The Death of Carttons on Network TV

[Wheeljack35]

I'm nor refering to Fox's sunday night line up but whay did the networks kill Saturday morning cartoons in favor of news shows? These kids now have nothing and will never know anything about satuday morning toons.We had Scooby Doo,Hong Kong Phooey,The Funky Phantom and the Superfreinds They know have to rel]y on Cartoon Network and what is left of the kids WB

 

Also when I got home from school weekdays there was GI Joe,Masters of the Universe,Transformers Thundercats,Inspector Gadget and Gargoyles.Hell Channel 5 in New York which is a Fox stations killed of the afternoon toons for boring ass Judge shows.Jerry spring on other stations replaced shows also.

 

 

Even the weekday mornings the shows are gone.What the hell hs happened ? These people in control grew up with the toons why remopve them?

[hamsterboy]

Too many people gripping about there not being enough educational shows on TV. Cripes,if you want that go watch PBS. Although any more,you can't even do that.

[JayC]

Most people have cable or sat now days and there like 5 different cartoon networks out there now so I don't think they have a lack of cartoons to watch.

[Rockzilla]

I'm not sure why the networks killed Saturday morning cartoons. When I was really young saturdays were the only days I could watch cartoons, because we didn't get cable until I was 9.

 

I think one of the reasons the saturday cartoon blocks are dead is because of the poor quality of the newer shows. Does anyone remember The Fox Box or 4KIDS TV? That crap replaced Fox Kids!

 

 

Now that I think about it most modern cartoons suck anyway.

[kerowack]

Oh come on! This is easy....

 

There are like 8 networks where you can watch cartoons ALL DAY LONG, plus DVDs and video games....

 

Cartoons may actually be produced today more than EVER, but they aren't just reserved for Saturday mornings or after school....

 

I'm jealous of kids today. Constant cartoons? Maybe they aren't as special, but I can't tell you how horrible things were on tv after wrestling or the Cartoon Express was over...

[Rockzilla]

Oh come on! This is easy....

 

There are like 8 networks where you can watch cartoons ALL DAY LONG, plus DVDs and video games....

 

Cartoons may actually be produced today more than EVER, but they aren't just reserved for Saturday mornings or after school....

 

I'm jealous of kids today. Constant cartoons? Maybe they aren't as special, but I can't tell you how horrible things were on tv after wrestling or the Cartoon Express was over...

 

 

Yes I think this really sums it up. With so many channels the kids have plenty to watch. Saturdays just aren't that special day for cartoons that they once were.

 

I remember when we switched from cable to direc tv I was shocked that we also got west coast versions of cartoon channels.

[yojoebro82]

All I have is network TV as I don't have cable. Occasionally I would try to turn on Sat. morning cartoons as background noise while I do things around the apt. I couldn't take it...not even for background noise! Those shows were just too aweful!

 

Those shows deserve death. Now, if you're talking COOL cartoons, you're too late. Those died off about 15-20 years ago.

[Rockzilla]

I was actually surprised to find out that so many people liked Spectacular Spider-man. I thought the show SUCKED honestly, the animation is crap and the acting is piss poor. It was just as bad as the mtv cartoon IMO.

[gruntcast]

Too bad most of the cable stuff are reruns and a lot mindless crap like chowder, that crap makes Ren and Stimpy look like education learning stuff lol. Where's my She-Ra type, for my daughter?, or where's my tough guys like joes and he-man? I know we still got Batman brave and the bold, which has been off for a while now, scoppy doo, and Transformers??? right or is that canceled.

 

I work as an ultrasound tech and sometimes I do 24shifts and I'll leave cartoon network and or boomerang on the tv as I to exams on patience. All I mostly see is reruns, mindless crap with everyone yelling , and bad dubbs @loll@ On network there is not much Sonic x, I think TMNT. I am not jealous can't all of the kids today , they might have quantity but we had more quality @smilepunch@

 

and back to She-Ra and He-man are we getting these back? with the popularity of the toy line I would think so. She-Ra was a perfect female role model, Feminine and girly but strong and tough, I guess for right now my daughter will have to do with old episodes I show her on you tube, I hear they are re-releasing the dvd sets or maybe blu-ray in November.

[Rockzilla]

Most of the animes aimed for kids like Sonic X and One Piece suck even in their uncut form.

[Leviathan]

Blame Ted Turner (Turner Broadcasting) who launched Cartoon Network in 1992. Check these two links out http://en.wikipedia....Cartoon_Express http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturday_morning_cartoon

[Superpowers1980]

Saturday morning cartoons have long been on their way to death. Who knows, maybe one day there will be a revival or maybe its a permanant shift. It may not be a bad thing, it could just be the changing times, but with that, it is nice to know that most of us here on TNI lived through a truly golden time, between the awesomeness of Saturday morning programing to afternoon programing, these were wonderful times. Even the commercials and advertising were fun, toys, food, etc.....the golden days.

