Atomic Betty? Home Movies? The Batman? Totally Spies? 6Teen? Megas_XLR? What do all of these programs have in common? Throughout the fall season, they will all be airing in some way, shape, or form on Canada’s Teletoon. Teletoon is shaping up to be the premiere place to turn to in order to find the best programming on North American television, and the fall 2004 line-up is evidence of such.

Canadian television viewers have reason to rejoice at the recent release of the fall 2004 schedule for Teletoon, an airing of classic animation as well as new and original animation from Canadian roots as well as from all over the world. Since the late 1990s, Teletoon has been a great source of information and entertainment for Canadian, and throughout the fall of this year, is scheduled to even topple the programming of some major American channels too. With new television animation programs such as 6Teen, a show about teenagers and their first-job experiences, and Zeroman, which stars comedian Leslie Nielsen as an aged postal worker with super powers; Teletoon, is looking at a very confident set of programming to close out the year and to begin the next. Also with programming American audiences are familiar with such as Home Movies and Family Guy, Teletoon’s 2004 fall line-up is something to be reckoned with.
— Aaron H. Bynum

TELETOON UNVEILS 2004 FALL LINEUP Teletoon’s 2004 fall lineup schedule features 12 new animated series including six Teletoon original productions and six acquired series. Ten series return with new episodes including two Teletoon original productions and eight acquired series. In addition, Teletoon will have five world television premieres and five Canadian television premieres. Teletoon is Canada’s first and only animation station with shows for all ages.

"This fall, Teletoon will bring Canadian viewers animated adventures that are sure to please kids, teens, and adult viewers alike," said Len Cochrane, president of Teletoon at a recent press conference held at Astral Media. "In addition, we are proud of the significant role that Teletoon continues to play in the creation, development, and production of Canadian programs with national and international appeal."

Teletoon’s commitment to the Canadian animation industry and its programs is reflected in the six Teletoon original production series premiering this fall, four of which are world television premieres. ZEROMAN (weekends at 7:00 pm with repeats at 11:00 pm and 1:30 am) stars Leslie Nielsen as a 64-year-old postman who is the incompetent possessor of superpowers. In ATOMIC BETTY (weekdays at 5:30 pm and weekends at 9:30 am), the wildly successful Canadian series set to air in over 55 countries, a Saskatchewan girl becomes an intergalactic rocket jockey. Slated for November, 6TEEN (Sundays at 6:00 pm) is set entirely in a shopping mall and features six 16-year-olds experiencing their first jobs. In THE TOFUS (weekdays at 6:30 pm), a back-to-nature lifestyle serves as a backdrop for two siblings tackling pre-teen life.

Two Teletoon original production series will have their Canadian television premieres on Teletoon this fall. The groundbreaking science-fiction series DELTA STATE (weekends at 10:00 pm and again at 12:30 am) features four anti-superheroes in his or her twenties who must rescue humanity. The new 3D CGI pre-school series MISS SPIDER’S SUNNY PATCH FRIENDS (weekends at 1:30 pm), starring Kristin Davis, follows the adventures of Miss Spider’s irrepressible brood as they explore the marvelous, miniature wonderland of Sunny Patch.

The six newly acquired series include a RETRO Block, where the past and future collide in the primetime, featuring THE FLINTSTONES (weekdays at 8:00 pm, repeating at 2:00 am) and THE JETSONS (following on weekdays at 8:30 pm and again at 2:30 am). Teletoon’s KAPOW! Block hosts two new Canadian television premieres. THE BATMAN (weekends at 11:00 am), premiering on November 6, featuring a twenty-something Batman coming to terms with his identity. In MEGAS XLR (weekends at 11:30 am), a twenty-something gearhead named Coop discovers an 80-foot robot that could determine the fate of the universe.

A quirky addition to The Detour on Teletoon and a Canadian television premiere, THE BRAK SHOW (Sundays at 10:30 pm, repeating at 1:00 am) stars both aliens and humans in an outer space that looks more like an American suburb circa 1965. Finally, HOME THINGS, a series of shorts, will air throughout the commercial-free Pre-School Block, weekdays from 9-11:00 am and again at 1-3:00 pm.

New episodes of returning series this fall include TOTALLY SPIES! (weekdays at 6:00 pm with new episodes every Sunday at 5:30 pm), a current Teletoon original production, and the imaginative OLLIVER’S ADVENTURES (weekends at 6:30 am and again at 2:30 pm), a returning Teletoon original production.

Eight returning acquired series have new episodes including four series for kids - DUCK DODGERS (weekdays at 7:30 pm with new episodes on weekends at 8:30 am); SABRINA: THE ANIMATED SERIES (weekdays at 3:30 pm); MUCHA LUCHA! (weekends at 10:00 am); and JOHNNY BRAVO (weekends at 10:30 am). The Detour on TELETOON features new episodes of both FUTURAMA (daily at 9:30 pm and again at midnight) and HOME MOVIES (weekdays at 10:00 pm, repeating at 12:30 am). As part of the KAPOW! Block, both TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES (weekdays at noon with new episodes every weekend at noon) and MEGAMAN: NT WARRIOR (weekdays at 12:30 pm with new episodes on weekends at 12:30 pm) return.

In addition to new series and new episodes, Teletoon will air two feature films as CINETOON special presentations in September. Kingdoms, legends, wizards and dragons highlight the world television premiere of the Teletoon Original production DRAGONS: FIRE AND ICE on Saturday, September 11 at 5:00 pm. On Sunday, September 12 at 7:00 pm, Scooby-Doo fans can see the live-action film SCOOBY-DOO, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr.

Also new this fall is the re-branded The Detour on Teletoon. The re-launched block will clearly demarcate the after 9:00 pm viewing for teens and adults. Shows in The Detour on Teletoon include the return of FAMILY GUY, the new Teletoon original production series DELTA STATE, the newly acquired series THE BRAK SHOW and returning favorites FUTURAMA, HOME MOVIES, UNDERGRADS, DAFT PLANET and AQUA TEEN HUNGER FORCE.

With English and French language services, Teletoon offers viewers classic cartoons and new animation from Canada and around the world. Founded in 1997, TELETOON is owned by Canada’s Astral Media Inc. (40%), Corus Entertainment Inc. (40%) and Cookie Jar Entertainment Inc. (20%). For more info9rmation, visit Teletoon.com. (Source: AWN.com)