Weekday cartoon
Encyclopedia
A weekday cartoon is an animated television programming block for children and later teens during the weekday mornings and afternoons.
commercial stations in large television markets. On such stations, cartoon blocks would occupy the 7-9 a.m. and the 3-5 p.m. blocks, with some stations (such as WKBD-TV and WMYD
in Detroit) having cartoon programming in 6-9 a.m. and 2-5 p.m blocks. In smaller markets, network affiliates sometimes filled the 3 or 4 p.m. hour with such programming. Cartoons broadcast in the 1970s consisted of:
In the 1970s, more independent stations signed on running such programming. Examples included WNEW-TV
and WPIX
in New York City
; KTTV
and KCOP-TV
in Los Angeles, California
; WMYD-TV and WKBD-TV in Detroit
; CHWI-TV
(briefly) in Windsor
; WUAB
and WOIO
in Cleveland
; WGN-TV
and WFLD
in Chicago, and WSBK-TV
, WLVI-TV
, and WXNE-TV
, in Boston, WKBS, WTAF and WPHL-TV
in Philadelphia, WPMT
in York; KVVU, KRLR
and KFBT
in Las Vegas; KWGN, KTVD
and KDVR
in Denver and among others. The programming blocks did not have an official name such as "Fox Kids
" or "Kids' WB
."
, Rambo: The Force of Freedom, ThunderCats
, Dennis the Menace
, My Little Pony
, The Transformers
, Voltron
, and reruns of Scooby Doo, Garfield and Friends
, and The Pink Panther, among many others. Most large and medium markets had at least two local stations running such programming in the 6-9 a.m. and the 2:30 to 5 p.m. slots. Some markets had as many as three.
Although not meeting the definition of an infomercial
per se, animated children's programming in the 1980s and early 1990s, which included half-hour animated series for franchises such as Transformers, My Little Pony, Go-Bots and Bravestarr were often described by media experts and parents derisive of these types of series as essentially program-length commercials, as they also sold the tie-in
toy lines and food products for the shows within commercials. The Children's Television Act of 1990
was instrumental in ending this practice and setting commercial limits. Currently, any advertisement for a tie-in product within the show is considered a violation of the FCC rules and is considered a "program length commercial" by their standards, putting the station at risk of paying large fines for violations.
In 1987, The Walt Disney Company
tried its luck at syndication; DuckTales
went on the air that September and lasted 100 episodes. The success of DuckTales paved the way for a second series two years later, Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers
. The following year, the two shows aired together under the umbrella title The Disney Afternoon
. In 1991, Disney added another hour; the block aired in syndication until 1999.
television network began running a weekday afternoon cartoon called Peter Pan and the Pirates
. In 1991, they added another hour; this block would be known as Fox Kids
. In some markets one show was run in mornings and the other two in afternoons, while in others the entire block was on in afternoons. http://mag.awn.com/index.php?article_no=1751&page=2
In 1992, Fox Kids added Warner Brothers-produced cartoons like Batman: The Animated Series
, Merrie Melodies
reruns, Tiny Toon Adventures
, Tom and Jerry Kids Show
, and others. Some of these were previously syndicated. Disney continued its Disney Afternoon block. Fox affiliates primarily aired Fox Kids and other syndicated cartoons while independents aired Disney cartoons along with other syndicated shows. By now many markets had three stations running such programming. In 1993, Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers premiered on Fox. By this point, the network had a three-hour block of such programming. Beginning at the end of 1994, some Fox affiliates declined to run Fox Kids programming, replacing them either with talk/reality shows or with additional newscasts. These included stations that formerly had ABC
, CBS
, or NBC
affiliations. In such markets Fox Kids would run on an independent station. Many of these stations would affiliate with The WB
or UPN
.
The popularity of the weekday cartoon lineup climbed from the mid-1980s to mid-1990s. As a result, The WB began an afternoon cartoon block called Kids' WB!
in the fall of 1995. At that point, Looney Toons characters would move off Fox Kids and onto Kids' WB. This block was initially one hour long, and at the end of 1996, expanded to three hours—two in the afternoon and one in the morning. By then, The Disney Afternoon was airing mostly on UPN affiliates but in some markets aired on WB and even a handful of Fox stations. In 1996, weekday cartoons would reach their peak with no decline seemingly in sight.
passed—and then-President
Bill Clinton
signed into law—the Telecommunications Act of 1996
, relaxing radio
and television ownership limits. But it would regulate children's television substantially. All broadcast television stations would be required to air three hours of educational and informative ("E/I
") children's programming. With a few exceptions, however, the weekday cartoons were not considered E/I under the requirements. Also, the Federal Communications Commission
regulated content in advertising, making selling such programming difficult on over-the-air stations. Cable channels would not be as regulated. In 1997, the decline of the weekday cartoon began. FCC regulations in children's programming resulted in complaints from local affiliates in terms of ability to make money airing cartoons.
Regardless of the new regulations, UPN attempted to run a teen sitcom block in 1997, only to end the following year. Warner Brothers would stop syndicating their vintage theatrical and made-for-TV cartoons to local stations in 1997 expect for Jay Ward classic cartoons such as Underdog, Rocky and Bullwinkle, Tennessee Tuxedo and Dudley Do-Right
. Because are relegating those to cable. They still continued their Kids' WB! block for their affiliates.
In 1998, some UPN and WB affiliates would trim morning syndicated cartoons in favor of family sitcoms, newscasts, and/or court/talk/reality programming. Many Fox affiliates started morning newscasts. In 1999, the Disney Afternoon ended its run in syndication. Disney would then form an alliance with UPN, converting the block to UPN Kids under the Disney's One Too
name. Still, a decent amount of cartoons were still available in syndication. That year, Fox Kids trimmed the block to two hours while syndicating The Magic School Bus
, which occupied an hour.
In 2001, the Kids' WB! block was trimmed to two hours. Syndicated cartoons lacked clearances. Fox also ended its weekday kids block at the end of that year. Just about every Fox affiliate would replace the cartoons with talk and reality shows. By 2002, most UPN stations ran Disney's One Too from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. or from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., while WB stations ran Kids' WB from 3 to 5 p.m. In most markets, these were the only cartoons available on local stations. Some ran a syndicated educational cartoon or program here and there in such blocks. Still, stations lost money on this programming.
In the fall of 2003, UPN ended the Disney's One Too block as well. Fox-owned
UPN affiliates continued running cartoons from DIC Entertainment
for two hours in the 7 to 9 a.m. slot. But most UPN affiliates still ran only one kid's show per day, if that. Some WB stations also aired a show or two produced by DIC. By 2003, The Daily Buzz
, a three-hour national news program, would replace weekday morning cartoons on many UPN affiliates in some markets and on WB affiliates in others.
