We have one for sports, cooking, shopping, weather, westerns. Etc....why not one for comic books?
I honestly can't believe that any of the big time cable company’s hasn’t thought of this.
I'm sure even if they had the cost of licensing and properties of certain characters to be shown on their network would be fetch a "hefty penny", especially from the big two comic companies (DC and Marvel) which their parent companies. Warner bros. and Disney, have lawyers galore to find a way to get make sure they get paid for them been shown on an broadcast station.
Nevertheless, if that wasn't the case, if any and every comic book characters that have had a program or movie dedicated to him could be used for a 24 hour cable all comic book channel, this is my programing idea for it.
Simply called
'Comic Book Television' or CBTV for short.
As you can see the logo would be the initials inside a word balloon.
The premise: Since almost any and everything and everyone that popular have had a comic book, From the obvious popular super hero to KISS, to PRINCE, to BO JACKSON, et. (There’s even a comic book out there about yours truly believe it or not)
there will need to be some kind of stipulation or guideline as what QUALIFY to be shown on a comic book channel.
Basically it will be any movie, TV show, animation, anime, manga and documentary that is or about a character that have been printed in comic book, graphic novel and web media but primarily those of the "superhero" nature (Superman, Spiderman, X-Men, Batman, The Crow, Hellboy, etc...) and those who have contributed to the creation of the medium.
However, this is not to say that certain movies or shows based on the premise of someone with super powers that was not printed in a comic will not be shown, because they will.
For example movies like "Unbreakable, Superhero movie, Chronicle, etc..." will also be shown as well as movies and TV shows based of the pulp magazine characters that eventually was published in comics (Tarzan, Conan, Zorro, The Shadow, etc...) as well as shows and video games that have inspired LONG RUNNING comics (Hercules, Xena, Tomb Raider)
Sci- Fi, Western and Horror shows and movies based of a comic book will also be shown... but in limited showing, only because there are cable channels dedicated to those genres.
Certain more popular ones will be shown more regular basis (Star Wars, Star Trek, Firefly, Blade, Spawn, Walking Dead, etc.)
Primarily it will be only shows and movies, from 1966 (start of the Batman TV show) till today. However, some older stuff before that can be shown also.
The schedule:
My goal in the way this channel would schedule programs and movies is to make sure that ALL characters and comics are represented on the channel and there isn't any favoritism of either of the big two (Marvel or DC) shows and movies regardless who the movie company is that made them.
That's more an issue for Marvel movies since they are made by several different movie company’s including their own, but any MARVEL character movie is looked at as a 'MARVEL movie".
And to make sure that happen there will not be any Marvel or DC show or movie that will follow one another back to back as best as possible.
There will be times when a DC movie or show follows a Marvel or vice versa but never a Marvel TV show and then a Marvel movie and the same with DC shows and movies (except for a specific block of shows or movies).
The
"buffer" to prevent this from happening is the shows and movies base on non DC or Marvel characters will always (as best as possible) be shown between any Marvel or DC property program.
Believe it or not, as popular and the "big two" movies and shows are, there have been more "non" (as I refer to them) DC or Marvel shows and movie made.
There will only be selected movies that are shown that can and will be repeated several times within a month similar to how HBO schedule their movies.
So here's the schedule line with program from 6 am to 6 am. Weekdays and then Weekends scheduling (the shows will be shown on every hour or 30 minute mark within an hour).
And the weekly schedule can and will change with every 2 years.
Weekday schedule: The morning programing will start off with a 6 hour block of 30 minute cartoons. I like that because it will be like Saturday morning every weekday morning.
Here's an example of a weekday morning schedule on Monday till Friday:
6:00 AM - Battle of the Planets cartoon episode
6:30 AM - G.I.Joe cartoon episode
7:00 Am - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle episode
7:30 AM - Transformers cartoon episode
8:00 AM - Batman TAS
8:30 AM - Superman TAS episode
9:00 AM - Spiderman TAS episode
9:30 AM - X-MEN TAS episode
10:00 AM - ThunderCats cartoon episode
10:30 AM - He Man and the MOTU episode
11:00 AM - Justice League TAS
11:30 AM - Avengers EMH
At noon will have a live action show that would play at this time for the whole week.
Generally an "old school" shows that lasted for a while on TV (i.e. at least 2 seasons)
12:00 -
SMALLVILLE (or the Incredible Hulk, Wonder woman, or Night man, etc.)
For the afternoon programing it will transition to LIVE ACTION movies from 1 pm to 7 pm.
The only stipulation is that it cannot be 'R' rated in the afternoon. PG-13 at the most.
Yes, I know this will be a cable channel, but comics are not just for grownups but for kids too (Believe it or not) and if you show the hard core violent/sexual related material when "little johnnie or Susie" is home from school or during the summer months, you would have more PARENTS GROUP protesting your station more than you could imagine.
So we start off the afternoon with a
non DC or Marvel movie and the entire afternoon line could be none DC/Marvel or it would be at least 2 none DC/Marvel and one of the big two depending what is schedule for the prime time movie.
If a
non Marvel or DC movie is to be played as the Prime Time movie, then a Marvel and DC movie could be use in the afternoon schedule but not necessary.
Example of an afternoon schedule
1:00 pm - "
Scott Pilgrim" ( I think a comedy would start the afternoon off nicely)
3:00 pm - "
Fantastic Four"
5:00 pm - "
Green Lantern "
Most of the movies go over the 2 hour mark by a minute or two so they may need to be edited for time constraints.
Starting with the evening program at 7 pm it will be two 30 minute shows.
One of a "lighter" live action show and the second a high end animation show (but not necessary) that would be played for the entire week.
