Fox TV Boosts Children’s Programming

Encouraged by early success that already has knocked NBC out of the Saturday-morning cartoon business, the Fox TV network said Tuesday that it will nearly double the amount of children’s programming it offers this fall--to 19 hours a week.

Fox’s two-year-old children’s television division became the first of the four broadcast networks to unveil its fall plans, saying it will have a one-hour block on weekday mornings, a two-hour block on weekday afternoons and a four-hour block on Saturday mornings. Fox presently programs 10 1/2 hours a week of children’s fare.

Among the new Saturday shows are “Eek the Cat,” a cartoon about a cat living with “two horrible children”; “Dog City,” about a canine private eye; “X-Men,” based on the Marvel comic book, and “Super Dave,” featuring the animated exploits of comic stunt man Dave Osborne. New for weekday afternoons will be “Batman: The Animated Series,” which Fox said will feature “a lush and ornate film noir/art deco design--a look never before seen in any television animation.”

Series either returning to the Fox lineup or acquired from previous incarnations elsewhere include “Tom & Jerry Kids Show,” “Bobby’s World,” “Taz-Mania,” “Tiny Toon Adventures,” “Beetlejuice,” “Merrie Melodies Starring Bugs Bunny & Friends” and “Muppet Babies.”