You'd think kids would have been too busy last week to think about anything but getting ready for school.

Yeah, right. Tell that to the kids who swamped the message boards on Nick.com. Instead of scoping out new class schedules, they wrote odes, essays and mash notes about a favorite new subject: one James Isaac Neutron. From a message posted by 3580girl titled ?Jimmy Neutron is sooooooooooooo cute? to the confession posted by Gateses, ?I CAN'T STOP THINKING OF JIMMY NEUTRON,? the online crescendo over Nick's new breakout hit was as loud as last month's Video Music Awards and as clear as Clearasil. One smarty-pants (code name: kimi2000) even posted descriptions of the new season's 20 episodes, proudly noting she'd rooted them out on Nick's Australian website.

The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius was a guaranteed smash long before Neutron and his fellow Retroville residents made their debut in Nick's Friday 8:30 p.m. time slot last week. Nick is the undisputed king of kids TV, so anything new it launches has a built-in fan base. Nick delivers more kids than all broadcast networks combined. It has finished first in total day ratings for 27 straight quarters. Summers also belong to Nick. According to Nielsen figures crunched by Turner Networks chief research officer Jack Wakshlag, Nick conquered the kids category yet again with a 1.6 average in total day ratings this past summer, topping Cartoon Network's 1.3 average and Disney Channel's 0.8. Nick routinely occupied half or more of the top 15 basic cable show slots in any given week this past summer.

Consider, too, Nick's well-oiled marketing machine built over 23 years. Jimmy & Co. had already been introduced to Nick's viewers via a guest appearance on Rugrats. The gang was also featured in a theatrical release last December that earned more than $80 million at the box office and in a special sneak peak episode (with the catchy title ?When Pants Attack?) this past July to keep the momentum building. Neutron characters are also being distributed in Burger King's Big Kids Meals.

The network has also fostered a devoted online community of fans. Nick.com is the top-rated TV network entertainment website, according to web-tracker ComcScore, followed by CartoonNetwork.com and the Disney Channel's ZoogDisney.com.

As Gwen Billings, editor of Cynopsis Kids! and a former Nick executive, comments, ?The marketing of Jimmy Neutron has been very, very clever ? the Web is a great place to build your brand.?

Nick's latest buzz-builder is just one in a chain of competition-clobbering franchises.

SpongeBob Square Pants is by far the highest rated kids show on cable, with a 6.7 rating and 2.2 million kids 2 to 11 in the second quarter, up 22% over last year. Rugrats also continues to earn its keep. Forbes recently called it ?a $1 billion honeypot,? and said the show is ?almost single-handedly responsible for making Viacom's Nickelodeon the most-watched cable channel during the day and the second most popular during prime time.?

In addition to ten new episodes of Rugrats, Nick unveils a new Friday night lineup this fall, kicking off with SpongeBob at 8 p.m., Jimmy Neutron at 8:30 and the Fairly OddParents (20 new episodes) at 9. Capping the Friday night block at 9:30 is ChalkZone ? the highest-rated debut in Nick's history, scoring an 8.6 rating among kids 2 to 11 when it launched in March.

?We make two or three significant scheduling changes each year, with getting out of school and going back to school the most important,? says Nick's VP of programming Pete Danielsen. ?With kids back at school, September is not one of our highest-rated months.?

As a result, new shows will be introduced throughout the upcoming season, including Danny Phantom, a junior superhero; My Neighbor Is a Teenage Robot, a spin-off of Nick's Oh Yeah! Cartoons, and for the Nick Jr. set, Max and Ruby, based on the kids book series, coming out on Oct. 21. Also new this school year is Rugrats spin-off Angelica and Susie's School Daze.

The Nick juggernaut may seem impossible to beat, but that won't stop people from trying. New shows are launching across the cable and broadcast dial. And the hottest races are taking place on Saturday mornings and in the tweens market ? two sweet spots for advertisers.

?No question the competition has heated up this fall,? admits Danielsen. ?There are more people in the room.?

One newcomer to the party is Discovery's Saturday morning kids block ? not on cable but on NBC. Featuring kiddie versions of Discovery hits such as Animal Planet's The Crocodile Hunter (here called Croc Files) and TLC's Junkyard Wars (rebranded Operation Junkyard), its distinctive live-action programming will certainly stand out from the other fantasy-based fare. ?Nobody's doing what we're doing, which is both daunting and exciting,? says Marjorie Kaplan, SVP and GM of Discovery Kids. ?Everything else is animation and fantasy, which is important, but it's also important to create real-world entertainment for kids.?