Example:
7:00 pm - An episode of
Zorro ('90s TV show)
7:30 pm - An episode of
Star wars: the Clone wars
PRIME TIME SCHEDULING:
For Primetime slot of 8 pm to 10 pm it will be a major motion picture
of any rating (time to put the kiddies to bed).
And once again, so that we don't have back to back nights of one of the "big two" movies, different nights will be assign to different comic book companies movies with the "none Marvel/DC" movies being shown the most (and mostly because there are just more of them).
Monday night: a "non Marvel/Dc movie"
Tuesday night : a MARVEL movie
Wednesday night: a "non Marvel/DC movie"
Thursday night: A DC movie
Friday night: A "non" Marvel/DC movie
Whichever night it is for the specific type of movie will affect what is shown at the 11:00 pm timeslot, which I will show you in a moment.
An example of the prime time weeknight movie schedule:
Tonight the movie would be "
Edge of Tomorrow" since its Monday night.
Tomorrow movie could be "
The Avengers".
Wednesday night would be
"Hell Boy 2".
Thursday would be "
Man of Steel".
Friday would be “
The Crow ".
If a movie goes over 2 hours it will blend into the next hour until the following 30 minute mark.
For the 10 pm to 11 pm slot will be two 30 minute program that can be either live action and or animated but of a more "adult" content that will be played for the entire week.
Examples:
10:00 pm : an episode of "
Comic Book men"
10:30 pm : an episode of "
Duck Man"
The 11:00 pm timeslot will be any our long TV show based on a comic and will changed from night to night.
However, if a show is based on a Marvel or DC character, it cannot be shown on the night that one of their movies are in the 8 pm timeslot.
Example of 11 pm weeknight TV shows
Monday: an episode of the "
Agents of Shield"
Tuesday: an episode of "T
he Greatest American Hero"
Wednesday: "an episode of "
Heroes"
Thursday: An episode of "
Xena"
Friday: an episode of "
Arrow"
From Midnight till 6 am will be (generally) 3 movies of any rating but primarily those rated 'R' or a heavy PG-13.
The first movie can never be in the same comic book company as the previous 11pm TV show.
For example tonight will have an episode of 'Agent of Shield' which is a Marvel character so the first movie cannot be of a Marvel movie that follows it.
Either a "non Marvel/DC movie" or a DC based movie should follow it and the opposite would be if a DC based show was in the 11pm time slot.
For example tonight schedule from midnight till 6 am would be this...
12:00 am -
V for Vendetta
3: 30 AM -
Chronicle
5:00 AM -
Blade II
And that would conclude how a weekday schedule for CBTV would be programmed.
The WEEKEND SCHEDULE would change up just to have a different flavor that the weekdays and you would run out of shows and constantly show re-runs if you di this seven days a week.
So for
Saturday the morning from 6 am to noon you will still start out with a block of classic animated cartoons TV shows (generally those that didn't have a long time on TV in their initial run or less popular)
example of Saturday morning animation block
6:00 AM - Tarzan animated series ('70s series)
6:30 AM - Voltron
7:00 AM - Conan the Adventurer
7:30 AM - The Mask
8:00 AM - The Tick
8:30 AM - Savage Dragon
9:00 AM - Static Shock
9:30 AM - Teen Titans
10: 00 AM - Iron Man animated series ('90s)
10:30 AM - Fantastic Four: ('80s and 90s shows)
11:00 AM - Legend of Superheroes
11:30 Am - The Incredible Hulk ('80s and 90s show)
Starting at NOON on Saturday we will go into a
18 hour BLOCK from noon till 6 am based on a specific character of show/movies that was based on a specific character or have a common theme.
For example ALL Movies that are based on Superman, Spiderman, X-Men, Batman, HULK (including TV movies), ALL MARVEL STUDIOS MOVIES, all Star wars Movies, and all STAR TREK movies, etc.
But it could be all have a central theme: All comic book comedy comedies, all movies based on dinosaurs, the worst CBM ever, etc.
But It would also include blocks (mostly) from TV SHOWS that one lasted for about one season and we play the entire series that day.
For example: "Witchblade", "The Crow: Stairway to Heaven", " "Birds of Prey", "the Human Target", "Blade", FIREFLY, etc. (we can repeat episode to fil in the time)
Sunday's programing would be a mixture of
Documentaries and full length Animated movies including 3D ones (Mostly 75 minutes but it can be 2 hour movie also) but it will also include Anime Manga and motion comics movies (but the hard core stuff is shown only after 8 pm)
This programing will split the day from 6am to 1pm with Documentaries. And then from noon till midnight with full length animated movies (or series block) and then from Midnight till 6 you REPETE the documentaries you showed.
For example
6:00 AM -
With Great Power: the Story of Stan Lee documentary
8:00 AM -
The History of DC COMICS documentary
10:00 AM -
The Image Revolution Documentary
12:00 - Thundercats '80s animated movie
1:30 - Stan Lee's Mosaic animated movie
3:00 - The Iron Giant
4:30 - TMNT animated movie
6:00 - Turok, son of Stone animated Movie
7:30 - Heroes United: Hulk and Iron Man
9:00 - Batman: Under the red Hood
10:30 - Heavy Metal (1981)
Midnight till 6am - repeated documentaries.
And there you have it.
The programing schedule I would have if it was feasible for me to have access to any and all things comic book related that have been done in a live action or animated feature or TV show or documentary.
As I said in the start, this will probably never happen for legal reason, but man what a station and I have actual done this schedule viewing using my dvd carousel with all the comic book related TV shows and movies (which is basically ALL of them) f I have before just to see if it would work and it does!