History Creator / Freeform

The Family Channel, which was by this point co-owned with the library of MTM Enterprises, was bought by Creator/{{Fox}} in 1997, and renamed as the ''Fox Family Channel'' (or often just ''Fox Family'') the next year, and became primarily a hub for programming from Fox Kids and Saban, and programming imported or co-produced with Creator/{{Teletoon}}. The early look of the network, with the "twister" logo, was modelled after Canada's Creator/{{YTV}}, including an equivalent to YTV's ''The Zone'', known as ''The Basement''; other blocks included ''Captain Kangaroo's Treasure House'' (named after and featuring Saban's ''Series/CaptainKangaroo'' revival). The channel, along with FoxKids, was sold to Disney in 2001 because not only did Fox have no idea what to do with a network devoted to families but the network struggled in ratings- they needed to sell it to avoid further money drainage. This was thanks to infighting between Fox and Saban over who ran the network, mediocre reaction to their new programming (often seen as their attempt to be a cut-rate Creator/{{Nickelodeon}}), a mass exodus of older viewers who loved the Westerns and game shows they had before, and the restrictions of their contract for the purchase of the network. An attempt to create two spin-off channels with sex-segregated children's programming, the [[XtremeKoolLetterz Boyz & Girlz Channels]], also failed because of a lack of interest and viewers questioning excluding one gender from an entire channel (though it could be said that these days, the Creator/DisneyChannel and Creator/DisneyXD have the near-same concept). Even adding Major League Baseball coverage (shared with Creator/{{FX}}) that had previously aired on Fox [=SportsNet=] didn't help.

** ''Series/NewWarriors''

* ''TenThingsIHateAboutYou''

Disney planned to revamp the channel into a young-adult-aimed channel named "XYZ," but these plans were scrapped[[note]]It was said that a contractual stipulation from network founder Pat Robertson was keeping the "Family" name on the network, but these rumors were soon denied by ABC Family representatives[[/note]]. The network also has to give up a full day of programming in late January so Robertson can air his annual CBN {{Telethon}}, but these days the only thing that's lost is the usual Sunday movie marathon.

man

* ''Series/The700Club''... But only because [[TheArtifact Freeform is contractually required to air it]], and it clearly isn't happy about having to do so; it [[ScrewedByTheNetwork buries the show at 11 PM]] [[note]](which has an upside, since putting ''700'' in competition to local newscasts gives the ''CBN News'' segments potential credibility as a competing news provider)[[/note]] and puts a disclaimer in front of it to warn people.

*** Sundays are usually filled with televangelists like Joel Osteen, Creflo Dollar, Joyce Meyer and others, but these don't receive as severe a warning as ''The 700 Club'' because they're normal paid programs.

*** It's also the only show they frequently run commercials before, after the preceding show has ended fully and run closing credits. They ''really'' seem to want their normal demographic to change over and watch something else.

A Cable channel owned by [[Creator/{{Disney}} The Walt Disney Company]]. It started in 1977 as the ''CBN Satellite Network'', then ''CBN Cable Network'' ("CBN" standing for "Christian Broadcasting Network"), owned by controversial right-wing pastor Pat Robertson. When it started as CBN Satellite, it originally focused exclusively on religous programming, but when it was rebranded as CBN Cable, it began to be modeled after the over-the-air independent stations CBN also owned at the time; this resulted in a mix of religious shows and secular, family-friendly programming, including older reruns and some original shows. In 1988, the channel was renamed as ''The CBN Family Channel''; two years later it was spun off and the name was changed to ''The Family Channel'' [[note]]although it was often referred to as just ''Fam'' (primarily in ''TV Guide'' listings), but by the mid 90s they had also begun branding programming as ''Fam TV'' or ''Fam AFTV'' (for afternoon programming)[[/note]], as the channel had begun to make too much money for non-profit CBN to keep it around. Through all the CBN/Family Channel years, though, outside of the hours devoted to ''Series/The700Club'' and its surrounding programming it was probably known more for being the place your grandfather got his fix of [[TheWestern Westerns]] with ''Series/{{Gunsmoke}}'', ''Series/TheBigValley'', and ''Series/{{Bonanza}}'', or where obscure GameShows got rerun (and in turn, sometimes attracted a cult following). Outside of those shows, also in the mix were reruns of family-oriented sitcoms and drama, plus cartoons. In the early 1990s, the network started original programming such as ''Big Brother Jake'' (think ''Series/CharlesInCharge'', minus the hijinks of teenage hormones), and the television version of ''VideoGame/ManiacMansion'', which owing to where it aired was severely [[{{Bowdlerise}} Bowdlerised]]. Soon, though, most of the network's original efforts devolved to the usual [[NoBudget low budget]] family game shows found on cable at that time, including the second iteration of ''Series/ShopTilYouDrop''.