[Orlock182]

It was a golden time, and don't forget with the advent of affordable boxsets for all most all of the cartoons we grew up with we can now pass those along to our own children . Not the same way our parents passed on Looney toons, Mery Melodies, and the like but in a pure restored and on demand scale we never had growing up unless our parents had a lot of disposable income.

 

I myself look forward to siting down with my future children and enjoying the shows I grew up watching with them... Mostly because that's all I'm going to allow them to watch.

[Wheeljack35]

I don't give a flying crap about these so called cable stations that play crap only 4 year olds like

 

Hell toons came out like Pinky and the Brain, Animainiac's Sometimes the Little Rascals and Looney Tunes.That was on at the after school hours not the kiddie shlop Toon Disney shows Hell they show Superman,Batman and Gargoyles but that like the 2 am-4 am block

[Leviathan]

90% of cartoons on TV now are pure crap. Family Guy, American Dad, Bleach and the like are the only exception.

[hamsterboy]

Cartoons aren't even safe on the cable networks that are suppose to show cartoons.Toon Disney is dead and gone,replaced by DisneyXD and that shows less and less cartoons. Nick hasn't had a new series on in awhile. Cartoon Network is also getting less and less it seems.

[ARROW]

I'm not sure why the networks killed Saturday morning cartoons. When I was really young saturdays were the only days I could watch cartoons, because we didn't get cable until I was 9.

 

Networks were not making any money of the blocks of cartoon and kids programming on Saturday mornings. They were getting better dollars from sports, news and local dollars because sponsors would prefer to buy time on thos shows than on kids shows.

Saturday morning became superfluous when cable channels dedicated to cartoons and kids show came along....they are destination venues like Saturday morning used to be, but they show cartoons all day long instead of one day a week.

 

 

Too many people gripping about there not being enough educational shows on TV. Cripes,if you want that go watch PBS. Although any more,you can't even do that.

About 70 % of the stuff I work on are those trite, lame pre-school/little kid educational cartoons. A lot of them get made because a LOT of networks demand them--and then tend to be highly rated shows with good sponsors. Parents like them too, because the shows tend to be consistently mild.

 

Also when I got home from school weekdays there was GI Joe,Masters of the Universe,Transformers Thundercats,Inspector Gadget and Gargoyles.Hell Channel 5 in New York which is a Fox stations killed of the afternoon toons for boring ass Judge shows.Jerry spring on other stations replaced shows also.

You'll find all of those shows on specialty channels these days. In Canada, we have a channel called Teletoon Retro--that headlines all those shows--that's all they play--so there are channels out there with that stuff. Down in the States, certain markets ( areas like Chicago, New York, or Los Angeles) might have cable with special channels that feature the same line-ups, but they are often part of premium packages and the add to the cost of basic cable. That sucks, but that is the way TV has evolved.

[Wheeljack35]

 

Also when I got home from school weekdays there was GI Joe,Masters of the Universe,Transformers Thundercats,Inspector Gadget and Gargoyles.Hell Channel 5 in New York which is a Fox stations killed of the afternoon toons for boring ass Judge shows.Jerry spring on other stations replaced shows also.

You'll find all of those shows on specialty channels these days. In Canada, we have a channel called Teletoon Retro--that headlines all those shows--that's all they play--so there are channels out there with that stuff. Down in the States, certain markets ( areas like Chicago, New York, or Los Angeles) might have cable with special channels that feature the same line-ups, but they are often part of premium packages and the add to the cost of basic cable. That sucks, but that is the way TV has evolved.

 

 

I wish that network was here Boomerrang shows mostly cartoons from the 60's and 70's I wish we had an 80's Network..LOL who knows maybe they would play Kidd Video again

[Leviathan]

Kidd Video was awesome! I loved that show, but there would be no way they could play that again or release it on DVD. Especially since they sang not only their own songs but popular songs of that time, so they would have to pay out royalties and/or get the rights to those songs or permission from the artists. It would be nice to have it on DvD release, luckily I bought the series on DVD-R from a great guy who actually recorded the eps on vhs back in the day.

[Wheeljack35]

Kidd Video was awesome! I loved that show, but there would be no way they could play that again or release it on DVD. Especially since they sang not only their own songs but popular songs of that time, so they would have to pay out royalties and/or get the rights to those songs or permission from the artists. It would be nice to have it on DvD release, luckily I bought the series on DVD-R from a great guy who actually recorded the eps on vhs back in the day.

 

 

Wow I never thought of that

 

BUT

 

youtube has the epidsodes so i'll watch them there

[Leviathan]

YouTube is wonderful!

