Saban Entertainment

Saban Entertainment, Inc. (along with Saban International, which operated outside the United States; current legal name is BVS Entertainment, Inc.) was a worldwide-served independent American-Israeli television production company formed in 1980 by music and television producers Haim Saban[1] and Shuki Levy as "Saban Productions".

This article is about the defunct television production company. For the company that has a division called Saban Entertainment Group, see Saban Capital Group.

BVS Entertainment, Inc.
FormerlySaban Productions, Inc. (1980–1988)
Saban Entertainment, Inc. (1988–2001)[1][2][3]
IndustryAnimation
Filmmaking
FateAcquired by The Walt Disney Company
SuccessorBVS Entertainment
Saban Brands
Buena Vista Studios
Founded1980 (1980)
FoundersHaim Saban
Shuki Levy
DefunctOctober 1, 2002 (2002-10-01)[1][2][3]
HeadquartersLos Angeles, California, U.S.
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Haim Saban (Chairman/CEO)
Shuki Levy (President/CFO/CCO)
ProductsTelevision programs
Theatrical films
OwnerNews Corporation & Haim Saban (1996-2001)
The Walt Disney Company (2001-Present)
ParentFox Family Worldwide (1996-2001)
ABC Family Worldwide
(Walt Disney Television)(2001-Present)
SubsidiariesSaban International N.V. (later BVS International N.V.)
Saban International Services, Inc. (later BVS International Services, Inc.)
Saban International Paris (Sold off in 2002)

The company imported, dubbed, and adapted several Japanese series such as Maple Town, Noozles, Funky Fables, Samurai Pizza Cats, and the first three Digimon series to North America and international markets for syndication, including both animation and live action shows. Saban also adapted various tokusatsu shows from Toei Company, including Power Rangers (based on the Super Sentai series), Big Bad Beetleborgs (based on Juukou B-Fighter), VR Troopers (featuring elements of Metal Hero series like Space Sheriff Shaider, Jikuu Senshi Spielban and Choujinki Metalder), and Masked Rider (an original interpretation using scenes from the Japanese Kamen Rider Black RX).

Saban was involved in the co-production of French/American animated shows created by Jean Chalopin for DIC Entertainment. Some of these early 1980s co-productions were Camp Candy, Ulysses 31, Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors, and The Mysterious Cities of Gold (the third of which was a Japanese co-production).

Saban has also distributed and provided music for TV programs produced by other companies, such as The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, Inspector Gadget and the first 2 dub seasons of Dragon Ball Z.

History

Early years

Saban Entertainment was formed in 1980[4] as "Saban Productions". The first Saban logo depicted a Saturn-like planet with the word "Saban", in a Pac-Man style font, going across the planet's ring. The planet had five lines under the word "Productions". Several years later, the company created Saban International, for international distribution of its shows (note: though used interchangeably with "Saban International Paris", they were technically two different entities).

In 1986, Saban Productions bought the foreign rights to the DIC Enterprises library of children's programming from DIC's parent DIC Animation City, and then sold the rights to Jean Chalopin's C&D.[5][6] DIC then sued Saban for damages and in 1991, DIC and Saban reached a settlement.[7]

In 1988, the company renamed itself Saban Entertainment. As the company grew additional executive were hired as to push into new areas like prime time programming. Saban hired Stan Golden from Horizon International TV to head their Saban International distribution arm. Then in August 1989, Tom Palmieri came from MTM Enterprises to become Saban president. By January 2, 1990, Saban formed Saban/Scherick Productions division for production done with Edgar Scherick, primarily miniseries and made-for-TV movies.[4] Around this time, they also began distributing the film library of New World Pictures (which had been sold by New World to Trans-Atlantic Films, composed of ex-New World employees) to television stations. Ironically, one of New World's other subsidiaries would play a large role in the company's future.

