PBS Kids



PBS Kids is a children's block of Edutainment Shows on PBS that launched in 1993 (as a program block) or 2017 (in its later incarnation as a digital subchannel). It has aired on many PBS member stations.

They also aired another block called PBS Kids GO!, which was aimed at older children. It was launched in 2004.

From 2005-2017, PBS Kids Sprout ran a cable channel aimed at preschoolers as a joint venture (between PBS, Comcast, Sesame Workshop, and HIT Entertainment). That network is now controlled exclusively by NBC/Comcast as "Universal Kids", after that company bought out the other partners in the venture. A number of listed programs no longer airing regularly on most PBS stations were later seen on Sprout.

PBS Kids Sprout did incur controversy for the parent network PBS for one incident; they sacked "Melanie", host of the Good Night Show (PBS KIDS Sprout, 2005-06), because of her prior appearance in a Parody Commercial series mocking abstinence-only sex education. According to PBS ombudsman Michael Getler, "it would have been a greater bow to freedom of expression and against guilt by association for the program and PBS to stick by her ... it struck me as ironic that at the very time PBS is fighting against new Federal Communications Commission rulings about indecency that the network argues will inhibit documentary filmmakers and freedom of speech, it delivers a subjective punishment to a popular performer for something done seven years ago that was clearly a spoof."

There's also an over-the-air Digital Subchannel which runs preschool content 24/7 as "PBS Kids" on many PBS member stations. It tends to ignore the "watershed" presumption (that little kids won't be watching far into the night) and keeps running content like Sesame Street after 10PM ET.

1993:
 * Barney and Friends
 * Bill Nye the Science Guy
 * Ghostwriter
 * Lamb Chops Play Along
 * Mister Rogers Neighborhood
 * Reading Rainbow
 * Sesame Street (The longest running show on the block, predating PBS by a year)
 * Shining Time Station
 * Square One TV
 * Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego??

1994:
 * The Big Comfy Couch
 * Kratts' Creatures
 * The Magic School Bus (Would later Channel Hop to Fox Kids, Discovery Kids/TLC, and Qubo for reruns)
 * The Puzzle Place

1995:
 * Wishbone

1996:
 * Adventures from the Book of Virtues
 * Arthur
 * Theodore Tugboat
 * Where in Time Is Carmen Sandiego??

1997:
 * Wimzies House (Originally made two years before, but was only airing in Canada. Currently airing in repeats in syndication.)

1998:
 * Teletubbies (originally made one year before, in the U.K. only)

1999:
 * Dragon Tales
 * Redwall
 * Zoboomafoo
 * Zoom - The Revival

2000:
 * Between the Lions
 * Caillou (Originally aired in 1995 in Canada)
 * Clifford the Big Red Dog (Clifford's Puppy Days spinoff began in 2003)
 * Marvin the Tap Dancing Horse (Currently on Qubo)
 * Seven Little Monsters
 * Timothy Goes to School (Later seen on Discovery Kids, no longer currently in repeats)

2001:
 * Jay Jay the Jet Plane
 * Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat

2002:
 * Cyberchase
 * Liberty's Kids

2003:
 * The Berenstain Bears (2003 series)
 * Jakers the Adventures of Piggley Winks

2004:
 * Angelina Ballerina (Later given an all CGI revamp as Angelina Ballerina: The Next Steps)
 * Maya and Miguel
 * Thomas the Tank Engine

2005:
 * Bob the Builder (After a Channel Hop from Nick Jr.)

2006:
 * Curious George
 * Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman
 * Frannys Feet
 * It's a Big Big World
 * Mama Mirabelles Home Movies

2007:
 * Animalia
 * Super Why
 * Word Girl
 * Word World

2008:
 * Martha Speaks
 * Sid the Science Kid

2009:
 * Dinosaur Train
 * The Electric Company - The Revival

2010:
 * The Cat in The Hat Knows A Lot About That

2011:
 * Wild Kratts