Saban Entertainment


Saban Entertainment, Inc. was a worldwide-served independent American-Israeli television production company formed in 1980 by music and television producers Haim Saban and Shuki Levy as "Saban Productions".
The company imported, dubbed, and adapted several Japanese series such as Maple Town, Noozles, Funky Fables, Samurai Pizza Cats, and the first three Digimon series to North America and international markets for syndication, including both animation and live action shows. Saban also adapted various tokusatsu shows from Toei Company, including Power Rangers, Big Bad Beetleborgs, VR Troopers, and Masked Rider.
Saban was involved in the co-production of French/American animated shows created by Jean Chalopin for DIC Entertainment. Some of these early 1980s co-productions were Camp Candy, Ulysses 31, Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors, and The Mysterious Cities of Gold.
Saban has also distributed and provided music for TV programs produced by other companies, such as The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, Inspector Gadget and the first 2 dub seasons of Dragon Ball Z.

History

Early years

Saban Entertainment was formed in 1980 as "Saban Productions". The first Saban logo depicted a Saturn-like planet with the word "Saban", in a Pac-Man style font, going across the planet's ring. The planet had five lines under the word "Productions". Several years later, the company created Saban International, for international distribution of its shows.
In 1986, Saban Productions bought the foreign rights to the DIC Enterprises library of children's programming from DIC's parent DIC Animation City, and then sold the rights to Jean Chalopin's C&D. DIC then sued Saban for damages and in 1991, DIC and Saban reached a settlement.
In 1988, the company renamed itself Saban Entertainment. As the company grew additional executive were hired as to push into new areas like prime time programming. Saban hired Stan Golden from Horizon International TV to head their Saban International distribution arm. Then in August 1989, Tom Palmieri came from MTM Enterprises to become Saban president. By January 2, 1990, Saban formed Saban/Scherick Productions division for production done with Edgar Scherick, primarily miniseries and made-for-TV movies. Around this time, they also began distributing the film library of New World Pictures to television stations. Ironically, one of New World's other subsidiaries would play a large role in the company's future.

Partnership with Marvel Entertainment Group and News Corporation

1992 saw Saban partner with the Marvel Entertainment Group to produce an animated series based on Marvel's comic-book heroes the X-Men. The series ran until 1997. In 1993, Saban brought another hit to the Fox Kids lineup, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, an adaptation of the Japanese Super Sentai franchise. At different times in the 1980s, both Loesch and Saban had attempted adaptations of these shows, but had found themselves repeatedly rejected by other networks.
New World Animation, Saban, and Marvel Films Animation each produced a Marvel series for television.
In July 1996, Fox Children's Network secured rights from Marvel Entertainment Group for Captain America, Daredevil and Silver Surfer and additional characters to be developed into four series and 52 episodes over seven years. Also in July, Saban formed a new division, Saban Enterprises International, to handle international licensing, merchandising and promotional activities under president Michael Welter. Oliver Spiner, senior vice president of Saban International, takes over operational duties previously handled by Welter. Eric S. Rollman was promoted from senior vice president production to executive vice president of Saban Animation.
Also in 1996, Fox Children's Productions merged with Saban Entertainment to form Fox Kids Worldwide, which included the Marvel Productions and Marvel Films Animation library.
Marvel was developing a Captain America animated series with Saban Entertainment for Fox Kids to premiere in fall 1998. However, due to Marvel's bankruptcy, the series was canceled before the premiere. Both Marvel and Saban would become parts of The Walt Disney Company; Saban in 2002 and Marvel by the end of 2009. Then in 2010, Haim Saban founded a new company, Saban Capital Group ; they produced shows under the name Saban Brands, such as all Power Rangers seasons starting with Power Rangers Samurai and Glitter Force.

BVS Entertainment

On July 23, 2001, it was announced that the group would be sold to The Walt Disney Company as part of the sale of Fox Family Worldwide/Fox Kids Worldwide by Haim Saban and News Corporation, and on October 24, 2001, the sale was completed and the group was renamed BVS Entertainment. The last official program and fully produced and distributed by Saban Entertainment was Power Rangers Time Force. However, Power Rangers Wild Force was the last series created by Saban.
Haim Saban left Saban International Paris in the same year and was eventually split and sold off from Saban Entertainment to become an independent studio. Disney would eventually purchase a 49% minority stake in this division, which on October 1, 2002 was renamed to SIP Animation, which continued producing content until 2009.
Since Saban Capital Group purchased back the rights to Power Rangers and Digimon, BVS Entertainment became dormant, and is the current copyright holder for the ex-Saban and ex-Fox Kids/Fox Children's Productions shows that Disney currently owns.

Sensation Animation

One portion of Saban Entertainment was renamed Sensation Animation in 2002; this had been Saban's division for ADR production and post-production services for anime, and was created so that Disney could continue dubbing Digimon episodes. This division ceased operations in 2003 after Disney lost the rights to dub Digimon. Disney however would go on to dub and distribute the previously un-dubbed four Digimon movies; Revenge of Diaboromon, Battle of Adventurers, Runaway Locomon and Island of the Lost Digimon in 2005 and the fifth TV season, Digimon Data Squad in 2007, but this time the dubbing was handled by post-production studio Studiopolis. The majority of the previous cast members returned sans some actors, like Joshua Seth.

Saban International Paris

Saban International Paris, later SIP Animation, was a television production company based in France that operated from 1977 to 2009.
Saban International Paris was founded in France by Haim Saban and Jacqueline Tordjman in 1977 as a record company. In 1989, Saban International Paris moved into the animation field. The studio would go on to produce many animated series for Fox Kids Europe in the 1990s and 2000s. Haim Saban departed the company in 2001 with the purchase of Fox Family Worldwide, which was followed by The Walt Disney Company taking a stake in the company and a name change to SIP Animation on October 1, 2002. SIP continued to co-produce animated series with Jetix Europe during the 2000s. SIP Animation was closed in 2009.

List of television series and films

Animated TV series

Saban Entertainment
Saban International Paris

Foreign television series

Saban Entertainment dubbed and or distributed the following foreign television series in English:
Saban Entertainment produced and or distributed the following live action TV series:
The Fox Kids/Saban Entertainment library today is mostly owned by The Walt Disney Company, with a few exceptions: