PBS Kids (2002-2013)

Background
PBS Kids is a children's programming block on PBS and 24-hour digital channel. This page shows the section as part of the PBS Kids page.

(2000-2001; January 21, 2002-October 7, 2013)
Logo:


 * Snow Globe: Dash ice-skates on the pond, then suddenly feels the ground-shaking and stops. Then, the camera then pans out to reveal that he is in a snow globe, which was held by Dot, who giggles, "Doink!" Snowflakes are seen during the circular PBS Kids logo.
 * Fish Bowl: Dash looks at the fishbowl and he comes behind it a goldfish is in. He imagines as an orange fish. After a second, he gets swallowed by Dot as a green fish. An underwater background is seen during the circular PBS Kids logo.
 * Also, like the previous logos at the lower-left hand of the screen, the URL address for PBS Kids will appear like before. In both variants, the PBS Kids logo has Dot on it afterwards. Sometimes, the URL address for PBS Kids does not appear.

Variants:
 * A still variant of the fish bowl system cue exists, which was seen on a CBBC airing of a few early Martha Speaks episodes.
 * Starting in 2003, a variant exists where these system cues are presented in widescreen. "KIDS" is below the circular PBS Kids logo.
 * A version of the snow globe bumper exists which is presented in true widescreen, with the word "KIDS" below the circular PBS Kids logo. There are many things different about the two: In the snow globe, in the top part of it, the trees, the sky, the pond and Dash aree tinted like the background and it is zoomed out slightly. The color of the background shown in the second half of the logo is in lavender. In the snow globe, the pond has a slightly different shape. The animation are different and less smooth. The background where Dot is shown holding the snow globe is to have no snowflakes. Dot's eyes' pupils are shrunken and seems to bring the snow globe, getting more closer to her. The snowflakes are brighter and bigger. "KIDS" is below the circular PBS Kids logo. Strangely, in this variant, Dot has fingers.
 * A version of the fish bumper also exists which is presented in true widescreen; however, there are no other changes. On the first half of the logo, the screen for the scene where Dash looks at the goldfish in his fish bowl and he comes behind it is zoomed in a little bit. The close-up view of the fishbowl is zoomed out slightly. On the second half of the logo, the camera is off the screen. The bubbles' animation are different. On the third half of the logo, the background where the PBS Kids logo is shown is zoomed out. "KIDS" is below the circular PBS Kids logo.
 * According to Primal Screen, there is the same version of the fish bowl bumper, with a couple differences:
 * The screen where the circular PBS Kids logo is shown is zoomed in.
 * The URL address for PBS Kids does not appear.
 * When the logo ends, the screen does not fade to black.
 * Like the usual standard variants of these bumpers, the URL address for PBS Kids will appear like before.
 * Cropped 16:9 versions exist.
 * A version shows where the logo would oftentimes fade in at the beginning of the logo. Another version shows where the logo would oftentimes fade in at the beginning, and when the logo ends, it fades out at the ending.
 * On an widescreen print of an episode of Nanalan' , due to strange reasons (yep, Nanalan' was the only show that aired on PBS Kids), the logo is cropped in widescreen, unlike the cropped 16:9 version. Also for the 2000-2008 Fish Bowl system cue, the Snow Globe bumper is seen: this is considered an editing error.

Technique: 2D animation by Primal Screen.

Music/Sounds: Depending on the variant: A whimsical 10-note vibraphone tune (the last 4 notes on the theme are the PBS Kids jingle which plays in a different key, possibly spoofing C. E. Levy's "Skater's Waltz" but in F major), accompanied by jingle bells for the snow variant and no music for the fish variant. The fish variant has some bubbling sounds followed by a boy scatting the 1999 jingle circle-lipped as if to imitate a fish.

Both idents end with the "doink" sound and the kids saying the company name. The "PBS Kids!" chant sounds less like singing and more like a simple yell. If you listen closely, you can also hear the "PBS Kids" chant from the Dot variant of the 1999 logo. Music and sound design created by Primal Screen.

Music/Sounds Variants:


 * For the version of the Fish Bowl bumper that is presented in true widescreen, the logo's audio is alternated.
 * Some PBS Kids airings of some episodes of WordWorld, as well as several widescreen prints of an episode of Nanalan' (which can be found on Encore+'s YouTube account) has the music of the snow globe bumper for the fish bowl ident: this is most likely an audio error.
 * As seen on old PBS Kids prints of early Martha Speaks episodes for the Audio Description track, the fish bumper has an announcer saying: "A cartoon girl fish eats a boy fish".
 * On some international prints of 2008 Martha Speaks episodes, the logo plays in high pitch. For strange reasons, this system cue surprisingly aired on a few international channels.

Availability: Extinct on TV, but uncommon elsewhere. Check your old tapes to find these. Legacy: Also a well-known and memorable logo from PBS.
 * Appeared on 2002-2013 prints of PBS Kids programming at the time, most likely at the end of the credits or the funding. However, many of the shows it appeared on have either been replaced with newer logos or do not air on PBS anymore.
 * This logo was first seen on a Primal Screen reel featuring other PBS Kids bumpers, most of which were produced and premiered between 2000 and 2001; its first introduction on TV may have presumably been on Cyberchase.
 * When the "PBS Kids GO!" block was launched, one of the shows at the time replace these idents with the "PBS Kids GO!" system cues.
 * Like before, the 2nd ident appears on a few Arthur DVDs by Sony Wonder (such as Arthur's Tooth).
 * A version of the snow globe bumper is extinct.
 * The snow globe bumper appears on some airings of It's a Big Big World. DVD releases of the said show feature this Snow Globe bumper, after the show's website promo.
 * Some old PBS Kids airings of a few episodes of Clifford's Puppy Days and Clifford The Big Red Dog will use these idents as well.
 * Several NCircle DVD releases of WordWorld use the fish bumper.
 * This logo was only seen at the beginning of NETFLIX prints of a few season 1 episodes of Super WHY!.
 * A native 16:9 variant of the fish bumper is also rare.
 * The fish bowl bumper surprisingly appears at the end of some international prints (such as Greek dubs, MiniMax Romanian airings or Finnish airings) of 2008 Martha Speaks episodes.
 * Elsewhere until 2009, this logo sometimes appears at the end of PBS Kids airings of the mid-2000s episodes of Thomas and Friends, while others use the 1999 or 2000 logos, either after the CPTV Connecticut logo or the funding.
 * Whatever remaining appearances of this logo were likely ended when the programming block rebranded its logo in July 2022.