In 2004, Kids' WB still continued its weekday block. In most markets this was the only weekday cartoon block left on broadcast TV. In 2005, even the Fox-owned UPN stations decreased weekday cartoons to one hour. In January 2006, Kids' WB ended and was replaced with Daytime WB, a two-hour block of sitcom and drama reruns, which continued even after the WB and UPN merged programming into a single network, The CW
. That fall, Fox-owned UPN affiliates, which became owned-and-operated stations of the News Corporation
-owned MyNetworkTV
, dropped weekday cartoons. Still, they run an educational kid's show per day on some stations.
Weekday children's programming are also be dominated since the demise of for-profit over-the-air cartoons by PBS, which airs a variety of children's programming from 6 AM to 6 PM in most of these markets. Another factor, that has led to the decline of over-the-air cartoons, is the rise in ratings of pay television channels such as: Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Encore WAM, Noggin, Boomerang, Disney XD, and Hasbro's Hub. Competition also exists in on-demand Internet content services such as: Netflix, Blockbuster onDemand, Hulu, YouTube, iTunes, Amazon onDemand, Zune, and other similar companies. RedBox, standard onDemand and other video rental outlets also provide an easy alternative to thwart television stations' programming.
ended the USA Cartoon Express
lineup. In the fall of 1998, WTBS/TBS replaced its cartoons with sitcoms. In September 2006, ABC Family
dropped its Jetix
lineup, making it exclusive to Toon Disney
.
Today, weekday cartoons are relegated to basic cable networks like Nickelodeon
, Disney Channel
for much of the day along with educational and family programs, and Cartoon Network
until 11 p.m. (10 p.m. on Sundays), before it becomes Adult Swim
. Local PBS
stations run plenty of educational children's programming on weekdays. In addition, there are digital cable channels that only offer children's programs. These are all available on DirectTV and Dish Network
, as well as most digital cable packages. Cartoon Network has Boomerang
, which runs primarily classic cartoons. Disney has Disney XD
(previously had Toon Disney
until 2009), which mostly runs cartoons, while Nickelodeon has Nicktoons Network
. There are also educational channels like PBS Kids
, Noggin, and others.
will air any children's programming on weekdays in the future. Its unclear if MyNetworkTV
will eventually add cartoons on weekdays. That year, the qubo
block of programming began airing on Ion Television affiliates, on Wednesdays-Fridays from 2-3/3-4c PM. On November 1, 2008, This TV
launched airing a daily children's programming block called Cookie Jar Toons
.
s airing weekday cartoons as of March 2010
1960s and 1970s
Weekday cartoons began as far back as the early 1960s on non-network independentIndependent station
An independent station is in the category of television terminology used to describe a television station broadcasting in the United States or Canada that is not affiliated with any television network....
commercial stations in large television markets. On such stations, cartoon blocks would occupy the 7-9 a.m. and the 3-5 p.m. blocks, with some stations (such as WKBD-TV and WMYD
WMYD
WMYD is the MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station for Southeast Michigan licensed to Detroit. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 21 from a transmitter on Eight Mile Road in Oak Park along the Oakland and Wayne County line. The station can also be seen on Comcast...
in Detroit) having cartoon programming in 6-9 a.m. and 2-5 p.m blocks. In smaller markets, network affiliates sometimes filled the 3 or 4 p.m. hour with such programming. Cartoons broadcast in the 1970s consisted of:
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- Tennessee Tuxedo
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- King Leonardo
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- The Marvel Superheroes
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- Dudley Do-RightDudley Do-RightDudley Do-Right, created by Alex Anderson, is the eponymous hero of a segment on The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show which parodied early 20th century melodrama and silent film in the form of the Northern genre....
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- Space Giants
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- Q.T. Hush
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- Clutch CargoClutch CargoClutch Cargo is an animated television series produced by Cambria Productions and syndicated beginning on March 9, 1959. Notable for its very limited animation, yet imaginative stories, the series was a surprise hit at the time, and could be seen on 65 stations nationwide in 1960.- Plot :The...
- Tales of the Wizard of OzTales of the Wizard of OzTales of the Wizard of Oz is a 1961 animated television series, produced by Crawley Films for Videocrafts . This is the second animated series produced by the studio, and the first by Rankin/Bass to feature traditional animation.The series features stories derived from characters created in L...
- Bucky and PepitoBucky and PepitoBucky and Pepito was a 1958 animated television series produced by Sam Singer. Two episodes appeared on a compilation DVD of the worst cartoons ever made, and it was described by Harry McCracken as setting "a standard for awfulness that no contemporary TV cartoon has managed to...
- Spunky and TadpoleSpunky and TadpoleSpunky and Tadpole was an animated television series produced by Beverly Hills Productions and syndicated beginning on September 6, 1958. The show's characters were a boy and a bear who hunted down bad guys in a string of made for TV installments, usually running ten installments shown in two weeks...
- Mischief Makers (TV series)Mischief Makers (TV series)Mischief Makers was children's television series created by National Telepix that debuted on television syndication in 1960. The fifteen minute series consisted of shortened Our Gang silent shorts that were originally released through Pathé, as well as various rival Our Gang shorts including Mickey...
- Professor KitzelProfessor KitzelThe Wonderful Stories of Professor Kitzel was an educational animated series that ran in the early 1970s produced by Shamus Culhane for Krantz Films. The program combined film clips, animation, and commentary to teach the viewers about historic and cultural events...
- Rod RocketRod RocketRod Rocket is the first animated cartoon to be produced by Filmation, debuting in syndication in 1963.-History:Rod Rocket was originally produced by True Line, a small Los Angeles animation studio formed by Lou Scheimer and Hal Sutherland in the early 1960s...
- Diver DanDiver DanDiver Dan was a series of 104 seven-minute live-action shorts made for children's television. Made by Brian Cartoons, it was syndicated and distributed by ITC Entertainment...
- Romper RoomRomper RoomRomper Room is a children's television series that ran in the United States from 1953 to 1994 as well as at various times in Australia, Canada, Japan, Puerto Rico, New Zealand and the United Kingdom...
- The Space ExplorersThe Space ExplorersThe Space Explorers was an animated feature film which was later converted to a cartoon serial. First shown on television during the Space Race era of the late 1950s by publisher Bill Cayton and animator Fred Ladd...
