# Remember Saturday morning cartoons? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 20, 2005, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-saturday-morning-cartoons/291024 "2005-02-20T15:40:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2005, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-saturday-morning-cartoons/291024/101 "2005-02-23T00:32:39Z")
> [@Verminary](#): > > **Monchichis**! I think they only went one season on ABC, but I can still sing the theme song. The plush doll tie-in had a neutronium head covered in a soft fuzzy skin that did absolutely nothing to cushion the impact when it was swung at a handy sibling. Many concussions resulted when stuffed animal fights escalated to Monchichi level. OMG! I was just telling somebody this the other day! My sister and I shared a monchichi. It was _the_ weapon of choice. Guaranteed to make SOMEBODY cry. We had the Monchichi record (yes, _record_). I didn’t watch the cartoon, but I sometimes find myself singing one of the songs on the album: Ready or not Here we come We are the Monchichis! > [@DocCathode](#): > > Great Space Coaster > > “This is the news, with Gary G’nu.” > > We had an abstract elephant, an orangutan, a clown who could turn invisible, an alien green guy with weird horns (IIRC he was only in later seasons), a bird, and the evil circus owner, M T Promises. I only remember Gnu and the elephant. The elephant was low-budget, I remember. It had a vacuum tube thingie for a nose. GSC used to come on early in the morning before school, right after Inspector Gadget. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2005, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-saturday-morning-cartoons/291024/102 "2005-02-23T00:47:34Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > I only remember Gnu and the elephant. The elephant was low-budget, I remember. It had a vacuum tube thingie for a nose. I don’t think his appearance was due to low budget. Covering the suit in a blue or gray material would IMHO been cheaper than what they did. His ears were transparent fabric stretched tight over an array of struts. His belly was contoured and embroidered like Joseph’s Technicolor Dream Coat. RE PSAs “So any time you stumble or your stomach starts to rumble” a wierd yellow thingie teaches us how to eat healthy snacks. “You’ll have a fun time having sunshine on a stick!” a different ad in which he teaches us how to make orange juice popsicles. “Some dirt in my eye will get me some pie” a boy sings a song to mom explaining that she should reward and comfort him with hugs rather than food. “Popcorn! She’s my favorite snack by far! Popcorn! She’s my favorite movie star!” “Water is a drink that you can trust. No one ever lost a tooth from rust.” “Hey little twelve toes, please come back again.” “Can you skate, a figure eight?” Zack Of All Trades “It’s no blob when you train for a job! Don’t be afraid! Plan a career and get paid!” ---
**Author:** ![High\_Cheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8797f3/32.png) [@High\_Cheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/High_Cheese)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2005, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-saturday-morning-cartoons/291024/103 "2005-02-23T00:58:47Z")
> [@Arhat](#): > > Not true. > > [Plastic Man](http://www.toonopedia.com/plas.htm) > First Appeared: 1941 > > [Fantastic Four](http://www.toonopedia.com/fant4.htm) > First Appeared: 1961 Whoa! Thanks for the ethereal education. That is very surprising. I thought FF had beaten PM by several years. Turns out my thinking was inverse. Good info. Thanks again. ---
**Author:** ![High\_Cheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8797f3/32.png) [@High\_Cheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/High_Cheese)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2005, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-saturday-morning-cartoons/291024/104 "2005-02-23T01:03:52Z")
> [@Arhat](#): > > Don’t drown your food! > > Anyone remember any more? Kind of. A public service commercial where the narrator(s)…kids I believe…sang “Oops I made a mistake that’s all. Mistakes can happen to anyone.” Maybe not a commercial at all but part of a Saturday morning telecast. Please help. ---
**Author:** ![Arhat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/45deac/32.png) [@Arhat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arhat)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2005, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-saturday-morning-cartoons/291024/105 "2005-02-23T01:24:19Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > RE PSAs > > … I LOVED those 😃 The first three are from [Time for Timer](http://www.toontracker.com/timer/timer.htm) which also did “Hankerin’ for a hunka cheese.” My favorite, though, was “some dirt in my eye will get me some pie,” but I can’t find any mention of it anywhere on the net. > [@DocCathode](#): > > “Hey little twelve toes, please come back again.” > > “Can you skate, a figure eight?” These two are from Schoolhouse Rock, all of which are great. Figure Eight is particularly lovely musically. Plus, how can you go wrong with Blossom Dearie. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2005, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-saturday-morning-cartoons/291024/106 "2005-02-23T01:31:25Z")
Re Don’t Drown Your Food No, twas the inspiring tale of a food lifeguard “My name is (I don’t remember) and I’m proud to say I saved a potato from drowning today. Don’t drown your food, In mayo or ketchup or goo. It’s no fun to eat what you can’t even see, so don’t drown your food!” ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2005, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-saturday-morning-cartoons/291024/107 "2005-02-23T01:35:52Z")
What about **Clue Club** , with the four kids and the two dogs, Woofer and Whimper (or as Woofer (voiced by Paul Winchell) would say, Woofah ayand Whimpah)? ---