The new NBC Saturday morning block starting Oct. 5 kicks off with Prehistoric Planet at 10 a.m., a more accessible version of Discovery's Walking With Dinosaurs and Walking With Prehistoric Beasts. Discovery and NBC's research shows kids are ready for a change on Saturday mornings. ?Kids are among the biggest fans of reality shows like Survivor,? says Kaplan. ?This new block represents some of the best that Discovery has to offer, in really compelling programming that speaks to kids in their language ? not only entertaining them, but engaging their minds.?

The new block has its work cut out. ?Discovery has never been a leader in programming with kids,? says Stacey Lynn Koerner, SVP and director of broadcast at Initiative Media. ?So this is going to be a really interesting launch to watch.?

Nick will also premiere some of its series on sister Viacom network CBS this fall. The Nick on CBS block, from 7 a.m. to noon, will feature six half-hour shows including Dora the Explorer, Blue's Clues, The Wild Thornberrys, Hey Arnold!, As Told by Ginger and Pelswick. CBS's existing Nick Jr.-supplied block of two seasons has been the No. 1 broadcast network for kids 2 to 5, averaging a 3.2 point rating that is second only to Nickelodeon (with a 3.9 rating) in targeting that demo for the period. The Nick Jr. on CBS block also has been drawing a sizable kids 2-to-11 audience, averaging a 1.8 rating between 7 a.m. and noon on Saturdays.

Nick's own Saturday morning schedule, which has been the No. 1 rated block among kids 2 to 11 for the past six seasons, this month adds Jimmy Neutron and The Fairly OddParents to a lineup that already features SpongeBob, Rugrats, CatDog and Rocket Power. The network is expanding its reach by replacing several preschool shows with older-skewing series such as As Told by Ginger and The Wild Thornberrys. ?We're creating a whole new package, a whole new look, on Saturday mornings,? says Danielsen.

He feels the dual Nick lineups complement each other: ?We're responding to the changes in the Saturday morning landscape and broadening our programming range with a combination of shows that register with kids across all age groups. Our strategy for the upcoming year is to double up on our hits and give all kids access to the shows they really want to see.?

ABC is also able to tap its sister cable networks, Disney Channel and ABC Family, to beef up its Saturday morning schedule. Last year it picked up Disney Channel's Lizzie McGuire and Even Stevens. Its new Saturday morning block, which begins Sept. 14, adds Disney Channel's Proud Family and Kim Possible, in addition to ABC Family's Power Rangers: Wild Force and Digimon, which makes its debut Nov. 30.

ABC Family's Saturday morning block also makes its debut this weekend. The action adventure lineup this fall adds Tokyo Pig, which leads into Spider-Man, followed by Galidor: Defenders of the Outer Dimension and NASCAR Racers. The block continues to target boys 2 to 11 and 6 to 11, says Rich Ross, president of entertainment at the Disney Channel, who oversees ABC Family's kids schedule. On Disney Channel, meanwhile, new episodes of its original series The Jersey begin Oct. 5.

The Disney Channel is also this week phasing out its Vault Disney 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. block of classic Disney fare such as Davy Crockett with reruns of its current tween-oriented shows. Although nostalgic baby boomers are outraged by the move, Ross feels the network has to consistently focus on kids in all its dayparts.

Cartoon Network is proving a strong cable contender on Saturday morning. Last month it averaged second-place for kids 2 to 11 in the 8 a.m. to noon slot, behind Nick's block but ahead of Disney Channel, ABC Family and Disney's Toon Disney digital offshoot. Cartoon's strong Saturday morning shows include Powerpuff Girls, Time Squad, Courage the Cowardly Dog, and Ed, Edd n Eddy. The network got a lift by the big screen; the July 3 premiere of The Powerpuff Girls Movie saw ratings jump 53% the following week.

?Saturday mornings is where we highlight Looney Tunes,? says Cartoon Network VP and GM Jim Samples. ?It's exclusive to us, and a piece of real estate we're very happy with. Our plan is to continue to invest in that franchise.?

The strategy paid off this summer. Cartoon made gains among boys, scoring No. 1 overall for the summer in prime time and total day delivery of boys 9 to 14 and 12 to 17. It also posted the largest net prime-time and total-day delivery gain of any network, broadcast or cable, with boys 9 to 14, 12 to 17 and males 12 to 24. It's also been making strides in prime time, ranking No. 1 for the summer in delivery of kids 2 to 11, with an average 1.2 million viewers. Among its personal bests, it earned its highest ever summer total day ratings and delivery with tweens 9 to 14 and boys 9 to 14.