In the 1970s, more independent stations signed on running such programming. Examples included WNEW-TV
WNYW
WNYW, virtual channel 5 , is the flagship television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in New York City. The station's transmitter is atop the Empire State Building and its studio facilities are located in the Yorkville section of Manhattan...
and WPIX
WPIX
WPIX, channel 11, is a television station in New York City built, signed on, and owned by the Tribune Company. WPIX also serves as the flagship station of The CW Television Network...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
; KTTV
KTTV
KTTV, channel 11, is an owned-and-operated television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in Los Angeles, California. Serving the vast Los Angeles metropolitan area, KTTV is a sister station to KCOP , Los Angeles' MyNetworkTV station...
and KCOP-TV
KCOP-TV
KCOP-TV, channel 13, is a television station in Los Angeles, California. Owned by Fox Television Stations, a division of the News Corporation, KCOP is a sister station to Fox network outlet KTTV , and is affiliated with the MyNetworkTV programming service...
in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
; WMYD-TV and WKBD-TV in Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
; CHWI-TV
CHWI-TV
CHWI-DT is a Canadian television station owned by Bell Media. It is part of the CTV Two system. The station is licensed to Wheatley, Ontario, but operates out of Windsor. CHWI also has offices in Chatham....
(briefly) in Windsor
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
; WUAB
WUAB
WUAB, identified on-air as "My43 The Block, WUAB", is the MyNetworkTV affiliate in Cleveland, Ohio. The station is licensed to the suburb of Lorain, and it shares a studio in downtown Cleveland with sister station WOIO, Cleveland's CBS affiliate. Its transmitter is located in Parma, Ohio...
and WOIO
WOIO
WOIO, virtual channel 19 , is the CBS affiliate in Cleveland, Ohio. It is licensed to the nearby suburb of Shaker Heights. WOIO is owned by Raycom Media and its sister station to MyNetworkTV affiliate WUAB . The two stations share a studio facility in Cleveland and WOIO's transmitter is located in...
in Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
; WGN-TV
WGN-TV
WGN-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the CW-affiliated television station in Chicago, Illinois built, signed on, and owned by the Tribune Company. WGN-TV's studios and offices are located at 2501 W...
and WFLD
WFLD
WFLD, virtual channel 32 , is the Fox owned-and-operated television station, based in Chicago, Illinois; through its parent company News Corporation, the station is owned in a duopoly with area MyNetworkTV affiliate WPWR-TV...
in Chicago, and WSBK-TV
WSBK-TV
WSBK-TV is a MyNetworkTV television station for eastern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire that is licensed to Boston. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 39 from a transmitter along the Needham and Wellesley town line southwest of the MA 9 and I-95 / MA 128...
, WLVI-TV
WLVI-TV
WLVI, digital channel 41, is a television station licensed to Cambridge, Massachusetts which serves as the CW affiliate for the Boston, Massachusetts television market. WLVI is owned by Sunbeam Television, and is a sister station to WHDH, Boston's NBC affiliate. The two stations share studios at...
, and WXNE-TV
WFXT
WFXT is a television station owned and operated by the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in Boston, Massachusetts. The station's studio and office facility is in Dedham, Massachusetts, and its transmitter is located in Needham, Massachusetts...
, in Boston, WKBS, WTAF and WPHL-TV
WPHL-TV
WPHL-TV, channel 17, is a television station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, owned by the Tribune Company and currently affiliated with the News Corporation-owned MyNetworkTV television network. This makes it the largest non-O&O station of the network...
in Philadelphia, WPMT
WPMT
WPMT, also known as channel 43 or Fox 43, is a Fox-affiliated television station licensed to York, Pennsylvania. Owned by the Tribune Company, the station has studios in Spring Garden, Pennsylvania , and its transmitter is located in Hallam, Pennsylvania...
in York; KVVU, KRLR
KVMY
KVMY, branded as MyLVTV is a full-service television station in Las Vegas, Nevada, broadcasting locally in digital on UHF channel 22 as an affiliate of MyNetworkTV. Founded March 8, 1982, the station is owned and operated by the Sinclair Broadcast Group...
and KFBT
KVCW
KVCW, branded as The CW Las Vegas, is the CW-affiliated television station for Las Vegas. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 29 from a transmitter in Henderson, Nevada southwest of I-515/U.S. 93/U.S. 95...
in Las Vegas; KWGN, KTVD
KTVD
KTVD, virtual channel 20 is a MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station based in Denver, Colorado, and is owned by the Gannett Company. The station is a sister to KUSA, Denver's NBC affiliate and is housed and operated out of KUSA's high definition studios...
and KDVR
KDVR
KDVR, , is the Fox-affiliated television station serving the Denver, Colorado designated market area. The station is owned by Local TV LLC, the media arm of private equity firm Oak Hill Capital Partners, under a local marketing agreement with Tribune-owned CW affiliate KWGN . Its transmitter is...
in Denver and among others. The programming blocks did not have an official name such as "Fox Kids
Fox Kids
Fox Kids was the Fox Broadcasting Company's American children's programming division and brand name from September 8, 1990 until September 7, 2002. It was owned by Fox Television Entertainment airing programming on Monday–Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings.Depending on the show, the...
" or "Kids' WB
Kids' WB
Kids' WB! was Warner Bros. American childrens programing division brand for The WB Television Network. In September 2006, the block moved to The CW Television Network. The CW is the result of The WB's merger with UPN in 2006...
."
1980s
In the 1980s, independent stations signed on in medium and many small markets. The market for made-for-television cartoons grew as a result. Many of these stations were beginning cartoon blocks on weekdays as early as 6 a.m. and as early as 2 p.m. in the afternoon. Some stations ended weekday cartoons as late as 6 p.m. The older Bugs Bunny and Popeye cartoons made way for first-run syndicated cartoons such as He-Man and the Masters of the UniverseHe-Man and the Masters of the Universe
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is an American animated television series produced by Filmation based on Mattel's successful toy line Masters of the Universe...
, Rambo: The Force of Freedom, ThunderCats
ThunderCats
ThunderCats is an American animated television series that was produced by Rankin/Bass Productions debuting in 1984, based on the characters created by Tobin "Ted" Wolf. The series follows the adventures of a group of cat-like humanoid aliens...
, Dennis the Menace
Dennis the Menace (1986 TV series)
Dennis the Menace is an American animated series produced by DIC Entertainment , based on the comic strip by Hank Ketcham....
, My Little Pony
My Little Pony
My Little Pony is a brand of toy ponies marketed primarily to girls produced by the toy manufacturer Hasbro. These ponies can be identified by their colorful bodies and manes and a unique symbol on one or both sides of their flanks...
, The Transformers
The Transformers (TV series)
The Transformers is an animated television series depicting a war among giant robots who could transform into vehicles, other objects and animal-like forms. Written and recorded in America, the series was animated in Japan and South Korea...
