CBS is aiming for teens with a new three-hour Saturday block titled “The CBS Dream Team, It’s Epic!”, which is set to launch September 28. The six half-hour shows targeting ages 13-16 are from Litton Entertainment, which already produces a Saturday block for ABC stations. The CBS block, which is compliant with the FCC educational/informational rules, includes shows from the likes of chef Jamie Oliver, boxer Laila Ali and omg!Insider host Kevin Frasier. For the past half-decade or so, CBS’ morning block was provided by Cookie Jar, which was aimed at the more industry-standard 2-11 demo. The kids programming space is becoming increasingly crowded, most recently with the launch of Disney Jr, while kids advertising has been drying up over the past decade. Here are CBS’ descriptions of the new shows:
LUCKY DOG
Animal trainer Brandon McMillan is swooping into animal shelters across the U.S., rescuing hard-to-love, out-of control, untrained and unadoptable dogs. Then, back at Brandon’s training facility known as the Lucky Dog Ranch, he goes to work on the seemingly impossible task of turning the frightened pooches into perfect pets. In the end, a lucky family will adopt an even luckier dog, making each episode an adoption story that truly warms the heart.
DR. CHRIS PET VET
Chronicling the adventures of Dr. Chris Brown, DR. CHRIS PET VET allows viewers a unique insight into the life of one of the world’s busiest vets and the animals he devotes his days to caring and treating. For those animals that require specialist services, Dr. Chris calls on his good friend and colleague Dr. Lisa Chimes, who works at a small animal specialist hospital. Each episode delivers not only a carefully crafted mix of human and animal interest stories, but also features a variety of animals that undergo elective procedures as part of long-term treatments involving the most intricate and technologically advanced surgery.
RECIPE REHAB
Families submit their favorite high-calorie, family-style recipes, and two chefs face off in a head-to-head competition to give the recipes a low-calorie twist. After making each rehabbed recipe in their own kitchen, the family chooses their new favorite. This recipe makeover challenge promotes using healthy, wholesome ingredients and shows healthy food choices can have positive effects on quality of life.
JAMIE OLIVER’S 15 MINUTE MEALS
Best known for his Emmy-Award winning television program “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution,” Jamie Oliver is one of the world’s favorite celebrity chefs who also aspires to teach the world to cook. Jamie’s core belief is that simply cooking for oneself using fresh ingredients is the easiest way to maintain a balanced diet, and to this aim, he has perfected a delicious collection of healthy recipes that can be prepared in no time. The dishes Jamie cooks in his new show 15 MINUTE MEALS are fast, fun and most of all flavorful. In his signature and entertaining style, Jamie makes these meals for viewers in real time, offering hints, tricks and lots of nutritional info along the way. JAMIE OLIVER’S 15 MINUTE MEALS will inspire cooks of all ages and levels to try new things and get in the kitchen to create something magical.
ALL IN WITH LAILA ALI
ALL IN, hosted by Laila Ali, scours the globe to track down the world’s most compelling stories, profiling inspirational people, groundbreaking achievements and extraordinary lifestyles. Whether through sports, culture, travel or adventure, ALL IN steps off the beaten track into uncharted territory inspiring audiences to go all in on their dreams.
GAME CHANGERS WITH KEVIN FRAZIER
Celebrating athletes and fans who reach out in their communities to make life better for so many, GAME CHANGERS, hosted by “omg! Insider’s” Kevin Frazier, highlights professional athletes who use their public image to make positive changes in the lives of fans in need. Young reporters go out in the field to file their stories and bring back journalistic gold to the GAME CHANGERS studios to culminate in heartfelt reflection and insight from the host. Whether on or off the field, GAME CHANGERS takes an inspirational look at how sports positively impacts individuals and the communities they serve.
I miss TNBC :(
City Guys
Hang Time
One World
Saved By the Bell The New Class
California Dreams
Not exactly Emmy worthy programming but fun to watch on Saturday Mornings.
Me, too. Now NBC’s Saturday morning block is the pre-schooler-centric NBC Kids.
I have seen Fifteen Minute Meals. It is aimed at middle aged mothers not teens.
Seriously? RECIPE shows for teens? As if making healthy snacks is more compelling than what’s on Nickelodeon?
C’mon, CBS. Cheaping out on reality programming is one thing, but at least make it interesting.
What about CBS This Morning Saturday Edition? How would the new shows work around that program?
LOL. Yeah, teens will flock to these. Ridiculous.
How about get rid of the Children’s Television Act of 1990 that forces stations to air this kind of crap, and I’ll think about as Saturday mornings for kids and teens. Seriously, what makes the FCC think kids watch these shows and learn from them? The only thing I learn from watching this garbage is how much they suck! And to the liberals who lobbied for crap like this for our kids, shut up and go away, nobody likes you! Also, Isn’t Recipe Rehab already airing on ABC?
Boy, I hope this block fails within 1 year, and the FCC finally kills the BS E/I rules that everyone hates!
I’ve been hoping the FCC would bring back the Fairness Doctrine, which would effectively muzzle you right-wing lunatics.
It would be cool if SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS made a network comeback, and CBS would be the one to do it.
Back off fluffo. My views are not lunatic. I’m only trying to help those who miss traditional saturday mornings. Hopefully we’ll have someone who will 86 this crap.
Recipe Rehab IS airing on ABC, so it’ll air on both CBS and ABC.
When the title said “teen-centric programming” I was thinking a new Saved By The Bell, when I read the shows descriptions..oh boy. This won’t last long.
Fascinating. Let’s hope Fox would team up with the National Geographic Channel to launch an English-speaking version of MundoFox’s Nat Geo Kids block.
How about we bring back traditional children’s entertainment, cancel this E/I crap and I’ll think of it as an awesome block. Also, I’ve heard you always stand up for positivity, something I’d wish you wouldn’t do.
I miss the days of the networks broadcasting those great Saturday morning toons back in the 1970s and 1980s as today’s offering is nothing more than to fill timeslots to please the FCC and for the networks to abide by the educational requirements set for them.
Tell the FCC, nobody is watching these shows, and if they are, they’re doing it by mistake. As for educational TV, we already have a PBS, we don’t need 3 more!
And besides, there’s already Litton’s Weekend Adventure on ABC. This new block will be competing with that, just as the former CW4Kids competed with 4KidsTV back in 2008.
Besides, 80’s kids’ TV was mostly flooded with toy-based cartoons, many of which are still being made, that many parents objected to, because they were considered 30-min. toy commercials and because of the level of violence in some of them. Vortexx has action shows as well, but although all of them have a Y7-rating (such as the censored version of DBZ Kai and the dubs of Yu-Gi-Oh!/ZEXAL and Sonic X), some of them are still edited to meet the CW’s BS&P; however, it’s revealed that Vortexx has its own BS&P as well.