Nick execs likely won't lose sleep over Cartoon's gains in the hot tween demo, having launched their own tween-targeted block, TEENick, in March. Featuring tween-oriented series such as Caitlin's Way and As Told by Ginger, the network has been targeting its audience more and more with catchy blocks like Slam (its new Sunday 4 to 6 p.m. boys action pit-stop featuring Speed Racer, Invader Zim, Butt-Ugly Martians and the kid-friendly Robot Wars) and SNICK, its Saturday night block, which starts its new season Sept. 21. In addition to The Brothers Garcia, whose tween audience grew about 20% last season, the block sees 11-year-old Jamie Lynn Spears (yep, Britney's kid sis) join the cast of flagship variety show All That.

Nick is also launching a new Sunday Movie Toons block in October, airing from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Touted as the single-largest package of feature-length animated films on TV, it boasts 39 original films. When announcing the franchise in May, Nick's EVP and GM Cyma Zarghami commented, ?The new block follows the Nick tradition of giving kids shows just for them at times where they've traditionally been underserved.?

But Nick can't assume that it will win across all demos and blocks. The stakes for the tween audience are high, especially among advertisers, who are eager to reach the 25 million 9-to-14-year-old tweens in the U.S. According to market researcher Packaged Facts, that group will spend about $35 billion this year.

?Nick still garners the lion's share of the kids audience, but Cartoon Network has really closed the gap,? says John Wagner, media director and lead kids negotiator at Starcom, which counts McDonald's, Nintendo, Lego, Kellogg's, Toys ?R? Us and Buena Vista as clients. ?They've been having more success with kids 6 to 11 and 9 to 14, a little older skewing. The older you are on that 2-to-14 spectrum, you're going to rely more on Cartoon Network.?

Cartoon has been building momentum in the critical after-school hours, which Wagner calls ?the new kids prime time.? Samples is shoring up his weekday 4 to 7 p.m. Toonami action adventure lineup with new episodes of Dragonball Z. New series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe starts running Monday to Friday in November. The block recently launched Transformers Armada on Fridays at 6:30 p.m. and earlier this year Hamtaro, which brings more girls to the block. ?That was our first anime product that wasn't really action-oriented, so it's great to see how much kids love the program,? says Samples.

Further bolstering its allure to tweens and teens, Cartoon Network is adding new episodes this fall of prime-time faves such as The Powerpuff Girls, Samurai Jack, Justice League, Dexter's Laboratory, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Time Squad and Ed, Edd n Eddy. Two new shows, Whatever Happened to Robot Jones? and Codename: Kids Next Door, will also play in prime time this fall.

Tweens are repeat viewers ? that's why stripping a series (running it at the same time every day) in the hours between ?Mom, I'm home? and bedtime is a sure-fire way to build loyalty. Disney has fast-tracked the schedule for a daily dose of Lizzie McGuire as part of its tween-grabbing Zoog Disney block. As a result of her popularity since making her debut in January 2001 (more than 26.2 million e-mail messages by Lizzie fans have been sent to Disney Channel's website to date), the show moves to a 7:30 p.m. slot, seven days a week, starting Sept. 9. The network is also stripping two other series this fall: Boy Meets World and Sister, Sister.

Lizzie will now be anchoring the evening schedule as the lead-in to the 8 p.m. Disney movie every night. The combo proved a hit last month, when an airing of Lizzie before Disney's Ring of Endless Light movie garnered the No. 1 spot among the top 20 basic cable programs for kids 9 to 14 that week, delivering 1.28 million tweens. Other after-school changes starting this week are new series Sabrina, the Animated Series at 4 p.m. Monday to Friday and Disney's Lloyd in Space at 4:30 p.m.

Of course, kids will watch pretty much anything that's on, if nobody grabs the remote. And they also use TV to expand and form their passions and tastes. A recent study from Teenage Research Unlimited found that male teenagers' favorite network is ESPN/ESPN 2, with MTV coming in a close second thanks to franchises such as last month's Video Music Awards, which was the most-watched basic cable program of the year among 12-to-34-year-olds.

ESPN's X Games have always been a huge hit with young males. Last month's event nabbed a 2.34 rating, the network's highest-rated X Games ever among males 12 to 24, and increased its viewership 94% by males 12 to 17 from last year's Games. This summer's Little League World series was another huge hit among kids ? many of whom will continue to rise early and catch SportsCenter before heading to school, says ESPN research chief Artie Bulgrin.

Digital and pay networks also play a role in reaching young viewers. HBO and Showtime offer children-oriented services, with Showtime making an effort through its Original Pictures for All Ages franchise.