, Voltron
Voltron
Voltron is the titular super robot of an anime series that features a team of young pilots, known as the Voltron Force. The team’s individual vehicles join together to form the giant super robot, with which they defend the galaxy from evil...
, and reruns of Scooby Doo, Garfield and Friends
Garfield and Friends
Garfield and Friends is an American animated television series based on the comic strip Garfield by Jim Davis. The show was produced by Film Roman, in association with United Feature Syndicate and Paws, Inc., and ran on CBS Saturday mornings from September 17, 1988 to December 10, 1994, with...
, and The Pink Panther, among many others. Most large and medium markets had at least two local stations running such programming in the 6-9 a.m. and the 2:30 to 5 p.m. slots. Some markets had as many as three.
Although not meeting the definition of an infomercial
Infomercial
Infomercials are direct response television commercials which generally include a phone number or website. There are long-form infomercials, which are typically between 15 and 30 minutes in length, and short-form infomercials, which are typically 30 seconds to 120 seconds in length. Infomercials...
per se, animated children's programming in the 1980s and early 1990s, which included half-hour animated series for franchises such as Transformers, My Little Pony, Go-Bots and Bravestarr were often described by media experts and parents derisive of these types of series as essentially program-length commercials, as they also sold the tie-in
Tie-in
A tie-in is an authorized product based on a media property a company is releasing, such as a movie or video/DVD, computer game, video game, television program/television series, board game, web site, role-playing game or literary property...
toy lines and food products for the shows within commercials. The Children's Television Act of 1990
Children's Television Act
The Children's Television Act was enacted in 1990 in the United States to enhance television's potential to teach the nation's children valuable information and skills. The Act requires each full-service television station that offers children's television programming in the U.S...
was instrumental in ending this practice and setting commercial limits. Currently, any advertisement for a tie-in product within the show is considered a violation of the FCC rules and is considered a "program length commercial" by their standards, putting the station at risk of paying large fines for violations.
In 1987, The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
tried its luck at syndication; DuckTales
DuckTales
DuckTales is an American animated television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. Based on Carl Barks' Uncle Scrooge comic book series, it premiered on September 18, 1987 and ended on November 28, 1990 with a total of four seasons and 100 episodes...
went on the air that September and lasted 100 episodes. The success of DuckTales paved the way for a second series two years later, Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers
Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers
Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers is an American animated television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. Created by Tad Stones and Alan Zaslove, it featured the established Disney characters Chip 'n' Dale in a new setting. The series premiered on the Disney Channel on March 4, 1989,...
. The following year, the two shows aired together under the umbrella title The Disney Afternoon
The Disney Afternoon
The Disney Afternoon was a created-for-syndication two-hour television programming block which aired from September 10, 1990, until Fall 1999. At that time, it was taken out of syndication, and a new Disney weekday afternoon block was started on UPN. The Disney Afternoon was produced by The Walt...
. In 1991, Disney added another hour; the block aired in syndication until 1999.
1990s
In 1990, The FoxFox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
television network began running a weekday afternoon cartoon called Peter Pan and the Pirates
Peter Pan and the Pirates
Peter Pan & the Pirates is an American animated television series based on J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan that originally aired on Fox Broadcasting Company from September 8, 1990 to September 10, 1991. Repeats continued to air until September 11, 1992. A repeat of the series' Christmas episode was aired...
. In 1991, they added another hour; this block would be known as Fox Kids
Fox Kids
Fox Kids was the Fox Broadcasting Company's American children's programming division and brand name from September 8, 1990 until September 7, 2002. It was owned by Fox Television Entertainment airing programming on Monday–Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings.Depending on the show, the...
. In some markets one show was run in mornings and the other two in afternoons, while in others the entire block was on in afternoons. http://mag.awn.com/index.php?article_no=1751&page=2
In 1992, Fox Kids added Warner Brothers-produced cartoons like Batman: The Animated Series
Batman: The Animated Series
Batman: The Animated Series is an American animated series based on the DC Comics character Batman. The series featured an ensemble cast of many voice-actors including Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Arleen Sorkin, and Loren Lester. The series won four Emmy Awards and was nominated...
, Merrie Melodies
Merrie Melodies
Merrie Melodies is the name of a series of animated cartoons distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures between 1931 and 1969.Originally produced by Harman-Ising Pictures, Merrie Melodies were produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions from 1933 to 1944. Schlesinger sold his studio to Warner Bros. in 1944,...
reruns, Tiny Toon Adventures
Tiny Toon Adventures
Steven Spielberg Presents Tiny Toon Adventures, usually referred to as Tiny Toon Adventures or simply Tiny Toons, is an American animated television series created by Tom Ruegger and produced by Amblin Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation. It began production as a result of Warner Bros....
, Tom and Jerry Kids Show
Tom and Jerry Kids Show
Tom & Jerry Kids is an animated television series, featuring the famous cat-and-mouse stars as children . The show premiered in 1990 and continued airing until 1994...
, and others. Some of these were previously syndicated. Disney continued its Disney Afternoon block. Fox affiliates primarily aired Fox Kids and other syndicated cartoons while independents aired Disney cartoons along with other syndicated shows. By now many markets had three stations running such programming. In 1993, Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers premiered on Fox. By this point, the network had a three-hour block of such programming. Beginning at the end of 1994, some Fox affiliates declined to run Fox Kids programming, replacing them either with talk/reality shows or with additional newscasts. These included stations that formerly had ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, or NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
affiliations. In such markets Fox Kids would run on an independent station. Many of these stations would affiliate with The WB
The WB Television Network
The WB Television Network is a former television network in the United States that was launched on January 11, 1995 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Tribune Broadcasting. On January 24, 2006, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros...
or UPN
UPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
.
The popularity of the weekday cartoon lineup climbed from the mid-1980s to mid-1990s. As a result, The WB began an afternoon cartoon block called Kids' WB!
Kids' WB
Kids' WB! was Warner Bros. American childrens programing division brand for The WB Television Network. In September 2006, the block moved to The CW Television Network. The CW is the result of The WB's merger with UPN in 2006...
in the fall of 1995. At that point, Looney Toons characters would move off Fox Kids and onto Kids' WB. This block was initially one hour long, and at the end of 1996, expanded to three hours—two in the afternoon and one in the morning. By then, The Disney Afternoon was airing mostly on UPN affiliates but in some markets aired on WB and even a handful of Fox stations. In 1996, weekday cartoons would reach their peak with no decline seemingly in sight.
