Kids Desert Saturday-Morning TV Shows

The Internet Movie Database ^

[Drew68]

Kids Desert Saturday-Morning TV Shows

Over the past twenty years, the audience of kids for Saturday-morning network cartoon shows has plummeted from more than 20 million to fewer than two million, even while the children's population of the country has increased by 10 percent, according to the Animation World website.

Reasons include several factors ranging from the rising divorce rate, with parents deciding to spend more "quality time" with their kids on weekends, to the rising popularity of cable TV.

As a result, Animation World observed, "network cartoons are left struggling to make money, while advertisers remain befuddled without a mainstream channel to promote new toys and products to children."

[TomB]

LOL.

That "scheduling" rings a bell for me too.

I remember seeing HR Puffinstuff on one of the cable cartoon channels recently. It was so bad I wondered what was wrong with me as a kid that made me like that show.

I'm going to have to do some googling to remind myself of all of the old cartoons.

[Textide]

Was always partial to the Rocky & Bullwinkle show. It used to come on at 6am in the early 80's. Good stories, even if they were 20 years old at the time.

[Nowhere Man]

I remember those previews shows, too. I'd pore over the new TV GUIDE that had all the new toons, and make a schedule for Saturday morning. :) The best block used to be 7-8 am with ULTRAMAN followed by SPEED RACER. Followed by, in assorted years, SUPER FRIENDS, PAC-MAN, SCOOBY-DOO, JABBERJAW, FANGFACE, PLASTIC MAN, LAFF-A-LYMPICS, SPEED BUGGY, JOSIE & THE PUSSYCATS, GODZILLA, DYNOMUTT, FANTASTIC FOUR, SPIDER-MAN & HIS AMAZING FRIENDS, INCREDIBLE HULK, THE BATMAN/TARZAN/LONE RANGER ADVENTURE HOUR, LASSIE & THE RESCUE RANGERS, EMERGENCY + 4, etc. etc. etc. There were even live-action shows that were great--SHAZAM, ISIS, FAR OUT SPACE NUTS, GHOST BUSTERS, LOST SAUCER, KROFFT SUPERSHOW (with WONDERBUG, MAGIC MONGO, BIGFOOT & WILDBOY), HERO HIGH, JASON OF STAR COMMAND, MONSTER SQUAD, KIDS FROM C.A.P.E.R., etc.

Hoo boy, you too, huh?! B-) I'll be 37 this year and I remember when the TV Guide came out for the next week, i used to plan my Saturday's too. I do miss a lot of the old Krofft stuff too, espeically "Land of the Lost." There was a lot of good writing on that show, too bad it was made kind of cheap, but it got me interested in things like parallel worlds, dimensions, and so on. There was a side of me who wished I could geti nto one of those silver pylons and play with the matrix tables but my luck I'll either kill myself or end up elsewhere in space and time. B-) The Sleestak were scary though although Enik was cool. Even at my age, when I think of them, I still get a ltitle chill up my spine although I am relieved they can hit the broad side of a barn with their crossbows. The "Library of Skulls" was interesting too where they put the skulls of their ancestors into this huge hall where their "souls" would stay there and the Sleestak would consult them for their advice. The eerie orange glow from the skulls just made it so eerie. Then you had the Pakuni ape-like creatures with Chaka, Dopey the baby-Brontosaur, Alice the Alicesaur who patrolled the Lost City, and Grumpy the T-Rex who harrased the Marshalls. I remember alice had a baby dinosaur with her so I wonder if she had something going with Grumpy. B-)

I also liked the guest they had on like the Zarn, the alien who was made up of lights who tinkled when he moved, the Confederate War veteran who kept the Sleestak at bay with a Civil War cannon, and the hapless space shuttle pilot from their future (post 1970's) who got caught by the Marshall kids. Oh man, no wonder things are going downhill. B-P

[P.O.E.]

You've got to get Boomerang. Rocky & Bullwinkle, Tennessee Tuxedo, lots of old Hannah Barbera (Augie Doggie, Huck, etc.)

