Pokémon in the United States → Kids' WB

Kids' WB (sometimes styled as Kids WB!) was an American children's television programming block and brand owned by Warner Bros. Television that first aired on September 9, 1995, on The WB Television Network[2]. On January 24, 2006 it was announced The WB and CBS Corporation's UPN would merge to create The CW[3]. When The WB closed on September 17 that year, the block moved to the new channel and it ran there from September 23, 2006 to May 17, 2008, at which time The CW4Kids was launched to replace it. Kids' WB lived on as the name of a streaming service, until a rebranding on May 17, 2015.

The Pokémon anime began airing on Kids' WB on February 13, 1999, part way through season one, after initially having aired in syndication[4]. The show proved to be a hit[5], and the block aired every (non-banned) episode of the anime until the end of season eight. In 2006 it was announced that Kids WB would no longer be airing non-Warner Bros. shows. The Pokémon anime was moved to Cartoon Network (then owned by Turner Broadcasting System, a separate and now defunct division of parent company WarnerMedia) and began airing there on September 8, 2006[6][7].

Warner Bros. Pictures

Warner Bros. Pictures is the film production and distribution arm of Warner Bros. Starting in 1999, Warner Bros. licenced the first three Pokémon movies from 4Kids Entertainment, and released them in cinemas via their Kids WB! and Warner Bros. Family Entertainment banners.

In the United States, they released Pokémon: The First Movie - Mewtwo Strikes Back as Kids WB! Presents "Pokémon The First Movie" on November 10, 1999[8], Pokémon the Movie 2000: The Power of One as Kids WB! Presents "Pokémon the Movie 2000" on July 21, 2000[9], and Pokémon 3: The Movie - Spell of the Unown: Entei as Kids WB! Presents "Pokémon 3 The Movie" on April 6, 2001[10]. Warner Bros. Pictures also released these movies in cinemas in Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, and through their subsidiary Warner Sogefilms in Spain[11][12][13]. Following this, the distribution rights for future Pokémon movies moved to Miramax.

Warner Bros. also funded development of the game Pokémon the Movie 2000 Adventure, as promotional material for the North American release of the second film.

On July 25, 2018 it was announced that Warner Bros. would be taking over international distribution of POKÉMON Detective Pikachu from Universal Pictures, covering all regions outside of Japan and China[14]. The movie was released in cinemas around the world, beginning May 8, 2019[15].

Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment

Main article: Pokémon anime home video releases

Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment (formerly Warner Home Video) is the home video distribution division for Warner Bros. as well as other WBD companies, including New Line Cinema, Cartoon Network and HBO.

Warner Home Video released Pokémon: The First Movie on DVD and VHS in North America on March 21, 2000[16], followed by Brazil, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom later in 2000, Germany in 2001 and the Netherlands in 2002[11]. Pokémon the Movie 2000 was released in North America on DVD and VHS on November 14, 2000, and in Brazil the same year. This was followed by Germany, Norway, and the United Kingdom in 2001 and the Netherlands in 2002[12]. Pokémon 3: The Movie was released on DVD and VHS in North America on August 21, 2001, and in Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom the same year[13]. As with the theatrical releases, home video distribution rights then moved to Miramax for subsequent films.

On December 17, 2008, it was announced that VIZ Media and Warner Home Video had struck a deal, whereby Warner would distribute future DVDs (and later Blu-rays) published by VIZ in the United States and Mexico, which included releases of the Pokémon anime and movies[17].

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment released Detective Pikachu on DVD, Blu-ray and Ultra HD Blu-ray starting August 6, 2019[18].

Cartoon Network

 
Cartoon Network logo

Cartoon Network is an American children's television network that was launched on October 1, 1992[19] after Turner Broadcasting System purchased Hanna-Barbera. Since its establishment, international variants of the channel have launched around the world. On March 4, 2019 then-parent company AT&T announced that Cartoon Network would become part of Warner Bros. Global Kids, Young Adults and Classics, a new division of Warner Bros.[20] However, WarnerMedia was reorganized in 2020 due to the domestic success of their streaming service, HBO Max and Warner Bros., Cartoon Network and the ex-Turner channels were all reorganized into WarnerMedia Studios and Networks.

In the United States, Cartoon Network aired Pokémon Chronicles from June 3[21] to November 25, 2006, during its Toonami block. Season nine of the Pokémon anime premiered on the channel on September 8, 2006[7], after the series was dropped by Kids' WB. Re-runs of the show aired on sister channel Boomerang, and were available on Toonami Jetstream, an ad-supported video streaming service run as a partnership between Cartoon Network and VIZ Media. After Toonami Jeststream closed on January 31, 2009[22], the anime moved to the Cartoon Network Video streaming service, starting May 15, 2009. The show stayed with the network until season 19, and on December 5, 2016 moved to rival Disney XD.

