Saban and DiC
First Listed: Summer 1999
There's only two reasons why I'm putting these two studios together in the same article. One reason is because these two companies were so interchangable with each other, and they've worked with each other on several projects like Kidd Video, Camp Candy, and other shows. The second reason is that I want to save space due to a fact that can't be ignored anymore.
There is no Saban Entertainment anymore.
Oh, sure, Haim Saban is still buying properties and earning a fortune from music rights of his popular theme songs and scores, but he has no ties with the studio he built from the ground up thanks to agreeing to sell his half of Fox Kids Worldwide along with Fox Broadcasting to Disney. Disney saw the studio as a commodity to hold on to, especially the Marvel products they owned, which they reaped in the profits from the sporadic releases of videos and discs to coincide with Marvel movie releases. The only reason why Power Rangers continues is due to the insistance of Bandai, and Disney uses cheap, non-SAG actors in the East (that'd be Southeast in New Zealand and Australia) to work on the shows (much like them using cheap Asian animators instead of American artists to make cheaper Disney OVAs). And as far as Disney is concerned, Digimon is over. Plus, the massive Saban library is gathering dust instead of finding life on the Disney networks ABC Family, Disney Channel, and Toon Disney (where the library could have a new life). So, with that said, there is no Saban Entertainment anymore.
Another studio that Disney once owned is DiC Entertainment. In 2002, I talked about their turnaround, and they're still continuing their reconstruction. They're syndicating their products like the Berenstein Bears, Sabrina, Archie, Sherlock Holmes, and The Littles, not to mention creating Liberty's Kids for PBS. They also made a deal with Speed Channel to show the original version of Speed Racer (a franchise they recently purchased rights to) mornings and afternoons. Strawberry Shortcake is also making an impact on video. In 2006, DiC reacquired rights to many of their properties that were still owned by Disney, including Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors and their venerable Inspector Gadget.
The show they're currently having newfound fame with is Knights of the Zodiac, which most readers know as Saint Seiya. It's currently running on Cartoon Network's Saturday lineup which hasn't been as warmly received as the ADV Films-issued DVDs, which DiC also produced in cooperation with ADV Films. Of course, the merchandise starts rolling in in 2004, so DiC finds itself in a very interesting position. Now, if only Cartoon Network aired the series in a better timeslot.
So, there you have it. Life and death. Saban's dead and DiC's alive. But what about the company they both have a connection to, Disney?
Up next . . . Disney.