Partnership with Marvel Entertainment Group and News Corporation

1992 saw Saban partner with the Marvel Entertainment Group to produce an animated series based on Marvel's comic-book heroes the X-Men. The series ran until 1997. In 1993, Saban brought another hit to the Fox Kids lineup, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, an adaptation of the Japanese Super Sentai franchise. At different times in the 1980s, both Loesch and Saban had attempted adaptations of these shows, but had found themselves repeatedly rejected by other networks.[8][9][10]

New World Animation (The Incredible Hulk), Saban (X-Men), and Marvel Films Animation (Spider-Man) each produced a Marvel series for television.[11]

In July 1996, Fox Children's Network secured rights from Marvel Entertainment Group for Captain America, Daredevil and Silver Surfer and additional characters to be developed into four series and 52 episodes over seven years.[12] Also in July, Saban formed a new division, Saban Enterprises International, to handle international licensing, merchandising and promotional activities under president Michael Welter. Oliver Spiner, senior vice president of Saban International, takes over operational duties previously handled by Welter. Eric S. Rollman was promoted from senior vice president production to executive vice president of Saban Animation.[13]

Also in 1996, Fox Children's Network merged with Saban Entertainment to form Fox Kids Worldwide, which included the Marvel Productions and Marvel Films Animation library.[14][15][16]

Marvel was developing a Captain America animated series with Saban Entertainment for Fox Kids to premiere in fall 1998.[17] However, due to Marvel's bankruptcy, the series was canceled before the premiere.[18] Both Marvel and Saban would become parts of The Walt Disney Company; Saban (renamed BVS Entertainment) in 2002 and Marvel by the end of 2009. Then in 2010, Haim Saban founded a new company, Saban Capital Group (SCG); they produced shows under the name Saban Brands, such as all Power Rangers seasons starting with Power Rangers Samurai and Glitter Force.[19]

BVS Entertainment

On July 23, 2001, it was announced that the group would be sold to The Walt Disney Company as part of the sale of Fox Family Worldwide/Fox Kids Worldwide (now ABC Family Worldwide) by Haim Saban and News Corporation,[20] and on October 24, 2001, the sale was completed[1][2] and the group was renamed BVS (Buena Vista Studios) Entertainment.[3] The last official program and fully produced and distributed by Saban Entertainment was Power Rangers Time Force. However, Power Rangers Wild Force was the last series created by Saban (Saban created the series and produced only pre-production, following the acquisition of Saban Entertainment and Fox Family Worldwide/Fox Kids Worldwide, the show was copyrighted to Disney and was distributed by BVS, although the show was produced by MMPR Productions, the producer of the Power Rangers series during the Saban era).

Haim Saban left Saban International Paris in the same year and was eventually split and sold off from Saban Entertainment to become an independent studio. Disney would eventually purchase a 49% minority stake in this division, which on October 1, 2002 was renamed to SIP Animation, which continued producing content until 2009.

Since Saban Capital Group purchased back the rights to Power Rangers and Digimon, BVS Entertainment became dormant, and is the current copyright holder for the ex-Saban and ex-Fox Kids/Fox Children's Productions shows that Disney currently owns.

Sensation Animation

One portion of Saban Entertainment was renamed Sensation Animation in 2002;[21] this had been Saban's division for ADR production and post-production services for anime, and was created so that Disney could continue dubbing Digimon (the second half of Digimon Tamers and Digimon Frontier) episodes. This division ceased operations in 2003 after Disney lost the rights to dub Digimon. Disney however would go on to dub and distribute the previously un-dubbed four Digimon movies; Revenge of Diaboromon (DA02), Battle of Adventurers (DT), Runaway Locomon (DT) and Island of the Lost Digimon (DF) in 2005 and the fifth TV season, Digimon Data Squad in 2007, but this time the dubbing was handled by post-production studio Studiopolis. The majority of the previous cast members returned sans some actors, like Joshua Seth.

Saban International Paris
Main article: SIP Animation

Saban International Paris, later SIP Animation, was a television production company based in France that operated from 1977 to 2009.

Saban International Paris was founded in France by Haim Saban and Jacqueline Tordjman in 1977 as a record company. In 1989, Saban International Paris moved into the animation field.[22] The studio would go on to produce many animated series for Fox Kids Europe in the 1990s and 2000s. Haim Saban departed the company in 2001 with the purchase of Fox Family Worldwide, which was followed by The Walt Disney Company taking a stake in the company and a name change to SIP Animation on October 1, 2002.[23][24][25] SIP continued to co-produce animated series with Jetix Europe (previously Fox Kids Europe) during the 2000s.[26][27] SIP Animation was closed[28] in 2009.[29]

List of television series and films

Animated TV series

Saban Entertainment

Saban International Paris

For shows produced after SIP became independent in 2002, see SIP Animation.

