Saban Entertainment

Saban Entertainment (later known as Saban Brands) was an American Israeli company which co-produced and distributed the first 53 episodes of the edited version of Dragon Ball Z in association with Funimation and Ocean Productions. They also produced the music for these episodes. The company was purchased by The Walt Disney Company in 2001 and ceased to exist a year later on October 1, 2002.
==Company information==
This company was known for importing, dubbing, and adapting several Japanese series such as, Maple Town (...Stories), Noozles (Fushigi na Koala Blinky and Printy), Funky Fables (Video Anime Ehonkan Sekai Meisaku Dowa), Samurai Pizza Cats (Kyatto Ninden Teyande) and the first three Digimon series to North America and international markets for syndication, including both animation and live action shows. Saban is also notable for their various toku adapts of several shows from Toei Company, which include Power Rangers (based on the Super Sentai series), Big Bad Beetleborgs (based on Juukou B-Fighter), VR Troopers (featuring elements of Metal Hero series, like Space Sheriff Shaider, Jikuu Senshi Spielban and Choujinki Metalder), and Masked Rider (an original interpretation using scenes from the Japanese Kamen Rider Black RX).
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 (the third of which was a Japanese co-production).
Saban has also provided music for various TV programs, such as The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! and Inspector Gadget.
==Censorship==
Saban Entertainment were responsible for much of the censorship found in the first two seasons of Funimation's original edited version of Dragon Ball Z. This was due to the company's adherence to certain broadcasting standards of the time. When Funimation stopped working with Saban in 1998, the censoring of the series was gradually phased out.
==Other shows==
===Western animation===
*Kidd Video (1984–1985)
*Care Bears (1985–1986) (DiC episodes, international distribution)
*Kissyfur (1986–1990)
*Lazer Tag Academy (1986–1987)
*ALF: The Animated Series (1987–1989)
*The New Archies (1987–1988)
*Diplodos (1987–1988)
*The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! (1989–1990, international distribution)
*Zazoo U (1990–1991)
*Kid 'n Play (1990–1991)
*Little Shop (1991)
*Saban's Around the World in 80 Dreams (1992–1993)
*Eek! The Cat (1992-1997)
*Saban's Gulliver's Travels (1992–1993)
*X-Men (1992–1997)
*The Bots Master (1993–1994)
*Journey to the Heart of the World (1993–1994)
*The Terrible Thunderlizards (1993-1997)
*BattleTech: The Animated Series (1994)
*Iron Man (1994–1996)
*Fantastic Four (1994–1996)
*Creepy Crawlers (1994–1996)
*Spider-Man (1994–1998)
*Space Strikers (1995–1996)
*Tenko and the Guardians of the Magic (1995–1996)
*Iznogoud (1995)
*Little Mouse on the Prairie (1996)
*Saban's Adventures of Oliver Twist (1996–1997)
*The Incredible Hulk (1996–1997)
*Bureau of Alien Detectors (1996–1997)
*The Mouse and the Monster (1996–1997)
*The Why Why Family (1996–1997)
*Princess Sissi (1997–1998)
*Space Goofs (1997–2000) (season 1 only)
*Silver Surfer (1998)
*Walter Melon (1998–1999)
*Bad Dog (1998–1999)
*Mad Jack the Pirate (1998–1999)
*The Secret Files of the Spy Dogs (1998–1999)
*Monster Farm (1998–1999)
*Cartoon Cabana (1998–2002)
*The Avengers: United They Stand (1999–2000)
*The Kids from Room 402 (1999–2000)
*Spider-Man Unlimited (1999–2001)
*NASCAR Racers (1999–2001)
*Xyber 9: New Dawn (1999, 2007)
*Wunschpunsch (2000)
*Diabolik (2000–2001)
*Jim Button (2000–2001)
*Gadget & the Gadgetinis (2002)
*What's with Andy? (2002–2007) (Season 1 only)
*The Tofus (2004-2007)
===International animation===
*Spartakus and the Sun Beneath the Sea [a. k. a. Les Mondes Engloutis (The Englufed Worlds)] (1985–1987)
*Jin Jin and the Panda Patrol (1992)
===Japanese anime===
*Macron 1 (1985–1986)
*Bumpety Boo (1985–1986)
*Maple Town (1986–1987)
*My Favorite Fairy Tales (1986) (video series)
*Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics (1987–1989)
*Ox Tales (1987–1988)
*Noozles (1988–1993)
*The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1988)
*Tales of Little Women (1988)
*Wowser (1988–1989)
*Dragon Warrior (1989–1991)
*Peter Pan: The Animated Series (1989)
*Samurai Pizza Cats (1990–1991)
*Kaba Totto (1990–1992)
*Maya the Bee (1990–1992)
*The Littl' Bits (1991–1995)
*Honeybee Hutch (1991–1992)
*Saban's Adventures of the Little Mermaid (1991–1992)
*Pinocchio: The Series (1992)
*Huckleberry Finn (1992)
