Ode to the Saturday Morning.

[SoulManX]

Once upon a time when the world was good and tv shows that I loved as a kid were plentiful, there was the Saturday morning line up. Sure Monday thur Friday I had cartoons like Ducktales and The Real Ghostbusters, but you had to toll away doing classwork first to see these gems. But Saturday oh lovely Saturday it was different, 5:30 in the morning got the ball rolling. Sneaking in the living room to watch my childhood favorites with my little brother. The McDonald commericals, cereal commericals, and of let's not forget Sega and Nintendo commericals either.

It was a great time from 1980 to 2008 in terms of great Sat. cartoon bliss. ABC, CBS, NBC, UPN, and then WB, you had some many channels to choose from like a kid at Toys R Us. From 5:30 till 12:00 that was kids times. We had it all From Alvin and the Chipmunks to Pac-Man, Donkey Kong to Muppet Babies, Space Ace to Photon.

Heck we even had live action show mixed in with our cartoons. Power Ranger, Kids INC, Pryor's Place, and last but not least Land of The Lost.

Great studios were stables of these networks H-B, Ruby Spears, Disney, WB. In some cases cartoons from Japan were thrown in to brighten our viewing pleasure like Astro Boy or Speed Racer.

But as I write this Saturday Morning Cartoons are not the same as our parents or my generation. Many networks blame a host of factors on why Saturday morning line ups are dying off, money being the biggest factor.

So as I rise my bowl of Lucky Charms I will remember the Saturday mornings of old. All good things must come to an end.

-SoulManX

 

[SoulManX]

http://www.80scartoons.net/toons/

 

[SoulManX]

Parents' lobby groups like Action for Children's Television appeared in the late 1960s. They voiced concerns about the presentation of violence, anti-social attitudes and stereotypes in Saturday morning cartoons. By the 1970s, these groups exercised enough influence that the TV networks felt compelled to lay down more stringent content rules for the animation houses.
Critics have complained that this proceeded to the point where the very depiction of conflict and jeopardy and the basic elements of drama and suspense were severely restricted, and the artists were left with few avenues of expression. The prohibition against the depiction of anti-social elements often prompted conformist stories, such as in the Smurfs series, where almost any individual initiative often resulted in trouble for the group and therefore had to be avoided.
Saturday morning animation programming restricted itself to certain clearly-defined types of shows:

• touring musical groups (Josie and the Pussycats, The Jackson 5ive, Alvin and the Chipmunks, New Kids on the Block)
• secret fantasy folk (Smurfs, The Snorks, Gummi Bears)
• teen life (Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids);
• teen detective shows with funny sidekicks (Scooby-Doo, Jabberjaw, Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels)
• animated children's versions of prime time shows (Emergency +4, Punky Brewster, ALF, Star Trek)
• cartoons based on movies (The Real Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, Teen Wolf, Star Wars: Ewoks, Fantastic Voyage, The Little Mermaid, Beetlejuice, The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh)
• animated adaptations of comics and video games (Super Friends, The Archie Show, Pac-Man, Saturday Supercade, Captain N: The Game Master, X-Men, Spider-Man, Garfield and Friends,)
• animated adaptations of actor in their childhood (Little Rosey); or actors given top billing in the show's title or starring in the top role (Wish Kid, Camp Candy, Mr. T)
• shows starring actors' characters and/or alter egos (Pee-wee's Playhouse, The Completely Mental Misadventures of Ed Grimley, Hey Vern, It's Ernest!).
• cartoon characters in their childhood (Muppet Babies, A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, Flintstone Kids)
• reruns (or sometimes, newly produced episodes) of older prime-time animated shows (The Jetsons, The Flintstones)
• classic theatrical animated shorts, often censored after 1970 for political correctness and content deemed inappropriate for young children. (Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry)

In a more constructive direction, the networks were encouraged to create educational spots that endeavoured to use animation for enriching content. Far and away the most successful effort was the Schoolhouse Rock series on ABC, which became a television classic.

 

[SoulManX]

Bump

 

[batnkevlar]

I think the Saturday Morning died along with Batman Beyond...

 

[TMC1982]

http://www.80scartoons.net/toons/

The Death of Saturday Morning Television

 

[The Apocalypse]

Say what?? No one liked Yu-Gi-Oh F/X (or w/e it's called)

 

[Dr. Evil]

Bring back CBS Storybreak! No more Care Bears!

 

[Lazlo Panaflex]

I'm in my thirties so I don't know what garbage kids are watching on Saturdays these days but I think only WB and FOX are still showing cartoons and of course Cartoon Network, Boomerang.

But when I was a kid I never liked watching Smurfs, Alvin & The Chipmunks or Punky Brewster , I loved Superfriends, Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends and Hulk.

But a local station here in Los Angeles woud show the old Three Stooges shorts which helped pass the time.

