Saturday morning cartoon

Saturday morning cartoon is the colloquial term for the typical television animation programming that was typically scheduled on Saturday mornings on the major American television networks since the mid 1960s. This genre is often referred to by its critics as "illustrated radio", because of its focus on voice performances, music, and sound effects over animation and visual quality.

Decline

The decline of the timeslot began in the mid 1980s due to a variety of factors. Among them was the rise of first run syndication animated programs, which usually had a greater artistic freedom and production values (such as GI Joe, Robotech and Ducktales). There was also the increasing popularity of home video; this made quality animated productions (like the Walt Disney Company's classic animated features) easily accessible, which encouraged unfavourable comparisons with typical television animation. Finally, there was the appearance of cable TV channels like Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network which provided appealing children's entertainment throughout the week, making Saturday morning timeslots far less important to viewers and advertisers.

Related Topics:
1980s - First run syndication - GI Joe - Robotech - Ducktales - Home video - Walt Disney Company - Cable - Nickelodeon - Cartoon Network

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