Saturday morning preview specials facts for kids

Saturday morning preview specials were special TV shows that aired every year. Their job was to show off all the new and returning Saturday-morning cartoons and kids' shows that would be on TV that fall. Just like with new evening TV shows, big television networks in the United States and Canada would create these preview specials. They often aired as part of the regular TV schedule, usually the night before the new Saturday morning lineup began.

What Were Saturday Morning Previews?

When Did They Air?

These special preview shows usually aired on Friday nights, right before the new Saturday morning cartoons started. Networks would try to air their specials at different times or on different days. This way, each network's preview could stand out and get more viewers excited about their new shows.

How Were They Made?

The preview specials were often hosted by popular stars from other shows on the network. They also featured many special guests. To keep things fun, the previews usually had a small story or theme connecting all the different show clips. These clips showed off both brand-new shows and returning favorites. Each preview would include the show's opening song and a scene from an episode. They also introduced the network's new look for its Saturday morning shows.

Why Did They Stop?

Over time, Saturday morning TV changed a lot. New rules from the FCC (a government group that oversees TV) said that kids' shows needed to be educational or informational. Also, big companies started owning many TV channels. For example, CBS was owned by Viacom and ABC by Disney. These companies wanted kids to watch their own special kids' channels, like Nickelodeon and Disney Channel, more than their regular broadcast channels.

Because of this, many kids' shows moved from regular TV to cable channels. Other companies also started taking over the Saturday morning blocks. This meant that the preview specials on the main TV channels (ABC, CBS, and NBC) mostly disappeared by the early 2000s. Fox was the last network to keep these yearly specials, even though their Saturday morning shows were often managed by another company called 4Kids TV. Fox eventually stopped all kids' programming in 2008, replacing it with long commercials called Weekend Marketplace.

A Look Back: Famous Hosts and Shows

ABC's Fun Previews

ABC had many memorable preview specials. In 1971 and 1972, The Brady Bunch kids hosted the previews, showing off new cartoons. Later, in 1974 and 1975, the special was called "Funshine Saturday." Famous stars like Lee Majors and Jim Nabors helped introduce the new shows. In the 1980s, stars like Tony Danza and even "Weird Al" Yankovic hosted, sometimes with characters like Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo. By the 1990s, casts from popular live-action shows like Family Matters and Boy Meets World often hosted.

CBS's Exciting Lineups

CBS also had fun preview specials. In 1975, the cast of Good Times hosted "Dyn-o-mite Saturday." The next year, Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids helped introduce new shows, with special guests like Isis and Captain Marvel. In 1985, CBS had a big "All-Star Rock 'N' Wrestling Saturday Spectacular." It featured famous wrestlers like "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and Hulk Hogan, along with musicians like Patti Labelle and even Kareem Abdul-Jabbar!

NBC's Cartoon Showcases

NBC's preview specials often featured beloved cartoon characters. In 1968, The Banana Splits hosted their special. Later, in 1973, "Starship Rescue" featured stars from Emergency! and characters from Sid & Marty Krofft shows like Sigmund and the Sea Monsters. In the 1980s, specials like "Yummy Awards" and "Laugh Busters" showcased cartoons like Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, Alvin and the Chipmunks, and The Smurfs. Famous actors like Ricky Schroder and Keshia Knight Pulliam also hosted.

Fox, The WB, and The CW

Fox Kids had its own preview specials, though one in 1991 was released on VHS instead of airing on TV. Later, in 1999, the cast of Malcolm in the Middle hosted the "Fox Kids Sneak Preview." Kids' WB also had specials like Welcome Home, Animaniacs! in 1995. More recently, The CW had preview parties for their cartoon blocks, with characters like Hudson Horstachio from Viva Piñata and Sonic the Hedgehog from Sonic X hosting.