**Author:** ![Arhat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/45deac/32.png) [@Arhat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arhat)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2005, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-saturday-morning-cartoons/291024/108 "2005-02-23T01:42:49Z")
> [@High Cheese](#): > > Whoa! Thanks for the ethereal education. That is very surprising. I thought FF had beaten PM by several years. Turns out my thinking was inverse. Good info. Thanks again. No problem. I actually prefer Plastic Man to Reed Richards. When well written, he’s very funny. And he doesn’t have a cocky-assed name like “Mr. Fantastic” (though I do like the Fantastic Four). > [@High Cheese](#): > > “Oops I made a mistake that’s all. Mistakes can happen to anyone.” I remember this one too. It was from a series of shorts called [The Most Important Person](http://www.jumptheshark.com/m/mostimportantperson.htm) (I didn’t remember that though. I had to look it up.) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2005, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-saturday-morning-cartoons/291024/109 "2005-02-23T01:57:29Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > Re Don’t Drown Your Food > > No, twas the inspiring tale of a food lifeguard > > “My name is (I don’t remember) and I’m proud to say > I saved a potato from drowning today. > Don’t drown your food, > In mayo or ketchup or goo. > It’s no fun to eat what you can’t even see, > so don’t drown your food!” “I’m Louie the Lifeguard, and happy to say I rescued a drowning potato today” …is how I remember it. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2005, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-saturday-morning-cartoons/291024/110 "2005-02-23T05:59:38Z")
I hardly remember GSC, except that there was a big clown type guy (it was a costume with a suit and head, actually), with orange hair, I think. If someone could find some pictures…damn, that was a long time ago. I remember one of the PSAs, it was animated with a bunch of Fonzi-wannabes, singing about eating fruits and vegetables, about how you needed to “excercise your choppers”, for strong teeth. ---
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2005, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-saturday-morning-cartoons/291024/111 "2005-02-23T06:32:28Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > “So any time you stumble or your stomach starts to rumble” a wierd yellow thingie teaches us how to eat healthy snacks. Few people even remember it, but Timer (the weird yellow thingie) did not originate with those PSAs. He was the main character in two kids’ TV movies that were meant to help them understand the body (hence the health food angle): In [The Incredible, Indelible, Magical, Physical Mystery Trip (1973)](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0322745/), he leads two kids on a cartoon trip through their uncle’s body so they can learn how his smoking, drinking, high-stress, sedentary lifestyle is harming him so they can warn him in time. I particularly remember the final musical number, in which all the different body parts (the heart, the alveoli of the lungs, etc:characters they met along the way) join our heroes in Uncle Carl’s brain to sing along. I always wondered why the guy didn’t keel over right there. In [The Magical Mystery Trip Through Little Red’s Head (1974)](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0305786/), he takes two other kids through their sister’s brain so they can learn how it works. Of course, these movies only got repeated so many times, while the PSAs ran for at least a decade, so they overshadowed the specials in fairly short order. (Incidentally, Lee Unkrich, one of the co-directors of Finding Nemo, did a cartoon in the 1980s with a penis character called Mr. Happy, that I believe got some cable play back in the day. Focusing on sexual health, it perfectly mimicked the visual and animation style of the Timer PSAs. At some point in the seventies, Pink Panther cartoons were introduced by a group of puppets: A pink flamingo, a southern belle goose, a giraffe, a squirrel, and the abominable snowman. They later appeared in a set of PSAs that ran for centuries, at least in Boston, un a variety of subjects: Nutrition: “Abominable! What ARE you doing?” “Balancing my meal! Doo doo doo…” Conservation: “Albert! Now you’ve left your window open, and you’re wasting heat!” Money Management: (as car disappears into distance) “Always count your change!” I also recall that the Great Space Coaster characters did a bunch of PSAs that continued to air long after the series ended. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2005, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-saturday-morning-cartoons/291024/112 "2005-02-23T14:39:36Z")
I remember _The Brady Kids_. _… There’s Mop-top, and Ping and Pong the pandas And Merlin, who makes magic [something, something] The Brady Kids! The Brady Kids…_ I think it either preceded or followed _Mission: Magic_ _Do you believe you believe in magic Cause I believe I believe that I do Yes I can see I believe that it’s magic If your mission is magic your love will shine through_ Does anyone remember _The Mighty Mightor_? He used to raise his club in the air and yell, ‘Miiiiiiiiightoooooooor!’ I went to a friend’s house, and I thought I heard him yelling that. Actually, he’d hurt his toe and the mercurichrome was stinging. He was yelling, ‘My tooooooooe!’ ---
**Author:** ![cantara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6f9a4e/32.png) [@cantara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cantara)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2005, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-saturday-morning-cartoons/291024/113 "2005-02-23T15:03:57Z")
Since noone has posted this yet, [TV Party](http://www.tvparty.com/sat.html). I also found [this](http://www.inthe70s.com/saturdays.shtml) after flipping through this thread yesterday. I had vague memories of what I would watch on Saturday mornings, but only really started tripping down memory lane when I could figure out what order I would watch these things every year. I also now understand why I can’t find anyone who remembers Uncle Croc (Charles Nelson Reilly dressed in an alligator costume). I find it interesting to discover just at what age I started staying out late on Friday nights and was sleeping in on Saturday mornings and missing all the cartoons. In the deep dark recesses of my cobwebbed brain, I also remember 'The New Adventures of Pinocchio" and “The Land of Oz” if for no other reason than the [theme](http://members.fortunecity.com/toonaverse/pinocchi.html) [songs](http://members.fortunecity.com/toonaverse/wizardoz.html) ([more cartoon themes](http://members.fortunecity.com/toontracker/index2.html)). ---