In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the Toonami channel (later rebranded as Cartoon Network Too) held the world premiere of Pokémon Chronicles from May 11 to October 5, 2005. The channel would go on to air seasons eight[23], nine and ten of the anime in tandem with terrestrial broadcaster ITV, after gaining the rights from rival Sky One[24]. From season 11, new episodes began to premiere on rival Jetix (later rebranded as Disney XD), however, Cartoon Network Too continued to show re-runs of old episodes until late 2010.

In Spanish speaking Latin America, Cartoon Network has broadcast every season of the anime since September 6, 1999. Beginning on January 1, 2010, the first season also began to air on Tooncast, a sister channel of Cartoon Network. In Brazil, Cartoon Network has broadcast the anime since 1999, dubbed in Brazilian Portuguese. In the Philippines, Cartoon Network aired the English dub of the anime from season one until the end of season 17, when the show moved to the Disney Channel.

On the Indian subcontinent, season one of the anime began airing on Cartoon Network (India) on May 12, 2003. On April 2, 2004 a separate Cartoon Network channel for Pakistan and Bangladesh was created[25], and the anime began airing there as well. Cartoon Network in India continued to broadcast the series until the end of season 11, when the show moved to sister channel Pogo starting from season 12, while in Pakistan and Bangladesh the show remained on the main channel. From season 14 the Pokémon anime returned to the main Cartoon Network channel in India[26]. The anime has also aired on Cartoon Network in Australia and New Zealand[27].

External links

Warner Bros.

Warner Bros. Discovery

References

  1. Company History - Warner Bros. (retrieved April 29, 2020)
  2. WB Raises the Animation Ante - Los Angeles Times (retrieved April 30, 2020)
  3. UPN and WB to Combine, Forming New TV Network - New York Times (retrieved April 30, 2020)
  4. Pokémon - Toon Zone (archived from the original April 25, 2000; retrieved May 1, 2020)
  5. Pokemon Takes 'Em All! - WarnerMedia (retrieved April 29, 2020)
  6. Press Release: New Season of "Pokémon" to Air Exclusively on Cartoon Network - Toon Zone (archived from the original October 4, 2006; retrieved May 1, 2020)
  7. 7.0 7.1 Pokémon - Fear Factor Phony - Toon Zone (archived from the original October 17, 2007; retrieved May 1, 2020)
  8. First Day of Release of Pokémon The First Movie Buoyed by Huge Showing of Kids - WarnerMedia (retrieved May 7, 2020)
  9. Kids WB! Presents Pokémon the Movie 2000, Opening July 21 - WarnerMedia (retrieved May 1, 2020)
  10. Lampson Elementary School in Garden Grove Wins World Premiere of 'Kids' WB! Presents Pokémon 3 The Movie' - WarnerMedia (retrieved May 7, 2020)
  11. 11.0 11.1 Pokémon: The First Movie - Company Credits - IMDb (retrieved May 7, 2020)
  12. 12.0 12.1 Pokémon the Movie 2000 - Company Credits - IMDb (retrieved May 7, 2020)
  13. 13.0 13.1 Pokémon 3: The Movie - Company Credits - IMDb (retrieved May 7, 2020)
  14. Ryan Reynolds’ ‘Detective Pikachu’ Moves From Universal to Warner Bros. - Variety (retrieved May 7, 2020)
  15. Pokémon Detective Pikachu - Release Info - IMDb (retrieved May 7, 2020)
  16. Warner Unleashes Massive Campaign for 'Pokémon' Release - Billboard Magazine (via Google Books) (retrieved May 7, 2020)
  17. VIZ Media and Warner Home Video Forge Distribution Alliance - WarnerMedia (retrieved May 7, 2020)
  18. Detective Pikachu Announces Blu-ray, DVD, Digital Release Dates - ComicBook (retrieved May 7, 2020)
  19. That's All Cartoons, Folks - 24 Hours Daily - The Philadelphia Inquirer (archived from the original February 4, 2014; retrieved April 29, 2020)
  20. Warner Bros. Wants to Rev Up Kid’s Content With Looney Tunes, Hanna-Barbera - Variety (retrieved April 29, 2020)
  21. Cartoon Network Acquires "Pokemon" Series for June 3 Premiere - Toon Zone (archived from the original June 19, 2006; retrieved April 30, 2020)
  22. Toonami Jetstream Video-Streaming Service Shuts Down - Anime News Network (retrieved May 1, 2020)
  23. Toonami UK snags Pokémon: Advanced Battle - Bulbanews (retrieved April 30, 2020)
  24. 4Kids in New U.K. Pokémon Deal - World Screen (archived from the original March 14, 2006; retrieved April 30, 2020)
  25. Leading kids channel 'Cartoon Network' launched in Pakistan - Pakistan Times (archived from the original June 11, 2008; retrieved May 7, 2020)
  26. Cartoon Network brings Pokemon latest season and Kid Krrish movie sequel this monsoon - Indian Television (retrieved May 7, 2020)
  27. Pokémon DP: Galactic Battles heads to Australia - Bulbanews (retrieved May 7, 2020)



  This article is part of Project Mass Media, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on official Pokémon publishing, broadcasting, communications, and other media.