Decline
That year, CongressUnited States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
passed—and then-President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
signed into law—the Telecommunications Act of 1996
Telecommunications Act of 1996
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 was the first major overhaul of United States telecommunications law in nearly 62 years, amending the Communications Act of 1934. This Act, signed by President Bill Clinton, was a major stepping stone towards the future of telecommunications, since this was the...
, relaxing radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
and television ownership limits. But it would regulate children's television substantially. All broadcast television stations would be required to air three hours of educational and informative ("E/I
E/I
E/I, which stands for "educational and informative," refers to a type of children's television programming shown in the United States. The Federal Communications Commission requires that every full-service Terrestrial television station in the U.S. show at least three hours of these television...
") children's programming. With a few exceptions, however, the weekday cartoons were not considered E/I under the requirements. Also, the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
regulated content in advertising, making selling such programming difficult on over-the-air stations. Cable channels would not be as regulated. In 1997, the decline of the weekday cartoon began. FCC regulations in children's programming resulted in complaints from local affiliates in terms of ability to make money airing cartoons.
Regardless of the new regulations, UPN attempted to run a teen sitcom block in 1997, only to end the following year. Warner Brothers would stop syndicating their vintage theatrical and made-for-TV cartoons to local stations in 1997 expect for Jay Ward classic cartoons such as Underdog, Rocky and Bullwinkle, Tennessee Tuxedo and Dudley Do-Right
Dudley Do-Right
Dudley Do-Right, created by Alex Anderson, is the eponymous hero of a segment on The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show which parodied early 20th century melodrama and silent film in the form of the Northern genre....
. Because are relegating those to cable. They still continued their Kids' WB! block for their affiliates.
In 1998, some UPN and WB affiliates would trim morning syndicated cartoons in favor of family sitcoms, newscasts, and/or court/talk/reality programming. Many Fox affiliates started morning newscasts. In 1999, the Disney Afternoon ended its run in syndication. Disney would then form an alliance with UPN, converting the block to UPN Kids under the Disney's One Too
Disney's One Too
Disney's One Too was a weekday and Sunday morning children's programming block on UPN, it was a spinoff of Disney's One Saturday Morning, and resembled The Disney Afternoon.-History:...
name. Still, a decent amount of cartoons were still available in syndication. That year, Fox Kids trimmed the block to two hours while syndicating The Magic School Bus
The Magic School Bus
The Magic School Bus is a series of children's books about science written by author Joanna Cole. They feature the antics of Ms. Valerie Frizzle, an elementary school teacher, and her class, who board a magical school bus which takes them on field trips to impossible locations such as the solar...
, which occupied an hour.
2000s
In 2000, syndicated cartoons continued to decline as more stations dropped weekday cartoons in the morning or afternoon, or both. By now, UPN stations ran Disney cartoons either during the morning or afternoon, dropping syndicated cartoons. Some WB and UPN stations continued running an hour or so of syndicated cartoons. Fox affiliates for the most part had morning newscasts and only had an afternoon block. Some affiliates no longer ran the afternoon block, but in most cases, UPN, WB or independent stations ran it during the morning or afternoon.In 2001, the Kids' WB! block was trimmed to two hours. Syndicated cartoons lacked clearances. Fox also ended its weekday kids block at the end of that year. Just about every Fox affiliate would replace the cartoons with talk and reality shows. By 2002, most UPN stations ran Disney's One Too from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. or from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., while WB stations ran Kids' WB from 3 to 5 p.m. In most markets, these were the only cartoons available on local stations. Some ran a syndicated educational cartoon or program here and there in such blocks. Still, stations lost money on this programming.
In the fall of 2003, UPN ended the Disney's One Too block as well. Fox-owned
Fox Television Stations Group
Fox Television Stations, Inc. is a group of television stations located within the United States which are owned-and-operated by the Fox Broadcasting Company, a subsidiary of the Fox Entertainment Group, part of News Corporation...
UPN affiliates continued running cartoons from DIC Entertainment
DiC Entertainment
DIC Entertainment was an international film and television production company. In addition to animated television shows such as Ulysses 31 , Inspector Gadget , The Littles , The Real Ghostbusters , Captain Planet and the Planeteers , and the first two seasons of the English adaptation of...
for two hours in the 7 to 9 a.m. slot. But most UPN affiliates still ran only one kid's show per day, if that. Some WB stations also aired a show or two produced by DIC. By 2003, The Daily Buzz
The Daily Buzz
The Daily Buzz is a nationally syndicated breakfast television news and infotainment program. The show is produced by Fisher Communications and is owned and distributed by ACME Communications; it is broadcast every weekday morning from studios at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida...
, a three-hour national news program, would replace weekday morning cartoons on many UPN affiliates in some markets and on WB affiliates in others.
In 2004, Kids' WB still continued its weekday block. In most markets this was the only weekday cartoon block left on broadcast TV. In 2005, even the Fox-owned UPN stations decreased weekday cartoons to one hour. In January 2006, Kids' WB ended and was replaced with Daytime WB, a two-hour block of sitcom and drama reruns, which continued even after the WB and UPN merged programming into a single network, The CW
The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
. That fall, Fox-owned UPN affiliates, which became owned-and-operated stations of the News Corporation
News Corporation
News Corporation or News Corp. is an American multinational media conglomerate. It is the world's second-largest media conglomerate as of 2011 in terms of revenue, and the world's third largest in entertainment as of 2009, although the BBC remains the world's largest broadcaster...
-owned MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
, dropped weekday cartoons. Still, they run an educational kid's show per day on some stations.
2010s
With, the start of the second decade of the twenty-first century looming towards 2011 already, most of the cartoons and the children's programming has vanished from the television listings. In the hours, that were traditionally reserved for weekday children's programming, most of the television stations are currently airing "court" shows, talk shows, or back-to-back syndicate reruns of past network televisions shows. Many of these local stations air a bare minimum of the weekly three hour requirement of E/I rated programming, mostly in the "wee" hours of the morning, when children have no realistic ability to watch the programming presented to them. Such ventures, such as CBS's CookieJar TV and NBC's Qubo are such examples.Weekday children's programming are also be dominated since the demise of for-profit over-the-air cartoons by PBS, which airs a variety of children's programming from 6 AM to 6 PM in most of these markets. Another factor, that has led to the decline of over-the-air cartoons, is the rise in ratings of pay television channels such as: Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Encore WAM, Noggin, Boomerang, Disney XD, and Hasbro's Hub. Competition also exists in on-demand Internet content services such as: Netflix, Blockbuster onDemand, Hulu, YouTube, iTunes, Amazon onDemand, Zune, and other similar companies. RedBox, standard onDemand and other video rental outlets also provide an easy alternative to thwart television stations' programming.
