The Disappearance Of Saturday Morning
StormLiong
Join Date: 2002-12-27 Member: 11569Members
Join Date: 2002-12-27 Member: 11569Members
<div class="IPBDescription">old article but interesting</div> Its an old article (2003) but for those that are curiously to what ever happened to the the Saturday Mornings of the 80s and early 90s, this article gives the general gist of things.
Full Article: <a href='http://mag.awn.com/index.php?ltype=article&article_no=1751' target='_blank'>http://mag.awn.com/index.php?ltype=article&article_no=1751</a> An excerpt is below:
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->In a time not so long ago, Saturday mornings were indicative of one and only one pastime for children — watching cartoons. Throughout the '70s and '80s, the broadcast networks ABC, CBS and NBC dominated the Saturday morning airwaves by inundating children with cartoons. Cartoons on these networks used to earn ratings of more than 20 million viewers. Today, network Saturday morning cartoons only exist on ABC Kids, FOX Kids and Kids’ WB!, the latter two networks either did not exist or did not air cartoons two decades ago. Current successful cartoons on FOX Kids or Kids’ WB! can garner a mere two million viewers. That statistic does not even take into consideration that the population of children in the U.S. has increased by approximately ten percent over the last 20 years. Due to this precipice in viewers, network cartoons are left struggling to make money while advertisers remain befuddled without a mainstream channel to promote new toys and products to children. Why have children stopped tuning in on Saturday mornings to network cartoons and what are the ramifications of this change?<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Full Article: <a href='http://mag.awn.com/index.php?ltype=article&article_no=1751' target='_blank'>http://mag.awn.com/index.php?ltype=article&article_no=1751</a> An excerpt is below:
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->In a time not so long ago, Saturday mornings were indicative of one and only one pastime for children — watching cartoons. Throughout the '70s and '80s, the broadcast networks ABC, CBS and NBC dominated the Saturday morning airwaves by inundating children with cartoons. Cartoons on these networks used to earn ratings of more than 20 million viewers. Today, network Saturday morning cartoons only exist on ABC Kids, FOX Kids and Kids’ WB!, the latter two networks either did not exist or did not air cartoons two decades ago. Current successful cartoons on FOX Kids or Kids’ WB! can garner a mere two million viewers. That statistic does not even take into consideration that the population of children in the U.S. has increased by approximately ten percent over the last 20 years. Due to this precipice in viewers, network cartoons are left struggling to make money while advertisers remain befuddled without a mainstream channel to promote new toys and products to children. Why have children stopped tuning in on Saturday mornings to network cartoons and what are the ramifications of this change?<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Comments
the advent of the Power Rangers foretold the end of good saturday morning programming...
Yeah I'm going with this. Definitely...
Indeed. Those were indeed interesting times.
Saturday Mornings have been mass produced <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Saturday Mornings have been mass produced <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Interestingly enough this same problem plagues news networks today.
Gone are the days of the major network evening news powerhouses with respected reliable journalism.
Now we have 24/7 mass produced, simulcasted, half-assed crap.
::EDIT::
I know exactly what you mean Pardzh, I think most of us here do.
Goddamn television is going down the crapper.
Goddamn television is going down the crapper. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
That is why we have the internet. Hehe
Best TMNT parody ever.
Was that when it finished? Or that the TV channel just toof it off air half way through the story?
Was that when it finished? Or that the TV channel just toof it off air half way through the story? <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
I don't remember I kinda stopped watching once that Manta Ray guy started hanging around, he was such a tool.
Still it's the principle of the thing.
Was that when it finished? Or that the TV channel just toof it off air half way through the story? <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I don't remember I kinda stopped watching once that Manta Ray guy started hanging around, he was such a tool.
Still it's the principle of the thing. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Ah! That is another reason why Saturday Mornings went down the crapper. Because network TV will just not stop the act of dropping series midway through their storyline. At least finish the darn story arc before cancelling it.
Ha ha ha, I remember <a href='http://samcats.ytmnd.com/' target='_blank'>that</a>.
Was that when it finished? Or that the TV channel just toof it off air half way through the story? <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I don't remember I kinda stopped watching once that Manta Ray guy started hanging around, he was such a tool.
Still it's the principle of the thing. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Ah! That is another reason why Saturday Mornings went down the crapper. Because network TV will just not stop the act of dropping series midway through their storyline. At least finish the darn story arc before cancelling it. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
I saw the entire series while it was aired on TV, at least twice. Though I might have watched it in syndication through another channel.
Ha ha ha, I remember <a href='http://samcats.ytmnd.com/' target='_blank'>that</a>. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Please...dear...God...tell me that’s not the actual theme song for that show...
They take a swipe at the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles...this shouldn't anger any rational person but I'm slightly annoyed now.
Ha ha ha, I remember <a href='http://samcats.ytmnd.com/' target='_blank'>that</a>. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Is it sad that recognise all the voices in that song from other cartoons?
Yeah, Saturday mornings have been shot the hell out of.
Kids are still waking up on saturday mornings and instead of cartoons they're seeing political rhetoric.
Kids are still waking up on saturday mornings and instead of cartoons they're seeing political rhetoric. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Quiet, left-winged liberal scum, or eat my ICBM of Freedom!
If we had to talk about classis though I'd have to include stuff like pole position, cities of gold, ulysses, jayce and the wheeled warriors and though lots of people probably haven't seen it; "technoman" (it's called tekkaman blade in japan).
Now those were good stuff :3
Oh and I used to get up super early on saturdays to catch pokemon on sky one and that was only about a few years ago ^^;
The spielberg/WB/whatever were ok, I wasn't THAT blown away by them. Around that time I instead looked forward to my saturday dosage of the wonderfully dark, and at the time new, batman cartoon :p
Ha ha ha, I remember <a href='http://samcats.ytmnd.com/' target='_blank'>that</a>. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
What...cracked....up.....writer....came....up......with.....that......
I mean, it's like 15 minutes of cartoon for Sonic. But I'll have to agree, Power Rangers was the downfall of early morning kids' television. Jesus, even when I was 12 I hated that damn show. It was like Barney-quality action for people twice as old.
Animaniacs was probably the best though; except for those stupid shorts with the dog saving the little kid, I hated those - too predictable and boring. Tiny Toons was good too; still have "How I spent my summer vacation" on tape.
Was that when it finished? Or that the TV channel just toof it off air half way through the story? <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I don't remember I kinda stopped watching once that Manta Ray guy started hanging around, he was such a tool.
Still it's the principle of the thing. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Ah! That is another reason why Saturday Mornings went down the crapper. Because network TV will just not stop the act of dropping series midway through their storyline. At least finish the darn story arc before cancelling it. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I saw the entire series while it was aired on TV, at least twice. Though I might have watched it in syndication through another channel. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
From what I remember the network started making the creators stuff extra characters in for merchandise tie-ins. Then it just went downhill.
Beastwars rocked so hard. The video game did not.
Ha ha ha, I remember <a href='http://samcats.ytmnd.com/' target='_blank'>that</a>. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
... That incredibly flaming man just sang "Who do you call when you want some pepperoni??!".....