 

[Damien Rage]

I miss the Laff-O-Lympics =(

 

[Shifty]

Saturday morning cartoons died for me when Spider-Man:The Animated Series was canceled. Spider-Man Unlimited replaced it, WTF it was horrible. Of course by that time I was sleeping in more only watched a couple of shows.

Getting up early in the morning, 7am going downstairs to turn the TV and start 3-4 hours of "Must See TV" Rotating through CBS, ABC, YTV, MTN, CKND, (local channels) and then later when Fox was added to our cable package. YTV would air other popular American cartoons later on Saturdays or Sundays or in primetime during the week. My younger sister would later join me for some shows. Most shows lasted two years but you're getting about 100 weeks of watching cartoons in that span. Fall was also the best as the new lineups and new shows started and as a kid without the internet you didn't know what was happening. Then there were all the toy and breakfast commercials. Living in Canada we didn't get half the breakfast cereals that aired but I sure wanted them. I'd get the TV Guide from the newspaper and scan what was playing in the morning and figure out the schedule flipping back and forth every half hour, maybe watching something else if the show I liked was a rerun.
Looking over the lineups from Wikipedia this what I can recall watching during the late 80s entire 90s. Didn't watch every week or every season (oh to have TiVo back then) but they made Saturdays a great day to be a kid.

A Pup Named Scooby-Doo
The Bugs Bunny and Tweety Show
Muppet Babies
The Real Ghostbusters
The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
California Raisins
Garfield and Friends
Beetlejuice
Pee Wee's Playhouse
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Back to the Future
Where's Waldo
Pro Stars
Land of the Lost
The Addams Family
Batman: The Animated Series
Darkwing Duck
Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa
Goof Troop
Sonic the Hedgehog
Marsupilami
Dog City
Adventures of Batman & Robin
Tales from the Cryptkeeper
Tiny Tunes Adventures
Reboot
Bump in the Night
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
The Tick
X-Men
Spider-Man
Where in Earth is Carmen Sandiego?
Aladdin
Free Willy
Earthworm Jim
Life with Louie
Casper
Doug
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
Goosebumps
Beakman's World
Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles
Eerie, Indiana
The New Batman/Superman Adventures
Pepper Ann
Men in Black
The Adventures of Sam & Max: Freelance Police
The Silver Surfer
Toonsylvania

 

[DeaDheaD]

Power Rangers
Ninja Turtles
Uncanny X Men
Batman TAS
Ghostbusters
Rescue Rangers
Darkwing Duck
Animaniacs

 

[Mrh7448]

Saturday morning cartoons didn't die..we just got older.

Our sensiblities have changed from the days of old. Cartoon shows are still on we just tend to think they suck because we have different tastes then kids. Cartoons aren't geared or marketed for adults, they're marketed for kids. Thus the people who remember the heyday of the Saturday morning cartoons are too old to appreciate or enjoy the modern cartoons.

For me there are a few exceptions, Avatar: The Last Air Bender and some of the superhero ones (Legion of Super-Heroes, Justlice League, Ben 10 etc.)

 

[SoulManX]

Saturday morning cartoons didn't die..we just got older.

Our sensiblities have changed from the days of old. Cartoon shows are still on we just tend to think they suck because we have different tastes then kids. Cartoons aren't geared or marketed for adults, they're marketed for kids. Thus the people who remember the heyday of the Saturday morning cartoons are too old to appreciate or enjoy the modern cartoons.

For me there are a few exceptions, Avatar: The Last Air Bender and some of the superhero ones (Legion of Super-Heroes, Justlice League, Ben 10 etc.)

You make a good point...

 

[BLACKVULCAN]

my 2 cents
i believe the Saturday morning cartoon did die and it was killed by cable and the invention of cartoon network and subsquentially Boomerang. before CN came along the only place you could watch cartoons was on Saturday and after you came home from school. CN did away with that.With CN you could watch cartoons whenever you wanted. not just on Saturdays and at any time of the day. Plus they didn't fall under the FCC of providing educational television like the major networks did being cable.The networks got tied down to providing education and why go thru all the effort and money of producing an intelligent cartoon like animanics,when you can just throw a "beakman's" live action program on. So bugs and daffy had to go the way of the dinosaur to boomerang while silly ass shows like total drama island go to CN. once in a blue moon a good one comes along like "courage the cowardly dog," but most of the stuff now is all toilet humor.( i blame Ren and stimpy for that).i don't think its cause we grew up, kids have way to other distractions now then to get a bowl and stare at the idiot box for hours.if they do stare at it it's for games that wasnt around during that time........ Have a smurfy day.Oh and Soul man. Space Ace sucked bro.that cartoon was bad. Man!!