**Author:** ![Sweeney\_Astray](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Sweeney\_Astray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sweeney_Astray)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2005, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-saturday-morning-cartoons/291024/114 "2005-02-23T16:15:24Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > The Girl bots, Bo & Boo ( I think?), were designed by Wendy. > > BTW–if you’r saving up for _Omaha_ TPBs, you’re making a mistake. The early issues are getting very hard to find. Buy them one at a time, & ASAP. Bit of a hijack- _Omaha_ is getting harder to find because of the death of its creator, no? I believe I read in Gaiman’s blog that she was working on another book that her husband is still hoping to have published. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2005, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-saturday-morning-cartoons/291024/115 "2005-02-23T16:25:06Z")
> [@Sweeney](#): > > Bit of a hijack- _Omaha_ is getting harder to find because of the death of its creator, no? I believe I read in Gaiman’s blog that she was working on another book that her husband is still hoping to have published. Yes, one of her creators, Ms. Kate Whorley, died. The other, & the brother of the deceased, are trying to start again. And it’s hard to find, because it’s publisher went under. ---
**Author:** ![Sweeney\_Astray](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Sweeney\_Astray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sweeney_Astray)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2005, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-saturday-morning-cartoons/291024/116 "2005-02-23T16:42:01Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > Yes, one of her creators, Ms. Kate Whorley, died. > The other, & the brother of the deceased, are trying to start again. > > And it’s hard to find, because it’s publisher went under. Ah…brilliant, cheers. ---
**Author:** ![Psycho\_Pirate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Psycho\_Pirate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Psycho_Pirate)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2005, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-saturday-morning-cartoons/291024/117 "2005-02-23T17:19:46Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > IIRC CBS Storybreak was originally hosted by Captain Kangaroo ( I don’t recall whether Bob Keishan went by that name on this show or not.). Later, it was hosted by a very large puppet of Captain O G Readmore. Readmore was also featured in an animated commercial promoting literacy. I think you are merging two similar shows. CBS Storybreak was indeed hosted by Bob Keeshan. However Captain O.G. Readmore was the host of ABC Weekend Special (at least in the later years, when it actually had a host). Of the two, I much preferred ABC Weekend Special, with it’s psychadelic intro and disco tune. I also enjoyed the content better (Miss Switch the witch, Dabble Magic factory), but towards the end it seemed they showed that stupid mouse on his motorcycle every week. As for Great Space Coaster, I do remember that the gorilla’s name was Goriddle, and (not surprisingly) he told riddles. And the clown’s name was Baxter. I also remember an embarrassing amount of “The Chopper” PSA. Ah-hem… > [@](#): > > "Exercise your choppers really chew, chew, chew. > Exercise your choppers on some good hard food. > Your molars grind, > your canines tear, > incisors bite right through. > So exercise your choppers on some good hard food. > > Pumpernickel(?), carrot sticks, crunchy fruits and nuts > Things you really have to chew to make your choppers tough > So take it from The Chopper, cause Chopper knows it’s true > Exercise is great, but exercise your choppers too. > > ‘Hey Chopper, how about running a few laps with us?’ > ‘Later man, I’m eating a celery stick. This is hard exercise.’" And yet I couldn’t tell you who my congressman is. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2005, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-saturday-morning-cartoons/291024/118 "2005-02-23T17:41:16Z")
Heavens to mercatoids! Who could forget the Laugh-Olympics even? Hanna Barbaras answer to Battle-of-the-network-stars. Teams named the Yogi Yahooies, the Scooby Doobies, and of course the Really Rottens. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2005, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-saturday-morning-cartoons/291024/119 "2005-02-23T17:46:26Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Heavens to mercatoids! Who could forget the Laugh-Olympics even? “Murgatroyd” _looks around at the stares_ What?! Snagglepuss is the definitive Saturday-morning gay icon. I insist on proper quoting. Just sayin’… ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2005, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-saturday-morning-cartoons/291024/120 "2005-02-23T17:50:11Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > Great Space Coaster > > “This is the news, with Gary G’nu.” > > We had an abstract elephant, an orangutan, a clown who could turn invisible, an alien green guy with weird horns (IIRC he was only in later seasons), a bird, and the evil circus owner, M T Promises. “And remember, no G’news is good G’news with Gary G’nu!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-saturday-morning-cartoons/291024.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-saturday-morning-cartoons/291024.md?page=7)