*Bob in a Bottle (1992)
*Funky Fables (1992) (video series released under the brand "Sugar & Spice")
*Dream-Star Button Nose (1994)
*Super Pig (1994–1995)
*Teknoman (1995–1996)
*Eagle Riders (1996–1997)
*Flint the Time Detective (1998–1999)
*Digimon Adventure (1999–2000)
*Cybersix (1999–2000)
*Shinzo (2000)
*Dinozaurs (2000)
*Escaflowne (2000)
*Mon Colle Knights (2000)
*Digimon Adventure 02 (2000–2001)
*Digimon Tamers (2001–2002)
*Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001–2002)
*Glitter Force (2015-2016)
===Live-action TV series===
*The Hallo Spencer Show (1979–2001)
*I'm Telling! (1987–1988)
*Treasure Mall (1988)
*Video Power (1990–1992)
*Scorch (1992)
*Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (1993–1996)
*VR Troopers (1994–1996)
*Sweet Valley High (1994–1997)
*Goosebumps (1995–1998) (International distribution only)
*Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers (1996)
*Masked Rider (1995–1996)
*Power Rangers Zeo (1996)
*Big Bad Beetleborgs (1996–1998)
*Power Rangers Turbo (1997)
*Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation (1997–1998)
*The All New Captain Kangaroo (1997–1998)
*Power Rangers in Space (1998)
*Mister Moose's Fun Time (1998–1999)
*The Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog (1998–1999)
*Power Rangers Lost Galaxy (1999)
*Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue (2000)
*Power Rangers Time Force (2001)
*Los Luchadores (2001)
*Power Rangers Wild Force (2002) (only pre-production, distributed by BVS Entertainment, but Saban was the only accredited)
*Power Rangers Samurai (2011) (as Saban Brands)
*Power Rangers Super Samurai (2012)
*Power Rangers Megaforce (2013)
*Power Rangers Super Megaforce (2014)
*Power Rangers Dino Charge (2015)
*Power Rangers Super Dino Charge (2016)
*Power Rangers Ninja Steel (2017)
===Live-action films===
*Rescue Me (1988)
*Heathers (1989)
*The Phantom of the Opera (1990)
*A Perfect Little Murder (1990)
*Prey of the Chameleon (1992)
*Round Trip to Heaven (1992)
*A Passion for Murder (1992)
*Revenge on the Highway (1992)
*Till Death Us Do Part (1992)
*Anything for Love (1993)
*In the Shadows, Someone's Watching (1993)
*Under Investigation (1993)
*Terminal Voyage (1994)
*Samurai Cowboy (1994)
*Shadow of Obsession (1994)
*Guns of Honor: Rebel Rousers (1994)
*Blindfold: Acts of Obsession (1994)
*Guns of Honor: Trigger Fast (1994)
*Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (1995)
*Virtual Seduction (1995)
*Christmas Reunion (1995)
*Blind Vision (1996)
*Chimp Lips Theater (1997)
*Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie (1997)
*Casper: A Spirited Beginning (1997)
*The Christmas List (1997)
*Gotcha (1998)
*Circles (1998)
*National Lampoon's Men in White (1998)
*Casper Meets Wendy (1998)
*Rusty: A Dog's Tale (1998)
*Addams Family Reunion (1998)
*Richie Rich's Christmas Wish (1998)
*The Christmas Takeover (1998)
*Men of Means (1999)
*Taken (1999)
*Don't Look Behind You (1999)
*Au Pair (1999)
*Ice Angel (2000)
*Au Pair II (2001)
*Oh, Baby! (2001)
*Power Rangers (2017)
===Animation films===
*Digimon: The Movie (2000)
==Trivia==
*The company's 1996 "twirly-doo" logo was featured in the original syndicated USA airing of the edited version of Dragon Ball Z. When Funimation moved the series to Toonami in 1998, Saban's logo was cut out of the credits, presumably due to time constraints. It reappeared when Toonami began repeating the Saban era episodes in the mid-2000s. The logo's only home video appearance was on a Dutch DVD release of the Saban episodes by Bridge Entertainment.
* For the first season of the syndicated run, Saban created live action commercial bumpers featuring Gregg Bullock (known for playing Lt. Stone on Power Rangers) and several ethnically diverse young children. These bumpers were also used on other syndicated Saban shows from the same period, including Eagle Riders, Samurai Pizza Cats and season 2 of Masked Rider. The bumpers have since been excluded from all subsequent releases of the episodes.
==Gallery==
SSbumper1.jpg|One of the live action Saiyan Saga bumpers that Saban used in 1996/1997
SSbumper2.jpg|One of the live action Saiyan Saga bumpers that Saban used in 1996/1997
SSbumper3.jpg|One of the live action Saiyan Saga bumpers that Saban used in 1996/1997
SSbumper4.jpg|One of the live action Saiyan Saga bumpers that Saban used in 1996/1997
==See also==
*Funimation
*Funimation dub
*Haim Saban
*Ocean Group dubs
*Ocean Productions
*Shuki Levy
*Jeremy Sweet
*Ron Wasserman
Category:Companies