Pink Panther
Land of the Lost
Scooby’s Laff-a-lympics
Mighty Mouse and Heckle and Jeckle
Hong Kong Phooey
Underdog
C.B. Bears
These are all Saturday morning shows I remember watching and looking forward to. Some of these made it past the first season and I can recall pretty well the commercials that would tease us as the new season approached. I could hardly wait.
Saturday mornings were sacred back then. They were as much for the kids as they were for the parents. A nice opportunity for the kid to shake off a week full of teachers and other adults telling them what to do and what not to do. The exact same thing could be said for the parents except most of them preferred to sleep in rather than watch cartoons. To each their own. Me? Today? I’d still rather watch cartoons.
These days things are different. Saturday mornings don’t seem to hold the magic they used to. Maybe this is because the cartoons have changed and finding the classics like Looney Tunes or Tom and Jerry is so rare. It could also have to do with the 24hr “kid friendly” stations like The Cartoon Network or Nickelodeon or the various Disney channels.
Maybe it isn’t Saturday morning. Maybe it’s me.
It turns out Disney has a new cartoon coming out and it’s debuting this coming Saturday morning, April 4th, at 8 AM. Now, this isn’t on par with the likes of Honk Kong Phooey or Huckleberry Hound but to Ava, the four year old, this is a pretty big deal. Disney has been running ads for the show for better than a month now and Ava has been looking forward to April ever since.
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed watching her reaction when the commercials for the show play. That look of excitement and mystery on her face is priceless. I grin watching her because I remember so well exactly what she is feeling.
There are countless reasons I would never want to be a child again but there are some, like Saturday morning cartoons, that make that time pretty damn special.
Disney, Special Agent Oso better not disappoint my little girl. We’ll both be watching.
Laff-a-lympics was the BEST! Wacky Races too!
Saturday mornings around here are all too often full with as much hustle bustle as any other day. Basketball, Baseball, whatever it may be. I think that’s part of the problem too.
You are dead on with the wall to wall availability of cartoons/kid shows being a major factor I think.
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Rocky and Bullwinkle, and Fractured Fairytales … the best! I still can’t hear Barber of Seville or Ride of the Valkeries without thinking of Elmer Fudd (“KIll da Wabbit!). Saturday mornings were magical when I was a kid.
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@PG –
Watching Catch the Pigeon, Groovy Ghoulies, Wacky Racers, Justice League of America, et al, with a warm cup of Ovaltine(Hot Cocoa). Those were some fun times. (daydreaming / flashback music playing in the background) *sigh
@PG – I really really hate busy Saturday mornings. Clearly a windmill that deserves fighting.
@Tara R. – I couldn’t agree more. Fractured Fairytales were right there with Schoolhouse Rock for me. And those Elmer classics … makes me a little melancholy to think about ‘em. So fantastic.
They just don’t make the cartoons like they used to! That’s for sure! Happy Monday!
Hong Kong Phooey, he’s the #1 Super-guy!
Hong Kong Phooey, he’s-a-quicker than the human eye!
That was such a favorite. I also loved Captain Caveman.
Wonder what that says about me? Hmmm… I’ll have to ask my husband.
I bet you now realize that Saturday Morning cartoons were designed to distract the little ones so Mom and Dad could catch some extra shuteye?
- Julia
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I don’t get all these cartoon’s today. I could watch Looney Tunes forever. Where did they go? I want them back.
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Looney Tunes were the best. Pink Panther and his gang were close seconds though. Even when my older kids were little ABC had a pretty decent Saturday morning lineup. I swear they’ve given up on that whole thing over the years. Such is life, I suppose… but I miss those glorious Saturday mornings, and the sugary cereals we used to eat with abandon. Good times.
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@Midwest Mom – Ah yes, Captain Caveman almost made my short list. I may be one of the few parents that don’t prefer to sleep in. Really. Not past 7 AM anyway. All the good cartoons start at 8.
@Otter – I don’t get most of them either. Ocassionally though there are some real gems like Recess and Phineas and Ferb and of course Hey Arnold!
@Tom – I remember there being a bit of Saturday morning left when my oldest kids were little too. I still love sugar cereal. Honeycomb. Fruity Pebbles. Golden Grahams.
I miss Creature Double Feature, on at Noon to 3 – 3:30 on Saturdays in Massachusetts. My kids have no idea who Mothra or Gamora are or what was so special about Monster Island.
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My kids watch all the old cartoons on Boomerang. They love all the same shows that I did, and now I get to see them all over again. It’s our Saturday morning tradition.
we seem to always find tom and jerry, one of my favorites.
i’m not so into the newer ones, but phineas and ferb rocks my world.
i don’t think it’s the same having access to them 24 hours. my kids were shocked when i told them we only saw cartoons on Saturday mornings.
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