Saturday morning cartoons

When did this weekly event come to be? I can only claim direct memory of this phenomenon back to the 70s. Was this children’s paradise (and for adults-young-at-heart) born from the 60s or were the baby boomers of the 50s also treated to this televisual feast?

I assume Saturday morning was the natural choice given that it is the first time kids are home from school during the week and because Sunday is reserved for other non-TV worshiping. But was this epiphony immediate to the invent of tv or did it evolve from the primordial schedule?

Hmmmm. Don’t have kids, I take it? Television programmers have kids. Television programmers know that one time of the week when parents especially want the kids entertained, and not jumping up and down on their (the parents) beds, screaming for attention.

It is a Fine Moment in each parent’s life when the child attains enough maturity to go to the teevee room, bowl of sugary cereal in hand, and sits entranced for the next two or three hours while the grownups sleep.

(To answer the “when” part of the OP…I was one of those kids by 1964 or so. I’ll let a better cultural historian pinpoint the actual year.)

Oh yes, Saturday morning cartoons were the focus of my life in the early 60s, even though the variety and quality of the toons available (on all two channels we could get) was abysmal. I would get up so early, I’d sit in front of the TV watching snow until the test pattern - the Indian in front of geometrics - came on, and then I’d stare at that until Mighty Mouse came to save my day. The only rule was, don’t bother the folks.

Well, from personal recollection, I can push it back to the mid-50s. Certainly kid’s programming (Andy’s Gang,etc.), but of course fewer made-for-TV cartoons (mostly retreads of theater shorts).

It started in the 1950s, under the assumption that mom and dad would be sleeping late, so let the TV babysit.

A listing of shows can be found at http://www.yesterdayland.com.

Note that in the early days, it was more common to have live action than cartoons – new cartoons were a bit expensive. Cartoons were usually retreads from theatrical cartoons (some quite old – I recall a show of silent cartoons, probably dating from before sound). As cheaper forms of animation were developed (remember Syncho-Vox? :slight_smile: ), more cartoons were added.

More commonly in the early days were a live show (often produced locally) with a host. One or two cartoons were shown; the rest of the time was produced in the studio – usually live. I remember Sonny Fox (Wonderama) and Sandy Becker out of New York, Captain (later Colonel) Clown out of Connecticut, and, of course, Soupy Sales. A lot of the kids shows also featured puppets (“Kukla, Fran, and Ollie,” “Time for Beany,” “Diver Dan,” etc.), which was a cheaper way to have fanciful characaters without the expense of animation.

By the late 60s, live action has pretty much died out.

Let’s add Winky-Dink And You, an interesting hybrid of live art and animation. Kids were encouraged to draw ON the tv screen, after placing an acetate cel over it, and interacting WITH the animated characters. I’ve shot jobs for the creator of that show. He was oh, about 35 years ahead of his time.

Philly had the Gene London Show. It was a lovely blend of live-action and animated cartoons. Gene was a gentle soul, and much loved by Delaware Valley kids.

On the OTHER end of the spectrum was Wee Willie Webber. He broadcast in Philly on WKBS- 48. He was an angry overbearing man who detested kids. I found out the hard way, I was on his show once. Yipes :eek: . I did, however, come home with an awesomely cool Thunderbirds rocket ship.

At some point in the late 1960’s ABC ( I believe ) ran a block of cartoon shows three hours at a clip each Saturday morning. They called it the Saturday Cartooniverse :smiley: :smiley:

And of course, back in the 50’s, and for a couple decades prior to that, Saturday Morning kids matinees at the movies were commonplace, so this was just TV making inroads into the movie theaters’ business.

In the 1960’s, on Saturday Morning, WGN in Chicago would show…Gigantor!!! :smiley:

COOL! :cool:

The first interactive TV show.

I used to watch Winky-Dink and draw on the screen. It was so cool to be allowed to draw on the furniture! (Until one day my baby brother drew on the screen without the acetate. It really pissed my dad off when he tried to watch the baseball game later. :D)

This is as good a point as any to ask: what was that Saturday morning show circa 1965 that was a space opera done entirely with puppets? Puppet spacemen, puppet aliens, puppet rockets. Anybody remember? I was just a wee laddie then and the details escape me.

Several could fill the bill:

Fireball XL-5
Thunderbirds
Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons

Check them out under “The 60s” on the site RealityChuck linked to.

I think Supercar predated any of these.

I’m positive that it was Fireball XL-5. I watched it also, for more info about the show and one of its creator Sylvia Anderson, I think that it will satisfy you.

Also, Ike, yes Supercar predated it.

Anybody else remembers Stingray ?

Stingray. Yes, and Clutch Cargo, and all of that ilk. Boy, what dreck. I can remember wishing for something better, but there was nothing else on. Oh, the humanity!

But I think I might die of laughter if I got to see Davey and Goliath again. But Daaaavy…

Thanks, guys. I think the one I remembered was Thunderbirds, but like many memories out of the 60s, it’s all too hazy now.

Sparteye, http://www.moderntv.com/modtvweb/special/freegif-bw1.htm

I have it on my desktop right now!

And Jomo Mojo, I think I even remember a fragment of the lyrics (maybe the closing theme):

“And my heart will be a fireball, every time I look into your burning eyes.”

Yes, I downloaded it, and that’s what it is! Damn, I’m good! [sub]Or maybe I just have a cluttered memory.[/sub]

They just put Davey and Goliath out on DVD. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00003G1FR/qid=990592255/sr=1-2/ref=sc_d_2/107-7844551-2838114 Laugh to your heart’s content.

I remember how disappointed I was when it got close to noon and there were no more cartoons. Always wondered why they didn’t just go all day.

While we’re on this topic, why aren’t there any more shows just for girls anymore? There aren’t even many unisex cartoons. I still watch Pokemon, and would watch other cartoons, but so many seem to be just stupid superhereos or other boys shows. Even Cardcaptors seemed to be about the boy character. Why do all the networks seem to be fighting over the boy audience, and not trying to attract girl viewers?

I’ve noticed that there are a lot less cartoons on these days than during my childhood (born 1972). We had cartoons continuously from 6 to 11:30 (when Space: 1999 came on and I’d switch to it). I think there was some live-action children’s programming before 6, even. Now some of the networks seem to only have 2 hours of cartoons, starting after morning news (on SATURDAY??) and quickly switching to teen comedies.

You’ve never seen the Powerpuff Girls on Cartoon Network? :slight_smile: