Reason #86 Why TimeWarner Doesn't Like The Turner Networks

Hey kids, guess what 2005 animated movie from Warner Bros. makes its US television premiere this Thursday?

If you guessed Corpse Bride, then you guessed right.

Now, for the $20,000 question. What network will debut the movie?

If you guessed HBO, oooh, sorry, but thanks for playing.

You guessed Cinemax? Eeeh, bummer, wrong answer.

The correct answer is ABC Family.

Okay, now wipe that soda off your computer monitor and wall. It'll make everything sticky (at least, I hope that's soda). Yes, the big movie attraction for October for ABC Family is the US television premiere of Tim Burton's Corpse Bride. This is an ironic point because Touchstone's The Nightmare Before Christmas made its US television premiere on HBO, many years after it came out. The fact that the Oscar-nominated film would come on basic cable a little after a year it made it theatrical debut is kind of a surprise. People knew about the deal that Time Warner made with ABC Family to air some of their movies, but I doubt anybody would expect them to air Corpse Bride so soon. Heck, I wouldn't even be surprised if The Polar Express makes a similar debut this Christmas season on the channel.

One would have expected that Time Warner would keep it in the family, premiering the film on Cartoon Network. However, you have to take into account two things:

Time Warner doesn't like Cartoon Network and the Turner networks, and to paraphrase Kanye West Cartoon Network don't care about cartoons.