Bang, Bang You're Dead, an original film premiering on Showtime in October, presents issues around school violence that Frank Pintauro, SVP and senior creative director, says is appropriate for kids 8 to 18. ?But we strongly suggest that parents watch with their kids. Some of the themes include persistent bullying that can lead to frustration and violence.? Linda Ellerbee moderates a post-show panel discussion.

While Nick offers Noggin/The N and Cartoon owns digital offshoot Boomerang, a number of networks are also leveraging their non-ad-supported status to show riskier and, they hope, more relevant fare. Noggin, a preschool programmer which reaches 25 million households, earlier this year launched a tween block at 6 p.m. daily called ?The N.? The franchise runs more challenging fare for the 9 to 14 and older groups, such as Degrassi: The Next Generation, launching its second season in October.

?The great thing with Degrassi is that the casting is all age specific, so 13-year-olds play 13-year-olds,? says Sarah Tomassi Lindman, VP of programming and production. ?Shows like this are why we think of The N as a place for kids to graduate to when they're ready to move on to the next stage.?

Since launching in 1994, Starz Encore's WAM! has refined its mission to focus on the 8-to-16-year-old market. An extension of Starz CEO John Sie's commitment to youths and fostering dialogue, the network (now in more than 8 million homes) celebrates values, art, culture and music to inform, inspire and illuminate kids.

Two new series in that vein are launching this week. HotPop, running Tuesdays at 9 p.m., is a magazine-style show for youths featuring lifestyle segments and trends, while Atlantis High is a sci-fi comedy. Talking Beyond 9/11, a special edition of returning series Table Talk, airs this week. The show will feature a roundtable hosted by then-New York City fire commissioner Thomas Van Essen.

The mood across the nation this week could stir up memories of the past year's horrors and could have an impact on kids' viewing habits in particular, says Madge Pierce, VP programming at WAM!

?There has been a huge need for escapism among adults and kids, and we have noticed an increase in our movie services this past year,? she says. ?At the same time, kids want to see themselves reflected on screen. We as programmers have a huge responsibility to be respectful to kids and their needs.?

HOW SATURDAY MORNING STACKS UP THIS FALL

	NICK	CARTOON	DISNEY	ABC FAMILY	ABC	NBC	NICK ON CBS	FOX	WB
7:00am	CatDog	Boomerang	Bear in the? House	Beyblade		New Discovery Kids on NBC block runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and premieres Oct. 5	Blue's Clues			7:00am
7:30am	CatDog		Out of the Box	Medabots			Dora the Explorer			7:30am
8:00am	Rugrats	Tex Avery Show	PB&J Otter	Best of Power Rangers	Teamo Supremo		Hey Arnold!	Stargate Infinity	Yu-Gi-Oh!	8:00am
8:30am	Rugrats	Chuck Jones Show	The Wiggles	Power Rangers	Recess		Wild Thornberrys	Ultraman TIGA	Static Shock	8:30am
9:00am	SpongeBob	Looney Tunes	Rolie Polie Olie	Beyblade	Fillmore!		Sat. Early Show (only non-Nick program in block)	Kirby	Jackie Chan	9:00am
9:30am	SpongeBob			Medabots	Recess			Kinnikuman	Adventures	9:30am
10:00am	Fairly OddParents		Stanley	Tokyo Pig	Lizzie McGuire*	Prehistoric Planet		Ninja Turtles	Pokemon	10:00am
10:30am	Jimmy Neutron		House of Mouse	Spider-Man	Proud Family*	Croc Files		Kinnikuman	Mucha Lucha	10:30am
11:00am	Rocket Power	Tom and Jerry	The Jersey	Galidor	Kim Possible*	Operation Junkyard	As Told by Ginger	Kirby	Yu-Gi-Oh!	11:00am
11:30am	Rocket Power		Sabrina Animated	NASCAR Racers	Power Rangers	Endurance	Pelswick	Fighting Foodons	X-Men	11:30am
12:00pm	Rugrats	Samurai Jack	Boy Meets World		Power Rangers^	Scout's Safari				12:00pm
12:30pm	Rugrats	Justice League	Even Stevens		NBA Inside Stuff	Black Hole High				12:30pm
1:00pm	Oh Yeah! Cartoons	He-Man	Kim Possible							1:00pm
1:30pm	ChalkZone	Transformers	Proud Family							1:30pm
ALL TIMES EST. *DISNEY CHANNEL ^ABC FAMILY'S DIGIMON EFFECTIVE 11/30/02
SOURCE: NETWORKS

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