On cable
On cable, non-children's channels also began dropping cartoons. In the late 1990s, the USA NetworkUSA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
ended the USA Cartoon Express
USA Cartoon Express
The USA Cartoon Express was a programming block of animated productions which aired on cable television's USA Network from late 1982 to September 15, 1996...
lineup. In the fall of 1998, WTBS/TBS replaced its cartoons with sitcoms. In September 2006, ABC Family
ABC Family
ABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
dropped its Jetix
Jetix
Jetix was a worldwide children's television programming brand owned by The Walt Disney Company. The Jetix brand was used for blocks and channels featuring action-related and adventure-related live-action and animated programming. It was also what Disney eventually turned Fox Kids into...
lineup, making it exclusive to Toon Disney
Toon Disney
Toon Disney was an American cable television channel owned by The Walt Disney Company. A spinoff of Disney Channel, it mostly aired children's animated series and some live action programming. Its format had similarities to those of Cartoon Network and Nicktoons...
.
Today, weekday cartoons are relegated to basic cable networks like Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
, Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
for much of the day along with educational and family programs, and Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
until 11 p.m. (10 p.m. on Sundays), before it becomes Adult Swim
Adult Swim
Adult Swim is an adult-oriented Cable network that shares channel space with Cartoon Network from 9:00 pm until 6:00 am ET/PT in the United States, and broadcasts in countries such as Australia and New Zealand...
. Local PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
stations run plenty of educational children's programming on weekdays. In addition, there are digital cable channels that only offer children's programs. These are all available on DirectTV and Dish Network
Dish Network
Dish Network Corporation is the second largest pay TV provider in the United States, providing direct broadcast satellite service—including satellite television, audio programming, and interactive television services—to 14.337 million commercial and residential customers in the United States. Dish...
, as well as most digital cable packages. Cartoon Network has Boomerang
Boomerang (TV channel)
Boomerang is a 24-hour American cable television channel owned by Turner Broadcasting System, a division of Time Warner. Boomerang specializes in reruns of animated programming from Time Warner's extensive archives, including pre-1986 MGM, Hanna-Barbera, Cartoon Network, DePatie-Freleng Enterprises...
, which runs primarily classic cartoons. Disney has Disney XD
Disney XD
Disney XD is a brand of children's TV channels worldwide targeting young males, owned by The Walt Disney Company. The channel was formerly known as Toon Disney and/or Jetix in most areas. According to Gary Marsh, President of Entertainment for Disney Channel Worldwide, "XD" does not "stand for...
(previously had Toon Disney
Toon Disney
Toon Disney was an American cable television channel owned by The Walt Disney Company. A spinoff of Disney Channel, it mostly aired children's animated series and some live action programming. Its format had similarities to those of Cartoon Network and Nicktoons...
until 2009), which mostly runs cartoons, while Nickelodeon has Nicktoons Network
NickToons Network
Nicktoons is an American digital cable and satellite television network owned by Viacom. It is a sister service of the Nickelodeon cable channel...
. There are also educational channels like PBS Kids
PBS Kids
PBS Kids is the brand for children's programming aired by the Public Broadcasting Service in the United States founded in 1993. As with all PBS programming, PBS Kids programming is non-commercial. It is aimed at children ages 2 to 10...
, Noggin, and others.
Current state
The WB dropped its weekday block in January 2006 and other cable networks featuring family and children's programming have cut back. In addition, it is unlikely that The CWThe CW Television Network
The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
will air any children's programming on weekdays in the future. Its unclear if MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
will eventually add cartoons on weekdays. That year, the qubo
Qubo
Qubo is a multi-platform children's television specialty channel endeavor operated as a joint venture between ION Media Networks, NBCUniversal, Nelvana, Scholastic Corporation, and Classic Media...
block of programming began airing on Ion Television affiliates, on Wednesdays-Fridays from 2-3/3-4c PM. On November 1, 2008, This TV
This TV
This TV is a United States general entertainment television network, with a large emphasis in its programming on movies....
launched airing a daily children's programming block called Cookie Jar Toons
Cookie Jar Toons
Cookie Jar Toons is a daily children's programming block on the This TV digital broadcast network. The block is programmed by Toronto based Cookie Jar Entertainment...
.
List of networks airing weekday cartoons
This is a list of television networkTelevision network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
s airing weekday cartoons as of March 2010
Broadcast
- Ion Television (Wednesdays - Fridays, through the shared-with-NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
quboQuboQubo is a multi-platform children's television specialty channel endeavor operated as a joint venture between ION Media Networks, NBCUniversal, Nelvana, Scholastic Corporation, and Classic Media...
block) - PBSPublic Broadcasting ServiceThe Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
- This TVThis TVThis TV is a United States general entertainment television network, with a large emphasis in its programming on movies....
- MyNetworkTVMyNetworkTVMyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
- local FOX stations (some have them on mornings and very little have them on afternoon)
Cable and satellite
- BabyFirstTVBabyFirstTVBabyFirstTV is a commercial-free premium satellite TV Network aimed at 6-month-old to 5-year-old children. Its investors include Regency Enterprises, Bellco Capital, LLC & Kardan N.V.. Guy Oranim & Sharon Rechter created BabyFirstTV in 2003.-Availability:...
(24/7) - BoomerangBoomerang (TV channel)Boomerang is a 24-hour American cable television channel owned by Turner Broadcasting System, a division of Time Warner. Boomerang specializes in reruns of animated programming from Time Warner's extensive archives, including pre-1986 MGM, Hanna-Barbera, Cartoon Network, DePatie-Freleng Enterprises...
(24/7) - Cartoon NetworkCartoon NetworkCartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
(24/7, but does have at least 1 live-action show) - Disney ChannelDisney ChannelDisney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
- Disney XDDisney XDDisney XD is a brand of children's TV channels worldwide targeting young males, owned by The Walt Disney Company. The channel was formerly known as Toon Disney and/or Jetix in most areas. According to Gary Marsh, President of Entertainment for Disney Channel Worldwide, "XD" does not "stand for...
(24/7) - The HubThe Hub (TV network)The Hub is an American digital cable and satellite television channel that launched on October 10, 2010. The channel, which replaced Discovery Kids, is a joint venture of Discovery Communications, Inc. and Hasbro...
- NickelodeonNickelodeon (TV channel)Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
- Nicktoons NetworkNickToons NetworkNicktoons is an American digital cable and satellite television network owned by Viacom. It is a sister service of the Nickelodeon cable channel...
(24/7) - Noggin
- PBS Kids SproutPBS KIDS SproutPBS Kids Sprout is a U.S. digital cable television channel, video-on-demand service, and website providing PBS Kids shows and original programming for preschoolers and their families...
