TV & VIDEO - Jan. 9, 1989

The Walt Disney animators are going to work on an ambitious new daily syndicated program that will hit the air in the fall of 1990. “The Disney Afternoon” will be two hours of original animated programming that will introduce “Tale Spin,” a $30-million animated series built around an outrageous band of daredevil pilots, and also include the current-running “Duck Tales” and “Gummi Bears,” plus an upcoming series, “Chip ‘n’ Dale Rescue Rangers.” Richard Frank, president of Walt Disney Studios, says the $400,000-per-episode cost will make “Tale Spin” the most expensive animated series ever on television, topping Disney’s “Duck Tales,” which carries a $25-million-a-season price tag and currently is said to be the costliest animated series on TV. The syndicated package will be distributed by Buena Vista Television and will likely cost $100 million a season to produce. Frank says the success of Disney brand products worldwide will pay for the expensive, hand-illustrated animation the company prefers. “We had to find ways to pay for this first,” he added. Two days before Disney’s announcement, movie director/producer Steven Spielberg said he is getting into television animation with “Tiny Tunes,” a syndicated series slated to debut in the fall 1990 through Warner Bros. Television.