* ''Series/CloakAndDagger2018''

* ''Series/NewWarriors''

* ''Big Girls Don't Cry...They Get Even'' (aka ''Stepkids'')[[note]]the 2006 airing had the 1994 Creator/UnitedArtists logo shown as a programming mistake; later airings have the current Creator/WarnerBros logo shown intact, transitioning into the current Creator/NewLineCinema logo)

* ''Family Challenge'' (as The Family Channel) [[note]]notable for being the last show hosted by former ''Series/FamilyFeud'' host Ray Combs prior to his 1996 suicide, as well as the last game show announced full-time by Gene Wood prior to his retirement[[/note]]

* ''Series/LastManStanding''

* ''Paranoia'' (as Fox Family)[[note]]game show hosted by [[Series/PressYourLuck Peter]] [[Series/Wipeout1988 Tomarken]], involving viewer interactivity via phone, satellite and the internet against an in-studio player; the first episode had Peter slipping up and almost calling Fox Family the [[Creator/{{GSN}} Game Show Network]] before he caught himself[[/note]]

* ''Series/EvenStevens''*

* ''Series/CloakAndDagger''

The Family Channel, which was by this point co-owned with the library of MTM Enterprises, was bought by Creator/{{Fox}} in 1997, and renamed as the ''Fox Family Channel'' (or often just ''Fox Family'') the next year, and became primarily a hub for programming from Fox Kids and Saban, and programming imported or co-produced with Creator/{{Teletoon}}. The early look of the network, with the "twister" logo, was modelled after Canada's Creator/{{YTV}}, including an equivalent to YTV's ''The Zone'', known as ''The Basement''; other blocks included ''Captain Kangaroo's Treasure House'' (named after and featuring Saban's ''Series/CaptainKangaroo'' revival). The channel, along with FoxKids, was sold to Disney in 2001 because not only did Fox have no idea what to do with a network devoted to families but the network struggled in ratings- they needed to sell it to avoid further money drainage. This was thanks to infighting between Fox and Saban over who ran the network, mediocre reaction to their new programming, a mass exodus of older viewers who loved the Westerns and game shows they had before, and the restrictions of their contract for the purchase of the network. An attempt to create two spin-off channels with sex-segregated children's programming, the [[XtremeKoolLetterz Boyz & Girlz Channels]], also failed because of a lack of interest and viewers questioning excluding one gender from an entire channel (though it could be said that these days, the Creator/DisneyChannel and Creator/DisneyXD have the near-same concept). Even adding Major League Baseball coverage (shared with Creator/{{FX}}) that had previously aired on Fox [=SportsNet=] didn't help.

* ''WebAnimation/TheMostPopularGirlsInSchool''

* ''Series/{{Bunheads}}''

* ''Literature/{{Huge}}''

* ''Series/KyleXY''

* ''Series/TheMiddleman''

* ''Series/{{Ravenswood}}''
* ''Ruby And The Rockits''

* ''Series/{{Bonanza}}'' (as CBN Family and Family up until the Fox takeover)

* ''Series/TheHoganFamily''

* ''Film/{{Clueless}}'' (in honor of ''Creator/BrittanyMurphy''[='=]s death, 1977-2009)

* ''Big Girls Don't Cry...They Get Even'' (aka ''Stepkids'') (the 2006 airing had the 1994 ''Creator/UnitedArtists'' logo shown as a programming mistake; later airings have the current ''Creator/WarnerBros'' logo shown intact, transitioning into the current ''Creator/NewLineCinema'' logo)

* ''Picture This'' (co-produced with ''Creator/{{MGM}}'')

A Cable channel owned by [[Creator/{{Disney}} The Walt Disney Company]]. It started in 1977 as the ''CBN Satellite Network'', then ''CBN Cable Network'' ("CBN" standing for "Christian Broadcasting Network"), owned by controversial right-wing pastor Pat Robertson. When it started as CBN Satellite, it originally focused exclusively on religous programming, but when it was rebranded as CBN Cable, it began to be modeled after the over-the-air independent stations CBN also owned at the time; this resulted in a mix of religious shows and secular, family-friendly programming, including older reruns and some original shows. In 1988, the channel was renamed as ''The CBN Family Channel''; two years later it was spun off and the name was changed to ''The Family Channel'' [[note]]although it was often referred to as just ''Fam'' primarily in ''TV Guide'' listing, but by the mid 90s they had also begun branding programming as ''Fam TV'' or ''Fam AFTV'' (for afternoon programming)[[/note]], as the channel had begun to make too much money for non-profit CBN to keep it around. Through all the CBN/Family Channel years, though, outside of the hours devoted to ''Series/The700Club'' and its surrounding programming it was probably known more for being the place your grandfather got his fix of [[TheWestern Westerns]] with ''Series/{{Gunsmoke}}'', ''Series/TheBigValley'', and ''Series/{{Bonanza}}'', or where obscure GameShows got rerun (and in turn, sometimes attracted a cult following). Outside of those shows, also in the mix were reruns of family-oriented sitcoms and drama, plus cartoons. In the early 1990s, the network started original programming such as ''Big Brother Jake'' (think ''Series/CharlesInCharge'', minus the hijinks of teenage hormones), and the television version of ''VideoGame/ManiacMansion'', which owing to where it aired was severely [[{{Bowdlerise}} Bowdlerised]]. Soon, though, most of the network's original efforts devolved to the usual [[NoBudget low budget]] family game shows found on cable at that time, including the second iteration of ''Series/ShopTilYouDrop''.

[[caption-width-right:350:''[[Main/{{Slogans}} Become with us.'']]

That same year, the channel's name became ''ABC Family'', the FoxKids block met its end the next year, and its programming moved to ABC Family (and ToonDisney) as "Jetix" (the name was introduced in 2004; previous to that the programming had aired on ABCF under the internal name of there "ABC Family Action Block"). The early ABC years were spent converting the network to a place to re-air ABC programs, which was botched by the network realizing that only programs from their internal studio could get a second ABC Family run, with other outside producers heavily objecting to the arrangement. By 2005, it had seemed to become a place for cheap reality programming and non-stop reruns of ''Series/TheBachelor''.

[[redirect:Creator/ABCFamily]]

[[redirect:Series/ABCFamily]]