 

[SoulManX]

my 2 cents
i believe the Saturday morning cartoon did die and it was killed by cable and the invention of cartoon network and subsquentially Boomerang. before CN came along the only place you could watch cartoons was on Saturday and after you came home from school. CN did away with that.With CN you could watch cartoons whenever you wanted. not just on Saturdays and at any time of the day. Plus they didn't fall under the FCC of providing educational television like the major networks did being cable.The networks got tied down to providing education and why go thru all the effort and money of producing an intelligent cartoon like animanics,when you can just throw a "beakman's" live action program on. So bugs and daffy had to go the way of the dinosaur to boomerang while silly ass shows like total drama island go to CN. once in a blue moon a good one comes along like "courage the cowardly dog," but most of the stuff now is all toilet humor.( i blame Ren and stimpy for that).i don't think its cause we grew up, kids have way to other distractions now then to get a bowl and stare at the idiot box for hours.if they do stare at it it's for games that wasnt around during that time........ Have a smurfy day.Oh and Soul man. Space Ace sucked bro.that cartoon was bad. Man!!

Come on man dont dis the Ace

 

[BLACKVULCAN]

bro i was rightthere with you till Space Ace.i am sorry man. i tried and tried but i cant hang man. i rather my eyes were forced open and watch care bears my friend then that. hehe

 

[SoulManX]

bro i was rightthere with you till Space Ace.i am sorry man. i tried and tried but i cant hang man. i rather my eyes were forced open and watch care bears my friend then that. hehe

To each his own

 

[BLACKVULCAN]

but i salute your musings of Saturday morning Television my brother with my own bowl of Captain Crunch Peanut butter Crunch!(that %$#@ was the bomb).To GREATER DAYS!!!* hoist Bowl in the air*. now all i got to look forward to on Saturday mornings is Work.

 

[SoulManX]

but i salute your musings of Saturday morning Television my brother with my own bowl of Captain Crunch Peanut butter Crunch!(that %$#@ was the bomb).To GREATER DAYS!!!* hoist Bowl in the air*. now all i got to look forward to on Saturday mornings is Work.

Aye and plenty of sleep

 

[3dman27]

oh for the days of classic hanna barberra super-hero shows

 

[SoulManX]

oh for the days of classic hanna barberra super-hero shows

Teen Force, Space Ghost, Space Ace, etc. I miss them 2.

 

[Fanticon]

Saturday morning cartoons died for me when Spider-Man:The Animated Series was canceled. Spider-Man Unlimited replaced it, WTF it was horrible. Of course by that time I was sleeping in more only watched a couple of shows.

Getting up early in the morning, 7am going downstairs to turn the TV and start 3-4 hours of "Must See TV" Rotating through CBS, ABC, YTV, MTN, CKND, (local channels) and then later when Fox was added to our cable package. YTV would air other popular American cartoons later on Saturdays or Sundays or in primetime during the week. My younger sister would later join me for some shows. Most shows lasted two years but you're getting about 100 weeks of watching cartoons in that span. Fall was also the best as the new lineups and new shows started and as a kid without the internet you didn't know what was happening. Then there were all the toy and breakfast commercials. Living in Canada we didn't get half the breakfast cereals that aired but I sure wanted them. I'd get the TV Guide from the newspaper and scan what was playing in the morning and figure out the schedule flipping back and forth every half hour, maybe watching something else if the show I liked was a rerun.
Looking over the lineups from Wikipedia this what I can recall watching during the late 80s entire 90s. Didn't watch every week or every season (oh to have TiVo back then) but they made Saturdays a great day to be a kid.

A Pup Named Scooby-Doo
The Bugs Bunny and Tweety Show
Muppet Babies
The Real Ghostbusters
The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
California Raisins
Garfield and Friends
Beetlejuice
Pee Wee's Playhouse
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Back to the Future
Where's Waldo
Pro Stars
Land of the Lost
The Addams Family
Batman: The Animated Series
Darkwing Duck
Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa
Goof Troop
Sonic the Hedgehog
Marsupilami
Dog City
Adventures of Batman & Robin
Tales from the Cryptkeeper
Tiny Tunes Adventures
Reboot
Bump in the Night
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
The Tick
X-Men
Spider-Man
Where in Earth is Carmen Sandiego?
Aladdin
Free Willy
Earthworm Jim
Life with Louie
Casper
Doug
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
Goosebumps
Beakman's World
Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles
Eerie, Indiana
The New Batman/Superman Adventures
Pepper Ann
Men in Black
The Adventures of Sam & Max: Freelance Police
The Silver Surfer
Toonsylvania

I loved Dog City...God i haven't thought of that show in years...I must have been 10 or 11 when that was on...<---simpler times grin

 

[BLACKVULCAN]

Teen Force,

oh hell yeah!!! freaking UGLOR!! t: and Kid comet, Electra and Moleculad. I've been searching for copies of those foe awhile now. bro if you ever get a line on them you gotta let me know. Those dudes were cool.

 

[3dman27]

oh hell yeah!!! freaking UGLOR!! t: and Kid comet, Electra and Moleculad. I've been searching for copies of those foe awhile now. bro if you ever get a line on them you gotta let me know. Those dudes were cool.

when i mentioned classic "hanna barberra super-heroes" i had the 1960 shows in mind but now that you mention the SPACE STARS how come they aren't on DVD?