PBS Kids (Live TV Openers)

Background

PBS Kids is a programming block and serves as the brand for most of the children's programming aired by the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) in the United States, established as part of PBS' "Ready To Learn" Initiative. The block was launched as PTV on September 10, 1993, to repackage PBS' existing children's programming. The PTV brand was retired on September 5, 1999, and has been officially known as PBS Kids since September 6, 1999. The PBS Kids channel was launched at the same time as the PBS Kids block and ran for six years and was largely funded by satellite TV provider DirecTV. The channel was shut down on September 26, 2005, and was replaced by PBS Kids Sprout (later known as simply Sprout; now Universal Kids), which was developed in partnership with Comcast Corporation (who later bought full control of the network via NBCUniversal). A new 24-hour channel was launched on January 16, 2017.

In the early 2010s, the PBS Kids Video App was launched.

Logo (2018-)

Visuals: Depending on the variant, there is an event happening which features a Live TV button. By the end of the openers, a white circle pops up from the button and fills up the entire screen.

Variants: There are various:

Claw Machine: There is a few toys in a claw machine, with a claw ready to get one of them. The claw grabs a yellow Live TV button, and drops it into the chute. The button lands on the end of the chute.
Fireworks: The logo starts with Dot, Dee and Del watching fireworks, which form a number, counting down from 3 to 1, followed by an outlined Live TV button.
Dee and the Beanstalk: Dee is seen watering a beanstalk sprout with a hose. It then grows at a very rapid scale, taking Dee up with it. After the plant stops growing, the sepals open, revealing a pink Live TV button with Dee and the hose inside it.
Lake of Frogs: Dee is seen jumping in the forest full of frogs. She then swings on a vine and jumps on two lily pads. She nearly splashes into the pond until a giant frog stops her. She then smiles at the frog. A fly that resembles the Live TV button in purple flies in, and the frog eats it.
Skater Dot: Dot skates on an ice field with a penguin. The skated sections of the ice is revealed to resemble the Live TV button.
Clay in the Hat: On a blue background, the hat from the Cat in the Hat shows up and flies around, reveals a Live TV button, and lands on it.
Skateboard: Dee rides her skateboard on a ramp. The logo zooms out from the view as the ramp is revealed to be the circle portion of the Live TV button.
Soupe Chat: The logo starts with Nature Cat made up of different types of seeds running in a black environment with flowers and leaves surrounding him. He jumps and points at something, and the leaves transition into the Live TV button, also made up of different types of seeds.

Technique: Mostly 2D computer animation produced with Adobe Audition. The Soupe Chat variant uses stop motion.

Audio: The flute rendition of the channel's jingle from the 2013 logo, with corresponding sound effects and a girl saying "You're watching PBS Kids in 3, 2, 1..."