Some of the shows featured the "Saban's" corporate bug in their title. Saban Entertainment itself is not listed.

Foreign television series

Saban Entertainment dubbed and or distributed the following foreign television series in English:

Live-action TV series

Saban Entertainment produced and or distributed the following live action TV series:

Live-action films

Animated films/specials

Media releases
  • Most Saban Entertainment-owned media from the early 1990s made their way to VHS in most regions. However, from the late 1990s on, almost all Saban Entertainment-owned entities were only released as Australian and New Zealand Region 4 VHSes. And also, according to current North American rights holders, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment had (and still has) no plans to release these titles to DVD and Blu-ray, and as such, some of them instead aired on their sibling television channel, Disney XD and originally was on Toon Disney and ABC Family before the retirement of the Jetix branding in the United States. In most European countries, Fox Kids Europe (later Jetix Europe) had a sister channel called Fox Kids Play (later Jetix Play) which aired various Saban Entertainment programs and shows owned by Fox Kids Europe/Jetix Europe. Some shows were also released on DVD and VHS by various independent distributors, such as Maximum Entertainment in the United Kingdom.

Digimon
  • In Australia, Digimon: Digital Monsters seasons one and two was re-released by Madman Entertainment on August 17, 2011.[39][40]
  • In addition, the first five series was released on DVD in North America through New Video.

Power Rangers

Others

Saban's library

The Fox Kids/Saban Entertainment library today is mostly owned by The Walt Disney Company, with a few exceptions:

References
  1. "Haim Saban". Saban. Archived from the original on March 2, 2009. Retrieved February 19, 2009.
  2. "Haim Saban, producer, in Hollywood, Washington, Israel". The New Yorker. May 10, 2010. p. 6. Retrieved November 4, 2010.
  3. "Company Overview of BVS Entertainment, Inc". Bloomberg Business. Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
  4. Apodoaca, Patrice (January 2, 1990). "Saban Seeks Older TV Audience : Programs: The founder of Saban Entertainment, which produces children's shows, takes the leap to prime time". Los Angeles Times. Times Mirror Company. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
  5. "Haim Saban, producer, in Hollywood, Washington, Israel". The New Yorker. May 10, 2010. p. 3. Retrieved November 4, 2010.
  6. Perlmutter, David (2014). America Toons In: A History of Television Animation. pp. 207–212. ISBN 9780786476503. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
  7. "Haim Saban, producer, in Hollywood, Washington, Israel". The New Yorker. May 10, 2010. p. 4. Retrieved November 4, 2010.
  8. "Blast from the Past". www.blastfromthepasttv.com. Retrieved 2020-05-11.
  9. "The Interviews: Margaret Loesch". Television Academy. Retrieved 2020-05-11.
  10. Francisco, Eric. "How The Power Rangers Were Almost Marvel Superheroes, From Marvel to Saban". Inverse. Retrieved 2020-05-11.
  11. Goldman, Michael. "Stan Lee: Comic Guru". Animation World Magazine. Animation World Network. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
  12. "AWM's July 7, 1996 Email News Flash:Marvel Super Heroics To Continue On Fox Kids Network". Animation World Network. August 1996. Retrieved July 19, 2011.
  13. "AWM's July 21, 1996 Email News Flash: Welter New President In Saban's Overhaul". Animation World Network. August 1996. Retrieved July 19, 2011.
  14. "Fox Family Worldwide Inc". Saban. Archived from the original on April 21, 2009. Retrieved February 19, 2009.
  15. Brock, Connie (May 10, 2010). "Haim Saban, producer, in Hollywood, Washington, Israel". The New Yorker. p. 5. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
  16. Hillier, Barry (November 1, 1996). "Fox Kids Worldwide is born". Kidscreen. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
  17. "TV News: Fox Kids, Family Channel To Get [Very] Animated". Animation World Magazine. February 1998. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
  18. "Captain America "Skullhenge"". Animation. Steve Engelhart. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
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