WB Renews Five Kids' Shows ap2it.com Los Angeles Nov 12, 2002 01:02 PM PDT

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) -

The network also ordered new seasons of two of its longer-running kids shows, "Pokemon" and "Yu-Gi-Oh!," ensuring that the Kids WB block next season will look a lot like it does this year.

"These early pick-ups are testament to our confidence and appreciation of the wonderful creative teams behind each of these shows," says Donna Friedman Meir, executive vice president of Kids WB. "These series will be the anchor for what we expect to be another winning season."

The new series that got a pickup for next season are "Ozzy & Drix," based on animated characters from the movie "Osmosis Jones" ; "Mucha Lucha," a Latino-themed show about three kid wrestlers; and "What's New Scooby-Doo?," an update of the long-running franchise.

So far this season, the Kids WB block is the top destination for kids over age 6 and "tweens" (9- to 14-year-olds) on Saturday morning, beating out the previous leader, Nickelodeon. It also leads Nick in the 9-14 group on weekdays.