(24/7) - quboQuboQubo is a multi-platform children's television specialty channel endeavor operated as a joint venture between ION Media Networks, NBCUniversal, Nelvana, Scholastic Corporation, and Classic Media...
No longer airing weekday cartoons
- ABC FamilyABC FamilyABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
- The CWThe CW Television NetworkThe CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
(predecessor networks Kids' WB!Kids' WBKids' WB! was Warner Bros. American childrens programing division brand for The WB Television Network. In September 2006, the block moved to The CW Television Network. The CW is the result of The WB's merger with UPN in 2006...
and UPNUPNUnited Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
's Disney's One TooDisney's One TooDisney's One Too was a weekday and Sunday morning children's programming block on UPN, it was a spinoff of Disney's One Saturday Morning, and resembled The Disney Afternoon.-History:...
block) - FOXFox Broadcasting CompanyFox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
(Some areas still show morning programs) - Superstation WGNSuperstation WGNWGN America is a Chicago-based American superstation feed of WGN-TV, owned by Tribune Broadcasting. WGN America offers its national programming across North America without the CW network programming and most syndicated programs that are carried on the Chicago area feed...
- TBSTBS (TV channel)TBS , stylized in the logo as tbs, is an American cable television channel owned by Time Warner that shows a variety of programming, with a focus on comedy. TBS was originally known as WTCG, a UHF terrestrial television station that broadcast from Atlanta, Georgia, during the late 1970s...
(WTBS-TV in Atlanta) - TLCTLC (TV channel)TLC is an American cable TV specialty channel which initially focused on educational content. Since 1991 TLC has been owned by Discovery Communications, the same company that operates the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and The Science Channel, as well as other learning-themed networks...
- TNT
- USAUSA NetworkUSA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
- ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
- NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
- CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
Defunct weekday cartoon line-ups
This is a list of Weekday Cartoon line ups that are no longer on television.- Kids' WB! Weekday Line UpKids' WBKids' WB! was Warner Bros. American childrens programing division brand for The WB Television Network. In September 2006, the block moved to The CW Television Network. The CW is the result of The WB's merger with UPN in 2006...
(known as the AfterToons Show) (Afternoon 1995–2006, Morning 1998-2001) - Fox Kids WeekdaysFox KidsFox Kids was the Fox Broadcasting Company's American children's programming division and brand name from September 8, 1990 until September 7, 2002. It was owned by Fox Television Entertainment airing programming on Monday–Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings.Depending on the show, the...
(Afternoons 1990–2001, Mornings 1993-2001) - Disney's One TooDisney's One TooDisney's One Too was a weekday and Sunday morning children's programming block on UPN, it was a spinoff of Disney's One Saturday Morning, and resembled The Disney Afternoon.-History:...
(1999–2003) - USA Cartoon ExpressUSA Cartoon ExpressThe USA Cartoon Express was a programming block of animated productions which aired on cable television's USA Network from late 1982 to September 15, 1996...
(early 1980s-late 1990s) - TNT Weekday Cartoon line up (1981–1998)
- WGN-TV Cartoon line upWGN-TVWGN-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the CW-affiliated television station in Chicago, Illinois built, signed on, and owned by the Tribune Company. WGN-TV's studios and offices are located at 2501 W...
- The Disney AfternoonThe Disney AfternoonThe Disney Afternoon was a created-for-syndication two-hour television programming block which aired from September 10, 1990, until Fall 1999. At that time, it was taken out of syndication, and a new Disney weekday afternoon block was started on UPN. The Disney Afternoon was produced by The Walt...
(1990–1999) - UPN Weekday Line UpUPN KidsUPN Kids was a short-lived weekday and Sunday morning children's programming block on UPN that launched on September 10, 1995. During the 1998-1999 season, the block was called The UPN Kids Action Zone. The block aired for 2 hours each day...
(1995–2005) - NBC Weekday Line UpNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
(1950s) - CBS Weekday Line UpCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
- ABC Weekday Line UpAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
- Cartoon Network's ToonamiToonamiToonami was a registered trademark of Cartoon Network, used initially for action-oriented programming blocks on Cartoon Network television channels worldwide, mostly showing American cartoons and Japanese anime, originating in the United States on March 17, 1997 and ended on September 20, 2008.The...
(1997–2004) - Miguzi (2004–2007)
Notable weekday cartoon shows
This is a list of weekday cartoon shows on broadcast and cable networks (both morning and afternoon).- 101 Dalmatians: The Series101 Dalmatians: The Series101 Dalmatians: The Series is a animated television series produced by the Walt Disney Company based on the classic 1961 Disney animated feature of the same name and its 1996 live-action remake.-Premise:...
(Syndication 1997-1998) - AAAHH!!! Real MonstersAAAHH!!! Real MonstersAaahh!!! Real Monsters is an American animated television series about adolescent monsters in training, developed by Klasky Csupo for Nickelodeon...
(Nickelodeon 1994-1998) - Action ManAction ManAction Man is an action figure boys' toy launched in Britain in 1966 by Palitoy as a licensed copy of Hasbro's American "moveable fighting man": G.I...
(FOX 2000-2001) - AladdinAladdinAladdin is a Middle Eastern folk tale. It is one of the tales in The Book of One Thousand and One Nights , and one of the most famous, although it was actually added to the collection by Antoine Galland ....
(Syndication 1995-1997) - Archie's Weird MysteriesArchie's Weird MysteriesArchie's Weird Mysteries is an American animated children's television program, based on the successful Archie comics. The series premise revolves around a Riverdale High physics lab gone awry, making the town of Riverdale a "magnet" for B-movie style monsters.The show is distributed as meeting the...
(Syndication 2004-2005) - BatmanBatman: The Animated SeriesBatman: The Animated Series is an American animated series based on the DC Comics character Batman. The series featured an ensemble cast of many voice-actors including Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Arleen Sorkin, and Loren Lester. The series won four Emmy Awards and was nominated...
(FOX 1993-1996), (WB 1996-2000) - BonkersBonkers (TV series)Bonkers is an animated American television series that aired from September 4, 1993 to February 23, 1994 in first-run syndication . The syndicated run was available both separately, and as part of The Disney Afternoon...
(Syndication 1995-1996) - Darkwing DuckDarkwing DuckDarkWing Duck is an American animated television series produced by The Walt Disney Company that ran from 1991–1992 on both the syndicated programming block The Disney Afternoon and Saturday mornings on ABC. It featured the eponymous anthropomorphic duck superhero whose alter ego is mild-mannered...
