August 13, 2005

Saturday mornings at my house and your house, and your house, and your house. . . American kids TV listings for the 60s, 70s & 80s. Through this, I found ARK II, my most favorite TV show EVAR and that led me here, which is the source for all the theme songs you might ever want or need, including the truly wonderful theme song to my second favorite Saturday morning cartoon.

And what made your Saturday mornings worthwhile before sex and drugs and rock n' roll introduced you to the concept of sleeping late?

posted by mygothlaundry 18 years ago
  • Ah, a nice stroll down (early) memory lane. Could do with a bit more from the early eighties, I think. I remember being fascinated, though bewildered, by Land of the Lost when I was three/four. And I swear to you, I DID learn something about havin' a good time from Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids.
  • Ark II was cool from the dim and bizarre memories I have...
  • Wow, what memories. It was interesting to see how many of my faves were reruns when I first saw them (early Scooby, Pink Panther, etc.) They advertise a cover CD of Saturday morning cartoon themes on the last site. I own it and it's actually pretty good.
  • Score! I finally found the theme to my favorite Saturday morning show,The Clue Club. It was basically a Scooby Doo rip off, except the kids weren't so stoopid. That's cause Dotty had a computer in 1976!
  • Speaking of memory lane, ToonTracker was the first website I ever "signed the guestbook" at, back in the days when anyone saying the word "blog" would automatically be given the Heimlich Maneuver. Not to mention he has pages on some toons so old that I gre up on them: "Stand By For Adventure!"
  • You know what I discovered through this research that is really getting to me? There was only ever one season of Jetsons episodes, made in 1962, and they've been rerunning them ever since. Since it seems to me that I have been watching the Jetsons for my entire life (and I have, since they started before I was born) than I must, necessarily, have seen every Jetsons episode about 5 times, minimum. And yet. . it never seems like a rerun.
  • You know what I discovered through this research that is really getting to me? There was only ever one season of Jetsons episodes, made in 1962, and they've been rerunning them ever since. Since it seems to me that I have been watching the Jetsons for my entire life (and I have, since they started before I was born) and one season is what, 4 episodes a month for 9 months, 36 total maximum Jetsons episodes in the entire universe, than I must, necessarily, have seen every Jetsons episode about 5 times, minimum. And yet. . it never seems like a rerun.
  • Damn. The second version is better. ;-)
  • They have, in fact, made more than one season of the Jetsons, save with a gap of 20 years. The second season began in 1984, the third in '87. I believe the majority of the voice cast remained the same until Mel Blanc's death.
  • (I know this because I am a cartoon-voice cast wonk since very young - I was recognising vocal actors in cartoons very early - course since most of 'em were Mel Blanc and June Foray it was rather easy!)
  • Wow, that would explain a lot. I was going to say, wait, most of my Jetsons viewing took place between 1967 and 1980, but then there is the Jetsons viewing associated with my kids, which would incorporate the later Jetsons oeuvre. Damn. And yet, George still struggles with Mr. Spacely, Judy eternally must date some boy not approved of by George, Elroy will end up somewhere he is not supposed to be, and Astro? Astro will use Rrrrs. *Owns Jetsons T-shirt, tie-dyed it sometime in the 80s to hide the stains, now treasures it carefully and only wears for those rare occasions when a tie dyed Jetsons T-shirt is de rigueur*
  • Ark II was the shiznit. It was the first TV show I was ever a fan of, at the age of 8 or so.
  • Top Cat. Now that was a cool cartoon.
  • Patrick Warburton is the hip cartoon voice actor nowadays. I loves me some Patrick.
  • SausageNet provides a more Brit-centric view of the same subject, and jogged my memory about such classics as Luna, Doctor Snuggles, The Box of Delights, Tiswas, Dangermouse, Mr Benn... *wipes away nostalgic tear* Lovely post, mygothlaundry, thanks!
  • The Bugs Bunny Road Runner Show defined Saturday mornings for me and my brother. Back then, it lasted 90 minutes, and the shorts were uncut. I also loved Land of the Lost, Fat Albert, The Jetsons and Top Cat.
  • Never watched morning tv as a kid but I recall seeing Hopalong Cassidy at a very young age on the newfangled teevee. My fav cartoon show was the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show but I think that came on in the evening.