Every Friday in May, they have an Underdog marathon. Go Go Gophers!

[McGavin999]

If they'd stop using cartoons to push their socialist agenda the kids might be interested in watching again. They have their little heads pumped full of that crap all week long at school and all they want is something wholesome and funny.

[RightWingNut]

I'll soon 42 years old (scary !!)and every chance I get, I still watch cartoons on Saturday morning. The real cartoons on The Cartoon Network (Bugs, Daffy, Foghorn Leghorn,The Road Runer and Wile E. Coyote, etc...) The same cartoons I watched 35 years ago, and they are still funny !!

(A little secret for you. My dad, who will son be 70 sometimes watches them with me (We're apparently still trying to relive our childhoods !!), and he laughs out loud.

Why do you ask does he laugh ? BECAUSE THEY'RE FUNNY !!!!
There is a lesson to be learned here for network executives between trips to their diversity workshops !! LOL

[Brett66]

I remember watching all of those. There was one show that was better than all of them IMO, Starblazers. A space-capable battleship in battle after battle, how incredibly cool. I loved Bugs Bunny, but there was no comparison to the adventures of the Argo.

[NickRails]

You hit the nail on the head. The preview shows were bittersweet, because they meant the return of school.

Now even looney tunes are edited. The new version has the coyote fsll off the cliff, then you don't see him hit the ground.

I see no one metioned the wacky racers.

[VOA]

Reasons include several factors ranging from the rising divorce rate, with parents
deciding to spend more "quality time" with their kids on weekends, to the rising
popularity of cable TV.

Start running all the vintage Warner Brothers cartoons (Bugs, Elmer Fudd,
Sylvester and Tweety, etc, etc.)...you won't be able to pry kids of all ages
from the screen.

And bring the politically-incorrect WWII cartoons in which Bugs routinely
kicks the @SSe$ of Hitler, Mussolini, and Tojo.
That will get 'em out of bed and off the soccer fields.

[Brett66]

Check this out:

Star Blazers.com

[plusone]

Yeah! That was a good one.

[D2]

I've been waiting to see Bullwinkle referenced! Remeber the "Society For The Preservation of Wooden Toilet Seats"?

I always thought that someone would make the comparison to the sound of Hans Blix's voice to that of the narator of "Fractured Fairytales"

BTW, it was the "Birch John Society"

[dancusa]

Cartoon Channel will not show Speedy Gonzales anymore because of the hispanic backlash.I wonder if
Pepe Lapue is next?

[D2]

I've been waiting to see Bullwinkle referenced! Remeber the "Society For The Preservation of Wooden Toilet Seats"?

I always thought that someone would make the comparison to the sound of Hans Blix's voice to that of the narator of "Fractured Fairytales"

BTW, it was the "Birch John Society"

[Hazzardgate]

T'aint never been the same since they yanked The Dukes from the Saturday morning E-number o.d on sugary cereal experience.

[Drew68]

Cartoon Channel will not show Speedy Gonzales anymore because of the hispanic backlash.

Interestingly enough the Spanish staions still show it. Seems the Mexicans like ole' Speedy!

[garbanzo]

It was so bad I wondered what was wrong with me as a kid that made me like that show.

I get that feeling a lot when I watch Boomerang - but even the worst H-B cartoons of that era beat the treacle on Sat morning TV.

[TheBigB]

Yes, Scatman did the voice of Penry/HKP

[Xenalyte]

Space Ghost is about the funniest thing I've seen in a LONG time! I'm only 34, so I don't recall seeing it in first run, but the ones they show on Cartoon Network every so often (usually with Dino Boy) are stellar!

I also love Space Ghost Coast to Coast (which I don't think is on any longer). I cannot get enough of Brak!

[TheBigB]

Lolly, Lolly, Lolly, get your adverbs here...

Interplanet Janet, she's a galaxy girl..a solar system Ms. from a future world...

I'm just a Bill, yes I'm only a Bill...and I'm sittin' here on Capitol Hill...

I sound more like I'm 10 than almost 33. :) Of course, if I were 10 now, I wouldn't know this stuff...