(Syndication 1991-1997) - Dragonball Z (Syndication 1996-2000, Cartoon Network (1998–2004)
- Dennis the MeniceDennis the Menace (U.S.)Dennis the Menace is a daily syndicated newspaper comic strip originally created, written and illustrated by Hank Ketcham. It debuted on March 12, 1951 in 16 newspapers and was originally distributed by Post-Hall Syndicate...
(Syndication 1986-present) - DigimonDigimon, short for , is a Japanese media franchise encompassing digital toys, anime, manga and video games. The franchise's eponymous creatures are monsters of various forms living in a "Digital World", a parallel universe that originated from Earth's various communication networks.-Conception and...
(FOX 1999–2002, UPN 2002-2003) - Double DragonDouble Dragon (TV series)Double Dragon is an animated series based on the video game franchise of the same name. The television series was produced by DiC Entertainment and ran for 26 half-hour episodes in 1993 and 1994.-Overview:...
(Syndication 1993-1995) - Dragon TalesDragon TalesDragon Tales is an American animated pre-school children's television series chronicling the adventures of two siblings, Max and Emmy and their dragon friends Cassie, Ord, Zak, Wheezie, and Quetzal...
(PBS 1999–present) - Ed, Edd n EddyEd, Edd n EddyEd, Edd n Eddy is an original animated television series created by Danny Antonucci and produced by Canadian-based a.k.a. Cartoon. It premiered on Cartoon Network on January 4, 1999. Ed, Edd n Eddy was one of Cartoon Network's longest running and most successful franchises and the longest-running...
(Cartoon NetworkCartoon NetworkCartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
, 1999–2009) - Goof TroopGoof TroopDisney's Goof Troop is an American animated television series from The Walt Disney Company featuring Goofy as a father figure and bonding with his son Max.-Premise:...
(Syndication 1992-1996) - HighlanderHighlander: The Animated SeriesHighlander: The Animated Series is a Canadian-French animated television series which premiered on September 18, 1994. It is a loose spinoff of the cult classic 1986 film of the same name. The series was produced by Gaumont Multimedia with the worldwide distribution rights owned by Bohbot...
(UPN 1995-1996) - Pepper AnnPepper AnnPepper Ann is an American animated series created by Sue Rose and aired on ABC. It debuted on September 13, 1997.Pepper Ann starred cartoon adolescents and charted their ups and downs at Hazelnut Middle School. It aired as part of the Disney's One Saturday Morning block...
(UPN 2000-2001) - PokémonPokémon (anime), abbreviated from , is a children's TV anime series, which has since been adapted for the North and South American, Australian and European television markets...
(Syndication 1998–1999, WB 1999-2006, Cartoon Network 2002-present) - Puzzle Place (PBS 1995-1998)
- RedwallRedwall (TV series)Redwall is a television series made by Canada-based Nelvana and France-based Alphanim and is based on the Redwall novels by Brian Jacques. The series currently spans three seasons, the first based on the first book Redwall, the second on Mattimeo and the third on Martin the Warrior...
(PBS Dec 2001 and Summer 2002) * - RecessRecess (TV series)Recess is an American animated television series created by Paul Germain and Joe Ansolabehere and produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. The series focuses on six elementary school students and their interaction with other classmates and teachers...
(UPN 1999-2003) - Robotech (anime) (Syndication 1985-1986)
- Sailor MoonSailor MoonSailor Moon, known as , is a media franchise created by manga artist Naoko Takeuchi. Fred Patten credits Takeuchi with popularizing the concept of a team of magical girls, and Paul Gravett credits the series with "revitalizing" the magical-girl genre itself...
(Syndication 1995-2004, Cartoon Network 1998-2002) - Samurai Pizza CatsSamurai Pizza CatsSamurai Pizza Cats, known as in Japan, is an anime series produced by Tatsunoko Productions and Sotsu Agency. The series was aired from February 1, 1990 to February 12, 1991, totaling up to 54 episodes...
(Syndication 1996-1997) - Star BlazersStar BlazersStar Blazers is an American animated television series adaptation of the Japanese anime series, . Star Blazers was first broadcast in the United States in 1979. Significantly, it was the first popular English-translated anime that had an over-arching plot and storyline that required the episodes to...
(Syndication 1979–1985, USA late 1980s-1992) - The Legend of TarzanThe Legend of TarzanThe Legend of Tarzan is an animated television series created by The Walt Disney Company in 2001, based on the Tarzan character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs....
(UPN 2002-2003) - The LittlesThe LittlesThe Littles is a series of children's novels by American author John Peterson, the first of which was published in 1967. Peterson's books were adapted into the The Littles animated series by DIC Entertainment 16 years later...
(Syndication 2004-2006) - The Magic School BusThe Magic School BusThe Magic School Bus is a series of children's books about science written by author Joanna Cole. They feature the antics of Ms. Valerie Frizzle, an elementary school teacher, and her class, who board a magical school bus which takes them on field trips to impossible locations such as the solar...
(PBS 1994–1998, FOX 1998-2001) - The Smurfs (USA late 1980s-mid 1990s)
- TrollzTrollzTrollz is an American animated television series produced by DiC Entertainment and features the adventures of five fictional teenage girls, who call themselves the Best Friends for Life, who use magic to help them with their everyday life as well as battling whatever magical creatures and problems...
(Syndication 2005–present, CBS 2006-) - Sabrina, the Animated Series (UPN 1999-2003)
- Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd CenturySherlock Holmes in the 22nd CenturySherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century is a animation series, in which Sherlock Holmes is brought back to life in the 22nd century. The series is a co–production by DiC and Scottish Television and was nominated for a Daytime Emmy for Special Class Animated Program.- Overview :The concept series was...
(Syndication 2004-2005)
See also
- Kids' WBKids' WBKids' WB! was Warner Bros. American childrens programing division brand for The WB Television Network. In September 2006, the block moved to The CW Television Network. The CW is the result of The WB's merger with UPN in 2006...
- Fox KidsFox KidsFox Kids was the Fox Broadcasting Company's American children's programming division and brand name from September 8, 1990 until September 7, 2002. It was owned by Fox Television Entertainment airing programming on Monday–Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings.Depending on the show, the...
- PBS KidsPBS KidsPBS Kids is the brand for children's programming aired by the Public Broadcasting Service in the United States founded in 1993. As with all PBS programming, PBS Kids programming is non-commercial. It is aimed at children ages 2 to 10...
- Saturday morning cartoonSaturday morning cartoonA Saturday morning cartoon is the colloquial term for the animated television programming that has typically been scheduled on Saturday mornings on the major American television networks from the 1960s to the present; the genre's peak in popularity mostly ended in the 1990s while the popularity of...
- WGN-TV History (weekday morning cartoons)