HBO Kids

HBO Kids

Network	HBO Family
Launched	August 26, 2001 (2001-08-26)
Closed	February 29, 2024 (2024-02-29)
Country of origin	United States
Owner	Home Box Office, Inc. (Warner Bros. Discovery)
Formerly known as	Jam (2001–2016)
Sister network	Magnet (2001–2005)
Running time	6am-3pm (2001–04) 6am-1:30pm (2004–05) 6am-9am (2005–06, then again 2020–21) 6am-12:00pm (2006–07) 6am-8am 6am-10am (2020) 4pm-5pm (formerly) 6am-11am (2011–20) 6am-8am (2021-present)
Original language(s)	English

HBO Kids (formerly Jam) was an American preschool/children's television morning programming block operated by Home Box Office, Inc. (HBO), a division of Warner Bros. Discovery. The block ran on HBO Family, HBO's sister station that targets children and families.

The block ran from 6:00 am to roughly 8:00 to 9:00 am (ET) on weekdays; the block's shows were not shown in a standard half-hour timeslot. The block used to have an weekday 4pm timeslot, which was filled with The Electric Company. The block also aired on weekends until October 2020.

History

In 2001, HBO Family launched two children's programming blocks: Jam in the morning, and Magnet on weekday afternoons. Programming for both blocks was developed in coordination with CINAR Animation, Nelvana Limited, Sony Entertainment, Sandpaper Films, Scholastic, Devine Entertainment, S4C, HiT Entertainment, Golden Egg Entertainment, Poseidon Pictures, Cuppa Coffee Studios, Curious Pictures, Hyperion Pictures, and Planet Grande. Starting in 2007, with a new set of CGI bumpers for the block, HBO began to slowly remove the block's acquired programming, exclusively focusing on HBO's original children's series. For several years, no new programs were produced or acquired for the block, focusing exclusively on reruns of HBO's own children's programs.

On August 13, 2015, HBO announced a deal with Sesame Workshop to move first-run Sesame Street episodes on HBO. The episodes premiered on the network on January 16, 2016, alongside other Sesame Workshop-produced programming, including The Electric Company and Pinky Dinky Doo. Jam would later rebrand as HBO Kids. On November 12, 2020, first-run Sesame Street episodes moved to HBO Max starting with its 51st season.

On August 18, 2018, an animated series entitled Esme & Roy, also produced by Sesame Workshop, premiered. HBO removed all Sesame Workshop shows from its HBO Family channel by January 2021, reverting the block back to HBO's original children's series. However, most of the acquired shows from Sesame Workshop were still available on the HBO Max streaming service until January 2, 2021, with only Sesame Street, Esme & Roy, and any Sesame Workshop show made exclusive for the streaming service still being available. Currently, the block's schedule shows four of HBO's original programs, followed by a children's TV special, before airing one more program, then starting one of the channel's circulated movies or specials.

HBO Kids closed on February 29, 2024

Programming

Final programming

• ¹ = Airs occasionally.

Original programming

Title	Original run	HBO Kids run	Source(s)
A Little Curious	February 1, 1999 – May 1, 2000	August 26, 2001 – February 29, 2024
Crashbox1	February 1, 1999 – April 1, 2000	January 2005 - February 2024
Kindergarten1	August 26, 2001 – September 7, 2001	August 26, 2001 – February 29, 2024
HBO Storybook Musicals1	November 18, 1987 – December 8, 1993
Classical Baby1	May 14, 2005 – 2017	May 14, 2005 – 2024

• Stuart Little

Former programming

Title	Original run	HBO Kids run	Source(s)
El Perro y El Gato1	2004 – 2011	2008 – February 29, 2024
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child1	March 12, 1995 – July 18, 2000	August 26, 2001 – February 29, 2024

• Freshman Year (2007 – 2011) (reruns)
• Harold and the Purple Crayon (December 1, 2001 – 2011)
• I Spy (December 2002 – July 2011)
• Stuart Little (2003-2011)

Former acquired programming

• The Adventures of Paddington Bear (February 1, 1999 – 2004)
• Animated Tales of the World (2001–08)
• Anthony Ant (1999–2003)
• Babar (2001–04)
• The Country Mouse and the City Mouse Adventures (1998–2004)
• Encyclopedia (January 1, 2000 – 2002)
• Esme & Roy
• George and Martha (2001–09)
• Ghost Trackers (2007–10)
• Fraggle Rock (December 2016 – 2019) (now on Apple TV+)
• The Little Lulu Show (1997–2004)
• Magic Cellar (2007–08)
• The Neverending Story (1999–2004)
• Pippi Longstocking (1998–99)
• Postman Pat (September 1, 2005 – September 30, 2007)
• Rainbow Fish (February 18, 2000 – 2006)
• Sesame Street (January 17, 2016 – November 1, 2020, now on PBS Kids and Max)
• The Storyteller (1998–2000)

Reruns of ended Sesame Workshop series

Title	Original network	Original run	HBO Kids run	Now on	Source(s)
The Electric Company	PBS Kids Go! PBS Kids	January 23, 2009 – April 4, 2011	January 17, 2016 – November 1, 2020	Hulu
Pinky Dinky Doo	Noggin Nick Jr. Channel	April 10, 2006 – June 17, 2010	January 17, 2016 – January 2, 2021	Knowledge Kids

Short-form programming

• 30 by 30: Kid Flicks (1999–2001)
• HBO Family: 411 (1999–2016)
• Who Knew? (1999–2016)
• Smart Mouth (1999–2016)
• Jammin' Animals (2001–2016)
• My Favorite Book (2001–16)
• The Way I See It (2001–16)
• El Perro y El Gato (2004–16)
• Just Wondering (2009–16)
• Sesame Street Shorts (January 17, 2016 – November 1, 2020)
• And Now You Know
• Eat 5
• I Want to Be
• Matters of Fact
• Lisa
• When I'm...