MUMBAI: Its time for pokéaction! The summer is well and truly on and to give kids a welcome break from the heat Cartoon Network has announced that it will air the critically acclaimed cult series Pokemon.
It will start from 12 May and will air from Monday - Friday at 8 am and 5 pm. Through this programme initiative the channel is looking to spice up is Toonami band. To add a local flavour the series will be available in English and Hindi languages.
In Pokemon, kids are permitted to become Pokemon trainers - and the best of them may some day become Pokemon masters. That's the dream of Ash Ketchum, the young hero who embarks on his journey with a secret that gives him an edge, His special love for these Pokemon creatures helps him beat incredible odds and makes seemingly impossible things happen! Pokemon are a unique group of creatures, and are evolved cross hybrids of different animals.
Created by Satoshi Tajiri, the show has emerged as one of the most popular cartoon series on television and has taken the kids world by storm. The series has been a big draw among young viewers’ aged 6 - 17, and has consistently enjoyed high ratings in many countries including Japan and the US. In the US, the show obtained higher ratings than the Today Show and Good Morning America Show, in their morning time slots.
Pokemon quickly became a phenomenon and has generated numerous extensions, including movies, video games, comics, merchandise, trading cards, etc. The series has been converted into four successful features with the fifth movie scheduled for released in July 2003. Interestingly, when the first movie released worldwide in 1999, the opening weekend take was US$ 31.4 million, beating Titanic’s opening of US$ 28.64 million.