[Doom Saber]

As others have already stated, it is because of cartoon cable channels and the decline of ratings on the network channels. A decade ago, a lot of people didn't have cable, so natuarally, a lot of the programs like Beast Wars and Gi Joe Extreme were airred on local channels or Ytv(Canada). Nowadays, a lot of Americans/Candaians have cable. Moreover, Nthere are a lot of new channels out there that focus on cartoons. With a lot of cable channels that shows cartoons, there is no point in having it on local tv.

 

Even though they still show cartoons on saturday under the 4kidstv and CWkids name, these cartoons are also shown on Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, Fox Family, etc

[SpiderMan]

Watching cartoons on YouTube or other sites is the solution now a days it seems .

[A_Spidey_Fan]

Antoher reason for the U.S. at least, is because sometime during the mid or late 1990's-after 2000, the FCC had stated that if a local network channel is to have a Kid Programming Block(Regardless if it's cartoons, live action, etc), then there must at least be 3 Hours of what is considered "Educational" programming. Now, I don't know if this meant every day must have at least 3 Hours of Educational programming, or just 3 Hours in general each week, but this I'm sure played a role for some local Network Stations just dropping their Kids Block, for they could of just decided to drop it all together and just replace it with local news, old comedy's etc. It probably did play a role as to why there isn't really any Syndication cartoons anymore as well(Which was how we had many of those weekday morning and/or afternoon shows, not to mention the really early Saturday and/or Sunday morning cartoons at like 5:00a.m.). Of course, the fact that Cable Channels are more willing to offer more for the cartoons does play a role too.

 

That said, for the U.S. at least, there are still some Saturday Morning Kids Programming Blocks which includes cartoons on Network Channels. The CW(CW4Kids Block), ABC(ABC Kids, which is Disney stuff), CBS, NBC(1 of these 2 is more Nickoledon Preschool based. Also, 1 of these in my area also offers Sunday Morning Cartoons too), and PBS. It should be noted though that in the U.S., since you've converted recently to Free Over The Air Digital HD, it means that for some of these stations, they may have like 2-4 verisons of a local channel(So for Example: Fox-1 is the regular channels, Fox-2 has alternate/different programming, Fox-3 is Spannish verison of Fox-1, etc. It's how Digital can say that they have more channels than the old Analog way), so it possible that the alternate verisons of these channels could be showing some more cartoons as well. For Canada in terms of Network Channels, it's seems only CBC, SRC(French CBC), TVO, and French TVO(I forgot what the exact title is).

 

The problem I really think is not that there isn't really anymore Saturday morning cartoons(Because they do exist on Network Channels still), but just that there isn't anymore action pack cartoon shows for many of us to want to go and watch on Saturday mornings, because a majority of them are now on Cable Channels, mainly in part due to the FCC's regulation of saying that Kids Blocks must be at least 3 Hours of Educational programming. As well, many Channels(Regardless if it's part of Local or entire Network Programming) seem to no longer want to do really long Kids Blocks anymore too, so as to not be accused by Parents for whatever reason(Watching too much T.V., not enough time for homework, can sleep without kids playing T.V. at like 6:00a.m., etc). Remember, part of the reason why some U.S. channels in at least the 1980's-1990's had really long Kids Blocks on Saturdays from like 5:00a.m.-1:00p.m. was because the local channel probably combined their Syndicated and Network Kids/Cartoon Programming together, thus giving kids more cartoons on Saturday morning.

 

Leviathan: I don't think the quality of cartoons today have anything to do with it. Just that there is now more cartoons on today thanks to the Cable Channels, so that means of course there's going to be some more cartoon shows, reguardless if their production qualities are good or bad in your opinion. While I know many of us just want to remember only the good cartoons, don't forget there were ones that we just didn't like as well, and we thought that those just plan suck too. As well, the Cartoons you mention that you really like, I wouldn't classified as tradational Saturday Morning Cartoons, espeically for kids.

[nevermore]

Its funny bc it sounds like the stereotypical "old people" talking about the glory days. I wonder if my parents or older siblings thought the shows I liked were crap compared to what they had.

 

There were some bright spots...I think the 200x MOTU was better than the original for instance. Same with TMNT. My son loves Ben 10 amongst other shows.

 

Anyway I think the biggest thing for kids now is On Demand. My kids watch whatever cartoon they want when they want it. They don't need to wait until a certain day or even time to watch a show they want. They can say TMNT and boom TMNT is on. Then they can say Batman Beyond and it is on or Sonic or Scooby Doo or Dora or Super Why or Xmen etc. That is incredible to me. 80% of the time what they watch is on demand and not just on TV.

 

Gruntcast Kim Possible was a tolerable cartoon for girls. IDK if it is still on but I think its still on my on demand. My kids used to like that one.