Two New Children's Series From "UPN KIDS"
To Premiere Sunday, September 10
**Outer-Space Action-Adventure "Space Strikers" and
Dramatic Serial "Teknoman" Join UPN Slate**
BEVERLY HILLS, June 21, 1995... Two new children's animated series --
"Space Strikers" and "Teknoman" -- the first projects from
UPN KIDS, a co-venture of UPN and Saban Entertainment, will
premiere on SUNDAY, SEPT. 10 (10:00 - 11:00 a.m. ET/PT),
marking the network's foray into both children's entertainment and programming
on Sundays. The announcement was made today at the network's annual affiliates
meeting by Michael Sullivan, president, entertainment, UPN.
In making the announcement Mr. Sullivan commented, "When we entered into this
alliance with Saban, we were confident that with the largest independent
supplier of children's entertainment as our partner and with Ellen Levy-Samoff
leading this new UPN KIDS division, we would produce some breakthrough
children's programming -- and these two series certainly fulfill that
expectation. The three-dimensional animation in `Space Strikers,'
combined with the action and emotion of `Teknoman' will make an
intriguing and visually stimulating hour of television for kids and parents
alike." He continued, "As the daypart grows, we look forward to programming a
wide array of children's television to entertain and inform a whole generation
of young viewers."
Peter Dang, president, Saban Children's Entertainment Group commented, "This is
the beginning of a very powerful alliance in children's television. The
combination of Saban and UPN will provide kids with leading edge entertainment,
the kind of breakthrough programming young viewers are looking for."
Following are descriptions of the new series from UPN KIDS:
- "Space Strikers" (Sundays, 10:00 - 10:30 a.m.
ET/PT) is an action-packed outer space adventure for children --
with state-of-the-art 3-D computer generated imagery and classic tales of good
versus evil. (A nationwide distribution of free "Strikervision" 3-D glasses
will commence in Fall.) The fantastical "Space Strikers" is set in a distant
future and follows the courageous Captain Nemo, conunander of the
technologically advanced starship, Nautilus, as he and his bold crew fend off
the nefarious Phantom Warriors and their dreadful leader, the Master Phantom.
Together, the Nautilus crew -- a cadre of earthlings and alien races from the
farthest reaches of the galaxy -- must save Planet Earth from the total
domination of this ruthless villain who is bent on spreading chaos throughout
the universe. The executive producers are Vincent Chalvon-Demersay and
Jacqueline Tordjman. The supervising producers are Eric S. Rollman and Joel
Andryc and the producer is Sam Ewing. The series is a production of Saban
Entertainment.
- "Teknoman" (Sundays, 10:30-11:00 a.m. ET/PT) is a
dramatic serial drawn in Anime' style (Japanese animation). Set in the year
2087, it tells the story of a devoted young man, known as Blade, who is on a
valiant quest to rescue his kidnapped family from the clutches of Darkon -- the
deranged Venomoid Warlord and his army of Spider Crabs. When Blade, his twin
brother and their sister were on a space mission, they were abducted and held
in Tekno-pods where their human bodies were altered and their humanity siphoned
out, transforming them into evil and powerful slave warriors called Teknomen.
Only Blade was able to escape before the full transformation process was
complete. He was soon retrieved by the Space Knights, Earth's most courageous
soldiers, who brought him aboard their patrol vessel. Through the use of a
mysterious emerald crystal, Blade can become' empowered with the characteristic
super-human strength, impenetrable armor suit and quantum energy weapons of the
Teknomen, but his own good soul remains. When Blade becomes a Teknoman, his
only impediment is that he can remain in this transformed mode for just 30
short minutes or he'll sink into evil Blade and become a slave of the Venomoid
Warlord forever. Aided by the Space Knights, Blade (as the superhero Teknoman)
sets out to turn the tables on Darkon and his Spider Crab army, hopefully not
only rescuing his siblings but saving Earth from the grasp of these evil
invaders. The executive producer is Eric S. Rollman and the producer/director
is Tom Wyner. The series is a production of Saban Entertainment.
The Saban Children's Entertainment Group, a division of Saban Entertainment, is
devoted to the development, production, acquisition and distribution of
children's television programming, music and feature films; the merchandising
of children's products, and the development of other entertainment areas
including publishing, video games and live events.
UPN launched on Monday, January 16,1995. The network, which reaches more than
86% of all U.S. television viewing households, currently offers primetime
programming on Monday and Tuesday evenings from 8:00 - 10:00 p.m., (ET/PT).
Beginning in March 1996, a third evening of programming will be added on
Wednesdays. In addition, UPN broadcasts a weekend movie Saturday afternoons
from 12:00 - 2:00 p.m., (ET/PT) and in September 1995, an hour of children's
programming premieres on Sunday mornings from 10:00 - I 1:00 a.m. (ET/PT).
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